The Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rate for the second time this year and signaled that it may step up its pace of rate increases because of solid economic growth and rising inflation.
Source CBNNews.com https://ift.tt/2JQzMis
الأربعاء، 13 يونيو 2018
The Gap Needs Customer Service Consultants to Work From Home in Ohio
The Gap Inc. is currently looking for work-from-home customer service consultants in Columbus, Ohio, or the surrounding counties to fill full-time roles.
The Deets on These Work-From-Home Jobs
As a customer service consultant at Gap Inc., you’ll be tasked with delivering exceptional customer service and first-call resolution to customers via phone for Gap Inc. brands, including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta.
You’ll act as a customer advocate, and should be able to research and resolve customer concerns by utilizing a variety of resources.
You should be able to demonstrate professionalism, patience, courtesy and tact, and be able to de-escalate conflicts using empathy and problem-solving skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are a must, as is general computer literacy, including instant messaging and Windows-based applications.
You should have a high school diploma or GED equivalent and a minimum of six months’ customer service experience.
The Perks of Working for the Gap
The listing notes that employees enjoy a discount of up to 50% at Gap, Banana Republic & Old Navy, 30% off at Outlet and 25% at Athleta. (Just make sure your entire paycheck isn’t ending up on hangers in your closet.)
Other benefits for eligible employees include: medical, dental, vision and life insurance; 401(k) with company match of 4%; employee stock purchasing plan; tuition reimbursement; and taking up to five “on the clock” hours each month to volunteer for a charity.
If you’re interested in becoming a remote customer service consultant at the Gap, Inc., go here to check out the job listing and find out more information.
If you want to be the first to know about more awesome job opportunities like this one, be sure to like our Jobs page on Facebook!
Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She had to quit her first (and only) retail job because her shoe collection was growing as fast as her paychecks were disappearing.
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/2l8R2ld
Everything You Need to Know Before You Sign Up For That $15 Per Month Sprint Plan
It’s true.
For $15 per month, the Sprint Unlimited Kickstart plan gets you unlimited minutes, text messaging and data. But if you want to take advantage of this, you’ve got until the night of Saturday, June 16, to make the switch. After that, the deal is gone.
If you peek at the promotional landing page for this deal, in big letters it says there are “no gimmicks,” “no surprises” and “no catch.”
So, What’s the Catch?
Obviously, there are catches. And they’re all spelled out in the fine print just below those promises. We also asked a few questions so you don’t have to. Here’s everything you should know.
If you’re signing up for the new plan, you’ll be paying less, but you can expect to get less, too.
On the promotional page for the plan, Sprint breaks down how the cheaper Unlimited Kickstart plan compares to its more expensive Unlimited Freedom plan, which it refers to as “the BEST unlimited.”
First, Unlimited Kickstart is only for those who have service with another company and will be bringing their old phone number with them to Sprint. You can’t start fresh with a new phone number if you want the $15 per month plan.
Next, you have the option of using your current smartphone or buying a new phone from Sprint flat-out, but you can’t lease a phone or pay it off over time with this plan.
You also can’t use your phone as a hot spot. And while data is technically unlimited, there are some data allowance limitations you need to know about: You can’t stream high-definition video, and there are caps on how much you can stream games and music as well. Also, your data speed could slow down when the network is congested.
Finally, you should know that the $15 per month is just a base price, and you can only get it if you sign up to have your bill automatically drafted each month. Even those on autopay should expect to see additional fees and taxes on their bills each month. Those who don’t sign up to pay automatically will owe an extra $5 each month, plus fees and taxes.
Still, even with additional fees, you’ll be paying significantly less per line with Unlimited Kickstart than you would on the Unlimited Freedom plan. On that plan, one line is $60. The price difference may make the service compromise worth it.
According to a Sprint spokesperson, once you sign up for the Unlimited Kickstart plan, you don’t have to worry about a price increase in the future because “your plan is your plan.”
How to Sign Up For Sprint Unlimited Kickstart
If, after all those caveats, you’re still willing to make the switch, don’t try to go to a Sprint store for help. This offer is an online exclusive.
First, make sure your phone can be used on the Sprint network. If it can’t, you’ll either have to buy a new phone outright or figure out how to unlock your phone.
If you’re ordering a new phone, you can complete the process online. If you’re bringing your old phone over, you’ll have to call the customer service line at 866-275-1411 to sign up.
Next, you’ll have to buy a Sprint SIM card for your phone. That should cost $2.99 plus tax. Once the SIM card is delivered, you’ll be able to activate your service and start paying what will likely be the cheapest phone bill you’ve ever had.
