Even on Amazon, Some Deals Are Too Good to Be True — Here’s How to Spot ’Em

Amazon has everything.

Seriously. No matter what you need to buy, your first stop is Amazon. Sometimes, you even find what you want for an amazing price.

It turns out that some of those too-good-to-be-true prices are just that: too good and not true.

Because we can never have a good thing without someone trying to screw it up, a wave of Amazon fake sellers has started to create problems for buyers, legit sellers and Amazon itself, according to BuzzFeed News. Forbes reported earlier this year about what seems to be a growing number of fraudulent sellers on Amazon.

A Scammer’s Gotta Scam

Amazon fake sellers are just what they sound like: people who set up an account and put items up for sale that they don’t actually have. Not only do they put items up for sale, they slap crazy-good prices on them.

Fifty percent off a laptop? Yes!

Then buyers click away and send their payments only to wait for that awesome delivery that never comes.

Luckily for buyers, Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee means buyers usually get their money back.

Unfortunately, that means Amazon refunds the buyer, while the fraudulent seller runs off with the money. Amazon loses.

Think Before You Click to Avoid Amazon Fake Sellers

As we get closer to the holiday season and you start looking for those sweet deals on gifts for your friends and family, avoid scammers by paying close attention.

The easiest way to ensure you’re using a legitimate Amazon seller is to look through their reviews. If a seller has a relatively long history of positive reviews, you should be fine. Be wary of any seller with reviews from consumers who claim they never received their items.

If a seller’s information says they “just launched,” it means they are new to Amazon. Now, there are plenty of legit sellers out there who may have just started out, and they could be great. However, if you find a price on an item from a new seller that is dramatically lower than you’d expect, consider it a red flag.

There’s no need to run away from Amazon. Just be a smart consumer, and don’t let scammers ruin your day.

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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Free McDonald’s Fries and Ice Cream Are Just a Download Away With App

McDonald’s might not always be the healthiest choice, but there is no denying it’s a delicious one.

Right now, McDonald’s has a deal trifecta going on through its app. While indulging too often might make your jeans fit a little tighter, at least your wallet won’t feel the squeeze.

Here’s what you can land for free just for flashing your phone at the drive-thru or the register.

Scoop Up Free McDonald’s Ice Cream

First up, if you’re among the lucky few who got free ice cream from an Uber ice-cream truck on Aug. 11, you should have also gotten a collectible silicone cone and a punch card.

I hope you held on to both because they’re your keys to free ice cream every Friday until Sept. 22.

Unfortunately, this is only available to people who got the original Uber deal and live in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Miami, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta or Toronto.

But don’t worry. If you live in another part of the country or misplaced your cone, there is another way to get free, ice-cold treats

Just download the McDonald’s app.

Once a week through Sept. 3, you can get a free shake, frappe or sundae at McDonald’s with any purchase. And there is no minimum you have to spend. Grab whatever you’d like, even a $1 coffee, and claim your free treat.

Free Fries Friday

I know this is really what you want to get your hands and taste buds on.

The McDonald’s app is also your key to a free medium order of fries.

As with the shake, frappe or sundae deal, you need to make a purchase to get your free fries, but there’s no minimum to spend. This coupon is available every Friday until Sept. 29, when you use the app.

Dive Into a Free Drink and Fries (but There’s a Catch)

Finally, this deal requires you to spend more money, but it’s worth a mention.

Until Aug. 27, if you download the McDonald’s app, you’ll see a coupon for a free medium order of fries and a free soft drink with the purchase of a Signature Crafted Sandwich. This is a one-time deal only, though, so it may be worth it to splurge just a little this once.

Desiree Stennett (@desi_stennett) 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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Bigger Isn’t Always Better: 5 Ways Smaller Homes Can Save You Money

No, you don’t need to adjust your glasses.

The average size of new homes in the U.S. is getting smaller, reports the National Association of Home Builders.

New single-family homes in the second quarter of 2017 had an average of 2,616 square feet, according to U.S. Census information. That’s down from 2,628 square feet in the first quarter of this year and 2,652 square feet in the last quarter of 2016.

Two years ago, in the second quarter of 2015, the average new-home size for a single-family dwelling was 2,704 square feet.

NAHB expects this trend of declining home sizes to continue as the market for entry-level homes expands.

5 Reasons Why Smaller Homes Can Save You Big Money

Sure, you may see house hunters on TV scoff at potential homes with less-than-ideal square footage, or you may know homeowners who brag about their oh-so-spacious dwellings. But here are a handful of reasons why choosing small can bring huge benefits.

1. Lower Home Cost

Buying a home is a big-ticket item. It just may be the biggest purchase you make in your life.

If you ever play around with the home-search parameters on sites like Zillow or Realtor.com, you’ll find searching for a smaller-sized home will generally result in options that are lower in price than homes with more square footage. Potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars lower.

2. Lower Utility Bills

The smaller the space, the less energy you’re likely to use heating up or cooling down your home. You’ll also probably have fewer lights to turn on.

