Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Money. These 13 Tools Are Here to Help

How to Quickly Save $1,000 for Your Emergency Fund and Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Wouldn’t life be a little easier if you had a $1,000 cushion in your emergency fund?

The paycheck-to-paycheck cycle is an easy one to fall into — and a hard one to break.

But trust us: There are ways out — and we want to help.

How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck This Year

One of the best ways to tackle this cycle to the cold, hard ground is to take it step by step. No, you won’t get ahead overnight. This is going to take a little time. But in the end, it’ll be worth it — and it doesn’t have to be hard.

Month 1

Operating everything out of one checking account can make your finances muddy and contribute undue stress to your money management, especially when you’re trying to set some aside.

To simplify, open a second account for a dedicated purpose. One of our favorites is the Aspiration Account — there are no monthly fees, and you’ll earn up to 100 times the interest rate of other banks.

This online-only account comes with a debit card and free ATMs, so you can easily access your money when you need it.

After you open your Aspiration Account, use it to split your income:

• Automatically deposit a portion of your income into your existing bank account, and use that to cover basic expenses like rent and bills.
• Deposit what’s left into your Aspiration Account to put toward your emergency fund.

Month 2

This month, we want you to try and reduce your car insurance bill. For many, car insurance is just one of those things where we cave in and pay. Because, just like the electric bill and phone service, we need it, right? But one way you could save money is by shopping around and comparing rates at least once a year.

The Zebra is an online car insurance search engine that offers “insurance in black and white,” compares your options from 204 providers in less than 60 seconds.

Month 3

Once you fall behind, you may find yourself getting crushed by credit card interest rates north of 20%. You’ll never catch up that way. You’re spending so much on interest, you’ll never pay off your balances.

If you’re financially treading water like this, it might be worth consolidating and refinancing your debt.

By refinancing an existing loan, you’re taking out a totally new loan, which comes with new terms and (ideally) a lower interest rate. By consolidating your existing loans, you lump all your debt into one big payment, so you’re only making one payment and dealing with one interest rate per month.

Make sense but don’t know where to start? Credible is an online marketplace that offers consumers personalized loan offers. It’s best for borrowers who have good credit scores (think: around 640 or higher), and it lets you quickly compare rates without visiting a bunch of sites.

Rates start at 5.99%, and you can check yours by entering a loan amount here ($500 to $40,000) and comparing your personalized options in under 90 seconds.

Month 4

It turns out deleting your emails could be costing you money. Intrigued?

One of our secret weapons is called Paribus — a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases. It’s free to sign up, and once you do, it will scan your email for any receipts. If it discovers you’ve purchased something from one of its monitored retailers, it will track the item’s price and help you get a refund when there’s a price drop.

Plus, if your guaranteed shipment shows up late, Paribus will help you get compensated.

Disclosure: Paribus compensates us when you sign up using the links we provide.

Month 5

There’s something so satisfying about those gas station scratch-off tickets, but it’s better to avoid them because, well, that’s not Penny Hoarding.

Instead, try scratching for free using an app called Lucktastic. Each day, it releases a new assortment of digital scratch-off tickets. Lucktastic says instant wins range from $1 to $10,000. You can also earn tokens that you can exchange for free gift cards to retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Kohl’s, Sephora and more.

The app is supported by advertising, which allows it to keep the payouts high and the games free. For more info, check out our full review.

Month 6

Can you earn an extra $20 this month? A number of sites will pay you to read advertisers’ emails, sign up for offers and take surveys. These aren’t our favorite way to make money, but if you’re just vegging out on the couch — or shielding your eyes while being forced to watch “Final Fantasy 113” — why not click a couple buttons and earn a few bucks?

There are a bunch of paid survey sites out there, but one of the best we’ve found is MyPoints, which is run by a company rated A by the Better Business Bureau.

You can earn gift cards for taking polls and filling out surveys. Once you complete your first five surveys, you’ll earn a $5 bonus.

Month 7

Saving money is tough. So what if you could do it in a way where you wouldn’t even notice?

Digit makes that possible.

This innovative app automates saving for you. Simply link it to your checking account, and its algorithms will determine small (and safe!) amounts of money to withdraw into a separate, FDIC-insured savings account.

Bonus: Penny Hoarders will get an extra $5 just for signing up! Additionally, savers will receive a 1% bonus every three months.

Using this set-it-and-forget-it strategy, one Penny Hoarder saved $4,300 without noticing — read his Digit review.

If you need that money sooner than expected, you’ll always have access to it within one business day.

Digit is free to use for the first 30 days, then it’s $2.99 per month afterward.

Month 8

Cut your monthly bills to make more room for saving.

You don’t have to do it alone. Download TrueBill, an app that’ll negotiate your bills, cancel unwanted subscriptions and refund your bank fees.

After downloading the app, create an account and link your bank account and/or credit cards. Turn on the bill negotiation and outage protection features. Boom. TrueBill is already searching for potential refunds — it might get you a refund even when you didn’t know an outage occurred.

On average, Truebill customers get $12 in credits off their cable bills each month.

The app will also remind you of all those sneaky subscriptions you’ve signed up for through the years, so you can cancel what you don’t use and reclaim your monthly budget.

Signing up and using the service is free, though there are some paid premium services that are totally optional — but could totally be worth it.

Month 9

Have a spare room? Try to earn an extra $100 or more by listing it on Airbnb.

If you’re a good host with a desirable space, you could add hundreds — even thousands — of dollars to your savings account with Airbnb.

And there’s no reason you can’t be creative. We found a guy who earns $1,380 a month listing a backyard tent on Airbnb!

(Hosting laws vary from city to city. Please understand the rules and regulations applicable to your city and listing.)

Months 10-12

A number of companies will actually pay you for downloading apps on your smartphone or computer —  this is a great way to boost your passive income!

One we love is called MobileXpression. After you’ve installed this app on your smartphone for one week, you get to play an instant rewards game for a prize (everyone wins something). We’ve seen users win a $25 Amazon gift card, but some of the other prizes include iPads and Samsung TVs.

The app collects data and helps companies better understand web and mobile usage — such as what times of day people browse, how long they stay on websites and use apps, and what types of sites and apps are popular (or not).

Bonus: Get a Financial Assistant to Help You Save Money

Clarity Money is a free app that helps you see, organize, and take control of your finances.

The way it works is simple. You just download the app, connect your existing accounts, and get ready to learn more about where your money’s disappearing to… and how to keep more of it.

