Stashing Dollars

7 Ways to Save Money on Back to School Shopping

cmb38 — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 19:26:08 +0000

While the summer season may still be in full force, the start of the school year is not too far off. In a few weeks, parents will be getting letters in the mail with their children’s room assignments, teachers, and a long list of school supplies.

Whether your children are in elementary school or heading off to college, they’ll probably need some new supplies to make this year the best yet.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policies for more details.

Back to School Shopping Tips

Rather than wait until the last minute, check out these top tips for saving money on back-to-school shopping. You may be surprised by how many back-to-school deals you can find if you look hard enough!

Check Social Media

Everybody is online these days, including most stores and companies. Be sure to check out the social media accounts for any of the stores that you plan on getting school supplies from.

For instance, Target features plenty of videos, ads, and promotions on their Facebook page, making it a great resource for parents.

The store even offers back-to-school sales exclusively for teachers so be sure to check on that before the new school year arrives.

Walmart is another popular retailer for back-to-school items and they also have some awesome deals on college essentials such as dorm furniture and bedding.

Their Facebook page features Q&As with Walmart employees about the best deals as well as tips on how to shop for college supplies.

Of course, they’ve got plenty of items for school-aged kids as well so be sure to check them out online.

Other stores that you might want to visit on Facebook or Twitter include Staples, Office Depot, and Best Buy.

They’ve got everything from folders and notebooks to pens and highlighters as well as high-tech laptops for older students.

In addition, many retailers have mobile apps that consumers can download to their phones for extra savings.

Target has the Cartwheel app, which allows for faster, easier shopping and app-exclusive discounts. The Walmart app is great for pre-ordering and then picking up your items in store.

The Best Buy app has a cool feature where consumers can scan an item in the store and compare the price with similar items, ensuring that they get the best deal.

Drop by the Dollar Store

While the dollar store isn’t a one-stop shop for all of your school supplies, you may find some unexpected back-to-school deals here.

The dollar store is an awesome place for basics such as notebooks, folders, pencils, poster board, and rulers.

They can also be a good place to shop for things such as hand sanitizer and Kleenex tissue, items that many elementary school students are asked to bring on the first day of school.

Students who are entering college or returning to campus in the fall can even find some useful kitchen gadgets or small odds and ends for their dorm or shared apartment.

Another popular store is Five Below, which sells products that range from $1 to $5. Here, you can find school supplies, dorm accessories, and small electronic items such as phone covers and laptop cases.

The store also sells basic art supplies and they’ve been growing their clothing collection, particularly things such as socks, T-shirts, and gym wear. If your child is in need of any of these things, be sure to hit Five Below now to get the best selection.

Reuse What You Can

Before you start your back-to-school shopping, it would be a good idea to take stock of what you already have at home.

Maybe you stocked up on composition books last year so you don’t need to buy any new ones this year.

Some items that you might already have floating around the house include things such as pens and pencils, erasers, handheld pencil sharpeners, and rulers.

You should also see if you can reuse some items from last year. For instance, your child’s backpack may still be in good condition so if you think that it can last another year, this will save you some money.

Moreover, your children may have pencil cases or binders from last year that they can use for the upcoming school year.

The same concept applies to college students. They can probably reuse their bedding, area rugs, trash cans, desk lamps, and technology such as their phone and laptop.

Kids and teens will always want to get new clothes for the new school year but encourage them to continue wearing any clothes that still fit.

If everyone’s up for it, a clothing swap can be a fun, no-cost way to update a wardrobe. Have your kids and their friends get together and bring along any clothing that no longer fits or they would like to get rid of.

Everyone can have fun swapping clothes and it will feel as if they’ve gone shopping for new threads.

Another idea is thrift shopping, which teens may take a particular interest in. You can encourage them to purchase second-hand clothing, using their own money if they have it!

This appeases their inner fashionista while instilling in them an idea that they don’t need “new” products.

Saving on School Uniforms

Now, if your children need to wear uniforms to school, then your situation is a bit different but there are

still plenty of back-to-school sales on uniforms. First of all, check to see if your child’s school offers a uniform exchange or any deals for families on a budget.

More schools (even public ones) are requiring uniforms these days and they know that these clothing pieces can be expensive for many families.

Therefore, it never hurts to ask if they have any systems in place to help ease the financial burden.

Another idea is to check out thrift stores and consignment shops because these places often have clothing that meets the general guidelines of many school uniforms, such as khaki pants or black slacks and polo shirts in various colors.

These are pretty easy to come by in places such as Goodwill and local consignment shops. Even large retailers such as Foreman Mills, JCPenney, Target, and Walmart are now carrying clothing that meets these requirements.

These stores often carry uniform brands such as French Toast and Basic Editions. There are also deals online at sites such as CookiesKids.com and DollarDays.com.

Tackling College Textbooks

If you’ve got a student in college, then you know that the textbooks are ridiculously expensive. The thing is that lots of students don’t even purchase textbooks at full price, thanks to the different deals out there.

One of them is to rent the books instead of buying them. After all, students will probably only need the textbook for a single semester so why spend all that money?

Textbook rental services are popular with the college-aged crowd and can make books available to them at a steep discount.

Chegg.com is a common source for rented books as are ecampus.com and textbookrentals.com.

It’s not uncommon to rent a $180 book for $30 for the entire semester. The downside to these sites is that they often charge extra fees for late returns or damaged books so be sure to check the policies before renting.

Another possibility to check with the professors beforehand because they may have some workarounds.

Lots of college professors feel for their students and are just as appalled by the price of textbooks as the students are.

Your child’s professor might have handouts or an online access code for the textbook, especially if only specific parts of the book are being used for the class.

In some cases, it’s worth it to purchase the book. The professor might be taking information from the latest edition of the textbook, in which case it may make sense to buy the new version.

This is often the case in math or science classes in which the new edition features an accompanying online access code.

If your students are faced with this scenario, perhaps they can split the cost with a classmate or friend who is also taking the course. That way, they both get access to the book but they’re not shelling out as much money.

Extracurricular Expenses

It’s great that your child wants to participate in all kinds of school activities, be it band, choir, art club, or a sport.

