الخميس، 12 أبريل 2018
Law would give first-time home buyers tax break
Source Business - poconorecord.com https://ift.tt/2JHvIya
Did Wells Fargo Open Fake Accounts in Your Name? You Can Still File a Claim
The settlement came in April 2017 after customers filed a class-action lawsuit against the bank accusing its employees of creating millions of fake accounts without their permission or knowledge.
The initial Feb. 3 claim deadline has been extended to July 7, the settlement website states. According to the LA Times, the deadline was extended because Wells Fargo failed to notify all current and past account holders of the settlement.
This class action applies to Wells Fargo customers who had unsecured credit cards, unsecured lines of credit, or consumer and small-business checking or savings accounts opened or applied for in their names without their permission.
Customers who obtained identity-theft protection from Wells Fargo between May 1, 2002 and April 20, 2017 are also eligible.
The cash you get from the class action will include a refund for fees you paid on unauthorized accounts and compensation if your credit was harmed.
Any money left in the fund after paying the benefits will be paid out as additional compensation.
If you received a claim ID in the mail or your email, you can log in and file online. If you don’t have a claim number, check the box that says “I do not have the information needed to login” and continue with the online form.
If you need help or have questions, call 866-431-8549 to speak with a claims administrator customer service representative, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST.
Desiree Stennett (@desi_stennett) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She writes about how government and court actions impact your wallet.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2GXRonX
Hepatitis C Can Be Deadly. Here’s How to Get a Free or Low-Cost Screening
But Hepatitis C deserves more attention that it gets since it affects about 200,000 people each year.
Fortunately, Hepatitis C is a treatable illness. Some studies even suggest it could eventually be cured.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70% to 80% of people with acute Hepatitis C don’t have any symptoms.
Left untreated, Hepatitis C can cause cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure, so it’s important to learn whether you carry the virus in your system.
The CDC recommends a Hepatitis C blood test if you:
- Were born between 1925 and 1965
- Are currently injecting drugs or have in the past
- Have HIV or other underlying conditions that raise your risk of contracting Hepatitis C
- Are a recipient of transfusions or organ transplants
- Have been exposed to blood that may contain the virus
If you don’t know whether you should be tested for Hepatitis C, be sure to contact your doctor for advice.
Where to Find Affordable Hepatitis C Testing
Some insurance plans cover the entire cost of Hepatitis C testing.
If yours doesn’t, or you don’t have health insurance at all, here are five affordable ways to get screened.
1. Medicare
Medicare covers one physician-ordered Hepatitis C test.
Medicare also covers yearly repeat testing for high-risk people.
2. Medicaid
Some Medicaid plans cover Hepatitis C screening. Check your plan to see whether you’re covered.
3. Affordable Health-Care Plans
Insurance plans obtained under the Affordable Care Act cover Hepatitis C screening for at-risk adults and one time for anyone born between 1945 and 1965.
4. Community Health Clinics
Some community health clinics across the country offer Hepatitis C testing.
Use the U.S. Department of Health’s clinic locator to find a clinic near you.
5. Local Wellness Centers
Check the CDC database to find wellness centers and nonprofit organizations that offer free or low-cost Hepatitis C screening in your area.
If none of these options works for you, type “free Hepatitis C testing near me” into your favorite browser.
Independent physician networks like Analyte Physicians Group may offer free testing through clinical laboratories in your area.
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She enjoys telling readers about affordable ways to stay healthy, so look her up on Twitter (@lisah) if you’ve got a tip to share.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2v6wXUs
Shmoop, There It is: Work From Home Writing Fun (and Funny) Lesson Plans
If you, too, love the idea of getting paid without having to unwrap your precious Snuggie, keep reading, because I’ve got a few work-from-home positions for you.
The digital publishing company Shmoop is looking for remote content writers and editors to help create fun lesson plans for middle and high school students.
These are freelance, contractor positions, so you’ll be paid per completed project.
You don’t need a stiff, formal cover letter to apply for this gig. Actually, sending in that type of application will pretty much ensure you don’t get the job.
Shmoop prides itself on providing stellar education while keeping it fun and engaging. In fact, the company likens itself to our favorite crime-fighting group, The Avengers, but “instead of defeating evil aliens, we’re besting crusty academic texts and ignorance.”
So if you’ve got writing or editing skills and a desire to show off your comedy chops, check out the open positions below.
If you despise all things educational or your best joke involves “orange you glad I didn’t say orange,” no worries. You can mosey on over to our jobs page on Facebook to check out other opportunities that better fit your skill set.
If you do apply for one of these roles, make sure you follow the directions listed here or you will be judged by the hiring department. (It’s true, they said so themselves.)
Remote Project-Based Content Writer Jobs at Shmoop
Pay: Per project, not specified
Engineering and Technology Studies Writer
The engineering and technology content writer will write curriculum for high school students.
Responsibilities include:
- Writing lesson plans for online publication, including lectures, activities and exams
- Giving students the skills needed to pursue a career in technology
- Creating user-friendly teacher guides to accompany the lessons
- Finding informative and funny content on technology
Applicants for this position must have:
- A master’s degree in engineering or equivalent experience writing educational content on engineering technology
- Certification in technical education, engineering or engineering technology
- Experience writing for non-academic audiences
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Competency in Microsoft Word
Apply here for the project-based engineering and technology studies writer job at Shmoop.
Science Writer
If you’ve got a passion for science, you’re in luck because Shmoop has multiple positions open for science writers. Middle school curriculum writers are needed for physical, earth, life and environmental sciences; high school curriculum writers are needed for physical, earth and environmental sciences; both levels of writers are needed for anatomy and physiology.
Responsibilities include:
- Writing lesson plans for online publication, including lectures, activities and exams
- Creating user-friendly teacher guides to accompany the lessons
- Finding informative and funny content on science
Applicants for this position must have:
- A bachelor’s degree in chosen field of science with strong academic performance
- Experience writing for non-academic audiences
- Ability to express scientific and technical concepts in a fun way
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Competency in Microsoft Word
- Previous experience teaching middle or high school is preferred but not mandatory
Apply here for a science content writer job at Shmoop.
