A dome to call home

Board approves conditional use application for church to set up home in the Pocono Dome

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A School Bus Driver Shortage Means Lots of Open Jobs. Here’s How to Get One

These days, it seems like everybody is an Uber or Lyft driver.

Your neighbor, your uncle, your ex… your ex’s uncle’s neighbor…

One driving job that isn’t gaining as much steam, however, is being a school bus driver. But school bus companies across the country are seriously in need of drivers.

School Bus Fleet magazine surveyed the 50 largest school bus operators in the nation; all reported some level of driver shortage, according to USA Today. Twenty-two percent called the lack of drivers a “severe” issue, while 5% said the shortage created a “desperate” problem.

Not having enough drivers has even led some schools to suspend bus service.

USA Today also reports the availability of higher-paying transportation jobs has created hurdles to hiring school bus drivers, as has to the challenge of having a two-part shift transporting students in the morning and then again in the afternoon.

But for someone up for a flexible schedule (like a freelancer, stay-at-home spouse or someone with a work-from-home job), being a school bus driver could be a great income-earning opportunity.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for school bus drivers in 2016 was $14.50 an hour, or $30,150 a year.

School Bus Fleet’s survey found the average starting pay for the nation’s 50 largest school bus companies increased from $16.24 an hour in 2016 to $16.90 an hour in 2017.

Over a third of the bus companies surveyed said they offer sign-on bonuses or referral bonuses as a way to attract drivers, and 17% increased pay or benefits.

Another upside: You won’t be likely to work weekends, holidays or summers.

The BLS says those interested in becoming a bus driver need to have a commercial driver’s license and a clean driving record. They must also meet certain physical, vision and hearing requirements. School bus drivers have to pass additional tests to get a special endorsement for their license.

Drivers also may be required to be at least 18, have a high school diploma or equivalent, pass a background check and pass random drug and/or alcohol tests.

Sure, shuttling dozens of kids to and from school is drastically different from signing up with a ride-sharing app. But if your local school district is hiring, this in-demand driving job just might be the right gig for you.

Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Blueberry Dunkin’ Donuts Don’t Count as Real Fruit, Shocking Lawsuit Claims

Dunkin’ Donuts is allegedly skimping on its fruit ingredients, and at least 100 people in Illinois are not happy about it.

Bartosz Grabowski filed a class-action lawsuit against the donut giant last month, and Consumerist has blessed us with the documents from the filing.

The suit, which seeks $5 million in damages and fees, claims Dunkin’ Donuts’ blueberry donuts do not feature actual blueberries. While the chain’s blueberry muffins do contain their namesake fruit, Dunkin’s blueberry donuts contain “flavor crystals” or “blueberry flavored bits” that allegedly mislead the customer.

Meanwhile, Dunkin’s strawberry and apple donuts have actual fruit.

Grabowski claims he wouldn’t have bought the now-notorious blueberry donut if he knew they contained faux fruit and “suffered injury and lost money” due to Dunkin’s “fraudulent practices.”

The suit explains that blueberry donut options are more expensive than regular glazed donuts.

“Plaintiff is likely to purchase the Blueberry Products in the future if they each were reformulated to include their premium ingredients,” the suit states.

But What About the Antioxidants?

Did you know that, like many real foods, blueberries are good for you? This is my favorite part of the entire lawsuit:

“Blueberries have the potential to limit the development and severity of certain cancers and vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases of aging. Research suggests that blueberries are one of the richest sources of antioxidant phytonutrients.”

Really, everyone? You are chomping into a donut and expect the mere presence of an alleged fruit to save you from a stroke?

If this lawsuit sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been here before. Last fall, a Los Angeles man filed a similar $5 million class-action lawsuit against Krispy Kreme after learning its blueberry donuts really contained “blueberry gambits.” That case, which also made claims about other fruit-flavored donuts, was voluntarily dismissed.

There’s even another case open against Dunkin’ Donuts in California over these alleged blueberry products.

The American legal system at its best, people.

Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder who doesn’t even like actual blueberries.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Here’s How Oregon’s New Law Protects Workers in the Restaurant Industry

As more companies deal with the fallout of lax or nonexistent labor policies, Oregon has stepped up to become the first state to address a glaring worker issue: Scheduling uncertainty.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed into law this week a mandate that employers give at least a week’s notice before putting a worker’s name on the schedule, according to an article in CNN Money. No more last minute Ubers or babysitters for Oregonians!

The move comes as employment in industries most vulnerable to last-minute scheduling has exploded.

Since January 2010, jobs in the restaurant industry have grown at double the pace of all employment in the U.S., according to statistics provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

In the latest jobs report from July alone, “food and drinking places” added a whopping 53,100 jobs over the same month last year. That’s the most out of any specialized industry during the same time period — in fact, it’s more than the entire professional and business service sector.

These are jobs that are pretty flexible, with no experience and minimal training required. So this could only be great news, right?

Wrong.

Labor Laws Offer Little Protection for Restaurant Workers

The explosion in growth is not necessarily a good thing, according to a recent article in the Atlantic that highlights the growth in restaurant gigs.

“Jobs are jobs, but these ones don’t pay very well,” the article says. “The typical private-sector job pays about $22 an hour. The typical restaurant job pays about $12.50.”

And these types of service-industry jobs are the most vulnerable to less-than-perfect working conditions and benefits. (Cough, Chipotle, cough.)

But nothing affects this sector quite like the lack of a federal law on scheduling uncertainty. As a waiter, your manager can put you on the weekly schedule at the last minute — your personal life, transportation or other considerations be damned.

But that could be changing with Oregon’s help.

Oregon Bolsters its Labor Laws With New Work-Week Mandate

The law, which will take effect in July 2018, applies to retail, hospitality and food-service companies with at least 500 global employees. It also requires employees to give workers 10 hours off between shifts.

It’s a big deal, too.

One in six Oregonians surveyed by the University of Oregon for a February study said they received less than 24 hours notice before their boss put them on the schedule.

That analysis blames the rise of irregular scheduling on new software that uses real-time data to predict how many customers are slated to demand a certain service each day. Thanks, robots — first you try to take our jobs, now you’re screwing with our schedules?

Cities like New York, Seattle and San Francisco have adopted similar legislation, according to CNN Money. But workers in the other 12,000-plus cities and 49 states are out of luck for now.

With the restaurant industry driving job growth in the U.S., it should be a matter of time before more municipalities and states follow suit.

We hope.

Alex Mahadevan is a data journalist at The Penny Hoarder. He dealt with scheduling problems when he was a waiter at a sushi restaurant while working his way through college.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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This Sneaky Trick Can Help You Save Up to $17 on Uber Rides This Month

I enjoy hunting down coupon codes and finding rebate offers, but I’d kind of given up on saving money when I request Uber rides.

Unless I wanted to become a new customer by signing up over and over with 10 different email addresses… or invite friends to sign up, but they’re already members… so I didn’t have much hope to save.

But Ibotta, a cash-back app, is handing out $17 for Uber rides for a limited time — and it’s so easy.