Desiree Stennett (@desi_stennett) 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/2y8uKcn
How to Generate New Leads Without Spending a Fortune
Every brand needs new customers.
Those of you who have been in business for a while may be doing fine generating high sales from your existing customers.
But that business model isn’t sustainable forever. There comes a point when you won’t be able to grow without new leads.
This is especially important for newer companies. Since you haven’t been operating for a long time, you definitely need new leads just to survive.
But where do you find them?
It’s a common misconception that generating new leads is costly. Here’s something to consider. Yes, it’s more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to retain an existing one.
In fact, research shows that customer acquisition costs can be six or seven times greater than those of retention campaigns.
That said, this doesn’t mean generating new leads has to be outrageously pricy.
According to research, 69% of marketers say lead generation is a top organizational goal for their content strategy.
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in or whether your brand is new or old. Everyone can benefit from this guide. I’ll show you my favorite cost-effective lead-generation strategies.
They are easy to implement, and I can assure you you’ll notice results fast.
Automate your marketing process
What are your highest marketing costs?
Time is money. If you’re spending endless hours each day sending out emails and updating social media pages, it’ll cost you big bucks in the long run. Each minute you spend on marketing takes away from your other daily business operations.
Depending on the size of your business, you may have people in place to run some of your marketing campaigns so you don’t have to.
Great, right? Wrong. Think about the costs associated with paying these people. Rather than paying your employees to manually send emails to subscribers or post new content on social media, you can use technology to help.
As you can see from the data, only 24% of companies aren’t using marketing automation at all. The majority of businesses are using some form of automation.
But only 14% of these marketers describe their automation usage as higher than intermediate.
Even if you are doing cold email outreach, you can save much time by automating the process using a combination of tools such as Voila Norbert, Gmass, Dux Soup, and Zapier.
Yes, the majority of these tools won’t be free. But you can still get them for a fraction of the cost of what you’re paying someone else to complete these tasks.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you need to get rid of your employees completely, although some of these tools could potentially save you a salary or two. But with the added free time, you can use your employees for other business operations that generate growth.
Automation needs to become a priority for your brand. These tools can save you money and help you create new leads.
Grow your email subscriber list
This method is somewhat related to the previous tactic.
Before you can use automation tools to email your subscribers, you need to have subscribers in the first place. Run campaigns specifically designed to get more people to sign up for your emails.
For the most part, this won’t be very expensive.
Sometimes, all it takes is a quick redesign of some of your website elements. Make it easy for people to opt in on every page of your site. Give them an incentive to subscribe.
Just saying “sign up for emails” isn’t always enough.
Are you selling something? Give them a discount off their next purchase for signing up.
Email marketing is inexpensive and highly profitable. Most software will cost you a reasonable monthly or annual fee based on the number of subscribers on your list.
While these costs may not sound appealing, research shows email marketing yields a high ROI.
This explains why it’s such a popular marketing tactic.
I get it. It’s 2018, and you’re looking for some new or sexy way to market your brand. But sometimes sticking with the basics is your best bet, especially when you’re trying to save money.
Email marketing isn’t dead. It’s still alive and thriving.
Growing your active subscriber list needs to be an essential component of your content strategy.
Once you add people to your list, you’ll have endless opportunities to market to them. It’s a great way for you to directly drive sales with your new leads.
Start a blog
Blogging is one of my favorite ways to generate new leads. That’s why all my websites have blogs.
There are many benefits to blogging. I could go on and on about this topic, but I’ll spare you for now and just give you the highlights.
For starters, your blog will serve as a way for you to constantly post new content on your website. It’s a great opportunity for you to use keyword research to improve your SEO ranking.
Now you can generate new leads just based on organic search traffic alone because of your blog. Furthermore, the topics of your blog can also encourage sales.
I’m not saying you need to be a salesperson 24/7 with everything you publish. You can still have some fun with your posts.
But ultimately, your blog posts need to have some kind of unifying goal. Use them to create brand awareness, provide informative guides, or, in this case, generate new leads. And your blog post goals can be a combination of these.
Another reason why I recommend blogging as a top lead-generation strategy is because it’s not going to cost you much. The only major cost is going to be your time spent writing.
If you currently have a blog, make sure you are constantly updating it with new content.
Having a blog is one thing, but if you’re only posting once a month or so, it’s not going to be an effective strategy.
Try to establish a group of regular readers to maximize your results and generate as many leads as possible.
Add videos to your YouTube channel
If you don’t have a YouTube channel, you need to create one ASAP. I have my own YouTube channel, and I use it all the time.