Computer Science
Content writers in this role will write curriculum and teaching materials for high school students.
Responsibilities include:
- Writing lesson plans for online publication, including lectures, activities and exams
- Creating user-friendly teacher guides to accompany the lessons
- Finding informative and funny content on computer science
Applicants for this position must have:
- A bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering or math-related field with strong academic performance
- Knowledge of HTML, JavaScript, CSS, Java and other web design tools
- Experience writing for non-academic audiences
- Ability to express computer science concepts in a fun way
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Competency in Microsoft Word
- Previous teaching and/or editing experience is preferred but not mandatory
Apply here for the computer science content writer job at Shmoop.
Remote Project-Based Editor Jobs at Shmoop
Pay: Per project, not specified
Computer Science Editor
This position includes editing curriculum for high school students.
Responsibilities include:
- Editing lessons, lectures, activities and assignments for online publication
- Assigning and sourcing images
- Collaborating with other team members at Shmoop
- Copy editing
- Checking content for plagiarism
Applicants for this position must have:
- A degree or equivalent experience
- Familiarity with computer science, applications and digital media topics
- Experience writing for non-academic audiences
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Competency in Microsoft Word
- Previous teaching and/or editing experience is preferred but not mandatory
Apply here for the computer science editor job at Shmoop.
English, Government and History Editor
This role requires editing curriculum for high school level students.
Responsibilities include:
- Editing lessons, lectures, activities and assignments for online publication
- Assigning and sourcing images
- Collaborating with other team members at Shmoop
- Copy editing
- Checking content for plagiarism
Applicants for this position must have:
- A bachelor’s degree in English, government, history or another humanities-based field
- Knowledge of basic English or government concepts
- Experience writing for non-academic audiences
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Competency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Latex
- Previous teaching and/or editing experience is preferred but not mandatory
- An advanced degree in humanities or education is preferred but not mandatory
Apply here for the English, government and history editor job at Shmoop.
Kaitlyn Blount is a junior staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Why did the mushroom go to the party? Because he was a fungi. Thank you, she’ll be here all week and don’t forget to tip your waitress.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2qry3VQ
It’s Getting Easier to Get a Mortgage if You Have Debt, but Is That a Good Thing?
The Wall Street Journal reported that 1 in 5 conventional mortgage loans made this past winter were granted to people spending 45% or more of their monthly income on debt. The data, from real estate analysts at CoreLogic, focused on mortgages that met standards set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
In 2017, Fannie Mae raised its limits to insure mortgages where borrowers have up to a 50% debt-to-income ratio; the previous limit was 45%. The change creates a stronger cushion for qualified borrowers who may have student loans or other debt. But the widening borrower pool may provide a false view of whether a borrower is prepared for homeownership.
“You’d like to have everybody paying a much lower percent of their income on their housing and have a lower debt ratio, but that’s not a situation that a lot of first-time homebuyers are in,” said Robert Silverman, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University at Buffalo.
Rising interest rates also complicate borrowers’ homebuying dreams. While mortgage interest rates have dipped this spring, overall they’ve been trending higher since late 2016. An expert from the Mortgage Bankers Association predicted in a recent interview with HousingWire that mortgage interest rates will top 5% by 2020.
Student loans and other debt have many young people delaying homebuying.
If More People Can Get Mortgages, Are We In Another Bubble
Yes, we’re in a bubble, Silverman said. But it’s not quite like the one that burst 10 years ago. Home prices are rising and low inventory makes for heated competition, but lending standards are strict today compared with the period before the last crash.
But it will take some time to understand the true impact of recent tax reforms relating to mortgage interest and property tax deductions. Americans holding off on homebuying to pay off their debt could have an effect on supply and demand, too.
All those things might “put some downward pressure” on the housing market, Silverman said.
What Should You Spend on Your Mortgage?
Many lenders suggest spending no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on home costs, including taxes and maintenance. The Balance advises keeping it to 20-25% of your monthly income, depending on your current debt load. Meanwhile, financial evangelist Dave Ramsey’s mortgage calculator advises keeping your mortgage to 25% of your take-home pay.
If you spend more than 30% of your gross income on housing, Silverman said, you’re what’s called “housing cost burdened,” because the rest of your income gets stretched thinner more quickly.
“It’s gotten more problematic in the last decade or so,” he said. “More and more families are falling above that 30%.”
That 30% cap on spending on your home has long been the affordability standard, Silverman said. The Department of Housing and Urban Development uses it to determine the level of assistance for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, for example. Mortgage lenders also use it as an indicator of a borrower’s ability to repay their mortgage.
And while home prices keep going up, income growth isn’t matching it, Silverman said. That disparity could prevent many otherwise qualified borrowers from pursuing their house-hunting dreams.
Lisa Rowan is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2IL8Lc7
This New KFC Benefit Helps Employees Stretch Their Fast-Food Paychecks
With more than 3.7 million fast-food workers in the U.S., and entry-level employees earning roughly $8.25 an hour, personal finance skills can help make ends meet.
This week, the KFC Foundation announced how it’s taking an active role in solving this problem for KFC employees. The organization has rolled out MyChange, a smartphone app and desktop program focused on educating and empowering employees about key elements of their personal finance, and helping them make smarter decisions.
The app — powered by Sum180 — is intended to be simple to use and completely confidential. Some features include:
- Budgeting tools and weekly budgeting tips
- Personalized budgeting plans
- Private access to financial advisers providing financial coaching
- An online community offering encouragement to stay focused on your financial goals
Krista Snider, managing director of the KFC Foundation, said what separates MyChange from other personal finance apps is that it gives employees easily digestible information to better understand their situation.
“Other apps are about managing your money for you but don’t give you the context on how you’re going to meet your goals,” she says. “This app gives you a roadmap on where you need to go.”
