It's giveaway time! We're excited to partner with the social retail company, Chloe + Isabel to offer one (1) lucky reader a $100 Jewelry Credit to jumpstart their holiday shopping! About Chloe + Isabel. The Chloe + Isabel Brand was inspired by a concept they call The Friendship Philosophy – the idea of two best […]
The post Enter to WIN a $100 Jewelry Credit From Chloe + Isabel appeared first on The Work at Home Woman.
The last couple of years have seen a number of high profile cyber security controversies, reminding all of us of the need to ensure that our computers, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets are as secure as possible.
Follow these steps and hackers will find it much harder to get their hands on your personal or financial details.
We’ve all been there - you desperately need to do something on your computer, but you’re delayed while the machine updates some of your software. It can be very frustrating, and leads some people to switch off automatic updates.
This is a mistake though. Those updates aren’t just a chance to freshen up the aesthetics of your home screen - they often include important changes to help guard against new viruses or tricks being used by hackers. Updates will often cover a previous weakness in the software, which could have been exposed by scammers, so updating the software as soon as you have the opportunity to do so is a good way to keep your device as secure as possible. Setting your system to update automatically as soon as an update is released is definitely recommended.
With a mobile device, if the updates appear at an inconvenient time you can always set it so that the update is carried out overnight, ensuring you add to your device’s security but don’t find yourself delayed from carrying out an important task.
In many ways, your password is your first line of defence against cyber crooks.
If a hacker is able to access your email by working out your password, there is a host of personal information they may then be able to get their hands on, from your date of birth and address to your bank account or credit card details.
All of this means that it is incredibly important to set strong passwords that won’t be so simple to crack. Sadly, millions of us fail to do this. A study by American security firm Keeper Security last year suggested that as many as one in five accounts are protected by the easily guessable password of ‘123456’. Other frequently used passwords include ‘password’ itself, ‘qwerty’ and somewhat bizarrely ‘google’.
The key to setting a good password is coming up with something that you can remember, but which other people won’t be able to guess - in other words, avoid using your child’s name or your favourite football team. Experts informing Cyber Aware, the government’s cyber security campaign, suggest using three seemingly random words – but which have some of significance to you – supplemented by numbers or symbols as the best way to set a secure password.
Where possible, it’s also worthwhile going for two-factor authentication on your email account. This makes it harder to access the account on a device which hasn’t already been registered to the account, adding an extra layer of security.
Finally, as well as ensuring your email password is strong, be sure to set separate passwords for all of your different online accounts. If you use the same password for each account – particularly for the main email account you use for shopping online and tracking your finances – then a hacker only needs to get lucky once with this or another account and then you are completely at their mercy.
A couple of years ago a host of Tesco Clubcard users reported vouchers had been stolen after scammers managed to hack into customers’ accounts using what was likely to be stolen email login details. Separate passwords should at least limit the damage if the hacker manages to crack one account.
Most up-to-date mobile devices give you the option of setting a screen lock. This means that in order to unlock the phone, and therefore use it, a user will need to enter some form of password, PIN or provide their fingerprint.
With passwords or PINs, the best practice still applies - make sure it is as random as possible, avoiding passwords, such as 1234 or your own name.
Some phones allow you to set a ‘pattern’ as the lock - essentially you need to move your finger across a nine-point grid in a specific way in order to unlock the phone. If you go for this option, again it’s important to make it difficult to guess. Simply setting an ‘L’ shape or a cross will be much easier for a thief to crack.
If something is important to you, whether it’s key documentation or valuable family photos, then keeping a back-up copy is a smart move. It’s too easy for it to become damaged or maliciously deleted in the event of a virus or used to hold you ransom if you are targeted by a hacker.
You can keep a back-up copy through an external hard drive or by using a storage system in the cloud.
If you go down the external hard drive route, bear in mind that any malware which attacks your main computer can easily infect your external hard drive too. As a result, it’s a good idea to ensure it is not permanently connected to your main device either physically or over your network connection, and is instead only connected as and when you need to use it.
It can be very exciting to shop using your mobile device while you’re on the move. Just a couple of clicks and those new shoes will be on their way - much better than fighting off the queues on a Saturday.
However, it pays to be cautious when doing so, particularly if you think that you are using a public Wi-Fi connection. There have been cases where hackers have been able to jam legitimate public Wi-Fi spots, replacing them with their own public connection, with built-in programs which are able to pick out various bits of personal data you send while using that connection.
Unless you are using your own secure Wi-Fi connection at home, then avoid sending any personal information where possible.
Speaking of your personal Wi-Fi connection, it’s vital that you take steps to make your home’s network coverage as secure as possible too.
When you first sign up with a broadband provider, you will be sent a router and your network will have a preset password. The problem is that these preset passwords are not always as strong as they should be. In fact, an investigation earlier this year by consumer group Which? revealed that over a couple of days a group of ethical hackers were able to crack their way into the Virgin Media Super Hub router, prompting the broadband provider to urge its customers to set their own individual passwords.
This isn’t an issue unique to Virgin though - no matter which provider you go with, make sure that you install your own personal, secure network password when setting up your connection. That will help
prevent people from outside your home gaining access to your Wi-Fi, and potentially the devices that access it.
Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, revealed earlier this year that it has closed down an incredible 28,000 fake retailer websites over the last three years. As the City of London Police put it, “there’s more at stake when it’s a fake” as you are putting your financial security at risk too - many of these fake sites are set up as a way to extract all of your personal information, as well as process payments for goods that don’t actually exist.
The first step to ensuring a website is secure is to make sure that the website address is completely accurate - fraudsters are known for setting up shady websites which look very similar to the legitimate website, but with a slightly misspelled URL.
In addition, don’t be fooled into thinking that a website with a padlock image in the address bar is safe either - this simply means that the data is encrypted when it’s sent over the internet, rather than confirmation that it is a legitimate, trustworthy site.
Wherever possible, type the address of the website directly into the browser yourself or search for the website using a search engine.
