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Questions About Freezer Bags, iTunes, Work Boredom, Old Debt Guilt and More!

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to five word summaries. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Replacing an old credit card
2. Handling wants without spending
3. Diverging financial perspectives from husband
4. Guilty about really old debts
5. Bored at work
6. Money needed to retire early?
7. Value from iTunes gift card
8. PersonalCapital.com
9. Personal finance education in schools
10. Retirement savings in December?
11. Why not reuse freezer Ziplocs?
12. Minimizing television exposure for kids

As I watch my children growing older, there are moments when I wish I had held them more or done something more so I could recall what they were like when they were younger.

I have lots of memories and photos and videos. For me, the best ones are of the little things, like how our kids used to love to climb into bed with us if they woke up too early in the morning (our youngest one still does sometimes, but it’s not hard to see that it won’t be for much longer).

Part of me is quite sad that they will never be toddlers or small children again. They’ll never get to go through that period in their life without worry, with full trust in the world around them and the full sense that if something isn’t right someone will come in and fix it.

But then they’ll say or do something amazing, showing me that they have built an understanding of the world or that they have great empathy for someone or something else, and I’ll realize that this was my job, to build them as best I could into wonderful functional adults.

I might not have any two or three year olds running around my house any more, but I have some older ones that are developing into great people.

Q1: Replacing an old credit card

I replaced my old Visa card with a Chase Freedom card. Now I use my Chase Freedom for everything because it gives cash back. My old Visa card account is still open, I’ve had it since I was 18 and am now 29. Should I close it? I barely ever use it and it is charging me $1.50 per month just to have it around.
– Fred

It really depends on your credit usage and your other card. If you’ve had the Chase Freedom card for more than a year or two, then you’ll have a long enough credit history if you close the old one, so that won’t be an issue.

Do you carry a high balance on your newer card with any regularity? If so, you might want to ask for a credit limit increase before you cancel the old one so that your debt-to-credit ratio stays level.

Another factor to consider is whether or not you’re going to be taking out any loans in the very near future. If you are thinking of borrowing for a house or a car in the next few months, you’re probably better off leaving things as they are for the moment and closing the old card after the loan is in place.

If none of these things really apply to you, then I’d feel fine canceling the old card.

Q2: Handling wants without spending

How do you handle not buying stuff that you want? I have wanted a tablet computer for a month or so now and I feel like I am cheating myself somehow by not buying it. Do you just not get a sense of wanting stuff or what?
– Damon

My best strategy for this is to simply have a monthly spending allowance. I allot myself a certain amount each month to spend on whatever I want and I don’t worry about it within that amount.

Let’s say you choose to do the same thing and allot yourself $100 a month (it might be more or less, depending on your situation). You’re eyeing a tablet that costs $300. So, put half of your “fun money” away each month for six months and you can buy your tablet guilt free.

One big thing I like about this strategy is that, when I do it, I often arrive at the conclusion that I don’t actually want the item in question. So, in that scenario above, you might realize at the four month mark that you don’t really want or need a tablet after all, at which point you have $200 set aside for something else fun.

I’ve been using this approach for years and it’s been wonderful. I often find myself convinced that I don’t really want or need some of the more expensive items out there that I might be initially inclined to save for and that ends up being a great thing.

Q3: Diverging financial perspectives from husband

My husband and I got married about five years ago. We had a lot of the same interests and the same philosophy on spending. We bought nice cars and live in a really nice house that’s full of nice stuff.

About a year ago the debt started really bothering me so I started Googling stuff and found your site. I read almost everything you’ve written and read your book and a few others and now I feel very differently about money. I look at all of this stuff and this house and our debt and I honestly feel sick to my stomach.

The problem is with my husband. He feels the same way he always has about money and he just looks kind of baffled at me when I talk about getting out of debt and financial independence. I want him to feel like I do about things but I also think it’s unrealistic to expect him to change his mindset just because I do.

I’m just looking for ideas for how to make this work. Suggestions?
– Madison

Right now, you’re sitting in a situation where your perspective on personal finance has changed significantly in the last few years, while your husband’s perspective remains more or less where it was when you got married. You are the one who has changed, not your husband.

It is very, very easy in a situation like this to become convinced that you are right and that you know what’s best for your husband and that your husband is wrong and that he does not know what is best for himself. You can quickly dissolve everything into a “I’m good, you’re bad” kind of dichotomy, and that’s really dangerous.

The thing is, you’re two people who care about each other very much who just happen to have views that are a little different about how couples should manage their finances. This is a situation where compromise can really, really come in handy. You need to articulate to your husband that spending less and saving for the future is really important to you… but you need to understand that many of the routines of the life you’ve had up to this point are really important to him.

You need to look for ways where you can have both things. You don’t need to immediately shift everything in your shared life to an ultra-frugal hypersaver state, nor do you need to keep spending like you once were. Focus instead on continuing spending on the things you both really care about and look for things that are less important to cut bac on.

Talk about these things together. Don’t expect perfect resolutions overnight. Also, don’t expect that things will go smoothly, either. It will take time, and there will be bumps. The key is to talk about those bumps and avoid the sense that the other person is the bad guy.

Q4: Guilty about really old debts

In the early to mid 1990s, I filled up several credit cards with stupid purchases. Then I did something even more stupid – I basically ignored the bills. I heard from bill collectors and the like and just ignored all of it and eventually they stopped bothering.

I finally got my life straightened out a few years back and since then I have been trying to fix all of the stuff I messed up back then (My Name is Earl ha ha).

I feel like I should pay back these debts but I don’t even know how to do it. Most of the issuers aren’t even in business any more as far as I can tell. Where do I start?
– Shawn

The truth is that you’re probably not even going to be able to repay those bills even if you wanted to. It’s likely that most (if not all) of these accounts no longer even exist in bank databases anywhere, particularly if they were with banks that no longer exist (probably because they were bought up by Chase or Citibank or Bank of America). Your account was sold to a debt collector that eventually gave up on collecting that debt. It’s basically gone at this point.