Why a personal finance app? Why now? A survey of some 100,000 KFC team members nationwide showed that financial counseling ranked second to college scholarships as an employee need.
The KFC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit funded by KFC franchisees, runs several employee development programs, including college education grants, family crisis assistance and GED programs. The foundation receives a majority of its financial support from the Cole Slaw Donation Program, where KFC franchisees voluntarily elect to have a portion of coleslaw sales in their restaurants go towards the foundation.
Other fast-food chains have made waves recently by offering benefits that foster personal or professional growth. For instance, in March McDonald’s announced that it’s expanding its tuition assistance program, making it easier to access funds to pay for college.
Now we’ll wait and see if other fast food companies follow suit by offering personal finance education as part of their benefits packages.
Matt Reinstetle is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2qoQj2k
7 Lessons I Learned From Failing at Real Estate Investing
A lot of people make money investing in real estate.
But there's the real version and and the TV version.
I fell for the TV version.
Based on little more than a book from a self-proclaimed real estate superstar, I blazed forward and bought my first real estate investment property.
It was a complete failure.
I learned seven lessons from that failure, and now I’ll share them with you.
1. If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is – And it Was!
Have you ever heard of a guy named Carlton Sheets? He was one of those how-to-get-rich-in-real-estate-without-really-doing-anything gurus from back in the 1980s and 90s.
I wouldn't be surprised if you don't know anything about him – he hasn't been around much lately. He had a series of convincing TV infomercials, as well as paid real estate investment courses and books, and was quite successful for a number of years.
My father-in-law bought me one of his books, and after reading it I was hooked. I was going to be a real estate millionaire. Look out Donald Trump, Jeff Rose is on your tail, and will be passing you in the fast lane in just a couple of years!
At least that's what I convinced myself.
2. Stick With What You Know and Love
Other than the book by Carlton Sheets, the sum total of my accumulated real estate investment knowledge was zero. I had never actually invested in real estate, at least not apart from my own home.
But if you've ever seen one of those glitzy TV infomercials about how to get rich, you have to admit they’re pretty convincing. I’m a positive, high-energy guy, and I figured that if anyone could make this plan work, it would be me.
But there was one problem with my thinking: real estate investing is not exactly my thing. And that means everything!
Financial planning is, and I'm all over it. That may be the biggest lesson I learned from failing at real estate investing. Always stick with what you know and love, and leave the other stuff to other people.
3. True Deals Are Harder to Find than You Ever Imagine
My father-in-law and I decided that we’d go into this real estate investment venture together. I was a seasoned money guy, and my father-in-law is an accomplished handyman. It was the perfect tandem for investing in real estate.
I studied Carlton's book, and knew the “formula” for buying a winning investment property – buy a property from which you can reasonably expect to receive monthly rental income equal to at least 1% of the purchase price.
We found such a property. The asking price was $120,000, and market data indicated that it could be rented for $1,200 per month. Exactly 1%! We were on our way.
But TV infomercial formulas and reality don't mix. We purchased the property with a $500 earnest money deposit. I then discussed the deal with my CPA, himself a real estate investor with more than a dozen properties. He quickly told me that we overpaid for the property.
That was a direct blow to the stomach – as well as to my ego. Since we just closed on the property, he recommended that we get out of it anyway that we can. With the cooperation of our real estate agent, we were in fact able to void the deal.
But I learned something else for my CPA friend. Finding bargain real estate for investment is not at all easy. Since every other real estate investor in is looking for bargains, you never find them in the usual places.
More on that in Lesson #6 below.
4. Never Overpay for a Property
This one is huge. You need to pay much less for the property than it's true market value.
Not only will that provide the profit on sale, but it will also afford you some protection in the event the property has costly and unexpected repairs.
5. Cash Flow is Everything – And You Better Calculate it Right the First Time
Forget about the 1% rule, the monthly rental should actually be a lot higher. My CPA friend informed me of this after we close on the property, which is when I bothered to actually ask him.
Cash flow is also critical to the success of any real estate investment.
The rent has to be sufficient not only to cover the monthly cost of financing, property taxes, insurance, and landlord paid utilities, but it also has to provide a profit, as well as an allowance for some of those unexpected expenses. Expenses like a new roof or furnace.
But whoodda thought? Definitely not me while I was still in my “expert phase”.
6. Looking for Deals in All the Wrong Places
When you are looking to purchase investment real estate you will not find truly good deals in the newspaper classifieds (where I found my “deal”) or even on the local multiple listing service. It's more likely that you will find a winning property through word-of-mouth and other backdoor channels. It's often a matter of locating distressed property sales before they hit the market.
The problem is that real estate investment is very competitive. You're never the only person out there looking for the next big deal. For that reason, all of the usual places you might find property are quickly picked over, few that there are.
Successful real estate investing requires a lot of patience and investment of time. You have to do a lot of digging and get to know a lot of people in order to find the deals that will make it work.
7. Never Let Greed Control Your Actions
So many people have gotten wealthy by investing in real estate that is hard to ignore the opportunity, even if you know nothing about it. It's called greed, and the combination of big profits and slick TV infomercials can make it too good to be ignored.
But that's never a decision that’s based on financial reality, or even a reasonable evaluation of your own skill set. It’s based purely on greed. You see big money being made, and you want in. But wanting in and being able to make it happen are two very different things.
From now on, I'll stick with what I know, and leave the promise of instant riches to the people who write books about it.
That's my story. Have you ever fell for what turned out to be a money making scheme? Share and make me feel better about my own crash-and-burn.
This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.
The post 7 Lessons I Learned From Failing at Real Estate Investing appeared first on Good Financial Cents.
Source Good Financial Cents https://ift.tt/2pGyHk8
20 Tax Day Freebies and Deals: Free Beer, Burgers, Massages and More
Anybody? No? Well…
Even though we got a bit of a reprieve this year — tax day falls on April 17 instead of the 15th — lots of us are still dreading the due date.
After all, paperwork is annoying, deductions can be confusing, and you may end up owing a huge bill you didn’t expect.