However, these extracurricular activities can often be expensive so you may have to limit your children to one after-school hobby per semester or year.

This can get tricky, especially if they want to play an instrument or join a sports team, so here are some ways to decrease the cost of equipment and accessories.

If your children want to join a sports team, then try to register them early because this can sometimes come with early-bird rates.

Moreover, it never hurts to look for scholarships or discounts, especially if your kid is a good student or you’re a low-income family.

You may also check out the YMCA for community-based teams, which tend to be less competitive but also less expensive.

As for gear, SidelineSwap.com and PlayItAgainSports.com are websites where people sell and trade their used athletic gear.

This includes things such as hockey sticks, baseball mitts, and cleats. Check garage sales and ask neighbors and friends if they’ve got any sports gear that they’re no longer using.

For gymnastics and dance, register early and see if there are any YMCA or community classes. Maybe the school has a dance or gymnastics club!

You can also check for leotards and tights at thrift stores or consignment shops. Some shoe stores sell ballet, jazz, and tap shoes at half the price.

Your kid might be musically inclined and that’s great but instruments can cost a pretty penny.

Renting an instrument from the school or a site like MusicGoRound.com is a smart choice. Fortunately, many schools have music programs, which saves you from paying for private lessons.

You should also keep in mind that we’ve got a new generation of kids who grew up with the Internet. They may take well to online lessons or YouTube tutorials. There are videos on everything from singing and dancing to any kind of instrument.

For your artsy kid, the dollar store, Five Below, and retailers such as Walmart and Kmart have countless art supplies and you can find great back-to-school deals in the late summer.

Hopefully, these tips will help you support your children’s interests without holding them back.

Remember that limiting your child to just one after-school activity has its advantages. Besides saving you money, it encourages your kid to commit to something rather than dabbling in several different things.

If she focuses her energy on learning the violin but after a year decides that she doesn’t like it, then she can try out something else.

At least she’ll know for sure that the violin isn’t for her since she poured all of her effort into that one extracurricular. Plus, you avoid an over-scheduled and anxious kid!

Exercise Your Power as a Parent

Finally, remember that you have the final say in what your child brings to school this year.

Use your best judgment and keep in mind that students don’t need the latest supplies or high-tech gadgets to do well in school.

Whether you decide to go back-to-school shopping alone or with your kids, remind them that you’re only getting things on their school supplies list.

Encourage college students to focus on the essentials and maybe even work a few hours during the week to save up their own cash.

Sure, it’s not easy to say no to your kids but sometimes being a parent means just saying no.

Instead of focusing on that word, emphasize the positives of saving on back-to-school items. For example, reusing or swapping supplies and clothing is one way to create a more circular economy and take care of the planet.

It also teaches your kids to be thrifty and resourceful, something that will be useful to them for years to come. Your children might not appreciate it now but they’ll come around.

Put your energy into supporting them as they enter this new school year because your commitment to them will outlast a new pair of jeans or fancy laptop.

Swagbucks In-Depth Review – Can You Make Money for Browsing the Web?

cmb38 — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 23:41:29 +0000

Can you really earn money by browsing the web and taking online surveys? If you sign up to Swagbucks you can earn points and redeem them for money.

Swagbucks is one of the most popular online survey and rewards program sites. They are receiving a lot of attention, but is it worth spending your time searching the internet and taking surveys?

If you are thinking about joining Swagbucks, take a moment to learn more about it before giving all your free time to this rewards site.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policies for more details.

What Is Swagbucks and How Do You Get Started?

What is Swagbucks? Swagbucks is an online loyalty rewards program. Users earn points for many of the web activities that they already perform, such as shopping, watching videos, and searching the internet.

The site also presents users with online surveys and special offers.

After joining the site, users start earning points for completing these various activities. The points can then be redeemed for gift cards or cash back from PayPal.

There is no catch. You simply earn points for using the internet. However, before you devote your time to searching the web and taking surveys, you should learn more about Swagbucks and how it works.

The Basics of How Swagbucks Works

How does Swagbucks work? Users need to create an account to start earning SB (Swagbucks) points.

You do not need to provide any financial information when signing up. You just need to enter your email address and create a password. Swagbucks also allows you to sign up with Facebook.

After you sign up, you can instantly start earning SB points. These points are earned through various activities, but the primary methods involve searching the web.

Swagbucks has its own search bar called Swagbucks Search. You install the toolbar in your web browser and perform searches to earn points.

Yahoo powers the search engine, which some users may not like. While Google has become the preferred search engine, Yahoo still provides reliable search results.

Besides searching the web, you can earn points for taking online surveys, shopping, and taking polls. These activities are offered through the website or mobile app.

You typically get one or two SB points for each activity. You also earn one SB point for every dollar that you spend at participating online retailers, such as Walmart or Macy’s.

After you earn enough points, you can redeem your points for money. That covers the basics of Swagbucks. The concept is simple. You earn points and then redeem them.

What Do You Get With Your SB Points?

When you earn enough SB points, you can redeem them for gift cards. Every 100 SB points earn you a $1 gift card to a retailer. Walmart, Amazon, and other popular retailers are available.

Instead of gift cards, you can receive a payout through PayPal. However, they have a minimum payout. You need 2500 SB points to get $25. The PayPal transfer may also take a day to appear in your account.

If you visit the Swagbucks website each day, you may also find the occasional sale on various rewards.

Swagbucks also provides several special offers, such as 12% off the first $25 Amazon gift card that you claim each month. Instead of 2500 SB points, you just need 2200 SB points.

How Much Money Can You Make with Swagbucks?

After you learn how to use Swagbucks, you may want to know how much money you can make. The truth is that you may not make a lot.

Here is a closer look at the ways to make money with Swagbucks:

Shopping online
Answering surveys
Watching videos
Taking polls
Discovering offers
Searching the web
Playing games

The amount of points that you earn varies. With some activities, you earn one or two SB points. Other activities earn you two to three points. Explore each point-earning method in detail below.

Shopping Online

You can earn one SB point for every dollar spent when you shop through the Swagbucks shopping portal. To earn points, you need to visit the Swagbucks website and sign into your account.

After signing in, visit the portal to browse the list of participating retailers.