How to Earn $17 Back on Uber Rides

Ibotta is classically known for its cash-back offers on grocery items, but it’s quickly expanding.

I’m learning to look for offers when I go out to eat, hit the bars and now when I take an Uber.

You can now earn up to $17 in Uber deals when you take seven rides by August 31.

The offers include:

• A $5 ride credit after three rides
• Another $5 ride credit after four additional rides
• $1 back for each ride — up to seven total

Do the math… that’s $17.

I took advantage of this offer last weekend. I applied a $5 coupon on my first ride and earned $3 back on all three. (We were bar hoppin’.) I also earned a $1 mobile shopping bonus, so that totaled $9 that I saved.

To cash out these Uber deals, go ahead and sign up for Ibotta. (Use that link and you’ll get a $10 bonus when you earn your first rebate.)

Once you’re on the app, find the Uber deal. It’ll show up under featured stores as soon as you open it. Click “Shop at Uber,” and the app will open Uber for you. Go about your normal Uber-hailing business. Once your ride is complete, Ibotta automatically adds the money to your account.

If you earn a $5 ride credit, Ibotta emails you the code. Simply navigate to your Uber app, tap “Payment,” then “Add Promo/Gift Code.”

Pro tip: As the night wears on, do NOT forget to open Uber through Ibotta… I’ve learned this from experience.

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s earned nearly $50 back on Ibotta since signing up three months ago.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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This Argumentative New Chat Bot Haggles With Comcast So You Don’t Have To

I know we’re all supposed to be worried about robots taking our jobs, right?

Before you know it, machines will replace truck drivers and fast food workers and accountants, and maybe they’ve got their beady little robot eyes on your job, too.

Bummer.

But in the meantime, you may as well let the robot revolution work for you.

In that spirit, programmers at the San Francisco startup Trim have launched a useful new creation. It’s a bot that negotiates with cable TV giant Comcast for you.

The bot, a computer program designed to chat and interact with humans, will negotiate with Comcast customer service reps via online chat in an effort to lower your cable bill.

So you have this bot to do your haggling for you, while you sit back and don’t lift a finger. Truly this is a great time to be alive.

For me, this free tool is especially useful because, personally, dealing with customer service reps is one of my least favorite things. It’s right up there with dental work, engine trouble and overdraft statements.

Comcast: Like a Movie Supervillain, Only More Evil

And what better company than Comcast to sic your attack robot on? (Writer adopts Arnold Schwarzenegger accent: “Comcast, you are terminated.”)

C’mon, Comcast is probably America’s least favorite company.

With cable TV and internet customers in 40 states, Comcast is the largest media company in the world. Notorious for lousy service, it ranks near the bottom of the American Consumer Satisfaction Index. It’s the only company to win Consumerist’s “Worst Company in America” title twice.

So don’t feel bad when you unleash your cool new haggle-bot on Comcast.

Here’s How Trim Works

Comcast subscribers can communicate with the company by phone, email or Twitter, or also by online chat.

Trim noticed that when Comcast customer service employees chatting online with dissatisfied customers, they always stick to a simple, pre-written script of questions and answers, said Trim CEO Thomas Smyth. Trim figured it could build a chat robot capable of conversing with that limited script.

To use the bot, download Trim’s Chrome web browser extension, then follow the instructions.

Powered by machine learning algorithms, the bot will negotiate with Comcast customer service reps using a series of canned arguments and responses.

The goal is to lower your monthly bill — or at least get you a one-time statement credit.

“My grandmother was overpaying by $35 a month for Comcast, because they had raised her rate a little bit each year for the past decade,” Smyth told Fortune magazine. “I negotiated my grandmother’s bill (saving her $420 per year) and wondered if there was a way to do that automatically.”

After making the bot available to the public in November 2016, Trim reported a 70% success rate at lowering customers’ bills, with an average savings of $10 per month. Trim doesn’t take a cut from the savings, either.

Here’s Why Trim Does a Few Different Things

Here at The Penny Hoarder, we have long considered Trim to be a smart way to save money.

The app has previously been best known for helping its users get rid of unwanted subscriptions — you know, subscriptions that you signed up for, put on a recurring payment and then forgot about. Right now, you might be paying Netflix, Spotify, Audible or Planet Fitness every month without even realizing it.

Once you sign up and connect your bank account and phone number, Trim analyzes your transaction history for recurring payments. When it finds one, the app sends you a text and cancels any subscriptions you don’t want to keep.

Trim says it’s building an online, artificial-intelligence assistant to help its customers with their finances. It says the subscription-cancellation service was just the beginning, and that the Comcast chat bot is a next step.

“We started with the easy stuff,” Trim says. “Need to cancel an old subscription? Trim started doing that way back in 2015. We built more nifty features that save you money, like automatic Comcast bill negotiation and price protection for your Amazon purchases.”

“Now we’re starting to work on the hard stuff.”

And so the robot revolution begins.

Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He doesn’t trust most robots, but chat bots are okay.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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How Any Dog or Cat Can Get a Free Bag of Food From PetSmart Through Aug. 14

Your cat loves you. He purrs, rubs up against you and makes a shameless display of devotion and affection.

Then your cat bites your toes and runs away.

Perhaps your cat is plotting to kill you.

For all his little quirks, your feline friend needs you to feed him. Or maybe you don’t want to put up with that nonsense and choose a dog instead.

Either way, here’s an awesome deal for you: PetSmart has two new offers for free cat food or free dog food for PetPerks members.

Get the Coupons, Feed the Kitty (or Dog)

If you have a pet, there’s a good chance you head to PetSmart on a regular basis. If you’re a crazy cat lady (and that’s OK), you practically live there. It’s a playground of cat toys, treats and feline luxuries most of us haven’t even dreamed existed.

That means you’re also probably a PetPerks member. Smart move. If you’re not, you can sign up for a PetPerks membership to get frequent deals for you and your little buddy.

Right now, PetSmart has two great coupons for PetPerks members.

One is good for a free bag of Wellness brand dry cat food or dog food (2- to 6-pound size). Simply print out the coupon, and take it to your nearest PetSmart store.

The second coupon is nearly identical. With this coupon, PetPerks members can get a free bag of Nutro brand dry cat or dog food (3- to 5-pound size).

Act fast because these coupons expire Aug.14!

That’s it. There doesn’t appear to be any catch, except that each coupon is limited to “one coupon per customer, per transaction,” so you can’t print out multiples and snag a stack of free food in a single transaction.  

Whether you own a dog who wants to lick you to death or a cat who stares at you with self-righteous contempt from the windowsill, you owe it to yourself to cash in on these deals. Who knows, it could be your pet’s new favorite food.

Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. His wife’s cat did not approve of this article’s content. Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Nissan Is 5th Automaker to Settle Takata Airbag Suit. You Could Get $500

Update: Nissan has reached a $97.68 million settlement over defective Takata airbags in 4.4 million of its vehicles. The settlement will accelerate the airbag replacement process and pay for rental cars for “the most at-risk” class members while they wait for repairs.

It’s been a long time coming.

More than eight years have passed since the first vehicles were recalled due to exploding Takata airbags. But soon, nearly 16 million vehicle owners could finally get compensation.

