Life is full of unanswered questions. Luckily, none of these financial worries should ever be a question again.
Check out the budget calculator round-up on The No-Pants CEO.
Showing posts with label personal finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal finance. Show all posts
Best Budget Calculators on the Web
Life is full of unanswered questions. Luckily, none of these financial worries should ever be a question again.
Check out the budget calculator round-up on The No-Pants CEO.
Making Money Online: Mypoints
I've taken the last week to kick back and relax. I haven't had a vacation in since the summer breaks where I didn't work in college. That was years ago, so it's been nice to take it easy. It's also been nice to get $50 in free gas by redeeming my points for a gas card from MyPoints so I can take a little road R&R. I've been looking at my reward programs recently and decided to start a series reviewing some of them for those of you who are not already getting rewarded for your everyday activities.
I've been a members since May of 2006, so I can report with some authority on the program. My favorite way to redeem points is for gas cards, but I have occasionally redeemed them for shopping at other retailers. Since I became a member, I have never had a problem receiving my points or gift cards. They are always delivered on time and customer service is friendly and prompt.
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| As you can see, that's actually my account. I've got $10 left after redeeming a $50 gas card. Not bad! |
MyPoints.com Overview
MyPoints is an online program that allows you to redeem your points for merchandise, gift cards, paypal cash, and charity donations. You accumulate points by doing online shopping, receiving e-mails, doing surveys, and completing special offers. I originally signed up to get even more benefit out of online shopping and have used it primarily for that reason since. I generally click through the e-mails, but have found some great unexpected deals there too. For example, I always file my taxes online. This year, I used a click through for my tax prep and earned 1,000 points for something I was going to do anyways. They also have a new store where you can buy gift cards for yourself or as gifts and earn points. Most programs won't allow you to earn points by buying gift cards, so this is a huge bonus and really sets it apart.I've been a members since May of 2006, so I can report with some authority on the program. My favorite way to redeem points is for gas cards, but I have occasionally redeemed them for shopping at other retailers. Since I became a member, I have never had a problem receiving my points or gift cards. They are always delivered on time and customer service is friendly and prompt.
Earn Bonus Points
If you are interested in signing up, go to mypoints.com. Or if you'd like to earn bonus points, contact me through social media or leave a comment and I will send you an invite. By clicking through the invite, you earn 750 bonus points simply for making a $20 purchase which is roughly a $5 reward. Easy peasy and you're on your way to getting more bang for your buck.Winks 5-8-13
Winks are Wednesday link round-ups of all my favorite reading over the last week to get you over your mid-week slump. Check out the links below for some great reading about improving yourself and your business.
In fact, upon review I had several systems under my belt that I had been using for years - things that I have seen employers ask for specifically on job applications. It reminded me that I needed to update my resume by removing irrelevant items and replacing it with a skills section. Not only does my resume look better and more accuratley show my knowledge base, but I also reminded myself that I am more than capable of learning new programs quickly to benefit myself and my co-workers. What are you doing that shows your skills in a new light?
- The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People
- Ernest Hemingway’s Top 5 Tips for Writing Well
- 8 Tips for Social Business, Part 1: Evaluating your Social Goals
- 50 Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2013
In fact, upon review I had several systems under my belt that I had been using for years - things that I have seen employers ask for specifically on job applications. It reminded me that I needed to update my resume by removing irrelevant items and replacing it with a skills section. Not only does my resume look better and more accuratley show my knowledge base, but I also reminded myself that I am more than capable of learning new programs quickly to benefit myself and my co-workers. What are you doing that shows your skills in a new light?
Winks to Grow On 4-10-13
Winks are Wednesday link round-ups for relevant reading to get you over your mid-week slump. Check out the links below for some great reading about improving yourself and your business.
- 7 Keys to Small Business Success: Self discipline and motivation (above)
- Simple Strategies for Last-Minute Tax Filers
- Free Small Business Webinars to Help Improve Your Bottom Line
- Improve Your Business' Social Presence with These Twitter Tools
- 5 Reasons to Get Out of Debt Now
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A Quick Study in Interest Rates and a Public Service Annoucement
There are several major theories on the most effective way to pay off debt. They make for very good reading, but I want to quickly touch on two other topics: simple comparisons and debt shaming. Let's start with the easy stuff.
I am sometimes surprised by how much some people seem to hate numbers. Literally, I cannot begin to tell you how many people have talked about "you finance people" like it's the new clique in school who shoots you dirty looks. They are amazed at some of the things you can do with spreadsheets and how you can keep it all straight. I feel the same about cars and history.
This in itself is not a bad thing. We all have areas where we excel. However, not understanding something can quickly lead into unpleasant areas you didn't expect. Recently, I had a conversation about student loan debt wherein this person had two loans with the same interest rate. Without the fine print in front of you, you cannot be certain of all the details. However, I had to explain numerous times the concept of how much interest would be paid between them. It took three examples to get the point across that it is the same. So when you are truly comparing apples to apples, meaning all the fees, ect are the same, it will work out like below.
Let's do a quick example:
I am sometimes surprised by how much some people seem to hate numbers. Literally, I cannot begin to tell you how many people have talked about "you finance people" like it's the new clique in school who shoots you dirty looks. They are amazed at some of the things you can do with spreadsheets and how you can keep it all straight. I feel the same about cars and history.