One of the most common ways for scammers to get hold of your personal details is by conning victims into clicking on malicious links or downloading an attachment.
Just take a look in your email spam folder at how many shady messages you receive each day, purporting to be from a well-known retailer or financial firm. These emails will contain dodgy links, and if you click on them you may accidentally download malware or be taken to a scam website, both of which are designed to get you to reveal all sorts of personal and financial information.
Always be on your guard with emails - even if they seem to be from a company or person you trust, check with the sender separately (for example over the phone) whether the email is legitimate. If any email asks you to reveal personal or financial details, that should set off alarm bells too.
Be sure to flag any dodgy emails as spam with your email provider and then delete it. You may want to report it to crime reporting agency Action Fraud too.
‘Jailbreaking’ or ‘rooting’ your phone is a way around the software restrictions placed on mobile devices by the manufacturers, allowing users to download apps which aren’t available through official app stores like iTunes or Google Play.
The trouble is that there may be very good reasons why those apps aren’t available through legitimate means - they could contain malicious software which ruins your phone, or deletes some of the data such as your photos.
It’s also important to remember that jailbreaking invalidates your phone’s warranty and prevents you from receiving future software updates, potentially exposing you to further threats down the line.
There are stringent tests that apps have to pass in order to appear on reputable app stores, particularly related to security.
If an app is only available through less legitimate means, then chances are it is nowhere near as secure and should be avoided.
For more information and tips on how to protect yourself online, visit the Moneywise hub in partnership with Cyber Aware - Stay secure online: How to be Cyber Aware - and see Cyberaware.gov.uk.
From banking to shopping and social media, we are now reliant on the internet to conduct many aspects of our daily lives. This means it’s vital you know how to stay secure online and to protect your data, technology and digital privacy.
The Moneywise Stay Secure Online campaign, in partnership with Cyber Aware, is aimed at consumers who want to get to grips with their online security and help protect themselves against the loss of online data, theft of private information.
In our guide you will find tips on improving your cyber security, and learn how to look after your online data.
10 tips to beef up your cyber security
The last couple of years have seen a number of high profile cyber security controversies, reminding all of us of the need to ensure that our computers, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets are as secure as possible.
Scam watch: Consumers putting themselves at risk by giving away personal info
Too many Brits are putting themselves at risk of fraud by giving out sensitive personal information.
Scam watch: Three-quarters of Brits have been targeted by phishing fraudsters
Almost three-quarters (74%) of British adults have been targeted by phishing scams in the last year, with fraudsters using increasingly sophisticated tactics to con their victims.
Fraud alert! Is your bank doing enough to beat the scammers?
Fraudsters are doing their best to separate you from your money. Here, we look at the best ways to protect yourself and ask whether banks should be working harder to keep customers safe.
Scam watch: Identity fraud soars to record levels
Identity (ID) fraud has risen to a record level, accounting for over half (56%) of all fraud cases reported to fraud prevention firm Cifas by its members..
Scam watch: beware buying non-existent ‘phantom’ goods
Shoppers are being warned not to get caught out by so-called ‘phantom goods’ scams, which are costing victims an average of £1,100 a time.
Scam watch: Data on mobiles, smart TVs and fitness trackers may be targeted by fraudsters
Smart devices, such as mobile phones, TVs, and fitness trackers, which contain huge amounts of personal data, could be targeted by criminals seeking to commit extortion or fraud, a new report warns.
17 ways to protect your money online in 2017
When was the last time you changed your password for Amazon, eBay or even your own bank? And when did you last back up your files or update antivirus software? Feeling sheepish? Then read our 17 tips to ward off the scammers.
How to manage multiple online passwords
Various surveys indicate nearly half of us use the same password for all our accounts, including banking, home computers, work, phone and utilities. Most of us use the same password for at least two separate accounts.
Beware the scammers out to empty your bank account
Banking scams are big business. Online banking scams alone accounted for an estimated £130 million disappearing from accounts last year, more than double the £60 million stolen in 2014, according to figures collated by Financial Fraud Action UK – an organisation formed by banks and card issuers to fight fraud.
What if you thought you were keeping track of your student loan repayment progress only to learn you still have years to go before you’re out of debt?
A new profile from The New York Times highlights the nightmare of ensuring you’re actually eligible for student loan forgiveness.
Writer Ron Lieber spent time with Jed Shafer, a teacher who thought he was enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program administered by the Department of Education. The program promised loan forgiveness to people who worked in public service jobs for 10 years and made 120 monthly payments.
This fall, the first group of qualifying borrowers can apply to have their remaining loan balances forgiven.
Shafer told Lieber he kept track of his loans and that representatives at three loan servicing companies had told him over the years that he was on schedule to have his remaining loans forgiven in 2017. But in 2015, Shafer learned that his enrollment in a graduated payment plan, where your payments typically increase every two years, made him ineligible for forgiveness.
He had made considerable progress paying his loans, which had an interest rate of 8.25%, but without the forgiveness he expected to receive, he’ll have to pay his graduate school loans until about the time his 10-year-old child goes to college, according to the Times.
Shafer’s story is just one frustrating example of the struggle many borrowers face in keeping tabs on their student loans.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a report in June listing the most common complaints the agency received about the public loan forgiveness program. The top complaints were about borrowers were receiving incomplete information about eligibility from their loan servicers; delays and errors that forced borrowers to miss qualifying payments; and trouble with the job-certification process a borrower must go through each year.
If you’re unclear whether you’re eligible for forgiveness, here’s a quick checklist to get you started on your paperwork-sorting journey. Can you answer “yes” to these statements?
When you apply to have the remainder of your loan balance forgiven, you must verify you made 120 qualifying payments while employed full time by a qualifying employer. Those payments and employment periods do not have to be consecutive.
If you’re not sure if your loans are eligible for forgiveness or unclear whether your employment counts as public service, you can log in to your federal student aid account for more details.
Lisa Rowan is a senior 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.
Career fair and hiring event interviews are unnerving under the best circumstances, but employers can really ratchet up the tension with hiring events that include on-the-spot interviews and job offers.