In fact, tax day creates so much angst, many of us would rather scrub Chipotle toilets for three years than do our taxes ever again.
But before you grab your trustiest set of rubber gloves, wait a second! There’s a silver lining after all: free stuff and awesome deals.
Tax Day Freebies and Deals
To help make up for how terrible tax day is, lots of businesses are offering free stuff and special deals.
Here are 20 of the best from around the web to turn your tax day frown upside down.
Tax Day Food Deals
Tax forms are way more annoying to fill out on an empty stomach.
Here’s where to get free and cheap food April 17.
1. Boston Market’s got two delicious Tax Day specials. Get the rosemary lemon chicken meal with a beverage for $10.99 or a half-chicken individual meal complete with two sides, cornbread, a regular beverage and a cookie for just $10.40.
Get it? 1040? Don’t worry, you’ll stop seeing those numbers in your dreams soon enough.
2. Bruegger’s Bagels is offering a $10.40 Big Bagel Bundle deal, plus 20% off catering orders for pickup or delivery from April 9-17 with the code “twentyoff”.
3. California Tortilla is turning into a taco speakeasy. Use the password “chippin’ in” while ordering on April 17 and you’ll get free chips and queso with any purchase.
Carb-load your way through the marathon of paperwork.
4. Cinnabon is known for giving out free treats with its Tax Day Bites promotion; however, the promotion varies by location, so be sure to check with your nearest Cinnabon before rushing out to cure that sweet tooth.
5. Chuck E. Cheese’s is giving parents a Tax Day break with some food and fun. Get a large cheese pizza for free with the purchase of any large pizza – and if you say “I need a fun break”, you can get 50 free tickets as part of the spring break promotion through May 6.
6. Firehouse Subs is offering a free medium sub with the purchase of a medium or large sub, chips, and a drink. Bring this coupon to any Firehouse Subs location between April 17-19 for yours.
7. Great American Cookies is offering customers a free cookies and cream cookie to help them combat Tax Day-related stress.
“Whether or not you’re receiving a refund this year, Great American Cookies is here to add some more dough to your life,” punned vice president David Kaiser.
Just drop by your local store and ask — at least you’ll be a cookie richer!
8. Hardees has breakfast covered this Tax Day – all you have to do is stop by before 10 a.m. on April 17 to enjoy a free sausage biscuit.
9. Hot Dog on a Stick is giving one free Original Turkey Dog or Veggie Dog to every customer on April 17.
If there’s one thing more American than taxes, it’s hot dogs.
10. Kona Ice has redubbed Tax Day “National Chill Out Day.”
Its motto? “No taxation without relaxation!” Swing by your favorite location for a free shaved ice.
11. Noodles & Co. is bringing back its “File Online, Order Online” deal for $4 off your order of $10 or more if you order online or via their app and use the promo code TAXDAY18 at checkout — now through April 18.
12. Schlotzky’s will treat guests to a free small original sandwich with the purchase of a drink and a bag of chips at participating locations on April 17 – no coupon required.
And its “Original” is anything but ordinary: It’s got ham, two kinds of salami and three kinds of cheese.
Three kinds of cheese, guys.
13. Sonic Drive-In is offering half-price cheeseburgers all day long on April 17. What better way is there to eat your feelings about Tax Day, aside from washing it all down with half-price shakes, floats and ice cream slushes if you visit after 8 p.m.
14. Sonny’s has a cheeky deal for Tax Day: The IRS (that’s Irresistible Ribs Special), a rib dinner plate, will be half-price on April 17.
15. Tony Roma’s is “writing off” some kickin’ shrimp this tax season. Guests who present this offer from April 15-17 will receive a coupon for an order of kickin’ shrimp to use on their next visit.
If you’re a member of the Tony Roma’s Email Club, you’ll receive the coupon in your inbox prior to Tax Day.
Tax Season De-Stress
Tax Day got you stressed out enough to need a vacation or massage? No worries, we’ve got your back.
16. Hydromassage and Planet Fitness are teaming up to gently melt your troubles away with the 10th annual Free Massage During Tax Week promotion. Print and bring this coupon to your nearest location for a free massage between April 14-21.
Free massage? Yes, please!
17. The Hand and Stone Spa is offering a “Relax the Tax” sale on a one-hour introductory massage starting at $39.95 — and with over 300 locations across the U.S., it’s likely you’ve got one nearby.
18. Zeel offers in-home and on demand massage in over 85 cities and regions. Its giving first-time customers $20 off their first massage with the code “TAXDAY2018” for the entire month of April.
Because leaving the house after you file your taxes is so overrated.
Tax Day Cleanup
Get those sensitive documents shredded — but don’t pay a dime!
19. Office Depot and OfficeMax are ready to shred your confidential documents when you’re all done with the Tax Day madness.
Just bring in this coupon to get up to 5 pounds of paper shredded for free (expires April 28).
20. Staples is offering up to 1 pound of free shredding with this coupon. (Really) heavy tax year? Shred additional pounds for less than a buck a piece.
Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) is a freelance writer whose work has been featured at Ms. Magazine, BUST, Roads & Kingdoms, The Write Life, Nashville Review, Word Riot and elsewhere. She lives in St. Augustine, Florida. Editorial intern Jen Smith contributed to this report.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2GTbhAu
Judge: McDonald’s Extra Value Meals Don’t Really Have to Offer Extra Value
The April 6 decision ended the fight in a class-action lawsuit filed against the fast-food chain in Chicago.
The plaintiff in the McDonald’s lawsuit, Kelly Killeen, said she paid $5.08 for a sausage burrito extra value meal at a restaurant in Chicago. Her meal came with two sausage burritos, one hash brown and a medium coffee. Later she realized that she could have ordered the same items individually, and her total would have been 11 cents less.
Killeen argued that using the word “value” to advertise the combination of items would make a reasonable customer believe the meal would be cheaper than buying the items a la carte. She accused McDonald’s of fraud and using deceptive business practices.