Here’s why. First of all, video content is taking over the Internet. Research shows that 82% of Internet traffic will be videos within the next three years.
It’s what consumers want and what they’re used to seeing online. People will search for content directly on YouTube, but that’s not the only way you can use these videos to your advantage.
YouTube content is easy to repurpose.
After you upload something to YouTube, you can simply add the video to your website as well. You can even embed links directly into your blog posts, which I previously discussed.
Send videos to your email subscribers. Share them on social media.
By uploading one video to YouTube, you give yourself an opportunity to add new content on multiple channels, which is why it’s such an effective strategy.
Video marketing is the type of content that consumers prefer the most.
But you may be thinking this sounds like it’s going to be expensive. That’s not true.
Video marketing doesn’t need to be a major cost.
It’s free to add content to YouTube and distribute your videos on all your marketing channels. Really, the only costs will be for the equipment you may have to purchase.
You won’t need to hire a professional cameraman or director. The majority of your video content can be shot and produced in-house.
Just buy a camera, microphone, and maybe some lighting tools. That’s it. The right equipment can also help you run a successful video blog.
These are all one-time purchases, and you don’t need to spend a ton of money on them.
Don’t turn down guest blogging opportunities
I’ve got to admit, years ago when I first started to get approached about guest blogging, I had my reservations. As I mentioned, blogging takes time.
I thought to myself, why would I spend my valuable time producing content for some else’s website when I could be spending that time on my own brand?
I’m assuming that if you have turned down guest blogging opportunities in the past, you had the same thought process. But that’s the wrong mentality.
Guest blogging does promote your brand.
You can generate new leads by guest blogging because your content reaches a wider audience.
People who may not be familiar with your company could be avid readers of the website you’re writing for. Now is your chance to introduce yourself.
Here’s an example of a guest post I wrote for Forbes:
As you can see, Forbes gives me a nice bio at the beginning of the post.
In addition to this information, readers have a chance to hear my voice and learn about my brand. This is a great opportunity for you to add inbound links to your site as well.
And as with your personal blog, this is another great opportunity to improve your SEO strategy.
I’m not saying you need to write for every single website that asks you to blog for them. It’s important for you to make sure the site is reputable and won’t hurt your image, so do your research before committing.
If people aren’t reaching out to you about guest blogging, you can contact them directly and just ask.
What’s the worst thing that could happen? They’ll just say no. This is not a big deal at all. Just move on to the next one and keep trying.
Sites may be relieved to hear you’re willing to write a guest post because it makes their lives easier. It’s one less piece of content they’ll need to produce, and it’s a great way for you to generate new leads.
Build backlinks
In addition to guest blogging, there are other ways for you to get featured on other websites.
Backlinks.
I recommend using a tool such as Dead Link Checker to look for broken links on websites within your industry.
Then, reach out to the web administrator to let them know they have broken links.
You’ll be doing them a big favor because broken links can hurt their SEO.
Instead of them removing the link completely, you can offer a solution. Send them a piece of content from your own website that’s a suitable replacement for the broken link.
This isn’t a guarantee and may not work all the time. They could just take your advice and not use your website as the replacement.
But that’s a risk you’ve got to be willing to take. The fact that you’re doing them a favor should help your cause and increase the chances of you getting featured on their site.
Contribute to forums
There are plenty of places online where users connect with each other through forums.
Some may be industry-specific, while others are for the masses. You may want to consider answering a question on platforms like Quora.
Here’s a scenario to show you how successful this strategy could be for your company. Let’s say someone asks a question related to your industry on a forum.
You answer the question and provide a link to your website—maybe even a link to one of your blog posts or informative guides on the topic.
You just generated at least one new lead from the person who asked the question. But do you think they are the only person on the planet who needed help with that topic?
If the forum is popular enough, your post could become a top search result when other people look for answers to that same question by using a general search engine.
The more traffic gets driven to that page, the more traffic your website will get.
In addition to writing on forums, you can comment on other blog posts. The idea is the same: contribute to the discussion, and drive traffic to your site.
Just don’t spam other posts. That won’t be as effective.
Use the Twitter advanced search query
Similarly to our last example, you can use Twitter to discover prospective leads.
Use the Twitter advanced search query to look for general terms related to your brand.
As you can see, the search options give you a chance to get specific with what you’re looking for.
See what some of the most recent tweets are on a topic. Reach out directly to those users, and offer your services.
The reason why this is such a great option is because you can narrow your search based on a wide range of factors.