You’re vying with dozens, sometimes hundreds, of people for a finite number of jobs in an environment that basically seems like a human cattle call.
These job interviews are the perfect storm of stressful hiring events.
But don’t worry — you’ve got this.
Here’s how to ace on-the-spot interviews and walk out with a job.
Check out the company’s website and career page to find out what they do and what kind of jobs are available.
Taking the time to learn about a potential employer before an interview shows the kind of initiative hiring managers look for.
Choose your interview outfit as carefully as if you were meeting with the hiring manager alone.
Stand out because you took the time to pull together a professional look, and don’t let an on-the-spot interview throw you off your game.
Go to the hiring event prepared with what you’ll need for both the interview and hiring process:
It’s natural to be nervous during an on-the-spot interview. Rehearsing answers ahead of time to some common questions can help you relax when the spotlight’s on you.
If you really bomb the interview, dust yourself off and consider it a learning opportunity for next time. Remember, it could always be worse.
When you’re offered a job at the end of an interview, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and forget important details.
Make a list ahead of time with questions to ask or things your new employer needs to know so you don’t forget in the moment.
If things don’t go your way and you don’t land a job at the end of the interview, remember to be gracious.
You never know — you might have missed the opportunity by a hair and be next on the list if someone else turns down the job. Be sure the last impression you make is a good one.
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She loves helping readers find jobs so look her up on Twitter @lisah if you’ve got a tip to share.
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.
Can you sense it?
Those sleigh bells ringing in the distance? Those lights twinkling on the horizon? Those children crayoning miles of wishlists?
Do you know what all of this means?!
The holidays are coming.
I repeat: the holidays are coming.
But no need to panic! The most convenient part about the holiday season (I promise — there really is a convenient part) is seasonal hiring.
And whether you look at it as a convenient or terrifying side effect of the vicious and seemingly endless cycle of consumerism we’ve created in this country, there’s no denying it’s pretty handy that just when you start to feel the pinch of the holiday season on your already-tight budget, stores start begging for a little bit of extra help.
(And if you’re looking for even more ways to earn some extra cash this winter, be sure to like our Jobs page on Facebook. We post awesome job opportunities there whenever we find them!)
The latest retail chain to open its arms to the onslaught of seasonal workers is J.Crew, which includes both J.Crew and Madewell retail locations.
And while the brand may not be as profitable today as it has been in the past, it’s not going anywhere this holiday season — and it needs workers to get it through the hectic months to come.
Right now, the company is looking for seasonal (and non-seasonal) sales associates at retail locations across the country. There are a few other job types and positions available, as well, and you can filter by type and location on J.Crew’s main jobs page.
J.Crew and Madewell stores both require a few things of potential hires for these seasonal positions. You should be:
If you land a job, you’ll be expected to:
Additionally, you should be at least 18 years old, able to communicate clearly and effectively and able to bend, reach and carry at least 40 pounds.
Because these are primarily seasonal positions, you should be available to work evenings, weekends and holidays when the stores are busiest.
There is no pay listed for any of these positions, but we’ve reached out to the company to find out more information; we’ll update this post if we hear back.
While no specific perks are listed on the website, rumor (and by rumor I mean sites like Glassdoor) has it that the employee discounts are pretty sweet. And by pretty sweet, I mean really sweet: Employees at both J.Crew and Madewell retail locations report receiving deep discounts on both regular and sale merchandise.
Ready to apply to work at J.Crew or Madewell? You can go here to find the master list if you’re interested in combing through the job listings.
Use the search bar at the top to filter by location or job type. (Hint: search “seasonal” to narrow your options down quickly.)
Grace Schweizer 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.
When you think of new baby expenses, the costs of diapers, formula and cute little outfits probably come to mind.
Some may consider the cost of childcare, though many first-time parents underestimate that major expense.
But one budget item that is often left out of the entire conversation is the cost to actually have the baby. Going from fetus to newborn is an expensive — and painful! — event.
Money recently looked into the average cost to give birth in each state, both for vaginal and cesarean-section deliveries.
The costs range from $5,017 to $10,413 for a vaginal birth and from $7,439 to $14,528 for a C-section. This covers everything from the obstetrician’s fees (generally including prenatal care) to the price to occupy a hospital room and have an anesthesiologist administer pain-relieving drugs.
The costs to care for the newborn following birth were not factored in.
Expecting parents may only have to pay out a portion of those costs, depending on their insurance plans. That percentage can vary widely and can be affected by factors like whether parents choose an in-network doctor or have already met their deductible.
The estimated average costs Money used in its analysis are based on rates insurance providers negotiated.
“Those who have no insurance at all are usually charged a higher amount than the negotiated rate,” Money writes.
But even with insurance, don’t expect the cost of childbirth to be a walk in the park.
According to Money, women in the U.S. pay more to have a baby than women in any other country.
The lists below highlight the most and least expensive states to give birth.
See Money’s article to find out how all 50 states ranked.
Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She enjoys writing about parenthood and money.
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.
Crispy, sweet, salty, crunchy and not even remotely healthy: Nothing says “Outback Steakhouse” like the Bloomin’ Onion.
Outback’s signature appetizer is a large onion carved to resemble a flower, battered and deep-fried. It hardly matters that this particular dish is not Australian in any way.
Now you can get a Bloomin’ Onion for free when NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick does well in a race.
Here’s how it works:
Whenever Harvick finishes in the top 10 in any 2017 NASCAR race, you get a free Bloomin’ Onion at any Outback on the Monday following the race.
You get this free appetizer with any purchase, and you don’t need a coupon. Just say the magic words “Bloomin’ Monday” to your server, or show them the Facebook announcement to get the deal. (Limit one per table.)
If Harvick does well, you won’t have to wait long to indulge in your free fried onion. NASCAR holds most races on Sundays and a few on Saturdays. This NASCAR season runs through Nov. 19, so you could still have a few chances to take advantage of the deal. Here’s the schedule.