Clarity Money analyzes and uses your spending history to provide budgetary insights. It’ll show you exactly how much you spend in different categories, like bars and restaurants, as a percentage of your total expenses.

But it’s not just a recap of your weekend spending with pretty graphics.

It also gives you the tools and information you need to start making better financial choices. And they’re all super-easy to use, and accessible right inside the app.

Disclosure: Clarity Money compensates us when you download the app using the links we provide.

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.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

source The Penny Hoarder http://bit.ly/2TrXHGw

13 Ways for Android Users to Bank Extra Cash This Week

Do you have an Android phone? Do you scoff at iPhones?

Well, good for you! Android phones are easier to customize, have expandable storage and generally cost less than iPhones.

A whopping 99% of smartphones these days run on one of two operating systems — Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS. In this tug-of-war between tech giants, I’m here to stick up for Android.

With an Android phone, you have nearly 3 million apps to choose from. (That’s more than Apple has, NOT THAT WE’RE COUNTING OR ANYTHING.)

That’s, um, a lot of choices. To help you out, here’s our list of the best Android apps that will put more money in your wallet.

1. 1. 1. Scratch Off A Free, Digital Ticket
      

      Once you’ve watched some videos, rest your eyeballs by checking out a free app called Lucktastic.

      Each day, it releases a new assortment of digital scratch-off tickets. Instant wins range from $1 to $10K. You can also earn tokens, enter contests and play games.

      The app is free to download — and play.

   2. 2. Let This App Negotiate Your Cable and/or Internet Bill

      On the phone with your cell phone or internet provider, trying to haggle a lower monthly bill?

      Go ahead and hang up. (We know you’re probably listening to crappy music while sitting on hold, anyway.)

      Download TrueBill, an app that’ll negotiate your bills, cancel unwanted subscriptions and refund your bank fees.

      After downloading the app, create an account and link your bank account and/or credit cards. Turn on the bill negotiation and outage protection features. Boom. TrueBill is already searching for potential refunds — it might get you a refund even when you didn’t know an outage occurred.

      On average, Truebill customers get $12 in credits off their cable bills each month.

      The app will also remind you of all those sneaky subscriptions you’ve signed up for through the years, so you can cancel what you don’t use and reclaim your monthly budget.

      Signing up and using the service is free, though there are some paid premium services that are totally optional — but could totally be worth it.

   3. 3. Stop Deleting Your Emails
      

      It turns out deleting your emails could be costing you money. Intrigued?

      One of our secret weapons is called Paribus — a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases. It’s free to sign up, and once you do, it will scan your email for any receipts. If it discovers you’ve purchased something from one of its monitored retailers, it will track the item’s price and help you get a refund when there’s a price drop.

      Plus, if your guaranteed shipment shows up late, Paribus will help you get compensated.

      Disclosure: Paribus compensates us when you sign up using the links we provide.

   4. 4. Get Rewards for Paying Your Bills on Time

      Clarity Money* is a free app that helps you see, organize, and take control of your finances.

      The way it works is simple. You just download the app, connect your existing accounts, and get ready to learn more about where your money’s disappearing to… and how to keep more of it.

      Clarity Money analyzes and uses your spending history to provide budgetary insights. It’ll show you exactly how much you spend in different categories, like bars and restaurants, as a percentage of your total expenses.

      But it’s not just a recap of your weekend spending with pretty graphics.

      It also gives you the tools and information you need to start making better financial choices. And they’re all super-easy to use, and accessible right inside the app.

   5. 5. Squeeze Money from Your Shopping Receipts

      Shopping in person? How vintage.

      Ibotta is an easy-to-use cash-back app that’s partnered with more than 50 retailers, just about anywhere you’d do any kind of shopping.

      Before heading to the store, search for items on your shopping list within the app. Strawberries? Check. An ear of corn? Check. Add each cash-back opportunity to your list in the app.

      Then shop.

      When you get home, snap a photo of your receipt and scan the items’ barcodes.

      Bam. Cash back.

      Some cash-back opportunities we’ve seen include:

      • 25 cents back for any item
      • 25 cents back on strawberries
      • 50 cents back on frozen fruit snacks
      • $1 back on a box of tea
      • $5 back on a case of Shiner Bock beer

      Notice a lot of those aren’t tied to a brand — just shop for the staples on your list, and earn cash back!

      Ibotta is free to download. Plus, you’ll get a $10 sign-up bonus after uploading your first receipt.

   6. 6. Cash in on Your Old Stuff

      Are your closets and shelves packed to the brim with stuff you never use — or even look at?

      You can sell virtually anything on Letgo. This intuitive app lets you snap a photo and upload your item in less than 30 seconds. It removes a lot of the hassle of selling things online, and it’s 100% free to use.

   7. 7. Play Games, Save Money

      Blast is a savings app for Android made by gamers for gamers. It allows you to save, earn and win cash for playing games.

      It works with every game in the Google Play Store, as well as top PC games, including Counter Strike Global Offensive.

      The app is free, with no hidden fees.

      While you play, the app works in the background and transfers small sums from your checking account into a high-yield Blast savings account based on “triggers” you set — things like the number of opponents you defeat or enemy bases you destroy. You can earn extra cash by completing “missions” that allow you to test new games or take familiar games to the next level.

      Your Blast savings account earns 1% interest, is FDIC-insured and is secured by bank-level encryption. You can withdraw your money anytime or just let your savings grow.

   8. 8. Play Free Scratch-offs — and Win Real Money

      You know that feeling when you find a $20 bill hiding in the pocket of those jeans you wore last week? Yeah, that’s the feeling of a lucky day. The Lucky Day app is just like that. Have fun on your phone, just like you do anyway, and you might just pocket some extra dough.

      Lucky, indeed.

      You could win up to $10,000 playing digital scratch-off tickets or even a whopping $100,000 in the daily lotto. You’ll also have a lot of chances to win gift cards to cool places like Amazon, Walmart, Dunkin and Target.

      It’s all free to play, with no in-app purchases. The company has already awarded more than $3 million in prizes to winners since 2014.

      Seriously, you could have that “I just found money in my pocket” feeling today just for playing games and having fun on your phone.

   9. 9. Get Paid to Share Your Opinion

      Surveys aren’t our favorite way to make money, but if you’re just vegging out on the couch — or shielding your eyes while being forced to watch “Final Fantasy 113” — why not click a couple buttons and earn a few bucks?

      There are a bunch of paid survey sites out there, but one of the best we’ve found is InboxDollars. It offers several short, daily surveys, and you’ll get a $5 bonus for signing up. Plus, you get to earn cash, so you don’t have to worry about exchanging points. Check out how one college student pocketed $600 with InboxDollars. Her secret? Persistence.