Judge Elaine Bucklo acknowledged that most McDonald’s customers might believe the value meals would be their cheapest option, but said there was no evidence suggesting McDonald’s misled its customers.
“Anyone familiar with fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s surely knows that prices are typically displayed on menus located near the registers,” Bucklo wrote in a five-page opinion dismissing the case. “Understandably, plaintiff may not have wished to take the time to compare prices, but there is no question that doing so would have dispelled the deception.”
What Is and Isn’t Deceptive Advertising
There is a thin but clear line between what Bucklo considers a deceptive business practice and what is just a normal and legal advertising tactic. She gave examples of both in her written opinion.
For example, a grocery store could advertise an item for one price in its print or online ads and for the same price on in-store signage. After you buy it, if you get home and realize you paid a different price, you can’t sue for false advertising.
As in the McDonald’s case, Bucklo points out, all the information is there for you. As long as the accurate price you paid is printed on your receipt, that’s enough for the grocery store to argue it didn’t mislead you into spending more.
But there are limits to what a company can do to advertise its products.
For example, if a juice company printed “fruit juice” on its label alongside pictures of specific fruits and the ingredients label shows there is little to none of those fruits in the juice, that could be grounds for a lawsuit.
Although the ingredients list is available to the customer, the requirement that the customer read the ingredients or any other form of fine print to know that claims that are prominent on the label are false could be seen as deceptive in court.
In the McDonald’s case, the judge pointed out, the individual prices are clearly visible. It’s your job to do your own math.
Desiree Stennett (@desi_stennett) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She writes about how government and court actions impact your wallet.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2JF6vnX
Today Is Wawa Day, and That Means We Get Free Coffee All Day Long
But today, the coffee’s getting even cheaper: It’s free!
Visit Wawa for Wawa Day on Thursday, April 12 to get any size coffee for free, all day.
The Pennsylvania-based chain turns 54 on April 16, but is celebrating on April 12 — probably to satisfy the hordes of locals who visit the chain on their commute each morning.
Limit one free coffee per customer, please.
The Delicious Cult of Wawa
While Wawa coffee and subs (hoagies, please, we call them hoagies here) are a Philadelphia staple, the chain has been creeping up and down the east coast over the past few decades.
Wawa, which started as a dairy farm about 50 years before it opened its first store, started brewing and selling fresh coffee in 1975. The chain, which offers 24-hour service at most locations, prides itself for always having fresh pots of coffee, whether you’re craving French Vanilla, smoky Cuban Roast or a seasonal flavor.
You won’t be fiddling with tiny creamer packets here; you have full access to Wawa’s line of dairy products, including milk and half-and-half in a selection of flavors.
And if you miss Wawa Day, you can still save on coffee every other day of the year — you’ll struggle to pay more than $2 for a cup of the good stuff at this chain.
Lisa Rowan is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. When she visits her family in Philadelphia, Wawa is usually her first stop.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2JEUe2R
How I Shop: Specific Tricks for Your Next Trip to the Grocery Store
Jenny writes in:
How do you shop for groceries? I mean, I tried following your general plan of making a grocery list first but I’m still spending $300 a week on groceries for me and my husband and two kids. You’ve said you can get by on $400 a month for 5 people. How? What do you do at the store that’s so different?
I like questions like these. They come in every once in a while from people who aren’t afraid of frugality but just don’t know how to approach situations from a frugal mindset.
Jenny’s question came in a month ago and since then I’ve been actually taking careful notes on as many details as I could about my grocery store trips. In particular, I’ve been trying to focus on the little details of my practice.
So, let’s go deep into my grocery shopping routine.
Before I Go to the Store
First of all, I intentionally shop for groceries when I’m alone. I want to spend the absolute minimum amount of time as I can in the store and going with my wife or my kids just adds time in the store. The longer I’m in the store, the more likely I am to fall for impulse buys. The more people I’m with, the more likely I am to use their input to make unplanned and unnecessary purchases. When I hit that grocery store, I want to get in and out as fast as I can while still making rational decisions.
Second, I go grocery shopping early in the day, if at all possible. I often go grocery shopping before anyone else in the family is awake, or right after the kids go to school. The reason for this is decision fatigue. In a given day, you have the mental willpower to make a certain number of really good decisions; after that, your mind starts getting tired and sluggish and you make worse and worse decisions. It’s like any muscle – if you work it too much, you get tired. So, I try to get to the grocery store nice and early, while my “decision making muscle” is still fresh from a night of sleep and not worn out after a day of parenting and/or work. I do everything I can to avoid shopping any later than the early afternoon; my grocery shopping after work is disastrous.
Third, I shop by default at a local discount grocer. Fareway gets almost all of my grocery business. It’s a small chain existing mostly in Iowa with a few stores in surrounding states. Their prices on almost everything are very, very solid, and given their relative closeness to my home (the only discount grocer within at least 10 miles), they’re my default choice. I strongly recommend figuring out which discount grocery store is most convenient to you and use that as your primary store. You can figure that out by visiting several stores that are convenient to you and tracking prices on the 20-25 staples you buy the most often. Stick with the store that has the lowest average price. Aldi is the only store I’ve found that can slip a little under Fareway in price around here, but there isn’t a super-convenient Aldi for me, so Fareway is my choice of stores. This keeps my prices low by default.
Finally, I don’t go to the grocery store on an empty stomach. I often hit the grocery store right after eating a meal – usually breakfast, as I often go in the morning. If I’m hungry in the grocery store, my decisions are going to swing toward picking up food that looks tasty and I’m going to think less about what we need and what the prices are. If I’m full, I’m much much more likely to stick with the grocery list.
Speaking of that grocery list…
I make a grocery list at home before I go. These days, I usually do it at home the night before my grocery store trip. To clarify, I go to the grocery store roughly once every seven to ten days, though I will make a very brief trip solely for a few fresh items if the gap is a long one.