Swagbucks claims that you can earn cash back while shopping at over 1500 different retailers. Some of the biggest companies participate, including Target, Walmart, and Amazon. This is a simple way to earn points while doing something that you already do.

Answering Surveys

Online surveys are becoming a popular way to earn money. There are dozens of sites that provide these surveys, including Swagbucks. However, Swagbucks gives you a variety of ways to earn.

The surveys provide another easy way to earn a few points. Each survey typically only takes a few minutes to complete and you can take as many as you want.

However, there is a small catch. The surveys are offered through third-party websites and there are no guarantees that your participation will be needed.

While filling out a survey, you may find out that you are not qualified. Some users have reported that they only end up qualifying for about 10% of the surveys that they start. You may end up wasting time without earning any points.

Keep in mind that you are likely to run into this same issue when completing surveys on any other online survey site.

Watching Videos

Swagbucks has a collection of videos sorted into playlists. You can earn SB points for watching these playlists. Unfortunately, most of the content is short video clips and movie trailers. After a few minutes of watching these videos, you are likely to get a little bored.

Some users leave the videos playing while they perform other activities, which is an option. However, you only earn a limited amount of SB points and playing videos using bandwidth on your internet connection.

Taking Polls

Each day, Swagbucks puts out a new poll. You can earn one SB point for taking the poll. It is a simple and quick way to get another point without really doing anything.

Discovering Offers

There is a section on the Swagbucks website that presents various offers from popular brands and retailers. You earn SB points when you check out the offers and sign up for new services.

It is not the best way to earn points, but you may discover a few good deals and get some free points.

Playing Games

Swagbucks has partnered with the GSN website, which is part of the Game Show Network. The GSN website includes dozens of casino games, such as slots and online poker. You can earn points for in-game purchases that you make.

Swagbucks also has their own collection of original games. If you play these games, you may randomly earn SB points, but there are no guaranteed earnings.

Searching the Web

Searching the web is one of the primary ways to earn SB points. You need to use the toolbar to perform the searches, which is a little inconvenient if you prefer to use Google or Bing.

The amount that you earn also varies and you may not earn anything when performing some searches.

Daily Bonuses

If you earn lots of SB points, you may get a bonus. The bonus varies and is given to users that earn the most points throughout the day.

That covers most of the ways that you earn SB points. Besides these options, you also earn points when you first sign up and when you refer a friend.

Is Swagbucks Legitimate?

Swagbucks pays you for completing actions online. There is no scam involved in this process. In fact, Swagbucks does not need access to your bank account. You can either redeem your points for gift cards or get paid on PayPal.

There are no hidden fees or special restrictions that will cause you to forfeit your SB points. It is a completely safe, legal, and free way to earn some pocket money.

Advantages of Swagbucks

Why should you think about joining Swagbucks? Compared to other rewards sites or online survey sites, Swagbucks offers the following benefits:

Legitimate US-based company
Large online community
Variety of ways to earn points
Get paid for doing things you already do
Convenient website and mobile app

Swagbucks is a legitimate website, owned and managed by a real company. Prodege is a US-based company in El Segundo, California. They currently have an A+ Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating and managed several different rewards sites.

Swagbucks also has a large online community of users. If you visit the Reddit Swagbucks subreddit, you can receive tips and recommendations from more experienced users.

You can also post any questions that you have and receive a fast response from another member.

With Swagbucks, you get several different options for earning points. There are many other sites available that simply offer online surveys.

You can only take a limited number of surveys before you get too bored to continue. When you use Swagbucks, you can perform a different activity when you get tired of surveys. Instead of taking a survey, you can watch a video or play a game.

Many of the activities are things that you may already do. For example, searching the internet is something that most people do several times per day.

If you remember to perform all your searches using the Swagbucks Search Toolbar, you can ensure that you earn a little bit each day.

Swagbucks also makes it easy to earn, as you can visit the website or download the mobile app. All the features of the website are available through the app, including the videos and shopping portal.

Disadvantages of Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a legitimate site that pays you to use the internet. It is not a scam and there are no major drawbacks.

Keep in mind that the payouts are small. You need to put in a lot of time to earn SB points. Most users may only earn a dozen or so points per day. However, if you want to waste several hours of your time each day, you can earn more.

Another drawback is that you may not qualify for every survey that you try to take. When you first join Swagbucks, you complete a profile survey that helps the website find suitable surveys from third-party websites.

When you take an online survey, you visit the third-party website. If you do not meet their qualifications, you get sent back to the Swagbucks website without earning an SB point. Some users find that they rarely qualify for online surveys while others qualify for most surveys.

You may also find yourself getting bored of trying to earn SB points. It is easy to get bored when performing the same activities each day.

The video selection, daily poll, and internet searches can get repetitive. After the novelty of earning points wears off, you may find yourself using Swagbucks less frequently.

The final drawback is that you may need to wait a while to receive your gift card. The company claims to deliver gift cards via email within 10 to 14 days.

Some users have reported getting their gift cards in just seven days. No matter if it takes one or two weeks, this is still a long time to wait for a small gift card.

Tips for Earning More Money through Swagbucks

If you want to know how to earn Swagbucks fast, you first need to understand that earning SB points requires a time commitment. You need 100 SB points to earn a $1 gift card. If you plan to get paid cash through PayPal, you need to earn 2500 SB points to get $25.

When you are only earning a few SB points per hour, it may take weeks before you earn $25.

Luckily, there are several methods for increasing your earnings. You should start by using the internet search toolbar.

Install the toolbar and use it for all your searches. You can also use the search bar instead of typing in the addresses of the sites that you regularly visit. Making a habit out of using Swagbucks Search should help you maximize your daily earnings.

You need to check the Swagbucks website each day for special offers, the daily craves, and a daily poll. Take advantage of these simple ways to earn a few extra SB points each day.

If you are serious about earning SB points, you should also subscribe to the Reddit Swagbucks subreddit. Check the subreddit each day to discuss the latest earning techniques with other users. The subreddit also holds its own sweepstakes, giving you the chance to earn extra SB points.

You can also earn points for shopping online. Before you make any purchase online, visit the shopping portal on Swagbucks and find out if the retailer participates with this program. There is no reason not to earn these free points by shopping through the portal.