Not only that, even if you were able to dig these things up, they would cause a very negative blight on your credit report that is not at all reflective of the person you are now. It would cause a real negative impact on your financial state right now in the form of higher insurance rates, worse interest rates on car loans and mortgages, and possibly even an impact on things like getting an apartment or a job.

If you feel guilty about having done this and want to “pay it back,” I’d figure out how much you owed and make a commitment to giving that much to a charity.

Q5: Bored at work

Up until three years ago, I was the sole IT person at a 750 person business. I was constantly busy and feeling burnt out, but I did enjoy working for a relatively small business. So I applied for a job at a smaller business and became the IT Director for another business, this one with about 150 people.

Unsurprisingly, my work load has dropped by about 75%. I spend most days pretty bored at work. For the first year, I invented a lot of things to do, such as setting up templates for all of the computers and making everything remotely manageable and setting up a hardware workshop so I could just replace parts rather than buying new computers. But now I mostly just sit here. I can’t even conceive of things that I could do.

While I’m glad to have a job like this, I’d like to be able to do something. Part of me wants to walk away from this job and find something new to do.

Do you have any suggestions for me?
– Tim

If you have this spare time at work, you should be using it as a great opportunity to build new skills. Teach yourself how to program and dig into an open source project that’s useful to you. Get a bunch of certifications and do your studying while at work.

You can also do things that will save money over the long run for the business. Carefully look for IT spending opportunities that will really maximize the bang for the buck. Look for vendors that can offer you even better prices than what you’re getting now.

Look for new tools to do the things that you are responsible for, learn them inside and out, and deploy them. Spend time learning exactly how people are using their computers and look for ways to make that easier and more reliable for people in the company.

I worked in IT for a while and there are always things you can be doing. You have 150 employees in your business, all of which have some type of IT needs. How can you fulfill those needs as well as possible?

Q6: Money needed to retire early?

How exactly do you figure out how much money you need to have saved/invested to reitre early?
– Jane

There are a lot of ways to calculate this, but unfortunately none of them are guaranteed. All of them have drawbacks and caveats.

The most well known answer to your question comes from the “Trinity study,” which says that for a 30 year retirement, a 4% withdrawal rate is adequate in virtually all cases. A 4% withdrawal rate means that you’re just taking out 4% of the balance of your investment and living on it each year, so you’ll actually need to have 25 times your living expenses in order to make this work. The drawback, of course, is that this only works for a 30 year timeframe.

Different sources recommend different withdrawal rates. Personally, I would like to reach a point where the dividends or other income from my investments add up to enough to live on so that I have no reason to ever touch the principal. It can just sit there continuing to earn me money year in and year out.

For me, that means something around a 2% “withdrawal rate,” since most of my investments pay out dividends at about a 2% rate. So, if I wanted $50,000 a year to live on, I’d have to divide that by 0.02 and that would give me $2.5 million. That’s how much I would have to save in order to live off of the dividends at $50,000 a year assuming I earn nothing else.

As you can see, it’s tricky. My only advice to you is to not buy into the most optimistic projections. Stick with a pessimistic viewpoint, even if it means working for a few more years. It’s far better to work a few more years right now than to be stuck later on with a dwindling set of investments and a decade of no work record.

Q7: Value from iTunes gift card

My sister gave me a $25 iTunes gift card for Christmas last year and it’s still sitting here in a drawer. I don’t buy anything from the iTunes store so it seems like a waste but I feel really cheesy just regifting stuff or selling it. What are some good things to use an iTunes card for that I’m not thinking of?
– Clarisse

One of the few paid apps that I like in the App Store is Paprika. It is just such a good recipe manager from top to bottom. I consider it worth the few dollars it costs.

Another vital tool that I use all the time is a password manager like 1Password (my preferred one). It helps you generate super-secure passwords for all of your most important accounts and keep those passwords secure themselves, too.

Aside from that… are you a Netflix subscriber? If you are, you can always add a month of Netflix to your account using an in-app purchase, which would thus use your iTunes credit.

Those are the best uses of iTunes credit that I can think of.

Q8: PersonalCapital.com

Do you have an opinion about PersonalCapital.com? I’ve been hearing a lot about it lately from other bloggers and am wondering if it’s worth doing (I am only interested in its free component). Currently I use a Google spreadsheet to track my financials and it works, but would there be any benefit to setting everything up via Personal Capital? One obvious benefit is I wouldn’t have to log into each of my financial accounts separately, but then there’s the additional risk that my account information is more exposed. I understand it also tracks spending and investments which may or may not be helpful to me. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
– Jennifer

I absolutely don’t trust any personal finance tool that requires you to turn over login credentials for all of your personal finance accounts. That’s too much data in one place, I don’t care how secure those places are. I just don’t feel secure having all of my login information in one place.

This applies to Personal Capital. This applies to Mint. This applies to any and all services that follow that same philosophy of using all of your account details to scrape information from your accounts.

Because of that, I’m not interested in signing up for PersonalCapital and I changed all of my passwords after trying out Mint several years ago. They just don’t provide anything to make it worthwhile, at least for me.

Q9: Personal finance education in schools

Why do you think there is such lousy personal finance education in schools? Most states don’t have it at all and those that do present it in about the worst possible way.
– Jerry

I think that most schools today are primarily focused on either simply pushing students through to graduation or preparing them for college entrance exams. Neither of those things is supportive of personal finance education, nor is it supportive of any subjects that don’t appear on college entrance exams. In some schools, sports are a major focus as well.

Having said that, I do understand why schools approach things in this way. Their budgets are tight these days and that means cutting out every subject that isn’t required in the state standards.

What’s the solution? Without a serious change in the commitment that our society gives to high school education, there isn’t one. It relies on the parents to teach their children basic life skills and if they can’t do so, then their kids are going to have to learn it on their own.