The process of making a grocery list takes several steps. I usually start by laying out the next week on a whiteboard that hangs on a wall next to our kitchen. On that whiteboard, I write down our family’s schedule for the upcoming week and then identify what we’re having for meals. On weekdays, I account for family breakfast and dinner and lunch for the adults, with Sarah and I usually eating leftovers. On weekends, I account for all three meals.
Once I have a good grip on what the schedule for the next week to ten days looks like, I look up the grocery store flyer for my preferred grocery store I just visit the website and check out the flyer. What I’m looking for are super-cheap sale items that I can build a few meals around. For example, this week in the flyer, I noticed that green beans and potatoes were at very low prices, along with a few different meat items. So, I centered my meal plan around those items, making sure to come up with simple recipes that used them. One example: we’re grilling one night and simply grilling sliced potatoes in aluminum foil with just a pat of butter in there. On another night, a big part of our meal is green beans and cubed potatoes cooked together. We aim for simple things using whatever’s on sale.
Once I have a meal plan for the week, I make a list from that meal plan. Naturally, this means my grocery list is going to have items on it that are on sale at the store, because I made that meal plan by looking at the flyer. I’ll check and make sure that we have some of the other ingredients we need; if we’re low on or out of that item, it goes on the list.
I’ll also check on common household supplies. Usually, I buy these in bulk at warehouse clubs because the price there is even lower than Fareway most of the time, but, again, there isn’t a warehouse club that’s super convenient for where we live. I’ll usually plan to buy a bunch of staples on an irregular trip to Sam’s Club, but if we just need a few rolls of toilet paper or something to get through, I’ll grab them at my local grocer, so they’ll go on my list. I actually keep a running “warehouse club” list going on my phone, to which I add anything that we need to pick up in big bulk and then I use that list when there’s opportunity and need to stop at a club.
Since I know the layout of the store I frequent, I’ll usually organize the list roughly by aisle. I know I’ll go through the produce section first, then down an aisle with things like canned vegetables and beans and rice, and then… you get the idea. I know the rough layout of the store, so I can organize the list to be in the approximate order in which I’ll find things in the store. This serves the purpose of again minimizing my time in the store, which gives me even less time to talk myself into impulse buys.
I don’t bother with coupons unless they’ve been dumped right in front of my face. Sometimes my mom will give me a coupon she found in the paper and clipped for me and it’ll be useful, but most of the time it’s just not worth the time invested to find coupons. Coupons are almost always for items I wouldn’t buy anyway. If they do happen to be for items that I would buy, they’re coupons for the name-brand version of that item when I’d usually buy the store brand, so the coupon savings – if there is any – is minimal. It also takes a fair amount of time to do it. It just doesn’t add up to enough value for me, so I don’t bother.
This entire process takes maybe twenty minutes, and I usually do it the evening before I go to the store. I go to bed with a list having already been prepared for me, so that I can get up with a fresh, clear, non-fatigued mind and do the shopping when I’m making good decisions, as mentioned above.
So, let’s go to the store! I usually take a beverage with me to drink on the way so I’m not hungry or thirsty when I go in the door. This pretty much eliminates the temptation to stop by a coffee kiosk that one will often find at the entrance of the store. If I’m not thirsty and generally feel sated in terms of food, getting a big cup of rich “coffee drink” is pretty unappealing, so I keep the cash in my pocket.
At the Store
When I get to the store, I’m all business, focusing intensely on my list and little else. My goal isn’t to wander and look around, it’s to go through that grocery list as fast as possible while making smart decisions about each item on the list. I have that list in hand and I’m constantly looking at it as I go.
Since my list is organized in an order matching the layout of the store, my goal is to do zero backtracking. I want to be able to go up and down each aisle starting from the entrance and going across the store until I’m at the checkout with no backtracking if at all possible. I don’t want to backtrack unless I absolutely have to, because that adds to the time in the store.
I don’t waste my time looking for “in-store sales” or clearance items or anything like that. Yes, I might see one and take advantage of it, but I’m not looking around at all for sale prices on items I’m not intending to buy. I just don’t care. The value I get from discovering a worthwhile sale on an item that I might actually want is devoured by the impulse buys I’m likely to see if I’m constantly looking around the store at all of the displays and thinking about all of that stuff I don’t need. I ignore all of that and stick to my list.
When I’m making a product selection, I favor the store brand virtually every single time. Unless I know from personal experience that the store brand won’t fulfill my needs, I grab the store brand and move on from there unless I happen to notice a sale on another item. I do sometimes quickly compare the store brand to a few other items, but virtually every time the store brand is notably cheaper, so most of the time I don’t even really compare it at all. I just grab the store brand and keep moving.
If it’s a non-perishable item, I choose the largest store brand version of that item. I’ll usually do a quick mental check to make sure that the big package really is the least expensive per unit. If there’s a sale, that formula changes a bit…
If I spot a sale, I compare the store brand and the sale item in terms of price per unit and go with the cheaper one. Let’s say there’s a store brand 16 ounce box of pasta for $1.99 and there’s also a jumbo 32 ounce box of name brand pasta that’s usually $4.99 but is on sale for $3.49. Ordinarily, the store brand pasta wins, but due to the sale, I’ll stop and figure out the price of each of them per ounce, and I find that the name brand is cheaper. In that case, the name brand goes in my cart! In the event that the store brand is still cheaper, the store brand goes in my cart! It’s that easy.
In other words, when I’m buying nonperishable items or things that can last for a long while, unless a particular brand has shown me that it’s not good, I go with whatever has the lowest price; if a brand has shown me that it’s going to fail me, I just avoid that brand and get whatever’s the least expensive besides that brand. Easy enough, right? I can make that decision in just a few seconds.
I absolutely positively avoid impulse buying. If it’s not on my list, I don’t buy it. But what about spontaneity, Trent? If I’m going to buy a “treat” or a “surprise” or something like that, I’ll have it on my list with vague terminology, like “after school snack” or something like that. In that case, I will actually slow down and look at the options for that specific item. I try to minimize that kind of serendipity on my grocery list, though.