If you know other people that may be interested in joining Swagbucks, invite them to join. You can get up to 1000 SB points for referrals. It is another easy way to earn more points.

You should try to earn more SB points while performing other activities. For example, you may take a few surveys while watching TV or playing videos while doing your laundry.

The bottom line is that there are no shortcuts to earning SB points. If you want to earn gift cards or cash, you need to spend time performing mundane activities or by shopping online.

Who Should Consider Joining Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is best-suited for those that have free time. Before joining Swagbucks, you should consider how much you value your time, as it is easy to waste several hours on the website while only earning a few dozen SB points.

Keep in mind that most people already waste a couple of hours online each day. With Swagbucks, you can earn points while performing many of the same tasks that you planned on doing.

If you enjoy surfing the web, watching random video clips, and taking surveys, Swagbucks is the perfect website for you.

If you want to explore the site for yourself, you should sign up and start earning points. Test the site and the various methods for earning SB points, but pay attention to the amount of time that you spend on the Swagbucks website.

You have nothing to lose by joining, other than your time. It is free to join and easy.

Conclusion – Should You Start Using Swagbucks?

There are dozens of websites that offer online surveys for money. These sites typically offer a small payout after you have completed a specific number of surveys. They also sometimes limit the number of surveys that you can take each day.

With Swagbucks, you have an endless supply of surveys. You also have additional ways to make money with Swagbucks. Besides surveys, you earn SB points for taking polls, watching videos, and searching the internet.

Swagbucks is a legitimate website. You get paid for your time. Unfortunately, your time is not worth a lot. While Swagbucks is one of the best survey sites, do not expect to earn a significant amount of money.

In the end, Swagbucks is a simple time killer that may help you make a few extra dollars each week.

Debt Free Living: 10 Things Debt Free People Do

cmb38 — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 01:53:38 +0000

Is it your dream to be debt free? Well, you are not alone. There are millions of people that practice debt-free living every day.

But what makes them different than the other group of millions that carry credit card balances and are loaded with other types of debt?

How to Get Out of Debt and Stay Out of Debt

Life is all about change. If you don’t have all the characteristics of a debt-free person, it is not too late to start.

If you have none of the characteristics, start with #2 or #3 and a doable debt repayment plan. Become obsessed with seeing zero balances and the rest of the below list will follow as you pay off your debt.

Items 1, 2, 4 may be a work in progress for you and that is okay. The other 7 items are things you can start working on today.

If working on a lot of items at once gives you an overwhelming feeling, just start with what you can handle.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policies for more details.

1. They Have An Emergency Fund

Debt-free people are prepared for emergencies. There are a lot of opinions as to what your emergency fund amount should be.

If you don’t have anything set aside at all, start with $1,000. This may seem like a lot. But if you start looking around your home at what you have that can be sold, you may find that coming up with $1,000 is not that difficult.

$1,000 can help you avoid putting unplanned expenses on a credit card.

2. They Don’t Carry Credit Card Balances

Carrying credit card balances can lead to thousands of dollars in interest payments and possibly fees. Credit cards can be great tools.

You can find credit cards that offer great rewards and excellent introductory interest rates. These things can be used to your advantage.

However, the interest rates will eventually increase significantly and if you carry a balance, you will be paying more than the original purchase price.

3. They Don’t Live Above Their Means

People without debt spend within the limits of a budget. When I say “limits” that does not necessarily mean that they pinch every penny.

But they do follow guidelines for spending and saving as well. If you don’t know where your money is going, take the time to complete a spending tracker for a month or two.

It can be a real eye-opener and go a long way toward helping you pay off any debt that you may have.

4. They Save for Retirement

Being able to have financial security in your golden years takes planning. There is no shortage of tools that can help you save for the time when you no longer work full time.

Debt free people tend to do smart financial planning and having an emergency fund as well as contributing to retirement accounts are 2 savings steps that should be at the top of your financial planning list.

If your company has a 401(k) match, that is a great place to start saving for retirement.

5. They Pay Bills on Time

Debt free people pay their bills on time. Paying your bills late can lead to utilities being turned off resulting in reconnection charges and late fees.

Credit card companies charge late fees that can be very pricey. Not paying bills on time can have a negative impact on your credit score as well.

Having a credit score that is not excellent, can lead to higher mortgage interest rates and insurance rates. Paying bills on time should be a priority.

6. They Educate Themselves on How Money Works

Debt-free people are always learning about money. How to make extra money, how to save money and how to make a passive income from money they already have are important to the debt free individual.

Taking some time to see how other financially independent people got there can be the motivation you need to start your financial independence journey.

7. They Don’t Buy Things Impulsively

Impulse buys can be a real killer when it comes to debt freedom and financial independence. While many impulse buys are not highly expensive, they can add up over time.

You may not even incur debt as a result of your impulse buys, but they can definitely be stealing from the money you could be saving.

If you did not see the item in the store or online, would you have gone shopping for it? Tracking every penny spent for a few months can help you identify an impulse buying problem.

8. They Are Goal Driven

Financially savvy and debt-free people are goal driven. They have an idea of what they want out of life and they make a plan to get it.

It is a well-known fact that seeing your goals in writing increases your chances of achieving these goals. What do want to do in the next year? Three years? Five years?

How many of the things on this list involve money? It takes goal setting and a plan to get there. Debt-free people know this!

9. They Make Sacrifices for Financial Freedom

People with no debt are able to avoid the need for instant gratification. They make sacrifices for their freedom from debt.

Individuals with thousands of student loan debt live frugally to pay it off quickly. Others go to great lengths to pay their mortgages aggressively so they can live their lives without being saddle to large payments each month.

Debt free people drive used cars, keep cell phones longer than a year and don’t buy $200 tennis shoes. Financially secure people carefully pick and choose what they are willing to pay for and sacrifice the rest to keep from incurring debt.

10. They Communicate

If you are one half of a couple, your finances will be impacted by the other half of your couple. People that are debt free and have a partner, talk about how they are going to spend their money.

They set goals together and make a plan together about how to reach these goals. Couples air differences and their solutions include compromise. They work on reaching financial freedom as a single unit.