For example, you could make sure the prospective lead is in your geographic market territory and that their tweet is recent enough to be applicable.
Responding to tweets from a year ago wouldn’t be a valid strategy because that person probably found a solution by now.
Respond to comments on social media
Businesses need to have an effective social media strategy to be relevant in 2018.
You’ll have to pay for some of your advertisements. But sometimes, you can get new leads just by reaching out to your followers directly.
People have questions. Answer them. It’s that simple.
I’m talking about direct messages and comments on your social profiles.
Responding to people on social media will help improve your engagement metrics. Ultimately, this will help you generate new leads.
Here’s an example from the Best Buy Facebook page:
A customer had a question, and the BestBuy team responded with a helpful answer. They even provided a link to their website.
I know this can be difficult, depending on how many social media followers you have. Some of you may get hundreds of messages and comments among all your channels on a daily basis.
Don’t be overwhelmed.
You should be thankful so many people want to interact with your brand.
Now is another reason why you should take advantage of the automation tools we talked about earlier. You can get all your social media messages delivered to one inbox.
Then you can respond to them in the order they were received, as opposed to having to go to each platform independently.
Again, this type of software isn’t usually outrageously priced. You should consider it if you feel you’re getting bombarded with social media comments.
Conclusion
It’s possible for businesses to generate lots of new leads without spending a ton of cash.
You can use automation tools to help save you time and money on marketing. Do everything possible to get more subscribers to your email lists.
Start a blog, and contribute to it on a regular basis. And don’t turn down guest posting opportunities.
Add content to your YouTube channel to increase your video marketing efforts.
Contribute to online forums and build backlinks to increase traffic to your website. Use the Twitter advanced search option to find prospective leads.
Don’t forget to respond to consumer questions on social media.
If you follow these tips, you’ll be able to generate new leads on a tight budget.
What cost-effective strategies is your brand using to generate leads?
Source Quick Sprout https://ift.tt/2t5YfFV
Strategies for Financial Success on a Very Small Income
Most of the articles I write for The Simple Dollar are targeting people who make somewhere in the ballpark of the average American income with some breathing room on either side of that. If I’m aiming at people who make between $35,000 and $150,000 a year, I’m covering advice that works for most of America.
That advice doesn’t cover everyone, however.
There are many people who struggle to get by on a lower income – sometimes a much lower income. Maybe they’ve become suddenly unemployed and are struggling to find work. Maybe they’re in an area where it’s very difficult to find a good job. Maybe a disability or another life requirement is restricting that person’s options.
Whatever the reason, not everyone is in a situation where they’re earning a strong annual income, and having a low income puts a certain restriction on people’s options. Advice like “cut out this daily $5 expense” or “cut back on your $100 a month cable bill” isn’t helpful because they can’t even afford those expenses in the first place.
I’ve been in that boat before. It’s not easy. I grew up in a household where only one parent worked outside the home, at a job that sometimes featured layoffs. We would survive for months at a time on the back of whatever my father might earn from side gigs. In college, I stretched my dollars so tight that eating a dollar menu fast food meal was an enormous and rare treat.
Today, I’m thankfully no longer in that boat, but I know many people in my local community are in that boat and millions of Americans struggle in poverty and near-poverty, too. Yet, that doesn’t exclude them from having financial goals and plans and dreams for the future.
Here are some of the best strategies I know of for people in that situation, people who have mined almost every frugal tactic and aren’t even in a situation where trimming down most expenses makes sense.
If you are eligible for assistance of any kind, take advantage of it. If you’re eligible to get SNAP benefits, take advantage of it. If you’re eligible for WIC benefits, take advantage of it. If you’re eligible to get food at your local food pantry, take advantage of it.
Do not let those benefits just sit on the table unused because you’re too “proud” to take advantage of them. Our nation and our local communities have put those resources aside so people in a difficult position can pick themselves up and move forward with the hope that you will move forward. Accept that help, and then pay it back when you’re in a better position.
This is perhaps the single most important advice that I have for anyone in a low income situation. See what programs you’re eligible for and take advantage of as many as you can.
Collaborate openly on bulk purchases with your friends. If you have a friend that has a warehouse club membership, collaborate with that friend on bulk purchases of items that you both use. Basic food items and household supplies are usually available at a great price per unit at warehouse clubs, but there are a few catches. For starters, those items come in sizable bulk, which means that the sticker price of the actual purchase can be high.
For example, you might be able to buy a box of spaghetti for $2 at the regular store, whereas at the warehouse club a bundle of six boxes is $9. Per box, the price is $1.50, but coming up with the $9 is hard. On the other hand, if you and two friends go together to buy that bundle, you’re spending $3 apiece on that bundle and getting two boxes of pasta, a much better deal than a single box for $2.