   10. 10. Snag a Free $10 Walmart Gift Card
       

       One of our favorite ways to save is with Ebates, a cash-back site that rewards you nearly every time you buy something online. For example, Ebates gives you 10% cash-back on online purchases at Walmart.

       Plus you’ll get a free $10 gift card to Walmart for giving the site a try.

       To earn your gift card:

       1. Sign up for Ebates with your email or Facebook account.
       2. Use the Ebates portal the next time you need to buy something. It’s connected to thousands of stores, including Walmart, Amazon and Target. You’ll need to make your first purchase through the site within 90 days and spend at least $25.
       3. Your account will be credited with rewards points you can cash in for your $10 Walmart gift card.

   11. 11. Take a Walk Downtown

       No extreme physical activity or pulled muscles required for this money-making trick. All you need to do is download the Shopkick app.

       Once you sign up, the app pays you in “kicks” for walking into certain stores (including Walmart, Target, TJMaxx and more). You can redeem them for gift cards to a number of retailers, including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, Sephora and Best Buy.

       It pays you even more kicks for photos of receipts that include qualifying items you purchased in-store with a connected credit or debit card. You can also earn kicks for online purchases. You don’t have to do anything; your linked cards will automatically apply your kicks.

       But don’t make the mistake of buying things you don’t need just for kicks, you know better than that.

   12. 12. Winter Is Coming. Save Your Acorns

       So, how’s your Android phone doing so far? It’s working great, isn’t it? That’s what I thought.

       Now let’s step up your savings game. Whaddaya say?

       Open a micro-investing account with Acorns. Once you connect it to a debit or credit card, it rounds your purchases up to the nearest dollar and funnels your digital change into a savings and investment account.

       Because the money comes out in increments of less than $1, you’re less likely to feel the impact in your bank account. (You can also set it up so it doesn’t round up every single purchase.)

       When you sign up, you get a free $5 to start investing.

   13. 13. Bank Smarter to Earn Money on Your Savings

       There’s no law that requires you to bank the old-fashioned way — at a brick-and-mortar bank with a crummy interest rate on your savings.

       It’s time to move your money into the 21st century. An iOS app called Varo Money combines traditional banking tools with modern technology to help its customers become financially healthy.

       Here’s the best part: Pair your Bank Account with a Varo Savings Account where you’ll earn 2.10% annual percentage yield. That’s 35 times — repeat, 35 times — the average savings account, based on a 0.06% average reported by CNN Money.

       Varo goes easy on the fees, too. As long as you use one of its 55,000 ATMs across the world, you’ll never pay fees.

       Additionally, you’ll pay no monthly service fees, no minimum balance fees, no foreign transaction fees and no cash replacement fees. You’ll just pay any fees charged by out-of-network ATMs and cash deposit fees if you deposit cash in-store through Green Dot.

   Disclosure: Clarity Money compensates us when you download the app using the links we provide.

2. Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He has owned both Android and Apple phones.

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.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

source The Penny Hoarder http://bit.ly/2UxlO6O

30 of the Absolute Best Freebies We’ve Ever Found Online

Man, there’s nothing better than free stuff. Like when you’re walking through a mall’s food court and an employee offers you a bite-sized morsel of bourbon chicken impaled on a toothpick?

Always take the bite-sized morsel of bourbon chicken. Always. Every single time. You don’t even have to be hungry. Right?

The point is, we all love free stuff. But not all free stuff is worth loving.

We’re always finding freebies — from email newsletter perks to free stuff on your birthday — but we decided it was time to round up the best of the best.

After extensive research, our crack staff of freebie-ologists have put together this sweet list of quality freebies for you. Only the finest freebies are allowed in this list. From coffee to coconut oil to diapers, here’s the ultimate list of our favorite free stuff online.

1. 1. Free Credit Score

   No, really. Hear us out.

   If you’ve ever tried to get your credit score, you know most services make you sign up for a trial or charge you an outrageous amount of money. But it’s your credit score! Where do they get the nerve?

   Credit Sesame will give it to you for free. And it takes about 90 seconds.

   You’ll also see a credit report card, so you can check for errors. Finding and correcting just one could give your credit score a significant boost!

2. 2. Free Scratch-off Tickets

   There’s something so satisfying about those gas station scratch-off tickets — scritch scritch scritch scritch — but it’s better to avoid them because, well, that’s not Penny Hoarding.

   Instead, try scratching free tickets through an app called Lucktastic. Every day, it releases a new assortment of digital scratch-off tickets. Lucktastic says instant wins range from $1 to $10,000. You can also earn tokens, enter contests and play games.

3. 30. Free Cash 
   

   It turns out deleting your emails could be costing you money. Intrigued?

   One of our secret weapons is called Paribus — a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases. It’s free to sign up, and once you do, it will scan your email for any receipts. If it discovers you’ve purchased something from one of its monitored retailers, it will track the item’s price and help you get a refund when there’s a price drop.

   Plus, if your guaranteed shipment shows up late, Paribus will help you get compensated.

4. 4. Free Ice Cream

   We’ll never, ever pass up an opportunity for free ice cream. If we ever do, you should go ahead and start making our funeral arrangements. This is free ice cream we’re talking about!

   When you download the Slab Happy Rewards app from Marble Slab Creamery, you’ll get free ice cream just for signing up. After that, you’ll earn points for each dollar you spend, and you can cash them in for $5 off future purchases.

5. 5. Free Pizza

   You can get a free personal one-topping pizza on your next visit when you sign up for Chuck E. Cheese’s More Cheese Rewards program.

   In addition to free pizza, you’ll get a $10 reward for every three visits when you spend over $20 and unspecified treats on your birthday and half-birthday.

   Everyone forgets the half-birthday.

6. 6. Free Godiva Chocolate

   Free Godiva chocolate — what could be better?

   We’re pretty sure free Godiva chocolate is handed out every day in heaven. Probably those chocolate salted-caramel truffles.

   Even better: This offer isn’t a one-time deal. Once you sign up, you get free chocolate every month at participating locations, plus birthday chocolate!

7. 7. Free $10 for Sharing Your Receipts

   We know it sounds strange, but Ibotta will pay you cash for taking pictures of your grocery store receipts.

   Here’s how it works:

   Before heading to the store, search for items on your shopping list within the Ibotta app. When you get home, snap a photo of your receipt and scan the items’ barcodes.

   Bam. Cash back.