Harvick, who is Outback’s sponsored NASCAR driver, is a good bet for any given race. Out of 607 races over his 17-year career, he has 304 top 10 finishes as of Oct. 29.
If you’re not up for personally keeping track of Harvick’s exploits, you can sign up here to get an email from Outback whenever “Bloomin’ Monday” is in effect.
Happy crunching.
Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. When it comes to Outback’s “Aussie-tizers,” he’s more of a coconut shrimp kind of guy.
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.
Fresh from its recent acquisition by Amazon, Whole Foods is launching a hiring event to tap thousands of new employees across the U.S.
The grocery chain plans to hire 6,000 people during its National Hiring Day event on Thursday, Nov. 2.
That day, you can walk into any Whole Foods for an in-person interview and you might walk out with a job.
Yes, really.
Apply beforehand to save yourself some time at the event. You don’t need to bring a resume, but under the frequently asked questions section of the event description, Whole Foods mentions that it increases your chance of getting a job.
Ditch the suit and tie for the hiring event — Whole Foods says the dress code is casual. Nice.
Study the grocery retailer’s core values and be prepared to talk about why you would be a good fit for the company.
And finally, make sure to call your local store to find out the timeframe of the interviews and which part of the store managers will be conducting them.
So what types of jobs can you expect to find during the event?
Dozens of types of jobs are available at Whole Foods Market, depending on the location.
Here are just a few of the options you might find at your local store:
So there you have it. Fill out that application and you’re one step closer to a job at Whole Foods.
If hired, you’ll receive a 20% discount starting on your first day, as well as health and dental benefits.
And you thought Amazon would hire a bunch of robots, didn’t you?
Alex Mahadevan is a data journalist at The Penny Hoarder. He tried to fit in a Whole Paycheck joke, but failed miserably.
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.
What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Bad credit and property sales
2. Escaping paycheck to paycheck
3. Wealthy obligation to community
4. Warm everyday socks for winter
5. iPhone X question
6. Dissatisfied with discount grocers
7. Box of old bills
8. Amazon Camperforce thoughts?
9. Cheap popcorn popper
10. Taekwondo question
11. Handling a bad restaurant experience
12. Fall and winter reading recommendations
Winter has come suddenly and quickly to my area. In the last week, seemingly overnight, temperatures went from being in the 60s to being in the 30s. I quickly started to transition to my winter wardrobe, much faster than expected.
This means, of course, packing up a lot of my summer clothes for several months. When I do that, I usually evaluate them and get rid of some of the ones in terrible shape, as I often wear clothes for longer than I should. The ragbag will get a refill very soon.
On to your questions…
I have a horrible credit score and dismal credit because when I bought my current house two years ago I incurred about $40K in debt (credit cards) and *believed at the time* that I would “simply” sell my VA home and pay off this debt. Two years later, that was a bad decision. I have a CA house with LOTS of equity that I want to sell but I need a backer who can pay the mortgage while it’s being sold in case the tenants move out, leaving it empty. With such a bad credit score (which will INSTANTLY go up once this property sells and everything gets paid off), to whom can I turn? NO traditional lenders will touch me…my score is lower than my shoe size. Only hope is selling the CA house. Please help.
– Tim
The truth is that without good credit very few financial institutions will talk to you about an arrangement like this. You’re asking someone to take on the risk of your property in exchange for what, exactly? What benefit would your “backer” get out of this arrangement?
You might find a bank that would loan you money based on the equity of the property, but it would require you to have very good credit, which you don’t have.
To put it simply, in order to get your credit back, you have to take on this risk yourself, and the best way to do that is to build up a cash emergency fund so that you could handle a few months of rent if tenants move out on your own. Your other option is to just sell the property as quickly as possible without that type of protection, but you probably won’t make as much on the property.
I bring home $3300 a month. $1000 of that is gone right away to pay off my debts: a car loan, student loan, and credit card. Then after paying rent, the electric bill, the phone bill, car insurance, and a small contribution to my Roth IRA, plus groceries and other necessities, I’m always scraping the bottom of the barrel by the end of the pay period. I’ve tracked my spending and I’ve cut back where I could, but I was already living pretty frugally. I’m tired of living paycheck to paycheck. I already work 40 hours a week and don’t have the energy for a second job. For my field, I actually get paid a higher-than-normal salary, so switching jobs would result in a pay cut, and I love my field so I’m not interested in switching careers. I’m 40 years old and with $30k in debt I feel like I’m going to have to live this way for a long time. It’s pretty discouraging. Any advice?
– Nadine
Without seeing a bigger picture of your finances, it’s hard to give advice. For example, when I see “car loan,” I always ask myself how new that car is. When that loan is gone, are you going to keep driving that car or just get a new car with a new loan? Hint: if you want to get ahead, you keep driving that car for as many years as possible after that loan (and, even better, keep socking away part of that monthly car loan payment so that you can pay cash or mostly cash for your next car).
When I see “other necessities,” I ask myself how much of a “necessity” those things are. I have no idea of knowing that without seeing what those “other necessities” are.
Here’s the truth: to get ahead, you have to spend less than you earn. There is no magic secret other than that. The choices a person has to make in order to spend less than they earn are sometimes hard ones. I have friends who have done things like couchsurf for a year or live in a tent or drive a 20+ year old car with a piece of pine board as a temporary “bumper.”
I can’t tell you how to get there without a much fuller picture of your finances. All I can tell you is that you have to really consider what is actually a necessity.
What do you think of the idea that people who build their own healthy finances are obligated to take care of the community that supported them along the way? Like, if you become a millionaire, you should give back to the schools that educated you, the parks you used for fitness and for thinking, etc.? Is that a real obligation?
– Andrew
This is an idea called “noblesse oblige,” which is French for “nobility obligates.” It’s the idea that “nobility” extends beyond entitlements and extends to social responsibilities.
We don’t really have nobility here – the closest thing we have to it is wealth, as we’re a (representative) democratic capitalist society. The people who have enough wealth to not work for a living are the ones who have adequate resources to give back to the places and people who helped get them there.