If you stick with the store brands at the warehouse club – Member’s Mark at Sam’s Club or Kirkland Signature at Costco – you’ll generally find a really good product at a great price per unit. If you can work with a friend or two to cut the investment in a bulk buy down, you can trim a lot off of your typical grocery bill.
What if no one has a membership? Consider splitting the cost of one and sharing that membership.
Collaborate with friends on tasks that would otherwise create an expense, like food preparation and child care. A tight circle of friends can be a huge money saver when money is tight. If you can work out plans together where you take turns having “dinner parties” where you prepare meals for each other (enabling the ingredients for a meal to perhaps be bought in bulk, saving some money, and creating a convenience for the other family) or take turns taking care of each other’s children so the other family can work (drastically cutting or eliminating child care costs), then you should take advantage of those things.
Move in this direction in a stepwise fashion, because each step will save money for you and for the other family. For example, is there an evening or two each week where one of your friends really struggles to get dinner on the table? Just create a standing invite for them to come to your house for dinner instead. If they want to repay you, look for a weekly evening where it would be helpful for you if they reciprocated and propose that idea. That system alone enables both families to turn an expensive meal option into a cheap meal option once a week.
If there’s a time in which you can watch a friend’s child while they’re working, don’t hesitate to do so. In return, ask for some regular child care during another part of the week or at another time when it’s really helpful for you. Again, it’s all about the collaboration – you’re both saving a lot on the cost of child care just by having a friend.
Look for any and all opportunities to carpool. If you and a friend both go to the grocery store that’s 10 miles away on Saturday afternoon, start going together and alternate who drives. If you and a friend work fairly close to each other, alternate driving to work when your shifts overlap. If you’re going downtown, text your friends and see if any of them are headed that way, too, and catch a ride together – you can drive sometimes, while at other times they might drive and you get a free ride.
Actively seek out these kinds of exchanges with all of your friends. The more opportunities you have for free child care, for free meals (repaid by just making one big meal when you otherwise would make a normal one), for free transportation, and so on adds up to a lot. Don’t be afraid to give a little more than you get, especially at first and especially if the giving is at minimal cost to you. You’ll find that most people are happy to reciprocate if you’re asking for things that are minimal cost to them.
Do the best possible job you can at work. I can’t stress this enough. You have to treat the job you have as though it’s not just a way to get a paycheck, but it’s also a stepping stone to something better because that’s exactly what it is. Every time you’re at work is an opportunity to learn a new skill, to impress your boss, to click with a customer, to be a natural leader in the workplace.
You don’t want to be working at your same low income job a few years down the road. The only way you’re going to climb up the ladder and either get promoted or move on to a better job is to demonstrate, through your actions at work, that you’re ready for that better job and that you have the skills for that better job.
You do that by not slacking off at work. You do that by finding things to do that need to be done and doing them without being told to do so. You do that by talking to your supervisor about what the concerns of the business are and doing what you can to alleviate those concerns. You do that by doing everything you can to be positive towards customers and make sure they have a great experience so they’ll come back (and they’ll think positively of both you and the business). You do that by taking advantage of every opportunity to formally learn a new skill or get a bit of education or take command of a project, all of which becomes great fodder for your next interview.
Every hour you spend at work isn’t just a little bit more for your paycheck. It’s a stepping stone to a much better job in the future. Treat it like that. Treat it as a gigantic opportunity to build the skills you need for a better paying job, even if it’s just moving from clerk to assistant manager or from waiter to shift manager. Do your job as well as you can, learn what you’ll need to know to do that better job, and be ready at all times for that call or that opportunity. Be patient – it will come.
The truth of the matter is that low income situations are difficult to escape from and the circumstances are different for everyone. The best thing you can do to improve your odds of getting on a better financial track are to take advantage of the benefits available to you, collaborate with friends and family to cut your spending as much as possible, and use your job (whatever it might be) as a stepping stone to a better job.
It won’t be easy, but nothing in life worth doing ever is. Good luck.
The post Strategies for Financial Success on a Very Small Income appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar https://ift.tt/2LPp2OS
Nothing Cuts Costs (or Carbs) Like Zucchini: Three Recipes for Summer’s Unsung Garden Hero
Zucchini aren’t pretty, don’t stand out in a produce aisle, and don’t get as fussed over in gardens as tomatoes or berries, but these summer squash are peerless in reducing your waistline and budget.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t overly impressed four years ago when my wife told me that she was planting zucchini in our garden. I’d grown up in an Italian-American household in New Jersey where zucchini took a back row in my grandfather’s garden behind tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil, oregano, and even mint. If my family could use any other produce, it would, and the zucchini would either wither on the vine or be eliminated from a year of planting entirely.