The Takata Airbag Settlement is Worth Millions

On May 18, plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit filed a $553 million settlement agreement with four of the automakers that used the defective airbags.

The airbags were reportedly rupturing, sending dangerous material into vehicle cabins, harming passengers.

To date, at least 17 deaths, 12 of which were in the U.S., have been linked to the defect. Automakers have recalled and repaired more than 14 million vehicles, but plaintiffs argue the the companies have worked at a slow place, endangering those who are still driving the affected vehicles.

In January, Takata agreed to pay $1 billion for concealing its faulty airbags and submitting false tests to automakers. Three of its executives were also criminally charged with wire fraud and conspiracy stemming from the alleged cover-up and fake tests.

According to NPR, here’s how many vehicles are covered in the settlement and how much the automakers will pay if a judge approves the settlement:

• 9.2 million Toyota vehicles: $278.5 million

• 2.3 million BMW vehicles: $131 million

• 2.6 million Subaru vehicles: $68,262,257

• 1.7 million Mazda vehicles: $75,805,050

• 4.4 million Nissan vehicles: $97.7 million

Ford and Honda were also named in the suit, but they have yet to announce settlements.

Final approval for the five automakers’ settlements depend on a hearing scheduled for Oct. 25.

The settlements compensate affected owners by offering reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, financial assistance and support for necessary repairs, free rental cars for some owners while they wait for repairs, an extended warranty and a possible payment of up to $500.

USA Today reports that those who have been injured by the exploding airbags are eligible for compensation under a separate fund.

The settlement will also create an outreach program for those who still drive affected vehicles. The program will work to get them repaired as quickly as possible.

More than 42 million vehicles worldwide have the potentially defective airbags. For a full list of vehicles involved in the recall, head to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.

The website also lays out the steps you need to take to get your vehicle fixed.

Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Catch her on Twitter at @keywordkelly.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Costco Wants You (Yes, You!) as a Member and Will Give You $155 in Freebies

Costco is a bulk shopper’s playground. The retail giant is full of bargain deals from groceries to home products to health and beauty supplies, if you don’t mind buying ginormous quantities.

I buy my ground beef there for about half the price of my local grocery stores — I just have to buy it 6 pounds at a time. It’s easy enough to split that up into freezer bags and enjoy having it on hand for a bargain.

What’s the catch? To shop at Costco, you have to be a member, and a standard Costco Gold Star membership costs $60 annually. That’s an OK price for a year’s worth of bargains. (I probably save that much on ground beef alone. Don’t judge.)

But thanks to LivingSocial and Groupon, you can now get your membership plus over $155 in free stuff and discounts.

Is it Really a Deal?

OK, you’ve seen these special offers to lure you into memberships before, and sometimes, they’re not worth it. At The Penny Hoarder, we don’t like to tell you about it unless we think it’s a good deal, but I’ll let you be the judge. Here’s the offer:

• A one-year Costco Gold Star membership with two cards (one for the membership holder and one for another household member).

• $20 Costco cash card. Free money!

• $25 off an order of $250 or more on Costco.com.

• $75 Costco cash card toward Costco Travel to the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico or the South Pacific (excludes cruises). If you haven’t used or checked out Costco travel, give it a look. I used it to book a cruise and found it really easy, and it offered a great price!

Coupons for three free Kirkland Signature products:

• Free 12-pack of create-a-size paper towels ($15.69) Who doesn’t use these?

• Free 24-pack of VitaRain Zero flavored water ($9.99) A nice, tasty beverage.

• Free whole pizza from the food court ($9.95) Umm… pizza!

Keep in mind that coupon item values may vary by Costco location.

So even if you don’t use the online coupon and the travel card, you still get your new membership plus $55.63 in goods and store credit. Not too shabby if you ask me.

What’s more, you can sample about 25 different items while you shop. On a recent trip, Costco was giving out samples of bacon. Bacon!

OK, What’s the Real Catch?

Alas, no offer is perfect. (And, yes, I said “alas.”)

Costco will not send the coupons and gift cards to you immediately via email or any other 21st century method. Once you redeem your voucher online, the wholesale club will mail your goodies to you within four weeks.

It seems Costco set up this offer to bring in new customers or to bring back customers Costco may have recently lost. So, it’s not for everyone.

The fine print tells us that you may not participate if you are a current member looking to renew or if your membership expired after April 1, 2017. In other words, it’s not looking for renewals or slightly late renewals — it wants people who may be on the fence about a membership.

However, if you have never had a Costco membership and have contemplated taking the plunge, or if you let your membership run out more than four months ago and were thinking about jumping back in, this deal could be for you.

Neither Groupon nor LivingSocial list an expiration date for this deal — they only say there’s “Limited Time Remaining” — so we suggest jumping on it sooner rather than later.

Now, go get your deal because there is a 3-pound box of Cheez-It Cheddar Crackers with your name on it!

Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Amazon: Your Stay-at-Home Dog Is Stressed, Audible Subscription Will Help

Amazon is stepping into yet another moneymaking lane, and knowing who the potential customers are, it’s likely going to bring in cash by the truckload.

What’s the new idea, you ask? Audiobooks… for dogs.

Yes, Amazon wants you, an otherwise reasonable adult, to pay for a monthly subscription to Audible to make your dog the most well-read pup on the block.

And while it sounds ridiculous to me, I totally understand exactly why Amazon thinks this idea could make bank — dog owners love their dogs past the point of reason.

Don’t try to deny it.

I’ve seen your let your dogs lick your faces knowing they used those same mouths to lick their butts. I’ve seen the “dog bars.” I’ve seen you bring your dogs to indoor gatherings. I’ve seen you get offended, or skip them altogether, when friends invite you to events that are not dog friendly.

So when I read Amazon’s pitch that claimed “listening to audiobooks outperformed music in reducing stress in canines” and that dog owners who had tried it felt less guilty about leaving their dogs home alone while they were at work all day, I knew this idea had the potential for success.

And I don’t blame Amazon for taking advantage of you by offering a curated list of books your dog will love and dubbing it Audible for Dogs.

In fact, I blame you. Audible for Dogs is a ridiculous nightmare of your own making, dog lovers.

But Seriously, How Does Audible for Dogs Work?

There might be a part of you that assumes there is something that makes the audiobooks particularly dog friendly. But you’d be wrong.

You are literally just using the same audiobook you would listen to yourself and playing it for your dog instead. The only real difference is an introductory video at the beginning of each book by famed and mildly controversial dog whisperer Cesar Millan.

Millan and Audible joined forces to test the audiobooks on 100 dogs before launching them. In 76% of cases, “dog owners who played audiobooks for their dogs reported an increase in calm, relaxed behavior in their pets over a four-week period,” a press release said.

Of course, that means 24 of the 100 dogs either had no change or were possibly worse off. That is a lot of dogs!

In some of the books, the dogs are the main characters. But some of the other picks are just regular books that even cats, or humans without pets might like, too.