   Ibotta is free to download. Plus, you’ll get a $10 sign-up bonus after uploading your first receipt.

8. 8. Free $5 Worth of Stocks

   If you’re like most of us and wish your money would just take care of itself, consider starting an investment account through Acorns.

   You can start small and stack up change over time with its “round-up” feature. That means if you spend $10.23 at the grocery store, 77 cents gets dropped into your Acorns account.

   Then, the app does the whole investing thing for you — and you’ll get a $5 bonus when you sign up.

9. 9. Free Baby Diapers

   Is your family growing? Create a Target baby registry to get over $100 in free baby stuff!

   Even better, when your due date is eight weeks away, you’ll get a 15% discount on any items remaining on your registry.

10. 10. Free Financial Assistant
    

    Not everyone can afford pricy help managing our finances. Instead, we call in the bots. Here are two of our favorite free helpers:

    Download TrueBill, an app that’ll negotiate your bills, cancel unwanted subscriptions and refund your bank fees. On average, Truebill customers get $12 in credits off their cable bills each month.

    Trim is an all-in-one money-saving tool that lives in your computer or smartphone. When you sign up with your email or Facebook account, you’ll gain access to a number of powerful features, including its debt payoff calculator. Once you land on a monthly payment you can handle, mark your debt-free date on your calendar and plan to celebrate!

11. 11. Free Coffee

    Want to try a bag of some of the best coffee in the country — completely free?

    You can get a 2-ounce trial of Blue Bottle’s famous beans for nothing at all.

    It’s part of their monthly subscription service, so you’ll need to enter your credit card info, but you’ll get an email before Blue Bottle charges you and sends you more coffee. Just cancel your subscription if you don’t want to keep getting coffee.

12. 12. Free Baby Gifts

    Expecting? Join Enfamil Family Beginnings to get up to $400 in free gifts and a chance to win a $25,000 scholarship for your baby*. Your gifts will include things like coupons for baby necessities, free samples of Enfamil formula and other goodies.

13. 13. Free Bare Minerals Makeup

    It’s safe to say that lookin’ pretty ain’t cheap. Whether you’re purchasing lipstick or foundation, blush or primer, you’re bound to rack up a pretty penny — especially if you want the good stuff.

    Before you buy anything else, check out Bare Minerals. The company wants to give your wallet a well-deserved break with a free five-piece customizable Everyday Minerals makeup kit sample (based on your skin tone). You’ll just pay for shipping.

    Not interested in a makeup kit? It’s giving away free eyeshadow samples, too!

14. 14. Free Baby Shoes

    Is there anything cuter than baby shoes?

    That’s a firm no.

    Little Wanderers, an independent retailer, stocks some adorable footgear — and you can snag a pair for free by using our code PENNY1.

    Choose from some fringe boots or a pair of high-top sneaks. There are even some miniature snow boots with fur. So cute!

15. 15. Free Branding Checklist

    If you’re ready to get a freelance or small business off the ground, branding and consulting company Braid wants to help.

    Sign up for its email list to get a free copy of its branding checklist to help position yourself as a creative expert.

16. 16. Free “Support the Troops” Sticker

    Show your support for the U.S. military with this free “Support the Troops” sticker from “Military Times.” You can choose from a sticker or four window clings.

17. 17. Free Onesies

    With Custom Snappies, you can create your own design for a onesie that will express as much fun and attitude as your little one does. Get two free Custom Snappies with the promo code PENNY1 at checkout. You’ll just pay shipping and handling.

18. 18. Free Pancakes

    Who doesn’t like pancakes? IHOP has pancakes. If you join the chain’s e-club, called Pancake Revolution, you get a free stack of Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity Pancakes. You get the same thing on your birthday, and on each anniversary of signing up.

19. 18. Free Kind Granola Bar

    This is #kindawesome.

    This free Kind granola bar isn’t necessarily a freebie for you, but a gift you give to someone else for being kind. Get it? You’re doing something kind for someone who did something kind — paying it forward without paying a thing.

20. 20. Free Shampoo

    If you sign up for Pantene’s email list, the company will mail you free samples of shampoo and other products.

21. 21. Free Beauty Consultation

    Try out a free beauty consultation at Aveda, which advertises “free services for hair, skin & spirit.”

    This will likely be a 15-minute facial, or makeup or hair session at your local Aveda, where you can get a stylist’s opinion on which products are best for you.

    If you buy something there, ask for some free, trial-sized samples as a bonus.

22. 22. Free Dog and Cat Food

    No longer content with only feeding humans, Rachael Ray is venturing into dog and cat food these days. Her “Nutrish” brand is gourmet, natural, nutritious pet chow.

    You can request a sample of her dog or cat food here.

23. 23. Free Baby Leggings

    Head over to BabyLeggings.com and throw a pair in your cart. At checkout, just use the code “PENNY1,” and you’ll only have to pay for shipping.

24. 24. Free Roast Beef Sandwich

    Hungry? Arby’s has an email list. If you sign up for it, you’ll get a free Roast Beef Classic with the purchase of a drink. (Arby’s will also send you coupons.)

    This is one of the only offers on this list that requires you to buy something to get something else for free. But hey, you’re going to need something to wash down your free roast beef sandwich.

25. 25. Free Samples

    Like to try new things?

    Sign up to be a “Pincher” with PINCHme, and you’ll get a free box of samples of your choosing every week. In exchange, you’ll share your opinions about the new products you try.

26. 26. Free Dunkin

    Do you run on Dunkin?

    Join the DD Perks program to get a free beverage when you sign up and on your birthday. Plus, you’ll earn points for every purchase and get a free beverage for every 200 points.

27. 27. Free Access to National Parks

    Every year, the National Park Service offers free days when all national parks, monuments and historical sites offer free admission.

    In 2018, for example, the free days were scheduled for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the first day of National Park Week, National Public Lands Day, and Veterans Day.

28. 28. Free Baby Diapers and Wipes Bundle 

    All babies do is sleep, eat and… yeah.

    If you’re a parent, you could definitely use some free diapers from The Honest Company. The company will send you a free trial box of diapers and wipes as part of its subscription program.

    You’ll just pay $5.95 for shipping, and you can unsubscribe before your first shipment if you don’t want to continue to get the bundle every month.

29. 29. Sephora Beauty Products

    Oooh, Sephora.

    Become a “Beauty Insider,” and you’ll have your choice of a free beauty kit from Fresh or Marc Jacobs on your birthday.

30. 30. Free Coffee Mug

    Want to be more environmentally friendly with your daily coffee — without shelling out $20 for a travel mug?