That’s the truth. There aren’t resources available to teach personal finance at the high school level, so the responsibility for teaching it falls on the parents.

Q10: Retirement savings in December?

My father always waits until December to put money into his IRA. His argument is that there is an opportunity cost to locking away the money in there so he should wait until the last minute. But ignoring opportunity cost isn’t that a bad way to do it? Shouldn’t you put equal amounts in throughout the year?
– Devin

The best way of all is to contribute right up to the max as early as you can in the year. That way, you’re going to ride a year’s worth of growth in the stock market. Remember, most years are a positive in the market, so if you wait until December to contribute, you miss all of that growth.

The problem with that “best way” is it requires people to have all of that money at the start of the year rather than at the end of the year. That’s why most people contribute slowly throughout the year as they can afford it, usually through direct deposit. That way, at least some of the money can take advantage of growth throughout the year without putting a huge financial crunch on you at the start of the year.

Waiting until the end? It’s only the best move if you’re lucky and the year was one of those years where the market went down for the year, which is less frequent than positive years.

Now, what about opportunity cost? Of course, if you lock up money in a retirement account, you do lose the opportunity to use that money elsewhere. I agree with this to an extent – if you’re making your budget super tight in order to be able to afford to put away money earlier in the year, that’s a mistake. However, if money is not super tight for you, you’re probably better off putting the money in as early as possible in the year.

Q11: Why not reuse freezer Ziplocs?

In your recent food posts you have been discouraging use of freezer Ziplocs and encouraging instead that people use plastic containers. Why? The Ziplocs are cheaper and you can actually reuse them a bunch of times.
– Joe

My experience with freezer Ziploc bags has been widely varied. Sometimes, they seem to hold up well and can actually be used a few times with a washing. At other times, they already have holes in them after the first thawing, which means I don’t want to use them again.

At the same time, I’ve never had a plastic BPA-free freezer container completely fail me. The worst thing I’ve seen from such a container is some lid warping over a long period of time – many, many uses. I’ve had containers that have seen regular use for almost a decade now and they’re still going strong.

Given that it only takes between 4 and 6 uses for a freezer container to start saving money over a single use Ziploc, I’d rather just skip the Ziplocs and jump straight to freezer containers for my freezer needs.

Q12: Minimizing television exposure for kids

What strategies do you use to minimize TV time for your kids? Most of the stuff on TV is junk with lots of commercials and many of the programs are basically commercials too but the kids just constantly ask to watch.
– Mary

Before I get started on this, I will say that ownership of a television is an area where Sarah and I disagree. If it were up to me, we wouldn’t own a television at all, but she often watches television while doing professional busy work in the evenings, so I basically just view the television cost as one of her hobby expenses.

That being said, a television is sitting in our family room and it is definitely an attraction for our children. We usually allow them to watch a bit of television each day after school – maybe thirty minutes or so of a program they choose together – and then a bit more on the weekends.

They can earn more in various ways. Being helpful and going above and beyond normal household responsibilities will earn them some more television time, as will long sessions of playing outside. We also tend to relax the limits a bit on weekends where the weather is terrible.

There’s also a “lazy parent” factor as well. It’s really easy to just let them watch television when I have other things that I need to get done. For example, just this past weekend, I was trying to get extra writing done for the Thanksgiving holiday, but in doing so I basically opened the door to them spending some extra time watching television. I had to find a good balance between doing my own work and encouraging them to do other things with their time.

I’d estimate that our children watch between 4 and 7 hours of television per week, with our daughter on the higher end (she’s the most television-prone of our children) and our youngest son on the lower end (he’s probably the least interested in television).

I think the key is to just keep encouraging and suggesting other things to do rather than directly demonizing television. The children aren’t really dissuaded by negative comments about television, but they will often choose other things if I suggest them and encourage them.

Got any questions? The best way to ask is to follow me on Facebook and ask questions directly there. I’ll attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive many, many questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours.

The post Questions About Freezer Bags, iTunes, Work Boredom, Old Debt Guilt and More! appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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The Unconventional Guide to Black Friday Shopping

You don't have to stay up all night to get the best deals. 

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Don’t Be a Starving Artist: 8 Creative Careers in the Arts

In terms of career paths, art gets a bad rap.

While growing up, many young artists probably heard a concerned parent tell them, “The term ‘starving artist’ comes from somewhere, you know!”

Some aspiring artists lose interest as time goes on, while others heed their parents’ advice and choose “stable” or “real” career paths. Few decide to pursue full-time art careers — among those, success stories are pretty rare.

What makes certain artists successful? How do they earn money from their work while so many others fail? And for those who can’t make a living from their medium, what other art jobs are available?

If you’re interested in working in the arts, this is one post you won’t want to miss. Here are eight jobs to consider

1. Gallerist

Art gallery jobs seem like something straight out of a rom-com: working tirelessly to appease diva artists, hobnobbing with high society types… and wearing lots of flowy scarves.

To find out what it’s really like, we talked to Sherri Littlefield, the gallery assistant for JanKossen Contemporary in New York. After earning a master’s degree in fine art, she got a gig as a booth assistant during Art Basel week, right before the gallery’s owner opened a new location in New York City.

“We got along well during the art fair, kept in touch — and she hired me [a month later],” Littlefield says. She calls her job “phenomenal,” but Littlefield warns that the competition is stiff with low pay.

Littlefield works in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, where junior gallery assistants average $12-20 per hour, senior gallery assistants make $24-29,000 per year, and managers make $35,000 each year or more.

“In addition to the salary,” she notes, “many directors/owners will cover all travel and lodging expenses when sending their employees to various art fairs — meaning you could potentially travel internationally six to eight times a year.”

If the low pay doesn’t scare you, Littlefield suggests checking websites like the New York Foundation of the Arts for open positions. As for requirements, she says, “Most people in my position have a master’s degree in business administration or art business degree.”