Conclusion – Debt-Free Living

Being debt free is a mindset. You have to want financial security more than you want things. There are people that have never paid a credit card interest. Even if that it is not you, it does not mean you cannot have an interest free future.

Making a plan for being debt free is not difficult. Executing it can be a challenge if you have some bad habits that need adjusting.

Remember, it is all a process. As long as today is a little bit better than yesterday, you are on the right path.

Start by setting some goals. Since no has a goal of paying consumer debt all their life, goals are a good “step one”. What do want out of life and what is going to take to get it.

Is it a dream home, to pay for a child’s education, to travel and experience life? There is so much to do and debt can steal it all if you are not careful.

Make a plan for getting debt free if you still have debt. If you feel like you cannot pay your debt off on your own or like it will take you forever, you may want to talk to a debt management company.

How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt Fast

cmb38 — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 01:32:14 +0000

Do you have credit card debt? If so, how to pay off debt fast has probably crossed your mind many times. Having no debt can give you many options that are not available to you when you have monthly credit card bills. So, becoming debt free should be a priority.

If you have consumer debt, you are not alone. Statistics state that half of all US households carry credit card debt with an average amount that exceeds $15,000.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policies for more details.

If you are looking for a way to pay off consumer debt, following these five steps will get you on your way to being debt free.

How to Create a Debt Repayment Plan
10 Simple Financial Planning Printables
How to Consolidate Credit Card Debt Quickly

Being free of debt will allow you to think about the future and start living life on your terms.

How To Pay Off Debt Quickly

Paying off debt quickly not only takes a plan, but it takes the mindset that you are going to put getting out of debt ahead of buying things that are not necessities. A person needs a home, food and clothing.

But a luxury apartment, restaurant meals and designer clothing are not necessary. So, to pay off your debt in the fastest way possible, you will need to evaluate every penny you are spending.

1. Make A List Of Your Debts

As debt begins to mount, it becomes easy to stuff unopened bills in a drawer hoping they will somehow take care of themselves, but unfortunately, that will not happen. Before you can get out of debt, you must know where you stand.

This means you will need to get the bills out of the drawer, open them and make a list. You have to acknowledge where you are at this time to be able to change it. Looking at a lot of debt in the form of a stack of bills can be very scary, but it will get better.

Everyone that got out of debt had to look at every one of their debts before they became debt free.

Now that all the bills and credit card statements are out of their hiding places…make a list. Who do you owe, what is the total amount you owe them, how much do you have to pay each month, when is the payment due?

You can use a spreadsheet for creating this list and organizing the information. There are also many printable planners available online as well as interactive planners.

Any one of these listing methods will work. The action item in this step is to make a complete list of all of your debts.

Tip: Once you get to this point, it is time to make a promise not to incur any more debt while you are paying off your consumer debt. The goal is to reduce your debt as quickly as possible. That will not happen if you keep using your credit cards. If cutting them up is the only way to avoid using the cards, DO IT!

2. Negotiate Lower Interest Rates

The first thing you will want to do is negotiate lower interest rates. Most credit card interest rates are at least 14% with many of them as much as 30%.

You can read the horror stories on the back of your credit card statements about how long it will take you to pay your account in full if you make only the minimum payment each month.

Call your credit card companies one at a time and ask them to lower your interest rate. There is nothing wrong with letting them know that if you do not get a lower rate you will be forced to file bankruptcy.

If you are paying off a $1000 credit card bill with a 25% interest rate and making a $50 a month payment, it will take you 27 months to pay off the $1000 and you will have paid $307 in interest dollars.

If you take the same $1000 bill and the credit card company lowers the interest rate to 12% and you make the same $50 monthly payment, the debt will be paid in full after 23 months with $121 in interest paid.

Getting interest rates reduced can save you hundreds of dollars and many months of time in the journey towards debt freedom.

A debt management company can help you get lower interest rates, if you don’t want to do it on your own or your credit card companies will not help.

3. Create a Repayment Plan

This step requires you to select an order for repaying your credit cards. One plan is to focus on the card with the highest interest rate first. Others say you should pay off the card with the smallest balance first.

Paying off the card with the highest interest rate first will cost you less money in the long run. Some people find crossing items off a to-do list motivating. That is why paying the lowest balance card off first is sometimes suggested.

Pick the repayment order that works best for you. The action item in this step is to pick an account and focus on getting it paid off.

Pay minimum payments on all accounts except the one you have chosen to focus on. Pay as much as your budget will allow on that card.

Follow this process each month until the focus account has been repaid. Pick the next account that will be your “focus account” and repeat the process. Each time you pay a card off, you will choose a new focus card.

You should be snowballing payments as you go through this process. Adding the amount you were paying on the paid off account to the next focus account (snowballing), will have you on track to be debt free as quickly as possible.

4. Reduce Your Spending

Look at where your money is going and evaluate how you can cut back on your spending. Every dollar that you can eliminate from your spending is that much more that can go towards paying off your debt.

Challenge yourself to cut unnecessary spending by a certain percentage or dollar amount. You will be surprised where you can cut expenses if you really try.

There are a lot of monthly expenses that we have that we believe we cannot do without. If people did not have it 100 years ago, chances are, it is not a necessity now.

Cable TV, cell phones, gym memberships, internet are just a few of these things. If you look through your expenses, you can probably find a few.

5. Make Extra Money

Start by looking at what you have in your home that you can sell. You can take a picture of a household item and have them for sale online in a matter of minutes with sites like Ebay, Facebook and Let Go.

You don’t have to sell all your worldly processions, but if you have items that have never been taken out of the boxes…this could be a sign that it is time to downsize.

If you don’t have things to sell, start thinking about what you can do that will bring in extra money. Take a part-time job. Start a business that does not require a large start-up fee.

Can you write? Can you tutor? Do you have a lawnmower? Look at the skills you have and figure out how to use them to make money.

Take any extra money that may come your way (income tax return, bonus, gift money) and put it towards paying off your debt.

Develop a healthy obsession with becoming debt free. Make it a priority! Cutting your spending and increasing your income are the keys to paying off your debt quickly.

Wondering how you can get out debt with bad credit, a debt management company can help.

These companies are nonprofit and can not only help you get your interest rates lowered and develop a repayment plan, they also provide education on staying debt free and saving money.