    Nab a free lightweight travel mug from Au Bon Pain when you subscribe to its eClub!

* Enfamil fine print:

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Open to legal U.S. residents 18 and older. Void where prohibited. Promotion ends on March 31, 2019. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received. For full Official Rules click here. Sponsor: Mead Johnson & Co., LLC, 2400 West Lloyd Expressway, Evansville, IN 47721.

We received compensation from the maker of Enfamil in consideration of this post.

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.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

source The Penny Hoarder http://bit.ly/2sZ6jsw

8 Slick Ways to Save Money on Amazon You Probably Don’t Know About

In recent months, I’ve become obsessed with shopping on Amazon.

It started one Christmas when I ordered presents through Amazon Prime. Everything from a butter churner to an Instax Instant Film camera were delivered to my front door within 24 hours.

It was exhilarating.

Unfortunately, the exciting feeling continued — and I still spend way too much money on impulsive buys.

However, there are ways I’m redeeming myself — or at least justifying my spending…

Little-Known Ways to Save Money on Amazon — Every Time

These eight online apps are helping me work through my Amazon addiction and save some money. And they’re actually really easy to use — and free.

Trust me, I have no patience for 10-step sign-up processes…

1. Stop Deleting Your Emails

It turns out deleting your emails could be costing you serious money. Intrigued?

One of our secret weapons is called Paribus — a tool that gets you money back for your Amazon purchases. It’s free to sign up, and once you do, it will scan your email archives for any receipts. If it discovers you’ve purchased something from Amazon or one of the other monitored retailers, it will track the item’s price and help you get a refund anytime there’s a price drop.

Plus, if your guaranteed shipment shows up late, Paribus will help you get money back for what you paid for shipping.

Disclosure: Paribus compensates us when you sign up using the links we provide.

2. Get a Free $20 Amazon Gift Card for Helping to Build a Wind Farm

Did you know you can use your energy bill to support renewable energy — no matter where you live? The money from your power bill could be helping to build a new wind farm in another state across the country.

With renewable energy company Arcadia Power, you can offset up to 100% of your monthly energy consumption with 100% renewable sources in about two minutes.

Arcadia Power matches each kilowatt-hour of power you use with a kilowatt-hour of wind energy. Basically, the company purchases certified renewable energy certificates in your name, so others can take advantage of clean energy in their area.

And, because you’re such a good person, the company will throw in a free $20 Amazon gift card.

The service is free in some areas and costs a small monthly fee in others.

3. Snag a Free $10 Gift Card

One of our favorite ways to save is with Ebates, a cash-back site that rewards you nearly every time you buy something online. For example, Ebates gives you up to 5% cash back on Amazon.

Plus you’ll get a free $10 Ebates gift card (which you can use for any of its connected retailers) for giving the site a try.

To earn your gift card:

1. Sign up for Ebates with your email or Facebook account.
2. Use the Ebates portal the next time you need to buy something online. It’s connected to thousands of stores, including Walmart, Amazon and Target. You’ll need to make your first purchase through the site within 90 days and spend at least $25.
3. Your account will be credited with rewards points you can cash in for your $10 gift card.

4. Round up Your Purchases and Snag a Free $5

When you’re buying stuff on Amazon, you’re not using cash, so you don’t really expect any pocket change.

However, when you use a service like Acorns, all of your purchases are rounded up to the nearest dollar and the digital change is put into a savings account. You can let it add up, or let Acorns invest it for you in a portfolio of stocks you believe in.

Either way, if you sign up through this link, Acorns will give you a free $5 bonus for trying it out.

5. Get a Free $10 to Spend at Amazon 

I’m already addicted to earning cash back on my grocery hauls through Ibotta.

But now it’s expanded well past groceries and into other realms — like Amazon.

If you sign up for Amazon Prime (highly recommend if you’re an addict) through Ibotta, you’ll earn a $20 Amazon gift card. If you’re already a Prime member, no worries. You can still earn cash back. We’ve found tons of Amazon offers on Ibotta. Here are some examples:

• 5% cash back on home services

• 3% cash back on fashion

• 3% cash back on home and kitchen

• 3% cash back on pet supplies

• 3% cash back on luggage

• 3% cash back on devices

All you have to do is download Ibotta (you’ll snag a free $10 for signing up) then shop through the app.

6. Take a Walk and Earn Amazon Gift Cards

No extreme physical activity or pulled muscles required for this money-making trick. All you need to do is download the Shopkick app.

Once you sign up, the app pays you in “kicks” for walking into certain stores, including Walmart, Target, TJMaxx and more. You can redeem them for gift cards to a number of retailers, including Amazon.

It pays you even more kicks for photos of receipts that include qualifying items you purchased in-store with a connected credit or debit card. You can also earn kicks for online purchases. You don’t have to do anything; your linked cards will automatically apply your kicks.

But don’t make the mistake of buying things you don’t need just for kicks, you know better than that.

7. Earn 5% Cash back on Your Amazon Purchases

If you’re looking for a passive way to earn some money throughout the year, a cash-back credit card is perhaps one of the easiest methods.

You just have to be sure you don’t get too carried away with those purchases — and that the card is paid off at the end of each billing period.

If you’re an avid Amazon shopper — like, you look nowhere else for anything — you might want to consider the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card from Chase. You’ll get:

• 5% cash back on all your Amazon purchases.
• 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores.
• 1% back on everything else.
• Plus, you get a $70 Amazon gift card when approved.

If you don’t use Amazon enough to make that card worth it, here’s another option we like: It’s the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. Its claim to fame? You’ll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all your purchases. Plus, if you spend $500 in your first three months of opening the card (hi, groceries), you’ll pocket a $150 bonus.

There’s no annual fee, and the cash-back rewards don’t expire. We checked Credible’s annual rewards calculator, and it estimates $417 in annual rewards based on our spending habits.* (You can enter your unique spending habits and see what you’d earn, too.)

Get signed up — and 0% intro APR for 15 months — here.

8. Use Amazon Coupons — Yes, They’re a Thing

Coupons rule.

If only you could use them on Amazon, right?

Spoiler alert: You can, from right within the site.

Amazon Coupons lets you clip coupons in a bunch of categories, including groceries, personal care and household products. When you click on the coupon, it’s automatically added to your cart and applied when you check out. Easy peasy.

Please stop giving me more incentive to shop on Amazon.

Please.

*Annual Rewards amounts will change based on the amounts you enter. The monthly spending category names and definitions may vary among issuers, and categories may not align one-to-one.