I think the idea is a wonderful one, and ideally, I hope it is one that people who achieve financial independence and significant wealth can ascribe to. The question is whether it is a requirement. My feeling is this: if someone takes the rewards life has given them and uses them in a way to become financially independent and then does not replenish those resources (and, ideally, make them even better than before), that person is a person that I have little respect for, but I don’t think they’ve made a choice that should be illegal.
I’ll be the first to admit that one of my biggest biases is against ostentatious displays of wealth, like an obscenely expensive car. When I see things like this, while I appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the car, I see someone that, in my eyes, has violated the general principle of noblesse oblige, and I tend to think less of that person. On the other hand, the wealthiest person I know in day to day life spends most of his time doing community charitable work – he’s the person I probably have the most respect and admiration for out of everyone I actually know, and someone that I’ve actually wanted to interview for this site. That person is living the principle.
So, for me, that idea is one that earns respect, but I don’t think it should be strictly required.
Been reading your site for many years. Just moved to northern Iowa from Louisiana and it is really cold here! What do you do for keeping warm, esp. socks and shoes?
– Daniel
Most of the time in winter, unless I’m going to be trudging through snow or spending a long time outside, I wear normal shoes or hiking shoes with really good socks.
When the weather isn’t too cold, I usually wear merino wool socks. My preferred ones – and the ones I’m slowly migrating my entire sock collection to – are hiking socks from Darn Tough Socks. These are a perennial entry on my Christmas wish list for the last few years, as I slowly replace all of my socks with them. They’re kinda expensive, but a single pair is usually a very simple gift that people can give me that isn’t too costly and it’s one that I’m usually thrilled with. (Note that I rarely wear socks in the summer at all.)
What do I do on really, really cold days? I double-layer those socks, with an older, slightly looser pair on the outside and a newer, slightly tighter pair on the inside. I don’t particularly like super-thick socks. I try to avoid them, in fact. I’d rather wear a double layer of thinner wool socks if it’s super cold.
On a day when I’m going to be trudging through snow, I do have a pair of winter boots. These are the current versions of the ones I have, which are several years old. I wear a thick Carhartt Arctic winter coat that I’ve had for about fifteen years, similar to this one, that I bought during a going out of business sale. For most of my clothing, I just layer and layer on the coldest days, with a t-shirt and then a long-sleeved t-shirt, and then a sweatshirt, and then that coat. I’m often sweating in there, even when it’s well below freezing. I’ll wear sweatpants under my jeans as well, and sometimes even an additional layer under that.
Right now, in the early part of the cold season, things will be pricy. My suggestion for your first winter is to get through with cheap stuff and layers, and then stock up at the end of the season when things are on sale (March or so).
Where is the cheapest place to get an iPhone X?
– Susan
The cheapest place to get an iPhone X is the year 2020 when the price has come down to a reasonable level.
Right now? Don’t buy an iPhone X. Period. It is pretty much a shining beacon of overspending to be an early adopter of something that’s only marginally better than what’s available.
Is it a nifty phone? Sure. Is it worth $1,000 when there are $200 phones available that do 95% of the same things? No.
Furthermore, there aren’t any secret iPhone X bargains unless a particular mobile company is subsidizing the cost to get a new customer, in which case you’re probably switching away from the best phone service in your area, which isn’t worth it.
So I followed your suggestion and tried shopping at Aldi and also at Save-A-Lot. I haven’t gone to those places in the past because of bad reputation and now I know why they have it. At Aldi it was hard to find anything because the products seemed to be put out at random. There were bread items put in three different places in the store. When I got to the checkout the checkout lady just threw stuff that I had bought and tossed a bunch of apples on top of my bread and then said I couldn’t return it and that I should have grabbed the bread if I wanted it to be treated specially. At Save-A-Lot it was really dirty and there was only one checker while the line was 20+ people deep nd I ended up just walking away from my cart. The little bit you save isn’t worth it.
– Angela
Every local store is different. The Aldi nearest my house is really nice and clean and the aisles seem pretty well organized, though they’re laid out in a way I consider a bit strange at first glance. That being said, I’ve had a horrible experience at Aldi in the past.
The key here isn’t that you decided to shop at Aldi or Save-A-Lot, but that you checked them out and tried to judge them reasonably. It seems like you have legitimate issues with the discount stores near you, which would make the choice to shop elsewhere a reasonable choice.
I don’t do all of my grocery shopping at Aldi (or Faraway, the other nearby discount grocer). I do go to other places sometimes, mostly due to selection at Aldi and Fareway, which is sometimes limited. No store is perfect. However, those stores form the backbone of our family’s grocery shopping.
I recently came across a box of old bills from 2007-2009 back when I wasn’t very organized. Is there any reason to go through these or can I dispose of them?
– Connie
The general rule for saving old bills is to wait seven years and then dispose of them, so you should be okay getting rid of them.
If I were you, I’d either burn them or find some way to bulk shred them. A box of old bills like that would say “big bonfire” to me – I would take them out in the backyard, fill up our covered fire pit with them, and burn them all on a day with little or no wind.
Why do that? It’s a little bit of identity security, that’s all. It’s all about keeping your private info safe.
Do you have any thoughts or insight about Amazon Camperforce? My wife and I are retired and live in our camper. We have enough money but are often bored and want to feel productive and wouldn’t complain at having a little more money. We are still very able bodied.
– Jeffrey
For those unaware, the Amazon Camperforce program is a temporary worker program run by Amazon that targets people just like Jeffrey and his wife – “retired” people who are still able bodied and are able to easily migrate, which usually means people living in RVs or campers. The program essentially fills up campgrounds in warm-weather areas with such workers, who provide seasonal help at Amazon warehouses during the holiday season.
There are some advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that it’s work that pays reasonably well (and covers the cost of your campsite and utilities) and it’s usually done in an environment with a lot of people in a similar situation. The disadvantage? It doesn’t pay a ton and it’s fairly hard work.