Whether you choose to enlist the help of a debt management company or pay off your debt on your own, the first step is to acknowledge the debt and get started. Being debt free will reduce your stress and give you the motivation to live your best life.

17 Ways to Save Money on Groceries

cmb38 — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 23:46:18 +0000

If you are trying to maximize your income, preparing meals are home will be your most cost-efficient way of eating. Not only does cooking at home save money, it is often healthier because the portions eaten are smaller.

But even shopping for groceries can be expensive, especially if you have poor shopping habits.

Shopping for groceries is something that almost everyone does at least a few times a month.

If you follow these simple tips for saving money on groceries, you can save up to $500 or more a month just by making a few small changes in the way you shop for food.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policies for more details.

1. Buy in Bulk

Many items have a smaller unit cost when you buy it larger quantities. A 24 pack of toilet paper will cost less per roll than a 12 cost per roll.

It is important to make sure you have the space for things that you buy in bulk and it must make sense to buy in large quantities. No one needs a ten-year supply of anything.

2. Buy Only What You Need

Some foods are perishable and if you buy more than you can eat while it is fresh, all the savings you realized could be negated if you are throwing away spoiled food.

You should be able to use everything you buy in a meal or a snack. Items that have a shelf life should be bought to be used during their shelf life period.

3. Do Meal Planning

Planning your meals is the best way to stretch your grocery dollar. Plan for a 2-week period of meals and make enough that you can have 2 meals of each dish.

You can freeze one or have it later in the week. Now that you have a complete list of what you are going to eat, you can break it down to ingredients for emails into a simple shopping list.

4. Shop with a List

Once you have created a shopping list, you should be able to do your shopping in a minimal amount of time each week. Shopping with a list is the best way to avoid unplanned purchases.

5. Shop Online and Pick Up at the Store

Save time and money by shopping online and picking your groceries up while you are out running other errands or on your way home from work. Doing this will further minimize the chances of unplanned purchases.

6. Buy “in season” Fruits and Vegetables

Have you ever noticed that produce items are more expensive at certain times of the year? That is because they are in season and are more plentiful making them less expensive.

Florida has a season for strawberries, blueberries and citrus fruit. They can be almost twice as expensive during the off-season.

7. Freeze or Can Foods

Want to enjoy local fruits and vegetables all year round without paying off-season prices? Learn to can and freeze these foods so they can be enjoyed at other times of the year.

8. Use Coupons

Coupons have gotten much easier than in years past. Most of them can be downloaded to your phone and scanned. Good old paper is still available also. There are many options available for saving money with coupons and apps.

9. Make a Budget and Pay Cash

Make a plan that includes how much you want to spend on groceries and take that amount of cash to the store.

When you have reached the cash limit, your spending is done. Have the cashier scan your “must have” items first and reserve “want” items until you know you have the cash to cover them.

Buying online can be a great way to stick to a budget also.

10. Buy Generic or Store Brands

In many cases, these store brands are made with the exact same ingredients as the more expensive name brands.

11. Cut Back on Meat Purchases

If you can reduce the amount of meat you purchase, you will see your grocery bill go down. Make sure you use every ounce of meat and seafood purchases.

There are many dishes that can be prepared with a small amount of ingredients. If you made a chicken meal using a whole cut up chicken, make chicken salad or a chicken casserole with the breast and leg that did not get eaten.

12. Eat Your Leftovers

Eating all the food you purchased can go a long way towards giving you extra money. If you can get 2 or 3 extra lunches a week out of what you already have, it can add up to several hundred extra dollars a year.

13. Check the Unit Price when Shopping

Almost all grocery stores have a tag on their shelves that list the unit price of what is being purchased. Just because a package contains a large quantity does not necessarily make it a better deal. Check before you buy to make sure you are getting the best deal.

14. Limit the Amount of Convenience Foods

Anything that is quicker and easier will generally cost more money. Frozen, prepackaged meals and precut vegetables and fruit will cost you more than buying the ingredients and preparing the meal.

How to Save $10,000 in a Year
How to Stop Living From Paycheck to Paycheck
10 Online Businesses You Can Create In Less Than A Week

Or buying whole fruits and vegetables and cutting them yourself. Convenience costs, but it is still less expensive than eating out.

15. Shop at Less Expensive Grocery Stores

Where I live it is widely known that shopping at Walmart or Aldi will cost you less than shopping at some of the other grocery stores.

While discount stores may not always have as big a selection, they are able to save you money by stocking only things that move off the shelves.

16. Plant a Garden

Who doesn’t love fresh, homegrown foods? It tastes so much better if it is grown locally. You do not need a large amount of space to grow a few tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

Just having a small garden to can save you money. Want to really save? Grow a large garden and freeze or can the harvest to enjoy throughout the year. Gardening is a great way to have organic food on a budget.

17. Use Savings Apps

There are many apps that can help you maximize your spending. You may not necessarily save money on groceries, but you can accumulate points.

Points can often be cashed in for gift card, merchandise, money or other rewards. Ibotta, Swagbucks and Checkout51….are some of the best apps for accumulating rewards and saving money.

Conclusion – Ways to Save Money on Groceries

Outside of paying your mortgage, buying groceries can be one of the biggest expenses you will have each month.

Keeping your grocery bill under control can be challenging especially if “spenders” get involved in the food shopping.

Even if you practice just tip #3 and #4, you should be able to save yourself $200 – $500 each month.

Saving money on groceries is just one of the ways that you can make your hard-earned dollar go farther.

22 Innovative Ways to Make $100 a Day

cmb38 — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 13:43:12 +0000

Are you a stay-at-home mom looking for a way to make a few dollars in the little bit of spare time you may have? Maybe you are a college student that needs a little bit of spending money. Do you have debt that you are trying to pay down quickly?

Are you retired and looking for something to do in the mornings that will add cash to your pockets? Maybe you are saving for a dream (house, vacation, boat…).

Making an extra $100 day can go a long way towards helping your meet your needs and live your dreams.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policies for more details.

How to Make $100 a Day

If you fit into any of the above categories, what would $100 a day do for you (or even $50)?