This in itself is not a bad thing. We all have areas where we excel. However, not understanding something can quickly lead into unpleasant areas you didn't expect. Recently, I had a conversation about student loan debt wherein this person had two loans with the same interest rate. Without the fine print in front of you, you cannot be certain of all the details. However, I had to explain numerous times the concept of how much interest would be paid between them. It took three examples to get the point across that it is the same. So when you are truly comparing apples to apples, meaning all the fees, ect are the same, it will work out like below.
Let's do a quick example:
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
Scenario 3
It's a topsy-turvy world. Now remember how not understanding can lead to unpleasantness? Think politics, religion, love, and anything else that results in defamation, death, or desolation. Those are more extreme examples, but the concept of debt shaming is a rising trend that I find particularly disheartening.
The person with these student loans felt bad about paying them off in the "incorrect" order according to his father who also did not understand the above examples. It immediately brought to mind the debate on whether to pay of the smallest loan first or the one with the highest rate. That's a conversation for another day. What I feel very strongly about though is that debt is an epidemic in this county - one most of us face at one time or another. It is a hard and often emotional thing to go through. Debt shaming for not doing it the "right" way is counterproductive and hurtful. It has the added bonus of making a person afraid to speak to others about their goals and progress, making it even more likely they will miss out on good advice or slip back to old habits.
I advocate for paying off debt in the way that makes it most likely that you will achieve your goal. Don't be afraid to find a way that works for you because you are the only one who knows whether it is a regimen you can commit to or not. Control your own life and remember to tread kindly.
Winks to Grow On 4-3-13
Winks are Wednesday link round-ups for relevant reading to get you over your mid-week slump. Check out the links below for some great reading about improving yourself and your business.
- Top 3 tips for networking at events - Liz Lynch (above)
- 101 Useful Things You Can Do in 15 Minutes or Less
- 12 Smart Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill
- When Social Media at Work Don't Create Productivity-Killing Distractions
- Take Charge of Your Professional Development
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The Fulfillment Curve
I just read about the idea of the Fulfillment Curve at The Simple Dollar a few days ago and have been mulling it over since. Scratch that, I've been thinking about it for years now but in less structured terms. I became aware of the idea of editing your life, which greatly appealed to me. Now, I am currently transitioning from my mid to late twenties, which is a good time for self reflection. This is an important time to figure out what you want, what you have, and where you will move from here. So I have spent the last year heavily weighing my options, especially in the face of a job that was not a good fit for me. Enter: a new way of looking at your life.
I used to want a mansion when I lived with my parents, but looking back what I wanted was SPACE. I needed my own space where I could live MY life and focus on the things that were important to ME. The older you get, the more you realize that that kind of space has little to do with actual physical space.
Small space living is addicting. I used to adore walking through the "concept" homes in Ikea. It was equal parts voyeurism and inspiration. The smaller my apartment, the happier I was as long as I could move around. It also meant less stuff which also increased my happiness. I am currently between a 5 and 6 when it comes to actual space, junk in my apartment and living expenses.
So currently I should be spending less on my apartment. I will be fixing this soon. I should be spending more on saving for travel. I haven't taken a vacation in... ever. Traveling has been a burning desire my entire life. However, I spend more time moving and less time actually traveling and have been spending my money on other "more important" things. Most of these things are related to saving for retirement and paying down debt, so I won't say they are not important. However, this needs to be made a priority. I have regretted this for years and it's time that I start working to fix this so I won't have to live with regret until I'm too told to do anything about it.
I used to want a mansion when I lived with my parents, but looking back what I wanted was SPACE. I needed my own space where I could live MY life and focus on the things that were important to ME. The older you get, the more you realize that that kind of space has little to do with actual physical space.
Small space living is addicting. I used to adore walking through the "concept" homes in Ikea. It was equal parts voyeurism and inspiration. The smaller my apartment, the happier I was as long as I could move around. It also meant less stuff which also increased my happiness. I am currently between a 5 and 6 when it comes to actual space, junk in my apartment and living expenses.
So currently I should be spending less on my apartment. I will be fixing this soon. I should be spending more on saving for travel. I haven't taken a vacation in... ever. Traveling has been a burning desire my entire life. However, I spend more time moving and less time actually traveling and have been spending my money on other "more important" things. Most of these things are related to saving for retirement and paying down debt, so I won't say they are not important. However, this needs to be made a priority. I have regretted this for years and it's time that I start working to fix this so I won't have to live with regret until I'm too told to do anything about it.
Winks to Grow on 3-27-13
Winks are Wednesday link round-ups for relevant reading to get you over your mid-week slump. Check out the links below for some great reading about improving yourself and your business.
- Improve your memory with the "POPCORN" method (above)
- A Rancher and a Rabbi turn a blog into a business
- Certified B Corporations are leading a global movement to redefine success in business.
- 10 Free Household Budget Spreadsheets
- 14 Tips For Staying Calm During A Job Interview
Like these articles? Get more likes these every day by following SlowGrowBlog on Twitter.
Winks to Grow On
Winks are Wednesday link round-ups for relevant reading to get you over your mid-week slump. Check out the links below for some great reading.
- Generation Y: The (modern) world of personal finance (above)
- The Guardian launches US personal finance section
- 10 Personal Finance Experts to Follow on Twitter
- 4 Growth Tactics for Your Small Business
- Stop Wasting Time: 20 Ways to get more done at work
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