From comments from other readers in the past, it often seems to attract people in their sixties who chose a RV/camper lifestyle and found it difficult to make ends meet after making the switch. Their program is often used as a backdrop for stories about people who may never be able to fully retire.
I can’t say whether it’s a good program for you or not, but it’s definitely worth looking into.
We eat popcorn 2-3 times a week when watching TV. We microwave bags of it. I was at the store and looked at the cost of a big container of kernels and its way cheaper. We started using brown paper bags and it works okay but you end up throwing away the bag afterwards so there’s still extra cost. What’s the cheapest way to pop popcorn well?
– Carrie
All you actually need is a microwave-safe bowl and a plate. Just put about a quarter cup of kernels into the bowl, cover it with a plate, and microwave on high for about 5 minutes, until you can count to five between pops. If you want butter, you can microwave it quickly afterwards and drizzle it on top – same with salt.
The only drawback is that you need to be careful when removing this from the microwave as some steam builds up under the plate, and when you remove it for the first time it can be hot. Be careful!
I don’t really know any reason to do it any other way if you have a microwave available.
You’ve mentioned a couple of times that you’ve started taekwondo classes. What’s the scoop?
– Mandy
My children and my wife have been in taekwondo for a while as a family activity. I didn’t join because our youngest son wasn’t old enough, and then when he was old enough, I had a conflict that kept me from the classes. Now that it’s over, I decided to join up and do it with my family, since we already have a family package for classes. (I’m far behind them in belt rank.)
I’m mostly doing it to help with balance and general physical condition. I take the approach that if I’m not breathing heavy and sweating profusely at the end of a session, I’m wasting my time, so I push myself really hard at the start and am usually exhausted near the end.
The interesting part is that it’s actually pretty mentally strenuous, too. They do a ton of simple moves at the start intended to get everyone out of breath, mixing together repeated kicks with things like planks, and then when everyone’s tired, they jump to combination moves that you have to think through a little bit, which is even harder if you’re sweating a ton and panting.
The contact is extremely limited – most of what we’re doing is self-defense and escape oriented. The class isn’t focused on beating each other up. To put it in “Karate Kid” terms, the class is way closer to Mr. Miyagi than Cobra Kai Dojo – perhaps comically so.
The cost is pretty low and you can go to as many classes per month as you want, so the cost per class for our family is actually below the $1/hour mark (I calculated this). I’m pretty happy with that considering that it’s something that’s getting us all in better shape and helping with family bonding through a shared activity.
What is the best way to handle a poor restaurant experience? Going online and raging about it seems childish but the restaurant shouldn’t have any kind of good reputation.
– Stephen
You need to figure out what your goal is. What sort of outcome do you want for the restaurant and for yourself? Do you wish for that restaurant to have diminished business? Do you want recompensation for yourself? What is the goal here?
No matter what you choose to do, being calm and unemotional about it is usually the best approach. Online reviews that get overly emotional, at least for me, tend to not be trusted, as the emotional response often seems to exceed the stated problems, so you’re left wondering what things are being unsaid or hidden. Be calm, state the facts, and let the reader make up their own mind about it.
If you’re looking for compensation from the restaurant, talk to them directly about it. Some restaurants will, in fact, try to make things right if there was a truly bad experience.
If that doesn’t work, you can share online reviews of the restaurant, but write them calmly and seriously, outlining your full situation and making sure to note what they did right in addition to what they did wrong. The more rational and calm you are, the more trustful your review seems to many people (myself included).
What personal finance / personal growth books are on your reading list this fall and winter? I’m going to be spending part of this winter housesitting in an area where travel is going to be restricted which is going to give me a lot of time to read so I am looking for a few books to take with me and really think about.
– Adam
I don’t really think about recommending the latest and greatest books, but what I can do is look through my library waiting list (books I’m waiting to reserve) and recent ones on my bedside table and point to a few I’m excited to read in the next few months.
The biggest one is probably Principles by Ray Dalio. It’s really a three part book. The first part is a memoir of Palio’s life, through his career as a hedge fund manager and through some interesting twists and turns after that. The second part is a lengthy section on life principles, and the third is a section on professional principles. It’s a long book, but I’ve read excerpts from it and I’m highly interested in reading it. I’d love to see similar books from other leaders.
Another one I’m interested in is Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink, which looks at the Navy SEAL training program and makes the case that the best way to build a free life is through personal and mental discipline, so that you can make strong choices in everyday life and build the life you want.
I’m also planning on reading The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist, which is about the difficulty of balancing quantitative and qualitative analyses of money. Is it all about the dollars and cents? How much does one’s feelings play into it? Where’s the right balance?
A final one that’s been on my bedside table for a while but I’m hoping to read soon is Unshakeable,/em> by Tony Robbins, a book that wasn’t even on my radar until I heard an incredibly sensible interview with him about the book a few months ago, where he made an extremely effective case for index funds. I’m still not sold on the book, but I think it’s worth a read.
I’m also planning on reading a prerelease copy of Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living by Elizabeth Willard Thames, but that’s not really applicable to you since it’s not coming out before the winter kicks in.
Got any questions? The best way to ask is to follow me on Facebook and ask questions directly there. I’ll attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive many, many questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours.
The post Questions About Bad Credit, Obligations, iPhone X, Restaurant Reviews, and More! appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Hey, fellow millennials.
Guess what?
Another company conducted another survey about us and our finances.
In June, the Harris Poll, on behalf of Wells Fargo, polled 1,771 millennials and concluded that they’re hesitant to invest, among other things.
But we did find it interesting that millennials would be more likely to invest if their investments made a positive impact on the world.
Here are a few numbers, according to the survey’s findings:
Don’t worry, millennials. You don’t have to take your hard-earned money and throw it to the windstocks. (Get it? Not windsocks… And stocks…)
There’s an easy-to-use investing app that lets you dictate what types of companies you choose to invest your money in.
It’s a free micro-investing app called Stash.
All you’ll have to do is fill out some basic information, then choose your investing style: conservative, moderate or aggressive.