Other than that, you need, “First and foremost, a good attitude — but organization doesn’t hurt either!”

2. Book Cover Designer

You may not think an undergraduate degree in political science would prepare you for a career in design, but Rachel Adam Rogers thinks it definitely helped. “What makes a really good design is a really good concept,” she says. “So knowing how to think and analyze is so important — especially when it comes to book covers.”

But that didn’t mean anyone was ready to hire her. So she spent four years studying graphic design part time at Parsons School of Design in New York, the program she thought would give her the “best portfolio.”  

“When it comes to graphic design, nobody cares what sort of degree you have,” she says. “You could’ve lived under a rock your whole life, and if you have a stunning portfolio, people are going to hire you.”

In addition to a killer portfolio, Rogers also recommends internships. She started as an intern for her favorite book cover designer, where she developed relationships with all the different publishing houses. When she branched out on her own, she says, her name “was already out there.”

3. Potter

Did you know you could major in pottery at a liberal arts college? Peter Sheldon didn’t either — but after struggling to decide on a field he’d enjoy more, he went with it. After pottery residencies and apprenticeships in far-flung places from Montana to New Zealand, he started his own business: Peter Sheldon Ceramics.

Things are going well, he says. He recently moved into a 1,500-square-foot studio in Los Angeles and has a team of three. On his website, he sells several styles of tableware and vases, with individual pieces ranging from $30-300.

It undoubtedly has something to do with his stunning work, but Sheldon credits much of his success to fiancee Ellen Woglom’s smart use of digital media.

“She started our website and she launched our Etsy store,” he says. “And she started taking Instagram really seriously and using that as a great way to showcase and promote our work. Things have started to grow naturally from that — from putting the work out there and having a good response.”

If you’re seeking artpreneur success, Sheldon urges you to work with or under another artist. “It’s invaluable to see how their business works,” he says.

And underscoring the importance of business savvy, “you obviously need to be able to make pottery that people want to buy — but you also need to be a good businessperson or have people on your team that are good at business.”

4. Sketch Artist

Sketch artist and illustrator Candace Rose Rardon only started sketching in 2011, but she’s found quick success. Why? From the sound of it, because people really like her work.

“After about two years of sketching on my own, friends began to approach me about doing custom illustrations for them,” she says.

“My first clients were thus either friends or friends-of-friends…. slowly, I began to receive other commissions, and in 2014, I started creating illustrations not only for individuals, but also for brands such as BBC Travel and Google.”

If you’d like to follow in her footsteps, Rardon recommends compiling a portfolio and establishing a strong online presence. “Be sure to fill your portfolio with work that represents the kind of art that you’d like to be commissioned to create,” she suggests.

To find financial success as an artist, she says you have to be a “creative entrepreneur” and “think outside the box to develop a portfolio of income streams.” Creating a shop on Etsy or Fine Art America is also smart, as it will “help you reach a larger potential audience for your work.”

The bottom line?

“Just begin!… The more you practice and share your work, the more feedback you’ll receive and the deeper you’ll grow in your art,” she says.

5. Museum Worker

If you truly love being around art — world famous art — working in a museum might be for you.

Meghan Schindler got an internship at the National Gallery of Art in Washington right after college, where she majored in history and fine arts. She is now the head museum supervisor in the security department at The Phillips Collection, as well as a special programs educator in their education department.

When asked what the best part of working in museums is, she says, “You are surrounded by art every day — I studied many of the paintings and sculptures we have on display.” And the worst?

“You will be underpaid for your entire career,” she says. “Larger or government museums can pay more as they have more funding, but private museums do not pay well.”

If you don’t have connections in the museum world, she recommends internships to get your foot in the door.

“It is a very small world with very few job openings except for in development,” she says. “Two-thirds of the positions are filled in-house, so if you can get an internship and create wonderful relationships, they will almost automatically give you the position.”

She also recommends looking beyond curator positions: “We have a finance department, a facilities department, development, registrar, preparators, security, education and more.”

6. Print Artist

Laura Ann Elbogen was working on the administrative side of New York’s fashion industry when she decided to paint a note card with watercolors. Finding joy in her childhood hobby, she continued to paint in her spare time and came across an interesting opportunity a few years later.

“Over time, I honed in on a watercolor and ink style and developed a series of New York City landmark cards,” she says.

“I carried them around with me, and one day I ran into my old college tennis coach who had just gotten engaged. I showed her the cards, and she hired me to paint a custom save-the-date, which turned into a commission for her entire suite of wedding stationery!”

Today, she sells a variety of custom “landmark art” on her site, everything from cards to maps.

One key to Elbogen’s success? Consistency.

“Whether you are pitching your work to an art director for books, magazines or gift items, or trying to sell a collection or get a commission from individual clients,” she says, “A consistent style makes your sales story unique and memorable and instills confidence that you can deliver the desired outcome on a custom project.”

Her drive and willingness to hustle have also been key to her success. “As my dad says, ‘Dogs don’t bark at parked cars,’” she explains.

“That means the work doesn’t come to you — like any good business you have to be willing to put yourself out there by networking, sending letters, samples, postcards, social media updates, etc.”

7. Art Professor

After obtaining a master’s degree in fine arts, Brittany Metz applied for a gig as an art history professor. Since she’d previously demonstrated her work ethic to the campus dean, she landed the position.

“I knew if I wanted the job, I had to put myself out there, find out who was in charge and show face!” she says. “They needed to know I wanted it and was a go-getter.”

She’s continued to use this strategy, and now teaches as an adjunct art professor at two colleges and one university in the Orlando area. If you want to work as a professor, she recommends making your resume and artist website stand out, then apply “everywhere.”

Networking is also important. “Talk to everyone about your goals,” she says, “because you never know who might have a connection.”

Whereas long-term professorships pay well and are quite stable, adjuncts face a tough career path. You’re only paid for the hours you’re in class, which doesn’t include “grading, preparing or all of the communication with students outside of class,” she says.