But today, this versatile fruit is a garden staple in our home and a vital part of both out diet and our weekly produce bill. A summer squash of the curcubita pepo species, the zucchini has its roots in the Americas and was developed in Italy in the early 1900s after being brought over in the mid-19th century, only to come back in its newest form when Italians immigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s.
Based on that background, my family should’ve loved it and I should have known more about it than I did during our first zucchini harvest in 2014. My wife had grown a bed of zucchini from a 3-gram, $3 bag of seeds from Territorial Seed and the plants just wouldn’t stop producing. Each day she looked beneath the leaves, another fully-formed zucchini would show up. By the time she reached some of them, they were so overgrown and woody that they were good for little but decor.
We ended up with wheelbarrows full of them, which led to a question: What do you do with zucchini? Well, at their prime eating size, zucchini have all of 31 calories and 7 grams of carbohydrates, with 2 grams of that coming from dietary fiber. They have minimal sugar content, minimal fat, and 58 percent of your recommended daily dose of Vitamin C.
That all sounds great, but we struggled to find a use for them. Cutting them into spears and grilling them was a fine option, but they lack all that much flavor of their own and tended to just turn into seasoned sides. We would bake zucchini rounds as side dishes, but it felt as if we could be doing a lot more. When we decided to start eliminating carbohydrates from our diet, we discovered that we could do a lot more with them.
It turns out that zucchini’s rigid-but-pliable structure makes it an excellent substitute for pasta when drained. Using a spiral slicer (the only one you’ll need is all of $7 on Amazon), we began experimenting with pasta and stir-fry recipes and taking flour and whole-grain noodles out of the equation.
Not only was home-grown zucchini less expensive than a $1 box of spaghetti or linguine at Safeway, but one zucchini (79 cents at Safeway, by the way) produced roughly as many noodles as a pound of pasta while containing a fraction of that box of pasta’s 200 calories and 42 carbohydrates. It also turns out that a simple mandoline slicer ($5 at Amazon) can turn zucchini into flat lasagna noodles without the $2.19 price tag at Safeway or the 200 calories and 42 carbs. While some cooks will note that eggplant can perform the same function as eggplant parmigiana, zucchini doesn’t have eggplant’s 132 calories, 32 grams of carbohydrates, or whopping 13 grams of sugar.
As others note, however, “zoodles” are the least of zucchini’s healthier uses. Sure, it helps a great deal with pasta dishes, but its health benefits extend to riced zucchini (which we’ll admit is second only to riced cauliflower as a replacement), zucchini fries, and, our favorite, shredded zucchini that can substitute for flour ($3.29 for five pounds and 110 calories, 22 carbohydrates) in a baking recipe. We’ve even used them as a substitute for tortillas ($3.99 for 16, with 144 calories, 4 grams of fat, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 293 milligrams of sodium) in enchiladas.
There are a lot of ways to cut the grocery bill or go low-carb, but the zucchini gives you the most for the least. Plant starts are roughly $5 at Home Depot if you don’t have the patience for seeds. Meanwhile, just one plant will produce six to 10 pounds of zucchini in a single growing season.
To give you a better idea of what we’ll be making from our zucchini patch this year and what’s possible from your crop, here are just a few recipes from our recipe book to get you started.
Zucchini Enchiladas
Source: Delish.com
Ingredients:
- 3 cups chicken
- 2 tsp chili powder
- Kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce, red
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large onion
- 4 large zucchini
- 1 tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese
- Sour cream for drizzling
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and season with salt. Cook until soft, 5 minutes, then add garlic, cumin and chili powder and stir until combined. Add shredded chicken and 1 cup enchilada sauce and stir until saucy.
2. On a cutting board, make thin slices of zucchini with a vegetable peeler. Lay out three, slightly overlapping, and place a spoonful of chicken mixture on top. Roll up and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with remaining zucchini and chicken mixture.
3. Spoon remaining 1/3 cup enchilada sauce over zucchini enchiladas and sprinkle with both cheeses.
4. Bake until melted, 20 minutes.
5. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro and serve.