All that adds up to a lower power bill.

3. Spend Less on Furniture

It’s pretty obvious that smaller spaces require less furniture. You could end up with multiple living room sets when you have a living room plus a separate family room plus a den. But if your living space is limited to one area, you’ll spend less money on couches and chairs.

You can nix needing two dining sets if your house doesn’t include both formal and informal dining areas.

If you don’t have that extra spare bedroom, you don’t have to worry about covering the costs of a bed frame, a mattress, a box spring, bed linens and blankets, a dresser, a nightstand or whatever else you’d fill that space up with.

4. Spend Less on Other Consumer Goods

Unless you’re a fan of clutter, having a smaller home means you simply don’t have the space for extra kitchen appliances, electronic gadgets and random home decor items.

Tiny closets can help you scale back on your shoe-buying habit. You may even consider adopting a capsule wardrobe.

Having little bedroom space could give you an easy excuse as to why you can’t buy every toy your child whines about on shopping trips. “There’s just no room for that, honey.”

5. Spend Less Time Cleaning and Maintaining

You ever heard of the saying, “Time is money?” Well, you’ll certainly spend less time cleaning and maintaining a 1,000-square-foot home than a 2,500-square-foot one.

You’ll save a little money on cleaning supplies too, but the real savings here are your time and energy. Tell me, would you rather spend your Saturday cleaning three full bathrooms (ensuite master bath included) and a powder room or or just one-and-a-half bathrooms?

Sure having a smaller space has its tradeoffs. It may not be ideal for frequent entertaining. And if you have a large family, you could end up feeling cramped.

But if hoarding pennies is your focus, a smaller living space could be the perfect option for you.

Plus, a small house can fit just as much love as a big one.

Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She finds tiny homes fascinating.

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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Trump Just Signed a Bill That Gives a Big Boost to Student Veterans

Military veterans just got a big educational boost with the flick of a pen from President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, Trump signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, which expands the reach of the 1944 GI Bill.

The move stretches access to free college tuition across a wider swath of veterans and their families and extends the time they have to take advantage of it.

The bill passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

“This legislation will enable veterans to use the education benefits they’ve earned through the GI Bill when and how it suits them best, setting them up for future success in whatever career they pursue,” said U.S. Representative Phil Roe in a statement.

Here’s What the “Forever GI Bill” Means for Military Veterans

The new bill, referred to as the Forever GI Bill, gets rid of the 15-year time limit veterans have to use their benefits after a 90-day stretch of active duty.

That aspect of the legislation goes into effect right away and applies to anyone who left the service after the start of 2013 and the families of service members, according to an article in the Military Times.

The new law also grants veterans who are studying certain science, technology, engineering or math majors enough money for an extra year of school, on a first-come first-serve basis.

The bill helps out student veterans hit by sudden college closures, such as the Corinthian Colleges bankruptcy in 2015 (though students will also be getting a payday from that incident thanks to a class-action settlement).

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will restore benefits to veterans affected by school shutdowns.

“We’ve been getting calls for several years now, beginning with the collapse of Corinthian (Colleges), from student veterans whose lives were put on hold,” Will Hubbard, the Student Veterans of America vice president of government affairs, said in an interview with the Military Times. “Every day we wasted until it passed was another day that they had to wait.”

How to Claim Your GI Bill Benefits

To check on your eligibility for GI Bill benefits, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website.

You can apply for educational benefits online or in person at your local Veterans Affairs office. You can even check this nifty map to see how quickly your closest office is processing claims for benefits.

Be sure to check out that Military Times article for a detailed rundown of the Forever GI Bill, and enjoy hundreds of other benefits of your service.

Alex Mahadevan is a data journalist 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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41K Former Corinthian Students Are About to Get $183M in Loan Forgiveness

Former students of now-defunct for-profit Corinthian Colleges across the country will receive a $183 million settlement from Aequitas Capital Management, the private company that administered loans for Corinthian students.

The settlement will benefit 41,000 students who were taken aback when Corinthian filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and closed its doors.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed the complaint, and 13 state attorneys general took the lead on settlements for students in their states.

Under the settlement, borrowers who attended Corinthian campuses when they closed or who defaulted on their loans will have their Aequitas student loans fully discharged, along with any accrued interest, a statement by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman noted.

All other loans created by Corinthian and Aequitas will be reduced by 55%.

According to the statement, the average borrower will get $6,000 to $7,000 in loan relief from the settlement.

The final settlement is contingent on approval from the U.S. District Court in Oregon. Once that takes place, borrowers will be notified of the next steps within 90 days.

How Corinthian Ruined the 90/10 Rule

For-profit colleges must operate under the 90/10 rule, which allows no more than 90% of their revenue to come from Title IV federal student aid.