The information for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card has been collected independently by The Penny Hoarder. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. The Penny Hoarder is a partner of Credible.

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.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

source The Penny Hoarder http://bit.ly/2HLp78V

When Money is Tight, These 10 Resources Can Help You

When to Use WordPress for Ecommerce and When to Avoid It

If you’re building a site that’s 100% focused on content or 100% focused on ecommerce, the best choice on how to build your site is very clear.

What WordPress does best = Content

WordPress is now a decade old and is still the reigning champ for managing sites with a ton of content. If you plan on pursuing an SEO or content marketing strategy for your business, WordPress is the only legitimate choice for your site. Nothing else comes close to giving you all the features that you need to manage so much content along with all the extra functionality for SEO and other traffic sources. It’s the default content management platform for a reason.

What Shopify does best = Ecommerce

If you want to sell stuff with an ecommerce store, Shopify is by far your best choice. There really aren’t any legitimate contenders anymore. The functionality, the ease of use, and the price are unmatched. Even more impressive, Shopify will scale with your business no matter how large it gets — they’ve pushed into the enterprise segment in the last few years and are now considered ”best-in-class” at all tiers of ecommerce. From trying to sell your first product to selling one million products, Shopify is the default choice.

The problem is knowing what to do when you have a content and an ecommerce site?

This is when things get a bit trickier and more nuanced.

Why You Should (Almost) Always Use Shopify for Your Ecommerce Site

As much as I personally love WordPress, it just doesn’t compare to Shopify when it comes to ecommerce, even if you add an ecommerce plugin to WordPress.

There are a bunch of unique features that any ecommerce site needs:

• Shopping carts
• Check-out and payment flows
• Integrations with payment providers
• Fulfillment options and integrations
• Integrations with shipping providers
• Easy ways to manage all your product pages
• Revenue reporting
• Refund and return management
• Integrations with ecommerce platforms like Amazon

Shopify was built from the ground up around all of these features. WordPress wasn’t.

With Shopify, you get every ecommerce feature you could ever need right out of the box. A bit of easy configuration and your site is ready to go. Of course, Shopify also has the ability to deeply customize anything you could want. With how popular Shopify has been, there’s now a large community of developers and marketers that can use the more advanced features of Shopify to tailor it to your exact situation.

Shopify also has Shopify Lite. It’s a super streamlined version of Shopify, perfect for adding a couple of buy buttons to your WordPress site or your Facebook page. So even if you want to run a few small tests to see if you can sell items on your site, it’s still worth starting with Shopify.

We really can’t over-hype the benefits of using Shopify — they’ve done an amazing job at building a tool to solve the needs of any ecommerce business owner.

The benefits of Shopify are so large that it’s not worth trying to contort WordPress into an ecommerce site itself.

The only real weakness to Shopify is it’s blogging functionality. Yes, you can technically publish a blog on Shopify, using that for your content. But you won’t want to.

The blogging features in Shopify are so bare-bones that they’re only fit for the occasional company updates every few months. But if you’re only posting a few times a year, you might as well skip the blog entirely.

In other words, the only companies that would get value out of the Shopify blog feature shouldn’t have a blog in the first place.

What to do?

Let’s say that you have your core ecommerce store on Shopify. It’s going great. But you also want to start a high-caliber blog that could generate some serious traffic and help increase sales.

Your best best bet will be to use Shopify for your store and WordPress for your blog. You’ll be on both platforms.

Using multiple platforms on the same site is very common. Lots of sites do it.

The Easiest Way to Use Shopify and WordPress at the Same Time

Put one of them on a subdomain and the other on your main domain, like this:

• WordPress installed at company.com
• Shopify installed at store.company.com

This is easy enough that you’ll be able to get this set up with your WordPress host, domain registrar, and Shopify account on your own. There’s no need to hire a developer to do anything fancy. Simply set up WordPress on your main domain like normal while setting Shopify up on a subdomain.

Should Shopify or WordPress go on the subdomain?

In the example above, I put Shopify on the subdomain at store.company.com. The reverse also works by putting WordPress on a subdomain while Shopify is on the main domain, like this:

• WordPress installed at blog.company.com
• Shopify installed at company.com

Which one should you do? Which goes on the subdomain?

I would make this decision based on your marketing strategy.

If you’re pursuing an SEO strategy for your online store, your goal will be to get product pages to rank for keywords. In other words, your main SEO priority is the product pages within your store. In this case, you’d want Shopify to be on your main domain.

Why?

In SEO, the main domain will always carry a bit more weight than a subdomain. It’ll have an easier time ranking for any given keyword. So if your main goal is to get your product pages to rank for search terms in Google, install Shopify on your main domain so it gets as much help as possible.

Now let’s switch it up. What if you have a large blog and you’re using content to obtain the vast majority of your traffic? In this case, install WordPress on your main domain and put Shopify on a subdomain.

To recap, decide whether it’s a bigger priority for you to rank your WordPress content or your Shopify product pages for SEO. Once you’ve made a decision, put your first choice on your main domain and the other one on a subdomain.

What if you’re not pursuing SEO?

Then it doesn’t really matter. If you’re focusing on paid marketing or some other strategy for your ecommerce site then it’s completely up to you. In this situation, I’d use a subdomain for whichever tool hasn’t been installed yet since the main domain will already be taken.

The One Reason to Use WordPress for Ecommerce

It does make sense to turn your WordPress site into an ecommerce store if you meet these conditions:

• You already have a large WordPress site built with lots of content.
• You have a small store that you want to build out, in the range of 10–20 products.
• You don’t plan on putting a ton of energy behind the store; you view it as a “one-and-done” project.

In this situation, you’re already on WordPress so you’ll want to keep that. You also have enough products to warrant a store section in your site, you’ll need more than just a few buy buttons. But it doesn’t make sense to get an entire ecommerce platform set up on your site since you don’t plan on making it a major priority.

The best bet is to keep everything on WordPress and use an ecommerce WordPress plugin to add a store to your site. The most well-respected ecommerce plugin is WooCommerce. It gets plenty of great reviews.

Or if you really love WordPress and hate the thought of adding another tool to your site, WooCommerce is still a legitimate option. Feel free to use it if you’d prefer to spend as much of your time as possible within WordPress.

Source Quick Sprout http://bit.ly/2TvWqy0

Investing for Dummies (How to Start Investing when You’re Absolutely Clueless)

One of the biggest reasons why people don’t invest is because they don’t completely understand the process. For that reason, we’re here with our Investing for Dummies post, to help you get over that hurdle. (Don’t take it personally – we’ve all been dummies at investing at one time or another!).