One of the best ways to save money, get out of debt or just…live your best life is to increase your income. There are literally hundreds of ways you can make extra money.

Here are 20 ways you can make $100 a day. Many of them you can start as soon as today.

1. Clean Out Your Home

Whether you trying to make some extra cash or just trying to live a less cluttered life, start with your space at home.

Closets, attics and basements are often full of items that are just taking up space that could have value to someone else. Turn these unused items into extra cash by selling them.

There are several ways you can sell the items you choose to get rid of. A yard sale is a great way to sell your items. You can also list items online. Here is list of websites that will allow you to upload picture of your items for sale:

Facebook
Poshmark
LetGo
ThredUp
Tradsey
Bonanza
eBay

If you like selling household items and clothing, you can purchase items at garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores and resell them at most of the above sites and make a profit.

2. Create an Online Course

Wondering how to make $100 dollars a day from home? If you have information that can help others solve a problem, why not write a course or ebook. There are people who make a full-time income writing informational products that help others.

Parenting, weight loss, finance, DIY, crafts and gardening are great topics for creating courses. Some of the best places to list courses are:

Skillshare
Udemy
Teachable.com

You can also create a website around a course and charge a membership fee. The secret to selling is marketing to the correct people.

3. Retail Arbitrage

Retail arbitrage can be a creative way to make extra money and can also be very lucrative. It is as simple as buying something and reselling it at a higher price. Amazon is full of sellers that buy at one price and sell for more. So, is eBay and Facebook.

Wondering how to make $100 a day from home? Retail arbitrage is one of the best ways you can make quick cash and you can literally start with nothing. People dumpster dive and make hundreds.

10 Places You Can Sell Used Electronics for Money
10 Best Paid Survey Sites for Making Extra Money
17 Ways to Make $1000 Fast (In a Week or Less)

Thousands of people buy items from sites, such as: Ali Express and resell them from their own website. Etsy is full of individuals that sell crafts supplies that are bought at a lower price and resold at a profit.

Buying wholesale or rebranding goods and selling them with a private label are also forms of retail arbitrage selling.

Buying at one price and reselling at a higher price can be a great way to increase your income.

4. Sell Photos

Do you enjoy photography? Even if you are not a professional, you can still make extra money selling pictures you have taken.

Many websites pay based on how often your work is downloaded. You are paid a percentage of the cost of each download. Some of the best sites for selling your photography are:

Shutterstock
iStock
Adobe

Even if you are not selling your photography, your pictures can still make you money just by using them in your own blog posts or newsletter.

If taking pictures is a hobby and you enjoy it, take this side hustle and turn it into and income.

5. Write, Write, Write

If you like to write, you can always make extra money. Writing is one of the easiest ways to make money and there are numerous companies that will buy articles, copy writing, product descriptions, reviews, etc.

There is a lot of opportunity as well as variety in the writing world. Good writers are well paid and $100 a day barely scratches the surface.

The following are some great places to get started finding writing jobs:

Upwork
Fiverr
Peopleperhour
Flexjobs.com
Freelancer

If you are wondering how to make $100 a day for free, writing can be your ticket.

6. Become a Virtual Assistant

Being a virtual assistant can encompass a huge variety of (generally smaller tasks) that people do not want to do for themselves.

Being a VA can be as simple as answering email, customer service tasks or monitoring social media accounts. VAs usually do tasks that need done on a regular basis.

Do you enjoy working online? Do you need nontraditional work hours or only want to work part time? Being a virtual assistant is the perfect job for you.

Check out these sites for VA jobs:

Upwork
Flexjobs
Ziprecuiter
Freelancer
Hiremymom

Whether you are looking for full-time work or just a few hours a day while the kids are napping, a virtual assistant position can provide you the extra cash you need.

7. Painting Jobs

Do you like to work with your hands? Painting is an excellent way for students to make cash during the summer.

Painters can advertise for work as well as accept work through the following:
Craigslist
Thumbtack
Task Rabbit
Snagajob

Get out your paint brush and make some extra cash.

8. Drive People Around

Like to drive? There are a lot of people that don’t like to get behind the wheel of a car and they are willing to pay you to drive them to their destination.

Airports are great locations for making some extra cash. Night spots and special events also offer a great opportunity to make money transporting people who do not care to drive.

Uber and Lyft are the most well-known companies for making money driving your own vehicle. They are like a taxi service, but easier. You can call for a ride by using an app on your cell phone.

You can become a driver with just a few clicks. A background check and proof-of-insurance is required. Once approved, it is just a matter of waiting to be notified that you have a rider waiting for pickup.

9. Do Tasks on Task Rabbit

Task Rabbit offers a variety of simple tasks that you can do for money. What the task pays will be listed as part of the posting. You coordinate the details of the job with the ad poster.

Task Rabbit offers a wide variety of odd jobs. If you are a person that wants extra cash and does not want to work full time, Task Rabbit is right up your alley.

If you are someone that gets easily bored with a routine, Task Rabbit allows you to change it up and pick different jobs each time you work. You can set your own hours and get paid quickly by doing Task Rabbit tasks.

10. Yard Sale

Wan to know how to make $100 with no investment? A yard sale is an excellent way to make a quick $100 and clear your garage, attic and closet of things that are no longer being used in your home.

Take some time to organize your items and display them neatly. Put up signs and post ads about your yard sale.

Have the sale on a weekend and you should be able to pull in some quick cash. I know people that have an annual garage sale just to keep their homes organized and clutter free. Community garage sales can be good for the whole neighborhood.

11. Craigslist

Craiglists is an excellent place for advertising items as well as services for sale. Are you looking for something that can get you some extra cash quickly? Search the “jobs” section of Craigslist.

The “gigs” section lists freelance jobs, listing everything from glass blowing to writing.

If you are not sure what you want to do or what is available, take 30 minutes and browse Craigslist.

12. Deliver Food

The delivery service market is huge these days creating a need for food delivery drivers. There are companies that offer grocery shopping and delivery services.

With Instacart and Shipt, you are able to shop and/or deliver groceries to those that for one reason or another don’t want to do it for themselves.

Doordash and Ubereats are services that deliver restaurant food to people who place orders.