The CFPB’s complaint alleged that Corinthian and Aequitas worked together to create the Genesis loan program to make it look like it was meeting the 90/10 requirement, although both were allegedly aware that “most Corinthian student borrowers would default on these loans,” the CFPB explained in a release. “Under the scheme, the defaults would not affect Aequitas because Corinthian was committed to buying back all delinquent loans.”  

Corinthian had been investigated for encouraging students to commit financial aid fraud, sued for deceptive marketing and fined for misrepresenting graduate employment rates before selling off half its campuses in 2014.

Overcome by a reported $143 million in debt, Corinthian Colleges, which also operated Everest Institute, WyoTech and Herald Colleges, declared bankruptcy and folded in 2015.

For-profit colleges are notorious for the amount of debt they can impose on unknowing students. As of 2014, 31% of all student loans and almost half of student loan defaults come from the small slice of students who attend these for-profit schools.

Several schools have owed major returns or loan forgiveness to students in the past few years, including DeVry for misleading prospective students, Ashford University for false advertising, and the shuttered ITT Technical Institute.

Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer 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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American Express is Hiring People to Work From Home for $15+ per Hour

Looking for part-time work?

That you can do remotely?

With a well-known, reputable company?

Check, check and check: American Express is hiring part-time and full-time virtual customer care professionals.

Pay starts at $15.73 per hour.

Here’s how to apply.

Get a Work-From-Home Job With American Express

In this position, you’ll work from home on a “flexible, nontraditional schedule,” responding to “incoming calls in a fast-paced environment.”

Your duties will include answering questions, solving problems creatively and providing “extraordinary” customer service.

To be eligible, you must live in any state except Alaska, California or Hawaii, and have a distraction-free home office and experience “successfully interacting with customers.” If you live within 35 miles of one of its centers (Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; or Sunrise, Florida) then you’ll want to review it’s on-site positions.

You’ll start out earning $15.73 per hour, with the opportunity to earn “monthly performance-based incentives.”

Not only is training paid (and from home), the company will also cover the connection cost and monthly fees for “dedicated telephone and Internet service from an American Express approved provider in your area.”

Woohoo!

Plus, after 90 days of employment, you’ll be eligible for benefits like health insurance, retirement plans and tuition assistance!

Sounds like a pretty good gig, right? Click here to learn more and apply.

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

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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Have You Seen Ads for This Company? The Feds Say It’s a Work-From-Home Scam

A federal court just slapped a temporary restraining order on a company that’s allegedly scamming people looking for work-from-home jobs.

According to court documents, the defendants set up a bunch of businesses under different names, including:

• Work At Home EDU
• Work At Home Program
• Work At Home Ecademy
• Work At Home University
• Work At Home Revenue
• Work At Home Institute

The Federal Trade Commission claims the defendants lured people to their websites with cleverly-placed internet advertisements.

“For example, they placed a link to their Work At Home EDU website near an article about working from home on the website Forbes.com,” says the FTC.

The internet is littered with reports that the websites charged high fees and promised to teach people how to earn buckets of money working from home — but they say the sites failed to deliver results.

In one example, Scamxposer investigated Work At Home EDU and discovered it charged people $97 for information people can easily glean for free just by searching the internet. The company then shared registration data with third-party companies that swamped people with sales calls and emails. Even it’s money-back guarantee seemed questionable.

How To Avoid Work-From-Home Scams

It can be difficult to spot websites designed to scam people looking for work-from-home jobs. These seven scams are particularly common, and this one tricks people into committing a crime.

If you think you’ve been scammed, here are five things you should do right now.  

Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She thinks scammers are jerks.

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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The Little-Known Trick to Getting a Discount Every Time You Shop Online

I was on Western Union’s website trying to send $350 to a friend. I knew the “money in minutes” online option would be expensive, but I was still shocked by the $35 charge.

Just before I clicked the button to pay, I saw the little box that said “Promo Code.” That’s when I remembered you can save a lot of money with online coupon codes.

I opened another window, searched for “Western Union discount codes,” and tried the codes from several websites. The first five didn’t work — no surprise there.

Then I found a four-letter, four-digit code from RetailMeNot. I entered that and updated the payment page.

Bingo! The deal was even better than a discount — it eliminated the fee completely! I didn’t really believe I could send the money for free until I completed the transaction, but it was true.

What Kinds of Discounts Can You Get With Online Coupon Codes?

What are you looking for? If you’re shopping online with a major retailer, chances are good there’s a coupon code available.

Just a few I’ve seen…

Renting a car? Some online coupon codes can save you 20% or more.

Buying lawn furniture? Save 10% at several different stores, and if you want, you can pay online and pick up your items locally.

Renewing a domain name? I recently saved 20% by finding discount codes.

Ordering food from a restaurant? I once saw a 25% discount code for online delivery orders from Papa John’s Pizza.

Where to Find Online Coupon Codes

You can find coupons for most of what you buy — and no need to clip and carry them. Just get the codes online.

Here are a few popular websites to check:

• RetailMeNot

• Coupons.com

• Valpak

• Groupon

This Sounds Too Easy. What’s the Catch?