Even if you’re absolutely clueless, the most important step with investing is just getting started. In reality, you don’t have to be a complete expert before you get started either. It may help to know that no one is a true expert, not even the talking heads in the financial media, or people who have been investing for decades.

People make investing mistakes all the time, and you will, too. But what matters most is not getting hung up on those mistakes. What’s most important is that you’ll make mistakes, fix them, then keep moving forward.

Beginner’s Guide to Investing

1. Stock Your Emergency Fund
2. Get Your Debt Under Control
3. Start Small wither Betterment and Acorns
4. Diversify Your Investments
5. Take Control with M1 Finance
6. Know What You’re Investing In
7. Get Help from Personal Capital
8. Make Investing a Habit
9. Get Started

Steps to Getting Started Investing

True investing isn’t a get rich quick scheme. Instead, it’s a long-term process that usually takes decades to see the best results. That’s why it’s so important to begin investing now, even if you don’t fully understand the process.

We’ll break it down, starting with showing you how to prepare your finances for investing. Then we’ll give you some solid strategies that will help you up your game as you go along. You may never be a complete expert, but you’ll know enough to get started after reading this article. Expert status – if it’s even possible – will come with time.

Step 1: Have a Fully Stocked Emergency Fund

Probably the scariest scenario in the investment universe is watching your investments fall in value, at a time when you need the money for other purposes. But like everything else when it comes to investing, there’s a fix for that.

It’s called an emergency fund. An emergency fund is a completely safe, completely liquid financial account, that enables you to access the funds anytime you need them, and on very short notice.

There are two major purposes for an emergency fund:

1. To have ready cash to cover an unexpected expense, and
2. to prevent you from needing to liquidate investment assets to cover that expense.

Put another way, an emergency fund serves as a protective buffer between your budget and your investments. It prevents you from having to liquidate investments at prices that might lock in a permanent loss.

An emergency fund accomplishes something else that’s very important. It gives you sleeping money. 

What’s sleeping money? The financial markets don’t always behave the way we expect them to. Sometimes they languish for what seems like forever. Other times there’s a lot of volatility, with the market swinging back and forth in unpredictable patterns.

And sometimes there’s a bear market, causing stocks to drop for several years. If you’ve got money sitting in a safe emergency fund, you won’t be as concerned about the ups and downs of the market. You’ll be able to sleep at night. Where should you hold your emergency fund?

We like online banks that pay high rates on savings, money markets, and certificates of deposit (CDs). Examples include:

• CIT Bank
• Synchrony Bank
• BBVA Compass Bank

Any of these banks keep your money safe, completely liquid, and pay interest rates well above local banks.

Step 2: Make Sure Your Debt is Under Control

There are some who will say you should start investing no matter what your financial situation is, even if you have a lot of debt. This is not a completely ridiculous concept. It has to do with the time value of money – the sooner you begin investing, the more time your money will have to grow. 

Simply put, you’ll have more money accumulated if you begin investing at 25 than if you start at 40. That’s the argument to begin investing no matter what your financial situation is. But while that strategy makes sense in a lot of situations, you also have to look at the math. Consider the following:

• The average interest rate on credit cards is 17.14%.
• The historic return on the S&P 500 is about 10% since 1928.

If you have a lot of credit card debt, you can see how this will work against you. Even if you have 100% of your investments in the stock market, earning 10%, you’ll be losing 7% each year with an equivalent amount of credit card debt. That’s an arrangement you’re doomed to lose.

Now that doesn’t mean you need to be absolutely credit card free. If you have relatively small balances, there’s no reason to wait until you pay off the last dollar. But if you have several thousand dollars in credit card debt, you must consider what a losing proposition that is. The better strategy will be to pay off the bulk of your credit cards before investing.

When it comes to investing, credit card debt is like a backdoor margin loan, but at rates so high as to defeat the purpose.

What About Other Types of Debt?

Other types of debt, like student loans and auto loans, are trickier. Student loans can run for 10, 15, or 20 years. That’s too long to wait to begin investing. And car loans makes sense because they are secured by an asset that’s used to help you earn an income – your car.

And no, you shouldn’t wait to pay off your mortgage completely before you begin investing. It’s long-term debt, like student loans, and it’s secured by an asset that provides a direct benefit, similar to a car loan. If you wait for these loans to be paid off, you may never begin investing.

Step 3: Start Small

Probably the biggest reason people don’t begin investing sooner is a lack of money. But in today’s investment universe, a lack of money isn’t a serious problem. There are any number of investment platforms that will enable you to begin investing with very little money, or even none at all.

For example, probably the best known of all robo-advisors is Betterment. You can sign up for an account with them, and you don’t need any money at all. You can fund your account gradually, through regular monthly deposits. If you can contribute at least $100 per month, you’ll be surprised how quickly the account will build up.

Sign up with Betterment today>>

And as investment earnings increase your account value, you’ll begin to see the power of that time value of money concept in action. Another investment app that’s become increasingly popular – and will also enable you to begin investing with no money – is Acorns. It’s a smartphone app you attach to your bank account or credit card.

As you spend money the way you regularly do, Acorns will make small contributions toward an investment account.

For example, let’s say you purchase a latte at Starbucks for $4.50. The app will charge your bank account or credit card $5 even. $4.50 will pay Starbucks, and 50 cents will go into your investment account.

What’s more, the investment account is a robo-advisor. As money goes into the account, it will automatically be invested in a diversified portfolio. From there, it will be fully managed, including periodic rebalancing to maintain the asset allocation, as well as reinvestment of dividends.

This is also how Betterment works, so you really can’t go wrong with either account. With each, you’re starting very small, then building up over time. Perfect!

Start investing with Acorns here>>

Step 4: Diversify Your Investments

A common mistake many new investors make is putting all their money into a very small number of stocks, or maybe even one. The theory is if that one stock takes off, you’ll become an instant millionaire. Sorry to burst your bubble, but that only works on TV.

In the real world of investing, you need to build a diversified portfolio. That means owning many different stocks, spread across different industries. You’ll also want to counter your stock holdings with fixed-income investments. This will typically be bonds, but it could also be CDs held at an online bank.

The basic idea is that if the stock market starts misbehaving, your fixed income allocation will remain safe.

For a small investor, it can be very difficult to diversify. After all, it takes a lot of money to buy a lot of different stocks. But that’s another problem the investment industry has overcome.

We’ve already discussed robo-advisors, like Betterment and Acorns. They’ll automatically create a balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds for you. This will spare you the trouble of having to create a portfolio yourself. And since you’re investing flat dollar amounts, even a small investment can be spread across literally hundreds of different investments.