The Audible for Dogs curated titles with Millan’s introductory videos are:

• “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” by Trevor Noah
• “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
• “A Dog’s Purpose” by W. Bruce Cameron
• “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein
• “Soldier Dogs: The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes” by Maria Goodavage
• “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame

Should You Buy Audible for Your Dog?

It’s your money, so I can’t decide what you do with it.

The woman who Audible featured in its case study, Leslie from Santa Clarita, California, seemed to love it, of course.

“I would always feel guilty about leaving my dog, Buddy, alone, but with Audible for Dogs, I felt like I was leaving him with a friend,” said Leslie, whose last name was not included. “The different voices, the different stories. It was like leaving him with a different friend every day.”

It’s possible that your dog will, in fact, love this.

There is an exception for those who happen to enjoy audiobooks. If that’s you, by all means, get a subscription for yourself and share it with your dog. That is reasonable.

But I beg of you, don’t buy it just for Fido.

Desiree Stennett (@desi_stennett) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She doesn’t own a dog. Obviously.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Don’t Toss Those ‘90s Fashion Magazines! They Could Be Worth Money

Thinking about finally cleaning out your stash of old fashion magazines? You might want to take a second look before heaving them all into the recycling bin.

Fashionista’s Tyler McCall ponders the value of old magazines in a recent piece about her quest to acquire several specific back issues of fashion magazines like Vogue.

She scored nine Vogues (from the ‘90s and turn of the century — so nostalgic!) for winning eBay bids ranging from $2.50 to $20.

If you think you might have a winner in your stack of magazines (probably labeled “Ditch these???”), don’t set up a secondhand fashion-mag shop just yet.

Making money selling your old magazines is more of an art than a science, McCall notes.

Why People Buy Old Fashion Magazines — And What You Should Know Before Trying to Sell Yours

Some retro magazine issues get purchased by collectors for the sake of collecting; others are bought by people searching for something they can’t easily find online.

For fashion magazines, McCall explains, it might be a designer looking for inspiration or a film crew working on a period piece. Still others get bought up by fans of a celebrity — or perhaps even the actual celebrity themselves.

Pro sellers tend to buy old magazines in bulk, allowing them to sell relatively low and still make some profit.

For the average fashion fan, scarcity is key. No one’s going to pay big money for your December 2016 issue of Elle, but someone might bid on a copy from the early days of the now defunct Jane.

Got a good-condition, mid-90s Delia*s catalog floating around your apartment? Yeah, someone might pay $20 or so for that, according to McCall’s research.

“Because there’s not a solid market for [back issues of magazines], it’s more of an art than it is a science,” she explains. “[I]f there’s a big celebrity or supermodel on the cover, it will command more.” And the older a magazine is, the more likely it is to earn bids.

If you’re ready to list some vintage Vogues — or maybe just the ads — you’ll want to follow our guide to eBay selling best practices.

If you don’t think the potential $5, $10 or $20 in your pocket is enough for you to make an effort, you can at least enjoy giving those magazines one last skim before they get the heave-ho.

Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder. She owns a full set of the retired Canadian magazine Worn Fashion Journal.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Back to School on a Budget: 7 Smart Ways to Get Kids’ Clothes for Less

Although the days are still warm and you’re in full summer mode, retailers are already preparing for back-to-school season.

You can’t walk into a store or flip through an ad without noticing the shift. Gone (or at least relegated to the clearance racks) are the shorts and T-shirts. Jeans, pants and sweatshirts have filled the space.

For parents, this time of year not only means having to shell out money for school supplies, it’s also time to reboot kids’ wardrobes and get them ready for the coming school year.

7 Smart Ways to Save on Back-to-School Clothes

But just like there are ways to save money on school supplies, there are also plenty of tricks to save when it comes to their school clothes.

As a mom of two middle-schoolers (yikes!), here are seven ways I save on getting their wardrobes ready for the new school year.

1. Do a Thorough Inventory

Before you set foot in a single store, go through your children’s closets and drawers and see what still fits and is in good condition.

My kids wear uniforms, so for me, this is a fairly easy process. I check their khaki pants and shorts and their polo shirts.

Of course, I still have to check on their non-school clothes too — the casual ones they put on the minute they get home and wear on weekends (basically athletic pants, shorts and T-shirts).

After taking inventory, figure out what the kids still need. Do they have enough pairs of pants to get them from one laundry day to the next? If not, how many more do they need? You may be surprised at how much they already have.

2. Set a Budget

Determine how much you can spend on back-to-school clothing. Some people already include clothes in their monthly budgets, so that’s a good place to start.

Whatever you do, make sure to have a dollar amount in mind before you start shopping. This way, you’ll prevent sticker shock — or credit card regret — later on.

3. Be Patient

Yes, it’s tempting to start looking at the new fall clothes as soon as they hit the shelves, but think about it: Does your child really need a bunch of jeans and sweatshirts right away?

Think about the weather where you live — maybe they’ll be able to make it through most of September wearing shorts. The longer you wait to buy, the more you’ll save, since stores will start having bigger sales to clear their racks.

4. Shop Consignment Stores

Depending on your kids’ ages and interests, they might not care much about their clothes or where they come from. (If you have a fashion-savvy teenager, you may not be so lucky.)

Use that ambivalence to your advantage and visit local consignment shops and thrift stores to see what they have in stock. These stores can be hit and miss, but it doesn’t hurt to look, and it can pay off with big savings.

Don’t forget to check the shoe area — you might be able to pick up a great deal on shoes that need to stay at school for gym class. When my kids were younger, I frequently found brand-name sweatshirts that looked practically brand new for under $10.

5. Check Facebook Garage Sale Groups and Online Rummage Sales

I view these sites as another form of consignment shopping — except it’s from your home.

On my local VarageSale site, I can easily search for the clothing sizes I need. Facebook garage sale groups are great, but don’t have quite the same search functionality.

As with consignment shops, these options can be hit or miss, but they’re still worth checking out. And if you have clothes your kids have outgrown, go ahead and post them to see if you can make a few bucks. It doesn’t hurt to try!

6. Shop Sales Strategically

We all want to be smart shoppers, but are we? Before heading out, make sure you have any store coupons and check your in-store app, such as Target’s Cartwheel, to make sure you’re not missing out on additional savings.

Do you prefer to shop online like I do? Always head to Ebates or another of these cash-back sites first to earn cash back from your shopping.

When shopping online, type in as many promo codes as you can. For example, Kohl’s is notorious for having multiple sales and codes available at once, so combine them to see just how much you can save on your purchase. Use online codes as well as codes from coupons in the mail.

I know it can seem like a pain, but once you get used to doing it and start seeing the savings add up, you’ll be motivated to keep trying. Or, to make things easier, consider installing one of these browser extensions that help you find the best price, add as many coupon codes as possible and earn cash back.

7. Ask Around

If you have friends or relatives with older children, don’t be afraid to ask what they do with their kids’ old clothes. You never know — they might be looking for an easy way to part with them and might hand them over for free!

I’ve received countless bags of clothes from people at school with older children — and I’ve also passed on my kids’ clothes to others. Sure, there may be some duds in there, but there may also be some treasures, too.