The problem with all of these sites is, often, the codes just don’t work.

My experience is around one coupon code in 10 actually gives you the promised discount.

Sometimes the retailer won’t honor the coupon code for sale items, or certain products are excluded. Often the code is just expired and hasn’t been removed from the coupon website.

This isn’t as much of a problem as you might think, though. The solution is simple: Just keep trying new codes until you find the ones that work.

Some couponing sites show a success rate for their codes, based on user feedback. I often see a 40% or 50% success rate.

Note that these rates are not necessarily accurate or scientific. They’re based on user feedback, so the results could be skewed like any review site. But they’re probably better than nothing, so look for coupon codes with a high success rate.

How to Make the Most of Online Coupon Codes

As much as coupon websites would like your loyalty as a user, don’t bother to go directly to them when you want a discount. They’re not always easy to use, and each has different offers.

Instead, shop first. When you’re ready to check out, open a new browser window to search for online coupon codes.

Search the name of the company and “coupons,” “coupon codes” or “discount codes.” I used the latter when looking for that Western Union code.

In the search results, you’ll often find websites that have a dozen or more codes to try. Try the ones offering the biggest discounts and with the highest success rates.

Yes, you’ll find a lot of codes that don’t work. But you can test a bunch of them quickly, and you might save a few dollars — or even $35 like I did. That’s not bad for a few minutes of effort.

To make your life even easier, you can automate your savings by adding these browser extensions to find discounts for you while you shop.

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

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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What the Latest Dispatches From Our $1.4 Trillion Student Loan Hell Reveal

If you are one of the 44 million people responsible for repaying the $1.4 trillion in student loan debt in the U.S., there’s a good chance it’s harder for you to pay it off than those who came before you.

That’s according to some depressing facts from a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report released Wednesday.

According to the CFPB, 30% of borrowers who started repaying loans five years ago have not paid down their loans at all or owe even more. That could be because the amount they pay each month doesn’t even cover the interest on the loans. And that’s if you’re paying at all. More than 60% of people in this category are delinquent on their loans.

Lucky enough to escape that category? Well maybe you’re among the 40% of borrowers who owed more than $20,000 when repayment started. In 2002, this group made up only 20% of overall borrowers.

What’s worse, in 2002 only 5% of borrowers owed more than $50,000. That percentage has now more than tripled to 16%.

This is especially telling because a decade ago, 50% of borrowers could fully repay their loans within five years. That percentage has now slipped to 41%.

Even if you managed to dodge that bullet, you’re still not out of the woods. The CFPB report points out that nearly 50% of borrowers are over 34 years old when they enter repayment. In 2003, this group made up only 25% of the borrower pool.

This all means we are borrowing significantly more money to pay for education, starting the repayment process much later in life and still finding it tougher to pay down the debt than borrowers who came before us.

Employee Benefits Packages Provide Some Relief

Now that you’re probably wallowing in a pit of despair, I’ve got the slightest silver lining to pull you back out: This increasingly burdensome debt landscape has changed many employers’ benefits packages.

According to the CFPB, about 10% of companies with 40,000 or more employees use third-party student loan repayment programs to help stabilize their employees’ financial lives. These benefits also help with employee recruitment and retention. Although the percentages are not as readily available, the report also said small companies have started to offer similar benefits.

These kinds of programs are especially enticing because they can save borrowers thousands of dollars if they stay with a company long term.

Unfortunately, these programs often leave out the most vulnerable borrowers who are already in default, according to the CFPB survey. For them, income-driven repayment is an option that could provide relief, particularly if low income and unaffordable payments led to default.

Desiree Stennett (@desi_stennett) 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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Roth IRA vs. Roth 401(k) – Choose The Best Plan For You

Finding New Culture in Your Own Backyard

“Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” – Paul Theroux

My wife and I traveled to Europe for our honeymoon in 2003. The trip was a memorable one, but when I look back on it with honesty, most of what made it memorable was that it was our honeymoon. We were taking our first steps into our life as a married couple.

The reality is that I have traveled extensively over the last dozen years or so and three things really stand out at me from all of that traveling.

First, it was incredibly expensive. Many of the trips were fantastically expensive, often eating up thousands of dollars. Travel means that you’re losing many of the money-saving conveniences of home while also paying the costs of moving from one area to another. The transportation costs, the food costs, the lodging costs – even when you really cut those down to the bare minimum, it’s still incredibly expensive.

Second, while the experiences were memorable, they honestly mix right in with other life experiences I’ve had. I have some great memories of the trips I’ve taken over the years, but the truth is that those memories are great mostly because of the people I’ve shared those trips with, both the old friends I’ve traveled with and the new people I’ve met. My memories have very little to do with locations at all, to tell the truth. When I think of the best moments of my vacations, they honestly could have occurred anywhere (I’ll get back to this later).