Step 5: Consider a Robo-advisor that Let’s You Choose the Investments

Eventually, you may get the confidence and knowledge, so you feel comfortable selecting at least some of your own investments. If you do, there’s an investment app for you. M1 Finance is a robo-advisor, but one that will give you a choice as to what you will hold in your portfolio.

With as little as $500, they can create a theme-oriented portfolio – which they call “pies” – comprised of stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs). The advantage of M1 Finance is that you can choose the type of pie you want to invest in. M1 offers 60 pie templates you can use, or you can even create your own pies.

This can be based on a specific investment sector, or even a certain group of stocks. Once you’ve selected the securities that will be in your pie, the M1 robo-advisor takes over and manages your portfolio for you. You choose your investments, but they handle the day-to-day management.

M1 Finance is an excellent platform to begin self-directed investing with.

They’ll provide you with pie templates, which you can customize. As you find yourself becoming more successful and confident in your investing activities, you can begin building your own pies from the ground up. And just as important, M1 Finance has no fees.

You may not want to start out with this platform, but you may want to get there eventually.

Start investing with M1 Finance>>

Step 6: Understand What You’re Investing In

Once again, it has to be emphasized that you should use robo-advisors if you’re a new investor. The advantage with robo-advisors is that you don’t need any investment knowledge whatsoever to participate.

That’s an important point by itself. As a new investor, you should never invest in anything you don’t understand. The advantage with robo-advisors is that they will both design and manage your portfolio for you. That’s especially important when you’re just starting out, and don’t have much capital to invest.

But eventually, you may want to begin do-it-yourself investing. If you do, be sure to ease into it slowly.

It may be best to start with a base of investments in robo-advisors. Or you can even consider holding one or two mutual funds or exchange traded funds.

Each represents a portfolio of dozens or hundreds of stocks, so you don’t have to get involved in either the selection or the managing of those securities. Beyond a robo-advisors, or a fund or two, you can open up a self-directed account with a diversified brokerage firm.

For example, you can open an account with Ally Invest. There, you can invest in individual stocks, bonds, options, and even mutual funds or ETFs. You can use the investment platform for your do-it-yourself investing, while holding your managed money with robos and funds.

One of the reasons for using a diverse investment platform is to take advantage of the investment tools they offer. A platform like Ally Invest will give you the tools to learn more about investing, as well as individual securities. But it also provides tools to help you be a better investor.

But once again, move slowly with this process. You can lose a lot of money jumping in too quickly.

Step 7: Get Help If You Need It!

If you want to get into self-directed investing, but you don’t feel you’re quite ready, there are plenty of places where you can get help. Some are free, but others charge a fee. But if you plan to be a successful investor, you’re eventually going to have to start paying some fees for more advanced services.

You should think of investing like running a business. You’re running the business to earn money, but sometimes you have to re-invest in the business so you can earn more money. The concept is similar with investing.

You should become a regular reader of popular online financial sites, like Bloomberg and MarketWatch.

They’ll not only keep you up-to-date with what’s going on in the financial markets, but they offer a wealth of information on the companies you’ll want to invest in.

They can also serve as starting points to get even more information. Sometimes you can click directly through to an outside source, and other times they reference sources you may want to visit. Investing is largely a process of building a knowledge base, and you’ll need to do that gradually and consistently.

If you want more information about individual securities, particularly funds, you can look into services like Morningstar. You’ll pay for the service, but the information is virtually a standard in the investment world. If you’re serious about becoming a do-it-yourself investor, you’ll need this kind of resource.

There’s also a way you can get hands-on investment assistance at a relatively low rate. A platform known as Personal Capital offers a wealth management service. The service functions like a robo-adviser, but also provides you with big picture financial advice, to help you manage your entire financial life.

Step 8: Make Investing a Habit

Investing isn’t something you do once, or even occasionally. Your success is directly tied to how consistently you do it. That means not only making regular contributions to your investments, but also making sure you’re invested in all types of markets.

Let’s look at the impact regular contributions have on investing… If you invest $10,000 into a portfolio that averages 7% per year, for the next 30 years, it will grow to about $76,125.

But let’s say instead of making a one-time investment of $10,000, you contribute $5,000 each year, for 30 years – also earning an average annual rate of return of 7%. After 30 years you’ll have over $490,000! There’s another benefit to regular periodic investment, and that’s dollar cost averaging. It’s one of the most time-honored concepts in investing.

When you make a one-time investment, you’re buying into the market at whatever prices are at that time.

If you make a $10,000 investment, and the market falls 50% in the next year, you’ll be down to $5,000. But by making regular contributions, into all types of markets, you’re never worried about where the market is at. In some years you’ll be investing at what’s considered to be a bad time.

In others you’ll be investing in what’s considered a good time. But by making regular contributions, you remove the guesswork. You’re investing in all types of markets, and your focus is completely on the long-term performance of your portfolio, and not in any attempts to time the market.

That’s important, because no successful market timing strategy has ever been developed. And by making regular contributions, you won’t need one anyway. When it comes to investing, consistency is more important than timing.

Step 9: Get Started!

None of this information matters if you don’t put it into action. The critical first step with investing is always to begin. You don’t need much money to do that, or even any money at all. You can either open an investment account with just a few dollars, or open one with zero and set up regular contributions.

Those contributions will help you gradually build a growing investment portfolio through dollar-cost-averaging. In that way you won’t have to worry about what the market is doing at the time you invest. Since you’ll be investing regularly, you’ll be investing in all types of markets, at all price levels.

Don’t let lack of knowledge stop you either. There are plenty of investment apps and investment Information services to will help you become a successful investor, even though you’ve never done it before. Some will even fully manage your investments for you, and at a surprisingly low cost.

And once you’re ready to begin trying your hand at self-directed investing, go slowly.

Make sure you have a solid base of emergency savings and managed investment accounts. Then gradually move into self-directed investing on a diversified investment platform, one with all the tools you’ll need to be a successful investor.

At some point you may even decide self-directed investing isn’t your thing, and that’s fine. Very few people could remotely qualify as investment experts, so you’re in good company if you’re not one of them. But you can still take advantage of managed accounts, like Betterment, to handle the work of investing for you.

The only requirements are a willingness to get started, and a decision to commit to the long-term, and you’ll have everything you need to be a successful investor.

The post Investing for Dummies (How to Start Investing when You’re Absolutely Clueless) appeared first on Good Financial Cents®.

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