I always tell people that what I can’t use, I’ll pass on to a local charity. Everyone wins — your friend is able to find a home for her kids’ stuff, you get some clothes for free and a local charity gets a donation.

If your friend is planning to sell the clothes online or at a consignment store, ask if you can have first dibs. She’ll likely give you a deal since it’ll cut down on some of her running around.

Getting your children dressed to head back to school doesn’t need to break the bank. Planning ahead and thinking outside of your typical big-box retailer can help you stay on budget.

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

Freelance writer MaryBeth Matzek is a mom of two and is always on the lookout for a good deal.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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You Don’t Have to Spend Like a Celeb to Throw a Fun Kids’ Birthday Party

Oh, the lives of the rich and famous.

You might find yourself envying their weddings and birthday bashes, but have you seen the celebrations they throw for their kids?

Beyonce and Jay Z reportedly spent $200,000 on their oldest daughter Blue Ivy’s first birthday party (that’s not including the $80,000 diamond encrusted Barbie doll).

When Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale’s oldest son, Kingston, turned four, the musicians threw him a birthday bash that reportedly cost $15,000.

David and Victoria Beckham just celebrated their daughter Harper’s sixth birthday with a tea party at Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace.

Whew!

And if you think the desire to drop serious dough on elaborate children’s parties is only reserved for celebs, you’re wrong. Regular folk follow suit just the same.

According to a recent article from Moneyish, Tasha Holland spent $5,400 on her son’s first birthday party. Marni Konner rented a $900 pink limo bus for her daughter’s fifth birthday 10 years ago.

But don’t think you have to keep up with the Joneses — you don’t have to catch mom guilt if you don’t drop a few grand on your child’s next birthday party. You can throw an affordable celebration without sacrificing on the fun.

Spare the Expense, Not the Creativity

Just because you’re cutting costs doesn’t mean your child’s party has to be bland. Focus your theme on activities your kid loves, and take advantage of supplies or equipment you already have at home.

This post offers suggestions for throwing a bicycle party or a Nerf gun party — plus four other fun themes that can be executed inexpensively.

Don’t despair if your birthday budget can’t cover a Moana lookalike to entertain the kiddos like Jessica Simpson’s did; you can still have your kid’s favorite characters play a role in their big day by signing up for the Nick Jr. birthday club.

Joining allows you to schedule a free birthday call from characters like SpongeBob or Dora the Explorer — plus you can get free birthday printables.

Find Multiple Ways to Stretch Your Budget

From invitations to decorations, from entertainment to food, a lot goes into planning a party.

The upside? That means there are multiple avenues where you can find ways to save.

This post has smart advice to lower your expenses, like scheduling the party between meals and restricting your celebration to a few hours.

You can also have a low-cost party by using a craft as entertainment and turning paper plates into party decor.

Feed a Crowd Without Fueling Your Stress Levels

It’s hard to escape the fact that parties and food go hand in hand. And with every additional guest, food costs just keep on rising.

But you can keep bellies full and sugar levels up without renting out a floor at Dylan’s Candy Bar like Tracy Morgan did.

These cheap and easy dessert recipes use three ingredients or less. Two-minute, homemade chocolate mousse at $1.05 a serving? Yes, please!

You can also ask family members and close friends to chip in by bringing dishes in lieu of birthday presents. Face it, your kids probably already have more toys than they need. Here are some guidelines to making a potluck a success.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun

Remember, always keep the big picture in mind. Your kid’s birthday party isn’t about impressing their classmates’ parents or emulating a celebrity’s extravaganza — it’s simply about celebrating another year in your child’s life.

A big dose of love and special attention can go far, and there’s no price tag for that!

Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her daughter’s birthday is coming up. She’s still trying to figure out how she’ll celebrate — affordably, of course.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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How to Be More Likeable – And How That’s Financially Valuable

One of the parents of another player on my oldest child’s soccer team is one of those people that lots of people seem to like. At first glance, you’d think he was just the most ordinary nondescript person in the world, but he’s extremely good at coming up to people, getting to know them, and making everyone feel at ease. He makes people laugh without being cruel and walks away from almost every interaction with people having left them with a very positive feeling about him.

Not too long ago, he sent me an email out of the blue. He tracked down my email address from the team email list and just wanted to know if I had any feedback about an organization he’s involved with – some of the work they’re doing and how they present themselves. The thing is, I probably would not have taken the time to actually look very deeply for most people, but I had natural positive thoughts about this guy, so I spent some time actually reviewing their material and sending him some thoughtful feedback. He was incredibly thankful for the effort and actually sent me a thank you note because of it, reinforcing my positive thoughts about him.

I had a conversation with a close friend recently who also knows this guy and we both concluded that he seems like a great person to have in the community, even if we’re not close friends with him, and we’d both help him out if he needed help. I know that if I ever knew that he or his family needed help, I’d be glad to give them a hand in any way that I reasonably could.

For him, that’s a valuable asset, whether he sees it or not. By being a very likable person, he unconsciously (or perhaps consciously, who knows) adds a great deal of value to his life, in ways he might directly see and in ways he might not see.

The Benefits

Here are some of the benefits to be gained from being more likable.

Being more likable opens you up for more promotions. If you’re more likable at work, your boss is going to see you in a much more positive light, with your other positive traits shining brightly and your negative traits being pushed more into the shadows. Likability is a trait that is seen as valuable in positions where you may have to manage others and interact with clients and vendors, so the benefits in terms of promotion go beyond just what your boss thinks of you.

Being more likable makes it much easier to build a professional network. If you’re likable, it’s easy to build connections with people in your field, which can help you when it comes time to find a new job or move up in your field or go in a new direction. Knowing lots of people in your field and having friendly faces in many different organizations also makes it easy to build collaborations when needed, which are a vital part of many different career paths. Having a big network of people who may refer clients to you or be able to share advice and feedback is invaluable, and that kind of network is built on being likable.

Being more likable makes it much easier to find help when you need it. When you’re struggling with a project, being able to tap an existing personal and professional network for advice and direct assistance is incredibly useful, and being likable makes it much easier to build this kind of network. A likable person is likely to have far more people to ask when they need help with something, and they’re far more likely to get positive answers when they do ask. (My story above, with the likable guy from soccer, is a great example.)

Being more likable opens you up to lots of unexpected opportunities. If people have things to share and opportunities to give, they’re more likely to hand them out to people that they like. Thus, people who are likable are far more likely to have unexpected opportunities drop their way. I’ve experienced this myself, with people sometimes gifting us things out of the blue because they “like our family.”

Being more likable makes it much easier to build a broad social network. This might seem like a minor thing, but simply having a broad social network in your community can be an enormous advantage at times. It makes community events far more enjoyable when you know many of the people who will attend them. It also opens up many, many opportunities for leadership in communities, which can end up reflecting very well on your career.

Eleven Tactics for Likability

The question, one might ask, is how to be likable. For some, it comes naturally – they’re gifted with charisma and natural social skills. For others (like me) who were “gifted” with a streak of introversion and social awkwardness, it can be very hard to have a sense of what to do in social situations.