Third, most of the new culture I’ve been exposed to can be found at a similar depth much closer to home, and often in a more meaningful way. The idea that I’m going halfway around the world to explore a new culture seems pretty attractive until I step back and realize that not only am I not in that culture long enough to ever shed the “tourist” bubble, there are also opportunities far closer to me to have meaningful cultural exposure and experiences, often from people who are much more willing to share that culture with me.

Isn’t “culture shock” a valuable experience? It’s difficult to have genuine culture shock when on a short trip of a few days or even a week or two. This article from Global Perspectives spells it out:

The first stage of culture shock is often overwhelmingly positive during which travelers become infatuated with the language, people and food in their new surroundings. At this stage, the trip or move seems like the greatest decision ever made, an exciting adventure to stay on forever.

On short trips, the honeymoon phase may take over the entire experience as the later effects of culture shock don’t have time to set in. On longer trips, the honeymoon stage will usually phase out eventually.

The length of time in which most of us will ever travel to an area with a different culture isn’t nearly long enough to break out of the “honeymoon phase.” In effect, we remain a tourist, seeing only the highlights. It’s only through longer experiences can the most valuable elements of culture shock occur, which is into a scope of travel that’s more akin to moving there.

In the end, I’ve come to the conclusion that if a big part of the attraction of short term travel is cultural exposure, you can find a lot of it right at home in any sufficiently large city in the United States. (If you’re seeking cultural shock, you should be moving to a different culture for a while, or attempting some form of long-term stay.) There is far more culture around you to explore than you probably notice, particularly if you’ve already decided that the only place to find new culture is to travel.

Try these eight experiences, all of which can be had in any sufficiently large city. You’ll find that all of these experiences are far less expensive than going on a vacation to a different culture while giving you a similar taste of that culture. These won’t be as rich as an extended stay in another country, but will provide a surprising level of insight and exposure into the lives of people different than yourself without completely busting the bank open.

Intentionally build a friendship with someone new to your country. If you have the opportunity to build a friendship with someone who is new to your country, do so. It is a fantastic experience that will open your eyes to a new culture and help you to introduce someone to your own. Have dinner parties with them, where you each make something culturally representative (you make something representative of your city, while they make something representative of their native culture). Share stories of your earlier life. Be very open to asking questions to each other that might seem “silly” or “dumb.” You’ll likely discover a great deal about the realities of a culture different than your own.

Spend a day in an ethnic neighborhood. Look for a neighborhood in your city that is primarily inhabited by people of a different ethnicity and spend the day there. Eat at restaurants that are clearly native to that area. Ask lots of questions along the way. Surprisingly, I’ve found almost universal positive feedback by admitting my own ignorance at the start by saying things like, “Hello! I have lived in [this city] for a while but I honestly don’t know much at all about [the culture of this neighborhood] and I’d really like to learn more about it. I have some really basic questions – could you help me?” Asking this at a restaurant where people aren’t busy or in another public place almost always results in great things. People love to tell others about their culture!

Visit a religious shrine or house of worship for a different faith, and even take in a service if allowed. Visit a mosque. Visit a temple. Visit a synagogue. Talk to the people who work there. If there’s a tour available, take it. Best of all, if they allow people to participate in the religious services, do so. There really are few cultural experiences that are more interesting than participating in the variety of religious experiences.

Eat at an ethnic restaurant that’s new to you. Try a style of food that’s different than what you’re used to. Take the time to find the most authentic examples of this style of food in your city, and also take the time to learn about why those meals are popular. What is the cultural basis for this food you’re about to eat? Go to an Ethiopian restaurant and try the wat. Go to a Scandinavian restaurant and try the lutefisk. Go to a Bengali restaurant and try the shorshe ilish.

Attend a cultural festival. Many neighborhoods in large cities, or smaller towns with a particular ethnic identity, will have a festival celebrating their ethnic heritage. Go to those festivals and dive deep into the cultural heritage being celebrated. Try the foods. Try the dances. Try the crafts. Admire the arts.

Learn a new language from a native speaker of that language. This is a wonderful thing to pair with building a friendship with someone from a different culture, as noted above. The person new to your country may be unfamiliar with your language, so spend time together learning each other’s languages together. Not only does this build a very strong friendship, it is also a powerful window into a different culture, as you can learn from the language itself what kinds of things are important in that culture. How does someone from that culture describe a conflict, for example? How do they describe a particular art style?

Get involved in producing a particular style of art or craft from a different culture. This is often a great outgrowth from attending a cultural festival of some type. Find a particular type of art that you’re really fascinated by, then take the extra step and get involved with learning how to produce that type of art yourself.

Read literature from a different culture. Look into the popular literature of another culture and seek out translations into your own language (even better, learn that language, as mentioned above). Find out what books are critically acclaimed in different cultures and read them for yourself. Books provide one of the most powerful tools we have to really understand what it is like to be and think and feel as another person would, so taking a well-written book from someone in a different culture can give you that window.