Don’t worry: The Stash app explains what these mean, but as a rule of thumb, the younger you are, the more aggressive you should be.
You’ll go on to answer questions about your employment status and citizenship. Heads up: It’s also going to ask for your Social Security number. It won’t check your credit; it just needs to know you’re a real person. Any other SEC-registered investment advisor will ask for it, too.
In “Auto-Stash” mode, the app automatically withdraws a certain amount of cash from your bank account as often as you’d like — from once a week to once a month. Pick whatever you feel like you can handle — even just $5.
You’ll also get to choose what the Stash app does with that money. This is where the whole do-good part comes into play.
Under its “Discover” tab, Stash lists more than 30 investment-fund options, all broken down into three categories: “I Believe,” “I Like” and “I Want”. If you want to help promote good causes, select “I Believe.”
Here you’ll find portfolios that’ll invest in companies based on your beliefs — whether that’s workplace equality or a cleaner environment. You’ll know what you want because these all come with jargon-free names.
This portfolio is a great option for those who want to help our “mess of” an environment. The Clean & Green exchange-traded fund (ETF) consists of 30 renewable energy companies, including SolarCity, China Everbright International Limited and Vestas Wind Systems.
This fund includes companies such as 3M, which has donated billions of dollars to education, communities and the environment.
Want to help the military in this uneasy time? Look into the this fund.
Whatever you’re into, you’ll likely find a matching portfolio. And yes, it’ll probably help you sleep better at night knowing your money is doing some good.
Your first month of Stash is free, and you’ll bank a $5 bonus when you sign up here.
Each month after, your fee is $1 until your account hits $5,000. After that, Stash charges 0.25% of your account balance per year.
So, you do-good millennials, no more excuses. You’ve got an easy way to invest — plus you can help the world.
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s a millennial, too.
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.
People don’t always associate Twitter with marketing.
If you’re not using Twitter to improve your business, you’re making a big mistake.
Every year, about 200 billion tweets are sent out.
This number is astonishing.
With so much competition in the social media space, people may assume that Twitter’s best days are in the past.
That’s incorrect.
Twitter has never been more popular than it is today.
Check out these numbers:
Twitter has about 328 million users across the world.
That may not seem like a lot compared to the 2 billion monthly active Facebook users.
Still, 328 million isn’t a number you can ignore.
There are plenty of opportunities for you to generate leads and improve conversions on Twitter.
If you’re not actively using Twitter for business, it’s not too late to change.
Fortunately for you, I’m an expert in this space.
I’ve helped companies increase their Twitter engagement by over 300%.
In this post, I’ll show you how to generate leads on this powerful social media platform.
Before you can start marketing, you have to determine whom you need to target.
Are you trying to engage with every single user with a Twitter account?
That’s not an effective strategy.
Instead, focus on your current customers and target audience.
Find out who is:
Market to these people if you want higher conversions.
Roughly 80% of Twitter users have tweeted about a brand.
After seeing the name of a company mentioned on Twitter, 54% of people searched for the business, retweeted the content, or visited the company website.
Why do you think so many people talk about companies in their tweets?
Twitter is a great way for customers to communicate with their favorite brands.
That’s why a third of Twitter users voice their opinions about products and businesses.
As a marketer, you need to embrace this engagement.
Recognize that it’s an incredible opportunity for brand exposure and growth.
When someone tweets at your brand, you’ve got to respond—fast.
According to Sprout Social, it takes an average of 10 hours for brands to reply to users on social media.
You’ve got to do better than that because customers will wait only 4 hours for a response.
If you don’t have time to respond to tweets, delegate this task to someone on your marketing team.
This person can easily respond to people on Twitter within minutes, directly from their smartphone.
Knowing this information is especially important if your target market consists of millennials and baby boomers.
Nearly half of them follow brands on social media.
Based on all the information I’ve discussed so far, it’s obvious that Twitter users want to engage with businesses on this platform.
Now that we’ve established this, it’s time to use this information to generate leads for your company.
Earlier I mentioned there are over 328 million users on Twitter and 200 billion annual tweets.
Not all these users and tweets are relevant to your business.
The key is filtering out the useless ones to generate leads.
This is my favorite way to get the most useful and significant source of leads: Twitter’s advanced search queries.
Here’s how you do it.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the regular search bar on Twitter.
From your search menu, look at the left side of the screen under “Search filters.”
Click on the “Advanced search” button to proceed.
This search field will give you much more accurate results than the generic search bar you’ve been using.
Add words and phrases based on your marketing insights, industry, and target audience.
For example, let’s say you run a website specializing in outdoor sports equipment.
You could add words like hiking, biking, backpack, tent, mountain trails, or surfing to the search bar.
It all depends on the goal of your marketing campaign to generate leads.
If it’s winter, you may want to include terms such as snowboard boots, skis, snowboard goggles, etc.
Don’t go crazy. Stick to a few specific words and phrases to start.
Adding accounts to your query can give you even more specific results.
Not sure what to put in these fields?
Here are some suggestions:
Adding your profile to the search may be the only obvious suggestion on this list. But maybe not many people are mentioning your company by name on Twitter.
That’s why the other ones are just as important.
Are people tweeting about your competitors?
Those users are your prospective customers.
What about an industry expert?
Let’s continue with the example about an outdoor sports store.
You could add Sean White’s twitter account to this search query.
He’s a professional snowboarder, so it’s not unreasonable to think that users tweeting about him are interested in snowboarding equipment.
The possibilities are endless.
You’ve just got to get creative to find the most accurate and relevant results to generate leads.
By default, your location services will be turned off for the advanced search query.
Turn it on to enable more relevant results.
For simplicity, I’ll continue using the sports store example.
Let’s say the shop is located in my city of Seattle, WA.
You have an ecommerce store, but you don’t deliver outside the northwest region.
Tweets about hiking equipment in Florida won’t be relevant to your lead-generation strategy.
It’s easier to narrow your search by adding a location now than having to filter through bad leads later.