Here are eleven tactics you can use in social situations to be more likable. I suggest choosing one or two of these and practicing them until they become natural, then moving on to others on the list. A good way to do this is to give yourself a few daily reminders of the trait you’re working on developing so that you keep it in mind throughout your day, and stick with consciously building that trait for a few months with those daily reminders before moving on.

Ask questions. People love to talk about themselves and their ideas, and they tend to think well of others who express an interest in them and their ideas. This adds up to an easy recipe for likability – just ask questions, listen to the answers, and ask follow-up questions. This makes carrying on a conversation quite easy, and those conversations (as long as the questions don’t become antagonistic) tend to result in the other person seeing you in a very positive light.

When the conversation lulls, speak up. Dead spaces in the conversation tend to reduce the likability of everyone involved. People often feel uncomfortable in silence (unless everyone involved knows each other well and appreciates some silence). The best approach when a conversation lulls is to have a conversation starter ready to go. What’s a good conversation starter? A meaningful question. It’s a good idea to have a number of such “conversation starter” questions in your head and ready to go. If you’re struggling, look around you and use the situation you’re in together as the source for a question (“What brought you to this event?” for example).

Seek out the joy in every interaction. Look for joy above all else. Think of the things that the other person is saying or doing that are pleasing to you and drop the things that aren’t. Try to think of things from their perspective and consider what would bring them joy. The goal of most conversations is to bring about some sort of positive sentiment among the participants, so look for that and strive to feel it in your own heart. This will make you feel more joyful. Many people who offer likability practices tell people to simply smile more, but my approach is to simply look for the good things and smiles will come naturally, and natural smiles are far and away the best ones because they’re genuine.

Give of yourself without any expectation of return. When someone needs help and you can reasonably give that help, do so without any expectation of anything in return. Not only does this make you feel good internally (the joy in every interaction, as noted above), it often makes the other person feel great, as you’ve surprised them in a good way and helped to relieve a burden. It’s a net positive for everyone involved, and regardless of where that net positive leads, you’re going to be a part of it. You’re going to feel good about yourself and others are going to feel good about you.

Genuinely care about others. If your goal at the end of an interaction with another person is to genuinely lift up their life, you’re going to be likable. To do that, you have to care about them. You have to genuinely want their life to be better in some small way. If you approach every interaction with another person as an opportunity to make their life better (or the lives of third parties better), you’re going to be liked by almost everyone.

Remember things about others and follow up. The simple act of remembering a person’s name upon meeting them again is a great way to appear likable, and you can amp up that likability by remembering a few things about them to use as conversation starters. The simple step of recalling a project they were working on and asking how that is going is going to make you more likable, for example. Remembering an interest that they have, or the name of their child, or some accomplishment of theirs – all of those things will improve your likability in their eyes.

Listen when others are talking and actually absorb what they’re saying. The time when others are speaking is not the time where you stand there formulating your next talking point while ignoring what they’re saying. Instead, it’s the time to listen attentively and make an effort to understand what they’re saying and see things from their perspective. A great way to indicate this is through a follow-up question, as that indicates you were actually listening and valuing their thoughts. Again, notice how asking questions continues to pop up.

Admit to knowledge gaps and allow others to fill them in. Many people overcompensate for knowledge gaps in order to make themselves appear more skilled and knowledgable, but, quite often, it’s the admission of knowledge gaps and the asking of questions that makes a person appear likable. Minor flaws – such as not having full knowledge of a subject – are generally likable, and pairing that flaw with worthwhile questions that others can answer (again, notice how questions pop up!) can add to that likability.

Don’t take yourself seriously. Don’t be afraid to look for the lighthearted side of a situation, or for the lighter side of yourself. Seriousness has a place, but most of the time, taking yourself less seriously and being open to gentle teasing (or even teasing yourself through self-deprecation) is far more likable. Save the “serious” for truly serious and somber moments. At other times, go with a lighter touch.

Admit to flaws (but don’t brag about flaws). It is never a mistake to note a flaw about yourself. Often, your flaws will eventually be noticed by others, but the edge is taken out of those flaws if you notice them about yourself first. There’s no need to introduce them or make a central conversation topic about them, but a gentle self-jab about some personal foible when it is appropriate in the conversation is almost always likable.

Go for the (positive) laugh, even at your own expense. A bit of humor in non-serious situations is almost always a net benefit. Laughter makes people feel good, and if you cause that, they will feel good toward you. Having said that, you’re generally not going to score in the likability department if your humor is cruel, particularly toward other people or animals. Keep it lighthearted. My uncle used to live by the practice of having a good joke or two in his pocket that he refreshed at least twice a week, in order to make people laugh, and he was one of the most well-liked people I’ve ever known.

Don’t have stringent tastes – go with the flow, but offer good suggestions when asked. You’re far better off being the person that offers suggestions rather than being the person that vetoes suggestions. Rather than being the “picky” person, when a situation comes up where people are brainstorming ideas, focus on offering up a lot of ideas that are palatable to you. When someone wants to go out to eat, say something like, “I’m in the mood for Mexican or Italian food… and sandwiches would be good, too. Are you in for any of those?” This lets people feel relieved of having to choose and gives them options so they don’t have to veto. You’re seen as more likable and flexible because of that.

This Is Not An Equation – Don’t Treat It As Such

Many people treat strategies like these as equations, under the idea that “if you do X, you will immediately be likable.” That’s not how this works. Simply doing something a little different doesn’t instantly make you likable. Likability is a matter of degrees. These tactics will each make you slightly more likable, but their real effects aren’t felt instantly. Instead, they build over time.

In fact, I would suggest that you will see little positive benefit from these changes in the short run. Most of the time, you’ll be interacting with people who have already formed an opinion of you, and it takes a lot of interactions to change that opinion. It won’t change overnight, no matter what you do. You’ll likely see some better results from interacting with people you don’t know well, but that will also take time, as you won’t establish a great relationship with every single person you meet no matter how likable you are.

Instead, the benefits will appear over time. The people in your life, on the whole, will perceive you as more likable than before in gradual steps, and when that happens, some of the positive results you see above will begin to slowly emerge. If you back up likability with good character and other traits and skills that others value, you’ll gradually begin to build a positive reputation in the communities that you are a part of (or your reputation will improve from where it’s at).

This takes time, and it’s not an exact tit for tat. I like to think of it as being like putting drops of food coloring in a lake. Each step you take to be more likable is like putting a drop of food coloring into a big body of water. It takes a lot of drops before the color changes noticeably at all. However, a point will come when you look at the lake and you realize the color has changed. That’s what improving your likability and character is like. It’s not an immediate change, but a gradual and subtle one, one that you won’t really notice until a later time when the slow sea change is suddenly obvious to you.

The benefits of being likable are many, and taking steps to become more likable are incredibly valuable. It is a long journey, however, and the positive repercussions aren’t very immediate or obvious at first glance. It’s a long journey, just like a personal finance journey, but on the other side, there are innumerable benefits for your career, your finances, and your life as a whole.

Good luck!

The post How to Be More Likeable – And How That’s Financially Valuable appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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This Study Revealed the States With the Most and Least Student Loan Debt

We hear about the severity of student loan debt all the time.