In addition, schools limit adjuncts’ hours so they don’t have to provide benefits. “To make ends meet, an adjunct will usually have to teach classes at more than one college,” Metz explains.

Adjunct positions also lack job security: “You can be let go at any time if a class does not fill or you simply are not needed anymore,” Metz warns.

To her, it’s worth it: She loves the “flexibility and freedom” of working as a professor. She’s also “inspired” by her students. “I learn from them as much as they learn from me,” she says. “Educators have the power to change lives.”

8. Cartoonist

Cartoons aren’t just for the Sunday paper anymore. With the popularity of web comics like “The Oatmeal” and “Hyperbole and a Half,” the Internet has brought cartoons back to center stage.

Growing up, motivational cartoonist Steph Halligan always dreamt of working as an animator for Looney Tunes or Disney. “But like most adults,” she says, “I lost that childhood dream slowly as I grew older, replacing it with more practical things like a college degree.”

Many years later, when she started her personal finance blog, she realized she could use cartoons to “help motivate and inspire people when it comes to their money.” As it turns out, this was the golden ticket for her success. “Once I started infusing my childhood-passion and talent back into my work, things really started taking off,” she says.

Now Halligan earns money in lots of ways: collecting donations on her website and drawing graphics and whiteboard animations for clients. She also works with personal finance blogs and businesses to create cartoons that explain money concepts.

She attributes her success to the fact she “was consistent and creative and able to drive a message home that people needed to hear.”

If you want to be a cartoonist, Halligan urges you to, “Try something, anything! Don’t be afraid to experiment!” And perhaps find a niche. “If you could focus on being the artist for XYZ type of industry, you could find a lot of business,” she says.

As you can see, art jobs aren’t limited to painting and sculpting. If you’re passionate about art and willing to think creatively, there are plenty of ways to infuse art into your career.

Your Turn: What other art jobs would you add to this list?

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

The post Don’t Be a Starving Artist: 8 Creative Careers in the Arts appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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5 Things You're Entitled to When Signing a New Lease

Don't overlook these basic renter rights. 

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'Tis the Season for Tax-Loss Harvesting

Dumping a stock at a loss now can help you offset capital gains taxes in April.

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Why I Sometimes Regret Choosing Harvard over Community College

Is an Ivy League name on your resume worth $160,000 in loans? Maybe — but it’s not a given. Photo: Harvard University

Back in 2008, I was a junior at Harvard University. It was around 10 p.m., and I was heading back to my dorm room after raiding our dining hall, which was offering free cookies that night.

I was sharing an elevator with a classmate who was holding an astounding amount of cookies. I’d seen kids take a few back to their room, but this was like he was planning to feed the entire New England Patriots offensive line. I felt compelled to say something.

“What’s up with all the cookies?”

“They’re for my study group. We’re going to be up all night working on our problem set. What are you doing?”

“Playing video games.”

[awkward silence]

“…Oh. Cool.”

He looked confused. Maybe even like he pitied me a little. I don’t think it had ever crossed his mind that someone would need late night cookies to fuel anything other than marathon coding sessions or complicated calculus homework. Didn’t I know that midterms were coming up?

I did know, but I didn’t care. I was much more interested in playing as myself in the latest NCAA basketball video game (I could finally dunk!). Or defending a tower on my computer. Or becoming immersed in whatever other distraction seemed more important than my schoolwork.  

Looking back, that moment has always stuck with me as a sign that I was probably not mature enough to be in college at that time. I had an unbelievable opportunity at my fingertips, and I was skating by, doing the bare minimum.

That would not have been a huge issue if my college tuition were paid for, but that was far from the case. I graduated with over $160,000 in student loans that I will be paying off for a long time. No matter what school you go to, $160,000 is a lot of debt to rack up for a bachelor’s degree. 

While I will always have the Harvard name to throw on my resume, for a long time, that was all I had. Literally. I never worked in school, I never had an internship, and I wasn’t graduating with honors, to say the least. No joke, this is the resume I used when applying to my first real jobs:

I didn’t even have the margins lined up. I’m pretty sure I wanted the text to be different sizes in some areas. The idea that I acted as my own agent while playing basketball was only a half truth.

Overall, it’s cringeworthy and embarrassing. Thus, I didn’t have people scrambling to work with me. I’ve managed to find a decent writing niche for myself over the years, but it’s been a slog.

Just to be 100% clear: I’m incredibly lucky to have gone to Harvard, and I’m grateful for the experience.

That being said, would I have been any worse off if I’d gone to a local community college, learned to grow up a little, realized the value of working hard in the classroom, and then finished off at a good four-year university with a solid GPA?

I’m not so sure.

I know, I know. I’m an entitled brat, going to Harvard is always the best decision anyone could make, and I should shut up.

While that’s true to a certain extent, is it that cut and dry? Could I have ultimately been better off going to community college, or skipping school altogether? As student loan debt continues to outpace housing debt in the U.S., and college becomes increasingly unaffordable (tuition at Vassar is up to $51,000 per year), a lot of people are starting to ask that question.

A recent survey out of WGBH in Boston asked people nationwide how they would advise a high school senior who just inherited $200,000 and wanted to go to college. The majority of respondents said they’d tell that kid to “Spend some on community college and save the rest” rather than putting it toward tuition at a private, four-year school.

Many people believe it’s valuable to have some form of higher education, but that spending outrageous sums of money to go to a pricey four-year school isn’t worth it. And they might not be wrong.

Community college has many benefits. For one, it has an average cost of $3,000 per year. That’s pennies compared to average in-state tuition at a public college ($9,000), out-of-state tuition at a public university ($23,000), and private four-year colleges ($31,000).

The American Association of Community Colleges points out three other huge pluses: Flexibility, location, and variety. You can pretty much study what, when, and where you want. And if you decide to transfer to a four-year school, the acceptance rates are roughly the same as they would be if you were an undergraduate. 