However, if you have an ecommerce shop with global distribution, you may decide to disable the location feature in the search.
It’s up to you.
However, I’d still recommend focusing on a particular country or region.
That way you can segment these leads and market to them accordingly.
If someone tweeted about your company 3 years ago, it’s probably a little too late to consider that user as a lead.
You want to make sure your search results are recent as well as relevant.
Start with the last few months. If you want more results, you can always expand that to the last six months or to the previous year.
These 5 steps are super easy to follow.
Next time you’re trying to generate leads on Twitter, start with the advanced search query.
Hashtags are a great way to get your company name out there.
If you can get enough users to use your hashtag, it could potentially go viral and start trending.
Here’s what’s trending in Seattle today:
Come up with a clever and creative hashtag for your company.
Look at the sponsored hashtag at the top of this image from Papa John’s.
#NationalPizzaMonth is much easier to read than #nationalpizzamonth.
Granted, if a user types this hashtag without any capital letters, it will still work.
But you should utilize this capitalization strategy in all of your tweets.
It’s easier to read, plus it can help you avoid potential embarrassment.
Back in 2012, a British singer named Susan Boyle used a hashtag to promote her new album.
She tweeted #susanalbumparty to promote it.
It’s harmless, but the combination of certain letters without any spaces or capitalization could appear inappropriate.
#SusanAlbumParty looks much better and prevents confusion.
But who knows, maybe you want to be sneaky with your hashtags, hoping one of them goes viral.
I just wouldn’t encourage or recommend that.
Tweets with hashtags also have a greater chance of being retweeted.
Retweets will obviously expose your brand to a wider audience.
The more people use the tag, the more likely it’ll go viral or trend on Twitter.
See who used your hashtag. Engage with these people.
It’s an effective lead-generation strategy.
If your customers have questions, complaints, or other inquiries, encourage them to contact you on Twitter.
Why?
Because other people will see how responsive your brand is.
It creates exposure and increases your chances of getting more leads.
Customer service interactions are trending upward on social media.
This means customers know they can contact their favorite brands via Twitter and expect brands to respond.
If other businesses are responding to their tweets, your customers will assume you’re going to do the same.
Ignoring your customers’ tweets could end up giving you a bad reputation for customer service.
However, responding to them in a timely fashion can have the opposite effect.
Customers are going to complain. These things happen.
Don’t let a negative tweet throw you off your game. Respond politely, and try to rectify the situation. Do not get defensive or make excuses.
Remember that everyone will see this interaction, so keep it professional at all times.
Look at what happens when a person experiences a positive customer service response:
The customer is likely to do two things:
If this interaction happens on Twitter, it’s even easier for the customer to do both of these things.
Providing amazing customer service can do much more than just generate leads.
It could potentially double your revenue.
Using Twitter for customer service can reduce the chances of the customer getting frustrated.
A recent study suggests that Twitter is the least frustrating customer service channel.
So you already have an advantage there.
Now that you know how to find leads on Twitter, it’s time to make sure you’re turning those leads into conversions.
If someone’s tweeting about your brand, products, or industry, reach out to them directly.
Let them know you can help.
Think back to our advanced search query.
You may find some users who don’t even know your brand exists.
How do you change that?
Here are a few tips:
If they didn’t know about you before, they will definitely know about you now.
Make sure your profile is active.
Give your prospective leads a reason to follow your brand.
Getting a discount is the top reason why consumers follow a company on Twitter.
They also want to receive:
If your Twitter account isn’t doing these things, your lead-generation strategy won’t be nearly as effective.
Content consumption has grown by 25% on Twitter over the last 2 years.
Users want to interact and engage with their favorite brands on Twitter.
People all over the world are tweeting about things relevant to your business.
The trick is learning how to filter those results to generate leads.
Use the Twitter advanced search queries to do this.
It’s a great way to customize a search based on:
This information will give you the most updated and accurate results.
Once you find a prospective lead, reach out to them directly. Follow their profile, and try to get them to follow you back.
Run promotions, and offer exclusive content on your feed. This will entice users to interact with your page.
Twitter is also an excellent platform to provide customer service. If a customer has a positive customer service experience with your company on Twitter, they are more likely to share their story and recommend your brand.
Use hashtags as a creative way to get exposure for your business.
All of these tips will help you improve your lead-generation strategy on Twitter.
What hashtag will you create to generate leads via Twitter?
Simon Read helps a reader who was asked to pay more for a hotel booking.
I booked a room at the LLanerch Inn in Mid-Wales for two nights next summer through Booking. com, and received confirmation for £80 a room a night, £160 in total.
A few weeks later, I received a telephone call from LLanerch Inn to let me know that, due to a change of management, it wanted to change the cost of the room to £200 a night.
I am unhappy with this and think it is unfair. I have received an email from Booking.com saying that it could reduce the price of the room to £150 a night, classing it as the middle ground. I have offered to pay £100 a night, but Booking.com has said it will not accept this amount.
Due to high demand for hotels in the area, on the dates I booked there is no alternative accommodation available at a reasonable price.
Where do I stand on this? I have the confirmation stating the room was priced at £80 and I think it is unfair that it can increase the price of the room by such a substantial amount.
RR/Corwen, Denbighshire
I agree with you. The hotel accepted the booking and should honour it. I put your case to Booking.com and said I thought it was unfair if the prices offered by the firm turn out to be meaningless and can be raised on a whim.
Booking.com explained that the problem arose because there had been a change of ownership at the hotel and there was a disparity between the rates the new and old owner wanted to list for the summer of 2018.
The good news is that after our intervention, fairness won out and the new owner agreed that it’s not reasonable to raise the price after a customer has already booked. Therefore, RR will be able to visit at the price he originally booked the room for. Enjoy!
OUTCOME: Reader saves the extra £240 the hotel wanted to charge.
Simon Read is a money writer and broadcaster. He was the last personal finance editor at The Independent and is an expert on BBC1’s Right On The Money.
Have you been let down by a company? Let Moneywise Fight for your Rights.