A final point of advice: turn off your cell phone. It’s very hard to have a new experience when you’re constantly tethering yourself to the culture you’re already a part of. Your cell phone is nothing more than a connection to the culture you’re already in. Turn it off and give yourself a true opportunity to explore something different. Don’t worry about what will make for the perfect picture for Facebook or Instagram, because when you do that, you’re not really exploring a new culture, but just riffing on your old one.

Good luck!

The post Finding New Culture in Your Own Backyard appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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7-Eleven’s Letting You Fill Almost Anything You Want With Slurpee for $1.50

7-Eleven is hosting a two-day Bring Your Own Cup Day — again.

After a successful celebration in the past, the company’s bringing back everyone’s favorite deal.

On Aug. 18-19, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time, you can fill your cup with delicious Slurpee goodness for just $1.50.

The best part of the deal? It doesn’t have to be a cup.

The Rules for 7-Eleven’s Bring Your Own Cup Day

7-Eleven will honor the #BYOCUPDAY deal for almost any vessel you can reasonably imagine filling with a Slurpee. It just has to be:

• 10 inches in diameter or smaller
• Food safe
• Watertight (duh?)
• The only one you buy — the deal is only good for one “cup” per person.

That leaves a lot of leeway. Fishbowl? Check. One of your lucky sneakers? Not so much… but that couldn’t fit a lot of Slurpee, anyway.

Toasters are prohibited, but pineapples are totally cool.

So grab your favorite flower vase — or secretly flush your child’s goldfish (don’t really) — and hit your local 7-Eleven this Friday and Saturday for a sweet treat on the cheap.

You might want to check your blood sugar afterward, though.

Jamie Cattanach’s work has been featured at Roads & Kingdoms, the BUST blog, Ms. Magazine, The Write Life and elsewhere. You can learn more and wave hello on Twitter: @jamiecattanach. Kelly Smith, junior writer and engagement specialist, contributed to this post.

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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Wagner makes stop at Kalahari

Senator Scott Wagner made a stop in the region on Thursday as part of his tour around the state to become more connected with Pennsylvanians during his run for governor.The senator and a slew of public officials were given a tour of Kalahari Resorts and Convention by general manager Don Pleau.“I’m going around Pennsylvania listening to people,” Sen. Wagner said. “I want to hear their concerns.”Anne Lamberton, Tobyhanna Township [...]

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The Eclipse is Bad News for California (But You Can Get Paid to Watch It)

The lights go down.

No stars. No sun.

The air cools. Animals quiet. People gasp — maybe cry.

“The event has an indescribable effect on observers,” Bob Berman at Wired writes about the upcoming total solar eclipse.

“Actually, seeing an almost total eclipse is no better than almost falling in love or almost visiting the Grand Canyon. Only full totality produces the astonishing and absolutely singular phenomenon that resembles nothing else in our lives, on our planet, or in the known universe.”

Everyone’s buzzin’ about this upcoming total solar eclipse, debuting across the U.S. on August 21. It’s the first time this has happened across the mainland U.S. since Feb. 26, 1979.

Grab your free glasses; make your viewer contraptions.

Then, Californians, get paid to watch the spectacle.

How the Total Solar Eclipse Will Affect California (It’s Not Great)

Solar produces 13.39% of California’s energy, making it the country’s highest solar-generating state. In context, that’s nearly 5 million solar-powered homes.

Although the state won’t get to experience the total eclipse (you’ll have to go to your neighbor Oregon for that), it will still experience over 75% coverage. (See the Los Angeles Times map to see where you fall.)

In Sacramento, for example, the eclipse starts at 9:02 a.m., peaks at 10:17 a.m. (the sun will be about 79% covered then) and ends at 11:39 a.m., according to The Sacramento Bee.

Although it helps that the eclipse is mid-morning and not, say, in the evening when people are getting home from work, California will lose out on quite a bit of energy — enough to power 600,000 homes.

Homeowners won’t experience the effects, but Steven Greenlee of California ISO told a local news organization that “it’s going to be a busy day behind the scenes.”

That’s where you can help — and get paid for doing so.

How You Can Get Paid to Experience the Total Solar Eclipse

This is where OhmConnect enters the picture.

OhmConnect rewards its users in cash and prizes when they reduce their energy consumption during specific times of the day. These are called #OhmHours.

The #OhmHours occur when the energy grid is overworking and must rely on dirty power plants to prevent a brownout or hefty fine. Those power plants aren’t really the cleanest, so that’s why it’s important to cut back. #OhmHours typically occur once or twice a week in the afternoons or evenings.

And there will definitely be a guaranteed #OhmHour August 21.

How do you know when it is?

OhmConnect users are notified via text or email when there’s an upcoming #OhmHour. That’s when they can take steps to reduce their energy usage by waiting to run the dishwasher, unplugging the Keurig, turning off the fridge or switching the A/C off.

Just for the #OhmHour.