The thing is, though, if I’ve made a meal plan to begin with, I already know what I actually need at the store and buying extra food is kind of wasteful. If I buy extra food, I’m probably disrupting that meal plan. If I buy extra snacks, I’m probably just tossing extra calories into my body that I don’t need – I usually plan for pretty healthy snacks, like fruit or something. Buying impulsive food usually ends up with something going stale or something going to waste or something getting mindlessly eaten at home, and none of those things are a good use of my money or a healthy choice, either. There’s nothing wrong with a treat every once in a while, but if you’re eating a lot of food that you haven’t planned on at all, you’re not only spending a bunch of money, you’re likely heading down an unhealthy path, and if you’re buying food only to throw it away, you’re throwing money in the trash. Basically, impulse food buys at the grocery store lead either to wasted food or excessive eating, neither of which brings value into my life.
Part of the reason I grocery shop in the morning when my decision “muscle” is strong is so that I can constantly stick with that decision against impulse food buys throughout my shopping trip. When I’m suffering from serious decision fatigue, I’m much more likely to forget my decision to not buy impulse foods and be persuaded by hunger or temptation in the moment.
So, I zip through the aisles, focusing on my list and buying lots of store brand items. I get to the checkout. Now what?
Well, if I’m waiting or I’m putting items on the conveyor belt, I review what’s in my cart. I do this instead of standing there idly and looking at all of the impulse buys at the checkout, which keeps me from making impulse buys, but it also helps me to make sure that I actually got everything on my list. It also gives me a chance to give a second thought to any impulse items I did pick up, even though I usually strive to make impulse buys as minimal as possible in the grocery store.
If I find an impulse buy in my cart at the end of that trip, I give it the old “ten second rule.” I think about that item for ten seconds and consider reasons not to buy it. It’s unhealthy (usually). It’s probably going to replace something else in my meal planning and possibly result in something going bad or going to waste, which is just a waste of money. I have a lot of other food to eat. There are a lot of other things I could be doing with that $3 or $5 or whatever – this item has an opportunity cost, in other words. Is it really all that good anyway?
Most of the time, those thoughts usually convince me that I don’t need the item, so I’ll hand it to the cashier and simply tell him or her that I changed my mind about that item.
Sometimes, I’ll find that I missed something on my list, so this is a great time to go back and get it so that I don’t check out and walk out and drive away only to realize I’m missing something that I needed when I’m putting things away at home.
After this, I just pay for the items I bought and head home to unpack those groceries!
Final Thoughts
My grocery store routine is made up of a lot of little tricks that combine to keep me from spending money unnecessarily at the store.
My main enemy at the grocery store is impulse buys; it’s so easy to talk yourself into tossing an item or two into the cart because they look “yummy” at the moment, but those costs add up really fast. I try to avoid them as much as I possibly can, which is why I try to shop on a full stomach early in the day with a well-planned grocery list in hand.
I also try to avoid name brands as much as possible because they’re virtually always more expensive than the store brand version of that item. Usually, they’re functionally identical; you just paid more for the familiar logo on the package. I’m not down with paying good money for a logo on a package.
It’s also worth noting that the backbone of all of this is basic cooking skills. I feel reasonably adept in my home kitchen and can prepare a lot of different meals with minimal fuss. I didn’t magically acquire cooking skills, though; I went through a lot of meals where it seemed hard and it seemed like a ton of work and it seemed like a ton of cleanup. Now? I can have a lot of different meals on the table for my family in twenty minutes or less with everything cleaned up and in the dishwasher. I also have a huge repertoire of slow cooker meals and make-ahead meals that offload the work to other times entirely. To keep your grocery costs low, you have to know how to cook effectively and not be reliant on packaged meals or convenience foods. There’s simply no way around it. However, when you get to that point and have some cooking skills under your belt, it gets a lot easier.
If you combine all of those elements together, you find that it’s pretty easy to escape the grocery store with a week’s worth of groceries for a family of five for less than $100. I do it fairly regularly. While there are some weeks that bubble over $100 – especially when we have a dinner party or are making some creative meals or are making some meals in advance – there are other weeks where we spend $50 or less for a full week of groceries.
It just requires having a plan and sticking to it!
Good luck!
The post How I Shop: Specific Tricks for Your Next Trip to the Grocery Store appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar https://ift.tt/2qsZmz9
You Could Make up to $20/Hour Teaching ESL Online — No Experience Needed
She’s also a wife. And a mom — to Ryan, her college-aged son; to Barkley, her Australian shepherd; and to Bunny and Clyde, her two rescue rabbits.
On top of that, she’s also a teacher.
How does she manage all of that?
She works as an ESL teacher through an online community called QKids. There, she’s able to set her own hours — and gets paid up to $20 an hour.
Teach ESL Online: What’s QKids?
Formerly called Funbulous, QKids is an online-learning platform that’s been around since 2015. It’s focused on teaching English as a second language to students between ages 5 and 12.
And QKids needs more teachers.
How to Qualify
QKids’ virtual teachers have a variety of professional backgrounds. So no, you don’t have to already be a teacher.
Here are the basic qualifications:
- You must be a native English speaker based in the U.S. or Canada.
- You should have a bachelor’s degree — or be currently enrolled in a university program.
- You need to be available to teach a minimum of six hours a week. That’s 12 half-hour classes.
- You must consider yourself digitally literate, have an outgoing personality and show passion in the classroom.
- Prior teaching experience is preferred, but not required.
How To Start Teaching Online
Brumbaugh outlined the steps she took to sign up as a QKids teacher.
Here’s how it worked:
- She filled out a five-minute online application. Details included her education and work availability, as well as a copy of her résumé (though that wasn’t required). This also included linking to a YouTube video demo and uploading a screenshot of your computer specifications.
- Within two days, she heard back via email with everything she needed to download and know before participating in a demo class. Pro tip from Brumbaugh: Take your time walking through the training. If you do, you’ll be plenty prepared for the demo class.