Our country is up to its neck in it. It’s holding graduates back. It’s bad, bad, bad.

As depressing as it can be, it’s interesting to see where you stand among others. Sometimes it makes you feel better that you’re not that deep in poo — while other times, you realize you have more than the average.

Either way, it offers perspective, which the human spirit seems to appreciate.

Credit Sesame, a service that provides free credit scores and credit reports, recently tapped into its database to analyze 1 million of its accounts (with 4 million loans) to figure out which states were the best and worst for student loan debt.

The Five States With the Highest Student Loan Debt

Bad news first, right?

Here’s what Credit Sesame found after examining the the nearly 1 million accounts with student loan debt connected to its database:

1. Washington, D.C. — $47,331
2. Maryland — $40,473
3. Georgia — $39,720
4. South Carolina — $36,865
5. Virginia — $36,828

The Five States With the Lowest Student Loan Debt

It feels weird saying “best,” because there’s nothing good about student loan debt, but these are the five “best” states, according to Credit Sesame:

1. Wyoming — $28,303
2. Utah — $29,158
3. Rhode Island — $29,158
4. Montana — $29,801
5. Idaho — $29,935

Tools to Help You Tackle Student Loan Debt

If you’re curious about what you owe at this point — on anything — you’ll want to check your credit report.

You can snag a free credit report through Credit Sesame.

Next, you’ll want to create some type of strategy.

We, unfortunately, can’t tell you what your best route is, but we have some suggestions.

You could try refinancing through a platform like Credible. By refinancing your student loans, you could snag a lower interest rate, which could save you thousands over time.

You can also increase your income by taking on a side gig. Stash the money you earn in a separate, do-not-touch-except-for-student-loans account.

Another (easier) option is to use an app like Qoins. It rounds up all your purchases and dumps the change into an account that’ll go toward repaying your student loans. The pennies add up quickly!

You also have the option of applying for loan deferment — but only if you absolutely need to. Read the rest of our tips for getting out of debt here before committing to that option.

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

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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3 Paleo Recipes That Will Let You Embrace Your Inner Caveman on the Cheap

Is Breastfeeding Really Free? These Hidden Costs May Surprise You

When you made the decision to breastfeed, it probably came with careful consideration. For my family and me, saving money and the health of my baby were two really important issues.

What I didn’t know as a new mother was that breastfeeding wasn’t free. Everywhere I turned, it was touted as the free alternative to formula feeding. With breastfeeding supplies and support factoring in, the truth is actually somewhere in the middle.

Save at the Pump

The breast pump is going to be the biggest expense that you will potentially face when breastfeeding, with a hand pump costing about $25 (they can go up to $1,000, but the average price is $250 to $300).

But, here’s a news flash: not everyone needs a breast pump.

Returning to work is the biggest reason you might consider a breast pump. While this might be a great tool for you, there is an alternative to an electric breast pump.

One example is hand expression. Hand expression uses your hands and a breast milk collection container. This is ideal for people who don’t need to pump often or who are really good at hand expression. You won’t know until you try this one. The other example would be a hand powered pump versus an electric pump. This pump is great for people who will not be using it on a daily basis or need to pump quickly.  Most people prefer the electric plug in model to the hand pump, or even a battery powered pump.

If you do need or simply want a breast pump, you will want to first check with your health insurance provider. Many health insurance plans have a provision where simply being pregnant means that you are eligible for a breast pump.

That said, not all breast pumps are created equally and the law is written in a way that does not specify a particular pump. You might get a single hand pump or a double electric pump. To save time, which equals money, you will most likely want a double electric pump.

Part of the procedure to get a breast pump usually involves a prescription from your doctor or midwife. Simply ask them to specify a double electric pump on that prescription. This is not a guarantee but will be helpful in obtaining the best pump.

Buy Breast Milk Storage in Bulk

Storing the breast milk that you pump does not need to be complicated, but it should not be an afterthought. There are plenty of ways to store breast milk in your refrigerator or freezer. You probably will find that special breast milk storage bags work well for you. This is particularly true if you will be storing a lot of milk.

These are not cheap, and they are disposable. However, buying in bulk is a great way for you to save money. Lansinoh and NUK manufacture quality bags in bulk. They sell at Target for around $10 to $11 for 100 bags. You will not save money buying generic food storage bags that frequently leak.

The alternative is going to a sturdy container, like a glass or plastic bottle. These take up a lot of room and are not ideal if you have a lot of milk to freeze or store and don’t have a separate freezer in addition to your regular food storage.

You May Already Have Access to Lactation Support

Another thing you will want to consider putting a few dollars towards is a lactation consultant. Don’t be tempted to get free information off the Internet when you have big problems. A quick, early intervention can save your breastfeeding relationship.

Before you pay out of pocket, be sure to see if you can use the lactation services at the hospital where you had your baby. If that doesn’t work, check with your pediatrician. Many offices now employ a lactation consultant to help you.

You may also be able to use your flexible spending or health care savings on the services of a lactation consultant.

If none of those is an option, there are also some Women, Infant and Children’s (WIC) offices that have lactation support. This is often given via peer counselors with the supervision of a lactation consultant.

Invest in Key Nursing Clothes

Nursing bras and clothes that are meant for breastfeeding can be very helpful. Even just a few shirts and a handful of bras will make breastfeeding easier and more comfortable for you and your baby.

Select a few key pieces that will help you get your nursing wardrobe started. Then you can add only what you need to your collection as time goes on.

Nursing Bras

I recommend owning at least two bras that have breastfeeding access built in. You may also want to purchase nursing bras that work double duty — they have a built-in flap to make them a hands-free pumping bra.

Being able to pump and continue eating, working, or just messing with your phone is a huge help. There are also bustiers that you can purchase to help you with hands-free pumping.

Nursing Camisoles and Dresses

The next item on my wish list would be breastfeeding camisoles. These tops are worn under any article of clothing to allow you to keep your belly covered while pumping or breastfeeding. When breastfeeding is easy and comfortable, you’re more likely to make it work.

Target, Old Navy and Walmart sell breastfeeding camisoles for just $15 to $20. If you spend $20 to $25 you can get one from Undercover Mama. The main difference to look out for is how they open — some snap open from the top and others have hidden flaps.

You may also want to add one dress to the mix. Certainly, many women wind up wearing skirts and shirts for a very long time. But the first splurge I make is always a nice dress with breastfeeding/pumping access. These tend to be a bit pricy unless you can find one at a secondhand maternity store or a yard sale.

Remember that breastfeeding might not be free, but the little bit of money that you do spend is saved in other ways.

For example, a 2016 study showed that mothers breastfeeding for a full year spent fewer dollars on health care — in co-pays and lost work. While you should have some funds available to help make breastfeeding easier, it still winds up being a huge cost savings over purchasing formula.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By checking out this featured content, you help us bring you more ways to save!

Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, CLC, is a mother of many and lactation counselor. She spends her time between driving the kids around and teaching others to help new mothers.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.