You can also get rewarded for stepping away from the house. (Nope, you don’t have to just sit around in the dark with the A/C off.) Take the dog for a walk, set up a blanket in the park to experience the solar eclipse or settle in on your porch.

If you’re heading to Oregon, even better. You can unplug your appliances, turn off your fans and put off doing the laundry.

By participating in an #OhmHour, you can get paid. You’ll collect points based on your savings. Each time you hit 1,000 points, you’ll bank $10 — gift card or cash.

John Hastie, a San Diego resident, earned nearly $500 in June.

He’s a bit of an anomaly, though. The average household earns about $200 a year.

Do note that OhmConnect only works with specific utility companies, including California PG&E, SDG&E and SCE customers; as well as Toronto Hydro customers.

Simple Steps to Sign Up for OhmConnect

Signing up for OhmConnect is free, and it’s not like you have to sign up days and weeks before the eclipse. The whole process is pretty quick and easy.

You will need to connect your utility company to the platform, but it’s just as secure as paying those bills online.

Once on, you’ll be able to access your dashboard, which outlines your current power usage, your savings and your points. You can even move up the ranks to hit bonuses.

So why not start with the eclipse? Your state will need your help, and you might as well get paid to watch it!

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s stoked for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

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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6 Things Most People Get Wrong When They Talk About Marriage and Money

72 years later, Argot graduates

Like so many that leave high school early, getting his diploma seemed like a distant dream for Paul Argot, but more than 70 years later he did just that.In a special ceremony, the Pocono Mountain School District presented Argot with the diploma he was never able to obtain after being drafted during World War II.“I was going to school and they wanted to defer me but I said I didn’t think that was fair to the other men we have over there,” said Argot, 90, [...]

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Ditch the Cable Bill by Watching TV on These 10 Free Apps

As cable subscription prices rise higher and higher and customer satisfaction ratings dive lower and lower, cutting the cable has never been more popular. Sure, there are the usual big names in streaming services available for a monthly fee, but it’s possible to kick subscription fees entirely.

Luckily, there are more options than ever for replacing your traditional cable setup.  Many free streaming services have stepped up to offer access to content overlooked by subscription-based services.

Of course, there are some rather shady options out there that stream pirated content, but there are plenty of free, legal streaming apps that provide no-strings-attached cable cutting solutions.

Crackle

Crackle is quickly becoming one of the go-to names not just in free streaming but in streaming video in general. The cost-free service has signed some A-list content recently, including “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” the new “Snatch” series, “Seinfeld” and hundreds of films from major studios.

For a free streaming service, Crackle’s library is truly impressive. Crackle even has a handful of original series to its name, some of which are gaining attention from critics and audiences alike. Best of all, Crackle works on nearly all mobile devices, streaming boxes, and smart TVs.

My only complaint with Crackle is the autoplay feature. When you start up the app on your Roku or other streaming player, you have a limited time until a movie starts automatically. I haven’t found a way to shut this off yet short of starting another program.

Tubi TV

Tubi TV launched in 2014 and claims to have the largest selection of free streaming movies and TV series. It has deals with major studios like Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and Lionsgate and also features lots of foreign and independent productions.

Tubi TV’s library is updated regularly, and the service claims to add new content every week. The Tubi TV app works on Android and iOS devices, Roku, Apple TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Samsung Smart TVs and Amazon Fire TV.

To be honest, when I first heard of Tubi TV, I was skeptical because I always viewed apps like it as having the movies no one wanted to see. However, I was pleasantly surprised — the library is solid. A few titles that stood out to me include “Old Boy”, “True Grit,” and “The Machinist.”

Since the service is ad-supported, you can expect to watch a couple minutes of ads every ten minutes or so. The experience is pretty similar to watching normal television.

Pluto TV

Pluto TV stands out in the free streaming crowd in that the service offers channels of linear content much like a cable package. There are dozens of movie channels, sports channels, news, and even some highly curated streams of niche content.

Pluto TV recently launched a video-on-demand service with movies and TV series from studios such as Paramount, Lionsgate, MGM and Warner Bros. Pluto TV boasts a large list of supported devices including iOS and Android devices, Amazon Kindle and Fire devices, Roku, Apple TV, Google Nexus Player and Chromecast devices and Android TV.

A lot of money has been poured into Pluto TV over the last year or so. I just downloaded the app again for the first time in about a year and was shocked by how much content the service now has, as well as how sleek the interface is. It truly is the most cable-like experience out there from a free app.

Pluto TV is a bit ad heavy, as you must watch a few minutes of ads prior to starting a program, as well as periodic ads throughout. Again, it’s pretty similar to the ad load of normal TV.

NewsON

Streaming video isn’t always just about entertainment. For the more serious-minded cord-cutters out there, the NewsON app provides hundreds of local and national news streams.

Both live and on-demand news broadcasts can be streamed from over 170 local news affiliates in 113 markets. The broadcasts are available for up to 48 hours after they air.