I haven’t even mentioned the many benefits of attending a trade school or doing an apprenticeship, or the even more radical idea of skipping college altogether. 

You always hear about opportunity cost, or the money lost when one alternative is chosen over another, when people are considering a JD or an MBA. It rarely comes up with regard to undergraduate degrees, but it should.

If you’re not hyper-focused on acquiring a degree that will multiply your earnings, you could be better off financially if you just enter the workforce at 18. If you chose to do so but you still want some higher education, you could take advantage of the numerous and wonderful free websites that offer college-level courses. You want a free course on the computational mechanics of engineering (whatever the heck that means) from a professor at MIT? Have at it! What’s more, many jobs offer tuition reimbursement — meaning, if you have the time and energy, you could earn your degree part-time for free or at a discount.

You don’t have to feel like you’re limited if you choose an alternative path. A senior vice president in charge of hiring at Google recently said that they are hiring more people without college degrees than ever before.

What he’s saying (if you read between the lines) is, “We at the top tech companies are more likely to hire a self-taught, highly ambitious coder who never went to college than someone who went to Harvard for four years, skipped too many classes, and came away learning nothing but arcane knowledge about Japan’s bicameral legislature and how to sweet talk the dining hall staff into making him burgers after the grill was closed. We don’t want your kind here, Drew!”

• Related: Coding Boot Camps: Three Months to a Six-Figure Job?

If you’re on the fence about college at all, there’s no need to feel like a pariah. Independent thinkers and self-directed learners have never been more valued. And if you want to go to a community college, that is a fantastic option as well. You’ll gain skills, you’ll mature, and you can save serious money.  

If you want to achieve financial independence in a reasonable amount of time, not being saddled with student loan debt is absolutely critical. 

I’m ultimately happy that I went to Harvard — and again, I understand that I am privileged and lucky. I just truly think my life would have turned out just fine had I instead chosen to attend community college and then transferred to a state school.

If I had taken that route, it’s far less likely I’d have joined the 30% of millennials who say they would seriously consider selling an organ on the black market to get out from under student loan debt. If appendixes are in demand, sign me up.

Related Articles:

• 20 Colleges Well Worth the Money
• 10 Hot Job That Don’t Require a College Degree
• Take These Steps to Deal With Student Loan Debt
• Top 10 States for College Affordability

The post Why I Sometimes Regret Choosing Harvard over Community College appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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25 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Sell on eBay, From Pine Cones to Dentures

Are you getting ready for a yard sale? Maybe just trying to declutter?

Before you throw out the “useless” stuff kicking around your home, you might want to check this list!

I did some research for you and found some surprising things that you can sell on eBay.  I took pictures of already sold listings, so you can see what kind of money people are getting for their items. I came up with some fun things!

1. Empty Boxes

What?! Yes, that’s right, empty boxes will sell on eBay, depending on what the boxes are for.

Usually higher-end product boxes sell well.

A specific example could be empty American Girl Doll Boxes. Don’t believe me? Here is a specific listing where the box sold for $30.00!

These boxes sell for good money because the dolls are frequently archived, and people who purchase used dolls for their children (due to the expense) like to give their children the “new doll” experience by putting it in a genuine American Girl Doll box.

If you choose to buy a brand-new doll (approximately $125 dollars) you can earn back some of the money you spent.

Also try looking up shoe boxes, iPhone boxes, etc.

2. Cords

Old phone chargers (even your ANCIENT ones), power cords to video game systems, computers, USB cords and camera cords will often sell.

They may not sell for a ton of money, but every little bit counts. If you were planning to throw them out anyway, why not earn a few bucks?

Because these items are small, they are often easy to ship. Here is an example of a Playstation 3 Charging cord that sold for $4.00 (and some change). That’s four bucks you might have just thrown out!

3. Instruction Manuals

Nowadays, you can find most instruction manuals online.

However, vintage manuals or even just older manuals may not be online. These can often be sold for some money.

If you no longer even have that item the manual corresponds to, why not make some money off it?

4. Installation CDs/Drivers

If you have an older computer, printer or copier, it is possible that the drivers you need to install haven’t been put on the web.

Sell these old discs on eBay for some cash. If your printer dies, before tossing out the instructions/CD ROMs, check whether they have any value on eBay.

5. K-Cups

Do you have a Keurig at home? Or maybe your Keurig died and you’re choosing not to replace it?

Sometimes we may fall into the trap of buying in bulk when it comes to certain items. Often this is the best way to get a good deal with K-Cups.

Unfortunately if your machine dies or you simply don’t like the flavored coffee, you’re stuck with all these K-Cups you can’t use. Sell these partial boxes on eBay. You may not be able to completely recoup what you spent, but anything is better than nothing.

Be sure to display the expiration dates and explain that the boxes are not complete. Be prepared to answer questions as to why the boxes are opened.

6. My Coke Codes Rewards

Continuing the trend of items that don’t necessarily sell for much… people sell huge baggies of the My Coke Rewards caps and codes. If your family members are big soda drinkers, but you don’t want to use the codes, why not sell them on eBay?

This is another instance where you could potentially offer free shipping. Skip it altogether and manually type the codes into a message to the buyer.

7. Boxtops for Education

Surprisingly enough, you can frequently find bundles of boxtops on eBay. Some schools offer competitions and prizes to classes that collect the most, so parents are looking for cheap ways to get these codes.

It’s wonderful if you choose to donate these codes to one of your local schools, but if you find yourself just throwing them out, stop. Maybe you’d be more tempted to clip them if you could earn some cash for it.

8. Gift Cards

Have you ever gotten a gift card to a restaurant or store you don’t particularly like? Maybe a relative gave you a gift card to some place that isn’t local. What do you do?

You could re-gift the card to someone else. Or you can sell it on eBay.

This also works with PARTIAL gift cards. If you only have a few dollars left, for example, people will still purchase them. They often do not sell for the full value, but this is a way to keep those cards from sitting around and gathering dust.