- She participated in the demo class.
- Because her demo class went well, she taught two more demo classes — this time with actual students. After each class, a mentor gave her feedback. Also note: You get paid for this training.
- Upon passing both classes, she received a welcome email. Then she specified when she wanted to work. (She’s required to teach 10 half-hour lessons a week but no more than 36.)
Whenever she had any questions throughout the approximately two-week process, Brumbaugh reached out to the QKids team.
“They were always happy to answer any questions I had and made me feel like a valued team member, not just another candidate,” she says.
Brumbaugh’s Experience Teaching ESL Online Through QKids
As a QKids teacher, Brumbaugh teaches 36 half-hour sessions a week.
She opts for early-morning classes, starting at 6:40 a.m. her time in Fort Worth, Texas, and late-night classes, until 11:50 p.m.
It’s important to keep in mind you’re often teaching kids across the world, so you should be willing to maintain flexible hours. Still, you get to choose your shifts.
In each session, Brumbaugh works through her computer screen with a group of kids. In a recent lesson, she had a class of five students who ranged from 6 to 11 years old.
She’s not left entirely on her own to teach the classes. QKids sets up the curriculum for each class beforehand, so you won’t be doing any lesson planning.
“The curriculum is set for you before class, and your job is to simply guide the children through the lesson, offering guidance, smiles and tons of encouragement,” she says.
Brumbaugh says the software QKids provided is easy to use. Even better, it has cute animations and games that help keep the kids engaged.
Plus, because QKids teachers guide a group of kids, the students often help each other out, showing each other the correct answers, much like in a classroom.
“This is one of the main reasons I went with QKids,” Brumbaugh says. She had researched a number of places to teach ESL online. “Having an actual [virtual] classroom creates a more productive learning session and such positive energy that is hard to create on your own.”
QKids teachers get paid at the end of each month. Depending on your teacher rating (you’re rated by parents and students), you earn between $16 and $20 an hour.
Thus far, Brumbaugh says she has had nothing but a positive experience through QKids.
“The students are hard-working, curious and light up the classroom with their smiles,” she says. “Class time actually goes by fast, and the only con I can see is sometimes I wish I had more time to spend with them!”
To apply to become an ESL teacher through QKids, start by filling out the five-minute online application.
Carson Kohler (carson@thepennyhoarder.com) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She was briefly an early-childhood-education major in college, but the classroom proved to stress her out too much. Teaching through a screen sounds a lot more appealing.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2GSjgd0
A HUGE List of Home-Based Business Ideas for Fashion Lovers
By Holly Reisem Hanna Do you love fashion and style? Would you like to have your own fashion boutique, but don’t have the funds to invest in a brick and mortar storefront? No problem. The direct sales industry has made it easier than ever to have your very own home-based business within the fashion industry. […]
The post A HUGE List of Home-Based Business Ideas for Fashion Lovers appeared first on The Work at Home Woman.
Source The Work at Home Woman https://ift.tt/2qNBjMI
Here’s How to Score the Cheapest Plane Tickets for Every Season
Whether you’re thinking about a sunshine-filled summer vacation or a quick trip to see family over the holidays, you’re probably also thinking about how much those plane tickets are going to cost you.
But with constant fluctuations in airline ticket prices, the process can be confusing — and hardly anything is more frustrating than pulling the trigger on such a big purchase only to see prices for that exact flight drop by $100 (or more!) just a few weeks — or even days — later.
But fear not. (Or at least slightly less.)
A new study published by CheapAir.com has revealed the best times to purchase domestic airline tickets to get the best deal possible, no matter where you’re headed.
The Best Times to Buy Plane Tickets in 2018
The study looked at more than 917 million airfares across more than 8,000 markets, and after some serious number crunching, offered up the following insights.
The ‘Prime Booking Window’
The “prime booking window” is between three weeks and four months before your trip. This is when fares dip the lowest, and also when you’ll see the most consistently cheap fares without price spikes.
Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute
Purchasing your tickets less than one week before your trip could cost you as much as $208 more than purchasing during the prime booking window (on average).
Weekdays Are Cheaper
It doesn’t really matter which day you shop for airline tickets (contrary to popular belief), but you’ll save money by purchasing flights that depart on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Sundays are the most expensive days to fly and could cost as much as $76 more per ticket.
Seasonal Travel
Depending on which season you plan to travel in, you’ll want to purchase your tickets a different number of days in advance.
Summer Travel
The best time to buy plane tickets for a summer vacation is, on average, 47 days in advance.
July is the most popular (and expensive) summer month to travel, while late summer (August and September) have the lowest fares.
Fall Travel
Fall (aside from holiday weekends) is usually an inexpensive time to travel because it’s the off-season for many destinations.
The best time to buy tickets for a fall trip is, on average, 69 days in advance.
If you’re planning to travel over Thanksgiving week, you should buy your tickets early — meaning about three months in advance.
Winter Travel
For nonholiday winter travel, the best time to buy is, on average, 62 days in advance.
The prime booking window is 21 to 100 days in advance, and this is when you’ll want to purchase your holiday travel tickets. (Earlier in this window is probably better, though.)
Spring Travel
Although it’s late in the season for great deals for travel in spring 2018, you can still plan in advance for next year.
Spring breaks cover much of March and April, so airfare tends to spike during these months.
The best time to buy for a springtime trip is, on average, 90 days in advance.
Have a Plan and a Budget
Still, CheapAir.com notes that these are suggested guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.
The best thing you can do is have a plan and a budget so you can confidently buy when you see a low price.
Shop around at the beginning of the prime booking window to see what price ranges you’re working with, and then wait until closer to the ideal number of days in advance for that season. As long as you’re within the prime booking window, it’s probably safe to go ahead and make the purchase when you see a fare that wows you.
Either way, sooner is better. According to the study, the biggest mistake you can make is waiting until too close to your trip date to buy your tickets.
Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
source The Penny Hoarder https://ift.tt/2JDYH5T