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Book Review: ‘The Millennial Money Fix’

I am proud to say that I’m a millennial who fixed his finances. I went from deep in debt and financially illiterate to debt-free and thriving over the last eight years. Thus, I was intrigued when I came across the book “The Millennial Money Fix,” by the husband and wife writing duo of Douglas and Heather Boneparth.

What wisdom did it contain? If I had read this before college, could I have avoided taking on so much debt? Since it was written by millennials and for millennials, could I see it engaging my 21-year-old sister, a fierce critic who rolls her eyes at everything finance related I try to get her to read?

I decided to dive in and find out.

The Premise

Douglas Boneparth, the co-author who takes the reins and speaks in the first person, sees a problem: Financial illiteracy among his fellow millennials. The first chapter is spent making the case that we millennials are ill-equipped to navigate a complicated financial landscape.

He places much of the blame on our K-12 education system. It was pretty shocking to learn that “only 20 states require high school students to take an economics course, and only 17 require a course in personal finance.”

If that wasn’t bad enough, Boneparth argues that our parents can’t help, because they’re as clueless about handling money as we are. Also, we’re staring down the barrel of a $1.3 trillion student loan bubble, manufacturing jobs are disappearing, we graduated college into the Great Recession, and the landscape of the labor market is constantly shifting beneath our feet.

It’s very fire and brimstone, and it doesn’t sugar coat any of the problems. Thankfully, the rest of the book is spent giving advice on how to deal with these issues.

The Solutions

The first step on the path to fixing our collective finances is to set savings goals. The Boneparths recommend sitting down and figuring out what you’re saving for, and why. Once you’ve done that, you should set concrete monthly savings goals for big-ticket items such as a house or a wedding. Simply take the total you’re willing to spend, divide it by the number of months you have to save, and put aside that amount every month.

The book then transitions from a focus on goal-setting to defining some basic financial terms. They want to get the average millennial from a place of complete ignorance to at least being able to understand bedrock concepts: Compound interest, investments, payroll taxes, employer benefits, and estate planning are all discussed.

After laying that groundwork, they get into the meat and potatoes of the book: how they think you should approach, and pay for, college.

This discussion spans two chapters and 50 pages, but it can be condensed into a couple of main points. The first is that higher education is very expensive. Because of this, millennials are taking out student loans at an extraordinarily high rate. Over-borrowing is especially pernicious when it comes to grad school loans, and the problem shows no signs of slowing down. If you attend an expensive school without a concrete idea of how you’re going to pay for it, and without studying for a job in a growing field, you will get burned.

They spend a bit of time specifically mocking those who go to Harvard and take classes such as “Folklore and Mythology.” They consider that wasteful and imprudent. As someone who attended Harvard and actually took a Folklore and Mythology course, I just have to say that I can’t believe they would say something so… absolutely right. Spend your time in college wisely, folks! I haven’t had a chance to use my knowledge of ancient Celtic symbolism yet, and I’m starting to doubt I ever will.

Their advice throughout these two chapters is of the sort you see on The Simple Dollar repeatedly – keep costs down, choose a practical major, consider community college, and don’t worry about attending a highly-ranked yet expensive school. They wrap up their college discussion by advising that every student understand what they’re getting into when they sign their loans, and they break down what each type of loan entails.

The book winds down by covering a few more basic financial topics, such as how to fill out a W-2, what to look for in a retirement plan, and how to choose an appropriate investment strategy based on things like risk tolerance, time frame, and the fees being charged by the financial institution. As you’d expect, the advice here is pedestrian and straightforward: Don’t invest until you have an emergency fund, don’t invest money you’re not willing to lose, and try to minimize fees if you use index funds.

• Related: 10 Things You Need to Do Before You Start Investing

Is ‘The Millennial Money Fix’ worth reading?

At its core, “The Millennial Money Fix” provides rock solid advice. If you live within your means, work hard, and set concrete goals, you will set yourself up for success. The book fulfills one of its promises in that if you are financially illiterate, it will give you a broad understanding of basic financial concepts.

But, it’s hard to shake the feeling that if you want very basic terms defined for you, the answers are just an internet search away. The authors themselves recommend checking out Investopedia.com, and I second that. Much of the book is devoted to simple questions such as “What is a Mutual Fund?” or breaking down concepts at a staggeringly basic level — for example, “Income is money coming in. Expenses are money going out.”

That wouldn’t be so bad if the book was marketed as a compendium of handy definitions and encouraging tips. Unfortunately, it promises a lot more. It’s supposed to give us millennials a “fix,” after all.

Upon finishing, I was still wondering what that fix was. The book did a good job of making me think twice about ever taking out a grad school loan, but all the advice was generic, and could be applied just as easily to a baby boomer or a member of Generation Z. The authors were making it seem like they had some secret sauce that would change the way I look at the world, and I was left wanting.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what I feel to be the glaring flaw of the book: At times it feels like a piece of marketing material for the author’s wealth management firm, which is geared toward millennial investors.

The chapter on investment strategies veers from basic overview to heaping praise on financial advisors faster than you can say “shameless plug.”

I think it’s worth sharing the author’s thoughts on this matter in full, from the end of the chapter titled, “Wealth is Earned, Not Acquired”:

“In my experience, I can tell you that most of my clients are too busy working toward their goals to do as good of a job as my firm can do for them. Their time is too valuable and too precious to be spent perfecting an asset allocation model or mulling through the tens of thousands of funds that exist to create the optimal investment portfolio. They find value in working with a professional to help them make the best decisions, because they can reinvest that time into work or their personal lives. What it comes down to is, what is your time worth to you?”

There are times when it makes sense to hire a financial advisor, so I don’t fault the authors for mentioning it as a possibility. But if your goal is to help the average millennial find their financial footing, it seems disingenuous to advise them to do anything other than open a brokerage account or IRA and invest in low-cost index funds.

Also, it’s a little ridiculous for the author to imply that he has the ability to find “perfect” funds and create “optimal portfolios.” Investing professionals such as Boneparth often don’t even beat the market once their fees are factored in, which is why market-weighted index funds have become so popular.

I checked out the author’s website, and learned that annual financial plans with his firm start at $1,950 per year. I’d steer my friends clear of any advisor charging that much when there’s so much they can do on their own.

Summing Up

This book does its best to come across as a labor of love, a project started by Heather Boneparth based on a lifelong passion for educating millennials. And that may be true.

Unfortunately, it reads more like a dry encyclopedia of terms sprinkled with some personal anecdotes and icky-feeling mentions of the author’s wealth management services. When a financial advisor writes a book and plugs his own services, especially when marketing to a crowd that he knows is already deeply in debt, it can leave a bad taste in the reader’s mouth.

If you’re looking for a classic book on money management to give a millennial, I believe there are better options. There’s still nothing that would captivate my skeptical and easily-distracted sister, but you can’t go wrong with classics like “Your Money or Your Life” or the “The Boglehead’s Guide to Investing.”

Related Articles:

• Seven Books for Building a Whole-Life Perspective Regarding Your Money
• Two Sided Coin: Is College Worth the Cost?
• 10 Money Mistakes Most 20-Somethings Make

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