The app uses a device’s location data or an interactive map to locate available local news streams. Users can then select which news segments they want to watch from categories like sports, weather or business. NewsON is compatible with iOS and Android phones and tablets, as sell as Roku.

I find NewsOn particularly useful when I don’t want to deal with hooking up an antenna. As far as local programming is concerned, the news is really all I need. Here in Houston, NewsOn gets me the local KPRC NBC feed, so I always know what’s going on.

Funny Or Die

Funny or Die is without a doubt the go-to streaming app for comedy programming. Founded in 2004 by contemporary comedy giants Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, it has since grown to be a full-blown production house featuring original content from some of the biggest names in show business. It also has syndicated content and works on both Android and iOS devices.

Content on the app must be streamed and cannot be downloaded. Users can vote on what they watch, choosing either “Funny” or “Die,” a system that ensures the best content rises to the top. Basically, you watch a video, and decide whether you liked it or not. Below the video, you’ll have the choice to click a “Funny” or “Die” button, which then affects the overall rating of the video.

As for my personal experience, I’ve honestly spent quite a bit of time laughing my butt off at videos from this app. The app is easy to use and great for finding new hilarious content.

PBS Kids

Kids need free streaming content, too. Luckily, PBS has a PBS Kids Video app that provides hundreds of hours of educational and enriching content just for the youngest members of any family. The app has a colorful, child-friendly interface, which makes it easy for kids to take control themselves.

Videos from many of PBS’s most popular series are available for streaming including “Curious George,” “The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That,” “Dinosaur Train” and “Sesame Street.” The PBS Kids app is supported on Chromecast, Android, Windows and iOS phones and tablets, and it takes up little space. Unfortunately, content cannot be downloaded for offline viewing.

This app is my go-to for my 7-year-old daughter. She knows that if she gets up before me, she’s allowed to turn on the TV and access the PBS Kids app. And I know that she’s watching something age-appropriate and educational. Not to mention, there’s no worry of her exposure to commercials because there are none — big plus!

Flipps

Flipps isn’t exactly a household name yet, but the service is growing quickly and already boasts thousands of hours of content. The app is compatible with iOS and Android devices, Xbox One and Apple TV. It can even sync with several different makes of smart TVs, allowing mobile devices to serve as a remote control.

While Flipps is free and offers some enticing features, the Flipps library might not be for everyone. Flipps features mostly obscure and B-list films, niche and extreme sports and independent content. It also has over 100 channels of linear streaming content for viewing.

As for my experience, while the app gets great reviews, I’ve found little use for it. The movies are too obscure for my taste, and, frankly, I get my news elsewhere. However, if you’re someone looking for new content, this might be useful to you, especially if you’re looking to mirror to your smart TV.

Crunchyroll

Anime and manga fans are likely already familiar with Crunchyroll. The sushi-inspired name stems from the fact that Crunchyroll specializes in mostly Japanese content, but it also features films and series from all over the world. Crunchyroll boasts a library of thousands of anime films and series, many of which are hard to find on other streaming services.

There is a paid premium feature, but the free Crunchyroll service has thousands of hours of popular series like the “Dragonball” franchise, “Attack on Titan,” “Naruto” and “One Piece.” The Crunchyroll app is supported by Apple, Android and Windows mobile devices, as well as by gaming consoles, Chromecast, Apple TV and Roku.

Crunchyroll is a great app for anyone with an interest in anime. Of course, when it comes to anime content, you have to be watchful with your younger children, as a lot of it is geared towards teens (and sometimes even adults). I don’t let my little one access the app on her own. However, for teens and adults, it’s a slamdunk.

Twitch

For anyone with even a passing interest in gaming and esports, Twitch is the go-to free streaming service.

Twitch hosts user-created channels and streams focused on video games and other esports. It features a built-in chat feature, so users can chat with other streamers in real time.

While there are thousands of free streams, Twitch also features premium features for a monthly subscription. Twitch apps are compatible with PCs, iOS and Android devices, game consoles, Chromecast and Fire TV. While Twitch is popular with children, parents should beware: Twitch streams are somewhat unregulated and can sometimes contain adult language or content.

YouTube

Yes, YouTube. No list of cost-free streaming video services would be complete without it. YouTube apps are compatible with just about every device out there that has a screen, and the service features billions of videos to choose from on nearly any topic imaginable.

Most of them are not exactly premium content, but there are still plenty of full-length films, documentary series and curated channels that provide cost-free entertainment for the whole family.

While there are ways to download YouTube content for offline viewing, proceed with caution: many of these sites and apps are full of malware.

With so many free streaming options out there, it’s easier than ever to cut the cord and save big. Whether you’re looking to keep up with the news, find a good movie for date night or entertain your kids with educational content, a streaming service exists to ensure you can do so without paying a dime. Try them out and see which works best for you.

Chris Brantner is the founder of CutCableToday, where he provides crucial info for people to find the content they want, like NFL football, without cable. You can also find his work on Motherboard, Business Insider, US News & World Report, and more.

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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