Thai Chicken Zucchini Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Source: Joyful Healthy Eats
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil
- 1 lb. of chicken tenders, diced
- 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil
- 2 zucchini, inspiralized
- 1 large carrot, inspiralized
- 1 red pepper, julienned
- 1/3 cup of bean sprouts
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, diced
- 1/4 cup of green onions, diced
- Sesame seeds (for garnish)
For spicy peanut sauce:
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 tablespoons of peanut butter
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3 tablespoons of coconut aminos (or tamari sauce)
- 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, peanut butter, coconut aminos, lime juice, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. (Note: If you use tamari sauce, use 2 tablespoons instead of 3.)
2. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add grape seed oil and chicken tenders. Saute each side for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit. Dice when cooled.
3. In the same large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil, zucchini noodles, and carrot noodles. Flash stir fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Remove noodles and place in large bowl along with chicken, red pepper, bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, green onions, and spicy peanut sauce. Toss till all noodles are coated.
5. Serve and garnish with sesame seeds.
Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Bread (or Biscuits)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/4 cup green onion
- 1 tablespoon of fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dry dill
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Directions:
1. Set oven to 350 degrees; combine dry ingredients.
2. Combine zucchini, cheese, onion and dill.
3. Toss both mixes together to coat zucchini.
4. Whisk eggs, butter, and milk together. Mix with dry mix until just combined.
5. Bake in small bread loaf pan for 30 minutes, regular bread loaf pan for 50 minutes, or in biscuits on baking sheet for 15 minutes.
Related Articles:
- When Less Is More: Why I Only Grow Four Things in My Garden
- Starting a Simple Vegetable and Herb Garden
- Nine of My Favorite Recipes for Summer Garden Leftovers
The post Nothing Cuts Costs (or Carbs) Like Zucchini: Three Recipes for Summer’s Unsung Garden Hero appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar https://ift.tt/2JxRJmC
Thinking of Becoming a Foster Parent? Here’s How the Finances Shake Out
And it isn’t just a significant emotional decision — it’s also a significant financial decision.
If you’ve weighed the emotional costs and are prepared to open your home to children in the foster-care system but are scared of the financial aspect, you don’t have to be.
Foster care will take a lot of emotional work on your part, but it won’t bleed you dry financially.
If you’re serious about becoming a foster parent and you’re able to meet your household expenses, finances don’t need to be a roadblock.
It is, however, important to note one thing:
In some situations, you may end up paying more money than you will receive from the state to support a foster child — especially if you choose to go above and beyond.
Either way, if you are maintaining a good standard of care, you will not be profiting at all. (But that’s OK, because if you’re only in it for the money, you really shouldn’t become a foster parent.)
It’s not an inexpensive endeavor, but, if you’re certain about bringing foster children into your home, the assistance you will receive from the state should make it doable.
The Up-front Costs of Becoming a Foster Parent
Prior to opening your home to a child or children in the foster care system, you’ll encounter a series of up-front costs and financial requirements.
Income Requirements
Generally, you’ll be required to have a sufficient income before becoming a licensed foster parent. While most states do not have a specific income threshold, your household income should be enough to cover basic care and necessities and meet any current financial obligations for you and the people in your home.
Without counting the financial aid you will receive for fostering a child, you should be able to cover your rent or mortgage, general bills (such as utilities) and food and clothing for your family and any children who may be placed in your home.
You will most likely have to provide financial records like tax returns or pay stubs to confirm your household is financially secure.
Pre-service Training
Before you can become a licensed foster parent, you will need to take pre-service training classes.
These classes are generally a crash course in everything from parenting and safety to dealing with emotional trauma. You’ll also learn how to navigate the foster care system from within and how to work with a child’s team — the social workers, relatives and just about anyone else who has a role to play in the child’s case.
Usually, pre-service training consists of four to 10 sessions over as many weeks, although the number of hours required varies by state.
These courses are often inexpensive or free, and some states will reimburse you for fees for pre-service training.
Health and Background Information
You will also be required to undergo health and background checks before a child can be placed in your care.
Generally, you will be responsible for paying any associated fees for office visits, fingerprinting or paperwork submissions, although some states offer assistance or reimbursements.
Home Study and Safety Updates
Some states will require you to have a home study done.
Again, most home studies will be done for free or for a nominal fee, but it is the preparation for the home study and safety check that may cost you out of pocket.
In the majority of states, you are required to have working smoke detectors installed near sleeping areas and portable fire extinguishers on hand. (Many state agencies will supply these for free.)
You most likely also will be required to install other safety equipment throughout the house, like a thermometer in the refrigerator, a fence around the pool and an accessible landline telephone.
If you’re going to be fostering young children, you should also have general baby and toddler safety features installed in your home, such as cabinet and drawer locks and baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.