People purchase used gift cards for many reasons. Perhaps they can like saving a few bucks on the value of the card. Maybe they want to give that card to someone, but don’t have a way to get a card from that store. They may live in another country.

You can offer free shipping on this if you want to email the buyer the code and PIN. Keep in mind you need to be exact in terms of how much is on the card. Sometimes the buyer might also want the physical card.

9. Remotes

When your television breaks and you replace it, the remote may still work. Rather than tossing it out with the TV, see if they have any value on eBay.

For every TV that dies, there may be someone out there who broke their remote. Check out these TV remotes for sale.

It helps if you know the specific model TV the remote goes to. Be sure to specify the condition and whether or not you include batteries.

10. Broken Electronics/Appliances

You can sell broken cellphones, laptops, video game systems, blenders and other items on eBay for quite a bit of money.

All you need to do is be clear the item is NOT working and is intended for parts only. If you are particularly skilled, you can even dismantle items, such as vacuums, and sell the parts individually.

When selling devices for parts, consider your safety, identity and personal information. If you sell an item for parts, you are taking the risk that someone can fix that item. If you used the device for banking, purchasing items online or anything like that, you may not want to sell the item in its entirety.

11. Craft Supplies

Thrift stores often throw out crafting supplies. However, you can find people looking online for vintage patterns, modern patterns, knitting needles, thread, buttons and much more.

Yarn and material can be particularly popular because they are fairly unique and can be difficult to match if you can’t find the exact lot number. Before you toss out that lace and other sewing supplies, take a peek at the listing on eBay.

12. Discontinued Products  

Chances are when an item is discontinued, someone out there is still using it or looking for the parts.

Be sure to try eBay before you toss the item in your yard sale. For example, Coconut M&M’s are selling for CRAZY prices on eBay right now!

This is also a great way to unload old toys. Sometimes people don’t start collecting a certain toy line or their kids aren’t interested until after the item is discontinued.

In some cases, even items with damaged or missing pieces can still be sold on eBay. Just make sure you’re honest.

13. Large Pine Cones

Seriously, 10 large pine cones can get you $6. The best thing about this is if you live in the country, near woods or have pine trees on your property, they’re free! Pine cones are fairly lightweight, which makes them cheap to ship.

Think about other things you may have around your property or area such as real fall leaves which have been pressed/dried. Anyone can do that!

14. Used Clothes

Did you realize you can sell your used clothes on eBay?

Keep in mind that this might not earn you big bucks, but it can often earn you more than you would make at a yard sale. Obviously, better name brands sell for more money.

However, common items in great condition sell very well. For example, standard black dress pants may have a good market because many people need them but don’t want to or can’t afford the prices in the store. Children’s clothing tends to sell exceptionally well on eBay.

15. Used Toilet Paper Rolls

You probably think I’m joking. I’m totally serious.

Empty toilet paper rolls will sell on eBay because they make great craft supplies for kids. They may not sell for a ton of money… but what else were you planning to do with them?

16. Perfume and Makeup Samples

Whether someone has a favorite product or is looking to try something new, perfume and makeup samples can do well on eBay.

Just be clear with the name and age of the product. How often do you get free samples that you have no intention of using, so you just toss them out?

 

17. Junk

Seriously. Items with the words “junk drawer” are plentiful on eBay.  

Remember the saying, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure”? Before you dump that junk drawer in the garbage, see if anyone will snag it online.

This can also work for items you may not recognize. Simply include the word “junk” or “miscellaneous” in the listing title.

18. Dentures

Yes, that’s right. Dentures can (and do) sell on eBay.

So if you come across some dentures, maybe you should consider listing them. If you don’t have the dentures themselves, denture supplies like cases and cleaners will also sell.

19. Empty Perfume Bottles

These are huge hits with crafters, people planning weddings and much more. Often, empty perfume bottles can sell for good cash.

What a great idea for something you’d otherwise just toss! Think about other containers you might be able to sell, too.

20. Vintage Women’s Panties

Panties, as well as other vintage clothing items, can be hot sellers on eBay. You might be surprised how frequently these items are bought and sold.

Before you take all of those old clothes to the thrift store, be sure to check eBay.

21. Magazines  

Current or vintage magazines can sell incredibly well depending on the publication, condition, featured articles and other factors. Even “normal” or “boring” magazines will sell to crafters or collectors.

Be sure to list any specifics in terms of the name, date, volume/issue number and condition. This information will help someone seeking one specific issue. Also, some CATALOGS will sell — check out these American Girl Doll catalogs.

22. Empty Egg Cartons

Say what? Yes, empty egg cartons will sell on eBay.

Why exactly? They can be used for a variety of things such as crafts or for people who sell eggs.

Because they are lightweight and can easily stack inside one another, they’re fairly easy to ship.

23. Old Computer Software

Before you toss out all those old computer games and other CD ROMs from your old devices, take a peek at eBay. It can be very hard to find some of these old CD ROMs and programs. You don’t want to risk losing out on some easy cash!

As an added bonus, even if you no longer have the disc, empty CD and DVD cases can also be sold on eBay.

24. Pig-Themed Items

Are you tired of spending lots of money trying to complete your perfect kitchen theme? Chances are other people feel the same way.

Before you give away all those pig-(or rooster-, or cow-, or horse-, or well, you get the idea) themed items, take a peek on eBay and see what they’re going for.

Consider selling a “lot” of themed items rather than individual ones. You’d be surprised what’s selling.

25. Old Coffee Mugs

If you’re anything like me, coffee mugs seem to just pile up. Go on a trip, get a mug. Friends give you mugs because you drink coffee. Someone sees a coffee mug with your name on it.

You get the idea. Old coffee mugs can be sold on eBay because somewhere someone might be looking for the one you have. People often like to replace their favorite items if they break or wear out. Your mug doesn’t necessarily need to be a collectible.