Equipment and Care Items
While you will be reimbursed for certain care items over time, it will be your initial responsibility to outfit your home in a way that meets the needs of the child or children you will be welcoming.
Some children will arrive with a bag of clothes and personal possessions, and some will arrive with nothing.
You should have supplies on hand to clothe, feed and house a child for at least the first few days until you can secure adequate clothing and personal-care items.
If you will be fostering babies or toddlers, you should have the proper bed, dishes, high chair, bath tools, stroller, car seat — anything a child that age might need — ready to go as soon as a child arrives in your home.
While not a requirement in every state, you’ll most likely also need to have reliable transportation and vehicle insurance to transport children to doctors’ appointments or family visits.
You Won’t Be on Your Own Financially, Though
Your state agency will help you care for the children placed in your care by providing financial assistance.
General Stipend
States give anywhere from about $10 to $40 a day — between $300 and $1,200 per month — depending on the age and needs of each child.
In Florida, for example, as of January 1, 2018, a foster parent would receive a monthly stipend of $457.95 for a generally healthy newborn to 5-year-old, $469.68 for a child between the ages of 6 and 12, or $549.74 for a child 12 to 21.
These general subsidies cover five main categories of care: food, clothing, housing, transportation and personal, (which includes things like school supplies, books, entertainment and personal-hygiene supplies).
In many states, children under the age of 5 are also eligible for WIC, the federally funded supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children.
Some states also include a separate, one-time payment to help cover initial expenses like clothing and toiletries upon a child’s arrival in your home.
Generally, stipends are mailed by check every month.
Health Care
Nearly every child in foster care is eligible for Medicaid, which includes preventive, screening, diagnostic and treatment services, as well as mental and behavioral health care.
You should not have to absorb the cost of any medical expenses for a foster child in your care; your agency will take care of any extra costs and should work with the health care provider directly.
Day Care
Most states cover day care costs for children younger than school age in families where a single parent has a full-time job or in dual-parent households where both parents work full time. Parents who work full time from home or who are enrolled full time in school may also be eligible to receive child care assistance.
In most cases, you may send the child only to a state licensed child care facility. Once the child is enrolled, the state will usually pay the day care center directly.
However, if there are discrepancies (for example, due to a child being enrolled at a weekly or monthly rate and then attending the day care facility on a daily rate because of a change in schedule), you may be required to pay the difference. In some instances, it can also be difficult to secure paid child care if two parents work opposite shifts or schedules.
Most states do not cover after-school care for school-age children or summer care when school is out. Be sure to ask your caseworker for options when it comes to after school or summer care, however, as there may be organizations or programs in your area that can help.
Respite Care
Most states limit to just a few hours the amount of time a foster child can be left with a babysitter or family member who does not meet certain qualifications.
If the foster parents need to be away for more than a few hours (say, a day-trip for a family funeral), they would need to place the foster child in respite care even if they had arranged adequate care for a biological child at a relative’s home.
Respite care is offered through the state, and can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. It’s usually provided by people who are either certified to foster children themselves or who have been specifically trained to provide respite care.
Generally, respite caretakers are paid through the state at the state’s daily rate for a foster care placement. Occasionally, it is up to the foster parents themselves to pay the respite caretakers that sum. Some states limit the number of paid respite days a foster family is entitled to each year.
While foster parents are encouraged to make their foster children feel like a seamless part of the family — which includes outings, vacations and family events — certain situations won’t allow for total inclusion.
Because a child’s biological parent often has the final say on whether or not the child can travel out of the area or miss visitation sessions, foster parents occasionally face missing important family events or not being able to help in emergency situations that arise for an out-of-town family member.
Respite care ensures that foster families are able to carry on with their lives as normally as possible without experiencing burnout or shying away from taking in a foster child due to an upcoming event or planned and paid for trip.
Understand Your State’s Foster Care Rules and Regulations
Foster care rules and regulations vary by state, and sometimes even by county. While an overview of the costs associated with becoming a foster parent can help take the intimidation out of the process, for a full and accurate representation of the requirements and costs you’ll face, you should contact a local foster care agency for more information.
If you’re not ready to call but want more information on what you can expect your state to help you with, you can go here and use the drop-down menu to select your state. You’ll be able to see state-specific information on foster care, including local rules and resources and contact information for people who will help you get started.
If you want to learn how one foster mom has handled both the financial and emotional costs of fostering more than 25 children, you can read about her experiences here.
Grace Schweizer 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/2sZJ9Tx
الاشتراك في:
الرسائل (Atom)