Some of the most popular coffee mugs to discover are old Starbucks mugs. Next time you are walking around your thrift store, check out the mug section.

These are just some of the more unique items you can sell on eBay. Before you get rid of all those dust collectors, make sure you aren’t losing out one some extra cash.

Keep in mind that some of the items on this list may or may not be approved to be sold on eBay. Make sure to double-check the rules on eBay before you list.

Your Turn: Which of these surprised you the most? The dentures one caught me pretty off guard!

This post was originally published at I Am That Lady, where Lauren Greutman writes about getting out of $40,000 in debt by learning how to meal plan. She now teaches others how to meal plan and enjoy life on a budget.

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

The post 25 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Sell on eBay, From Pine Cones to Dentures appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Let Her Corner Help You Grow Your Woman-Owned Business

By Kimi Clark If you’re a woman entrepreneur and small business owner, you don’t have to go it alone – let Her Corner help you grow your woman-owned business. Owning and operating a business is hard work and can be filled with uncertainty,  unanswered questions, and lack of support (especially if you’re a one-woman show). […]

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The problem with Sydney’s new stations

LOCATIONS for six brand new railway stations in Sydney have been announced. But some are so close it might be quicker to walk between them than catch the train.

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Uber driver reacts to Paris attacks

“THESE people say they act under the name of Islam.” A Muslim Uber driver’s response to the Paris attacks has gone viral.

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Coles and Woolies now selling time

COLES and Woolworths have begun stocking an unusual new item. You can now give the ultimate gift to a loved one: free time.

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Hey Military Members! This Vet Shows How He Earned an Extra $500 in 6 Months

Families across the country (and world) recently found out military pay is set to go up by 1.3% starting in January 2016.

Though the increase is welcome, it’s still less than the rising cost of living, which has increased 1.9% in the last 12 months. For hard-working service members, that means stretching their dollars even further.  

We were thrilled to see so many restaurants and stores offer free stuff to veterans last week — but we all know free food doesn’t pay the bills.

So we chatted with Capt. Arron Conley, a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army, and retired Brig. Gen Daniel Bader, who served 27 years in the Air Force, about how service members could bring in some extra money. They gave us a really simple idea you may not have considered…

Change your credit card.

It might sound far-fetched, but both Conley and Bader have managed to earn cash back — we’re talking hundred of dollars — just by using a PenFed Visa Defender card.

They gave us a few insider tips on how this works for them. Have a look:

Tip #1. Save $100s By Avoiding Annual Fees

Most rewards cards carry annual fees (often as high as $95), so switching cards will lead to savings — both now and in the years to come.

Why? Because the PenFed Defender cards have no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees.

Of course, if you carry a balance on the card, there are interest charges — right now, between 8.99% and 17.99% — but you should pay off the card in full each month anyway. (Remember: If you can’t be responsible with a credit card, no rewards are worth going into debt over.)

Tip #2. Increase Your Cash-Back % to Make Some Extra Money

Bader, the retired brigadier general, used to have a credit card that earned him 1% cash back. When he learned about the PenFed Defender Visa Signature® card, he decided to switch.

That’s because the Defender cards give you 1.5% cash back on every single purchase — with no limit.¹ That’s pretty high for a cash-back card, especially one with no fees.

In the six months Bader’s had the card, he’s earned more than $500 in cash-back rewards, which he (smartly) uses to help him pay off the card in full each month.

Sure, most of us won’t be able to earn rewards as quickly as Bader, but that 1.5% still adds up. If you spend $1,000 on the card each month, for example, you’ll earn $180 by the end of the year — just for making purchases like you normally would.

Bonus #1: You Can Take It With You Overseas

Have you heard of chip and pin cards? All American credit cards were supposed to migrate to this technology, but many still haven’t caught up.

The PenFed Defender cards already have a chip and pin, which makes them not only more secure — but also a solid choice for international travel. (As you may know, many foreign vendors don’t accept swipe cards.)

Conley got the PenFed Visa Defender card specifically for international travel. He’s been to more than 40 countries, both for work and pleasure; most recently, he traveled to Dubai, Rwanda and South Africa.

Though he brought the Defender card as his backup (he’d only received it a few days prior), it soon became his go-to.

“I tried to use my other MasterCard, and it kept declining,” he says. “I ended up only using the PenFed Visa Defender card my entire trip when I was in Africa, so it really did save my butt.”

Bonus #2: You’ll Help Make a Difference

Want to do business with a company that supports the armed services?

PenFed’s nonprofit arm, the PenFed Foundation, offers a variety of programs to help military members and their families, including no-interest emergency loans, financial counseling and home-buying assistance.

“I’m extremely satisfied with the Defender credit card,” Conley says. “So much so that I am cancelling two other credit cards I have. I would definitely recommend it for other service members… Especially if you’re going abroad.”

Interested in getting a cash-back credit card? Click here to learn more about the PenFed Defender credit cards and decide if they’re right for you.

For more information, visit PenFed at http://ift.tt/1HMR75S or call 1-800-247-5626.

Your Turn: Do you have a military credit card?

Sponsorship Disclosure: A huge thanks to PenFed for working with us to bring you this content. It’s rare that we have the opportunity to share something so awesome and get paid for it! 

Disclosure: These cards have variable interest rates, which can change at any time.

¹ Cash advances, checks drawn from the account, and balance transfers are excluded and do not earn credit toward rewards.

The post Hey Military Members! This Vet Shows How He Earned an Extra $500 in 6 Months appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Cars we remember: Station Wagon collector car query

Q: Hello Greg and I’m thinking of getting into the collector car hobby (I am in my late 50s) and have a few dollars saved for the purchase. Right now, I am being drawn to a station wagon as that’s what my parents always had when I was growing up in the Sixties.I know you like station wagons, so how about a few tips for a person who wants to enjoy going to all the local car shows here in New York and Pennsylvania. Charles, Owego N.Y.A: Charles, [...]

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