You can determine what jobs you take and set your own hours as an independent contractor for companies that offer a service, such as; food delivery and other types of transportation.

13. Basic Home Repair

Home repair is work that some people just hate doing and would sooner pay others to do it for them.

Do you want a ceiling fan installed? Does your bathroom caulk need repaired? Maybe you have pictures that need hung or curtain rods that need put up. These are all simple tasks that can be part of service you offer.

It is just a matter of matching the service provider with the individuals that are seeking the service.

Think of simple maintenance tasks that need done in a home. Service providers can be found as well as marketed on Craigslist, Thumbtack or Task Rabbit.

14. Babysit and Petsit

Do you like working with children? How about animals? With more moms choosing to work outside the home, a good babysitter is a necessity. My daughter-in-law banked $15 an hour watching 2 children for the summer.

She worked eight-hour days and was paid for the full eight hours even if she worked less hours. Running a day care center with just a handle full of clients in your home can be quite lucrative.

If you are an animal lover, there is a lot of opportunity to make money walking pets or running a pet boarding business.

Our pet sitter charges $17 a day feed an care for our cats and $27 on holidays. Care.com is an ideal place to market babysiting, eldercare and pet care services.

15. Rent Out a Room

Got an extra room? Rent it out. Airbnb seems to be the hands down favorite among travelers for a place to spend the night.

Airbnb allows you to list your room or home online where potential renters can see pictures and get other details about your rental property.

The secret to making good money with vacation rentals is location, location, location. If you are near an amusement park or other tourist attraction it is possible to make $100 a night.

Post great pictures and keep a clean space and you will be sure to keep your room rented.

16. Garbage Removal

Everyone has garbage (some more than others). People can become overwhelmed with stuff and don’t always know how to manage it.

That is where a garbage hauler can be of assistance. If you have a pickup truck, waste removal can make you extra cash.

Cleaning out basements, garages and yards can be a great money maker. Craiglist, Thumbtack and Task Rabbit are good place to find work and advertise for work.

17. Clean Gutters

If you own a house, at some point in time you will need your gutters cleaned. Most people either don’t have the necessary equipment or just plain and simply don’t want the headache of cleaning their gutters.

While you are at it, leaf removal and other fall yard work are other services you can offer your clients to pickup additional dollars.

Here again, Craigslist, Facebook, Thumbtack and Task Rabbit are ideal for both advertising your services or picking up jobs.

18. Be a Tutor

Tutoring is basically a form of teaching, but it is usually done one on one rather than in a classroom setting.

People are always looking for personal help to improve their knowledge and skills. At 15, my son tutored a 10-year girl that was failing math.

With 8 sessions, she was able to improve her grade average to a B. My daughter-in-law (a teacher) does a lot of tutoring not only to help students, but to increase her income.

If you have a knack for being able to explain things to others, being a tutor is a good side hustle for you.

Tutor.com is an excellent place to start if your looking for gigs related to school subjects.

19. Clean Houses

Cleaning houses is another good way to make extra bucks. I had a cleaning lady that could do my whole house in about 4 hours at $25 an hour, which was a cheap price.

House cleaners will normally have a list of add-on services as well. Need your fridge cleaned? Your laundry done? Or your closet organized?

If you have a system for cleaning and organizing, this may be the perfect side hustle for you.

20. Wash Cars

I hate to wash my own car and I am not the only one. Living in Florida, it is very common for a 2 or 3 people to pop up a car wash station in the corner of a gas station parking lot.

Mobile car wash units make it possible for you to go to large businesses and offer car washing while the employees are working.

You can also advertise on Craiglist, Thumbtack and Task Rabbit.

How to Make $100 a Day Online

21. Start a Blog

There are thousands of people making $100 a day blogging. The possibilities are endless when it comes to blogging.

Find a topic that people are interested in and start writing. It is important to realize that if you start a blog today, you will not be making $100 today or even next month.

Blogging is a long-term gig, but there are thousand of people that make a full-time income blogging.

There are many more that average $100 a day…everyday. Pick a topic people are interested in and stick with it. You will be surprised where you are in a year.

22. Start an Etsy Business

Etsy is a platform for buying and selling handmade and vintage items, but it has evolved over the years. It is free to start an Etsy store.

They take a small fee when you sell an item from your store. Etsy has a huge following and provides a large audience for individuals looking make money selling handmade items.

You can even market digital products, such as; patterns and printables of all kind.

Conclusion – How to Make $100 Dollars a Day

There are a lot of reasons that a person searches out ways to make $100 a day. No matter your reason for wanting to make extra money, there are many ways it can be done. It is just a matter of jumping in and finding what works for you!

How to Save Money to Buy a House

cmb38 — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 13:51:55 +0000

Some say it is the American dream…owning your home. But before you can own your own home, you have to understand how to save money for a home.

There are also a number of costs associated with owning your own home. It is more than just a down payment and a mortgage.

Just because everyone tells you that owning a home should be on your adult list of things to do does not mean homeownership is for you.

Maybe you do not want to live in the same area for more than a year or two. You can be a person that does not want to have to be accountable for maintaining a home.

There are any number of reasons why renting could be better than owning. For everyone, whether to rent or buy is a personal decision that takes careful consideration.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policies for more details.

The Costs of Homeownership

So you have decided homeownership is something you want. Now it is time to take the steps that will allow you to own your own home.

Let’s look at the cost of owning a home aside from a down payment and monthly mortgage.

Homeowners also have to pay property taxes and have homeowners insurance. Commonly, these 2 costs are added to your monthly mortgage payment.

As a homeowner, you will be responsible for all of your utility bills. As a renter, you may also pay utilities, but there are usually one or two that are paid by the landlord.

Homeowners may also need a monthly pest control service. Depending on where you live, you make require other services as well.

Buying a home may require you to buy your own appliances. Appliances will be included in the price of new construction, but are not usually included in the sale of a previously owned home.

Other Costs of Owning a Home

Maintenance costs will be a part of owning a home and if you do not prepare for them, you could be in for a shock when it comes time to replace things.

A new roof will most likely exceed $10,000 in cost. Furnaces are also pricey and these are just a few of the possible maintenance costs.

It is recommended that you set aside 1% – 2% of the value of your house annually for home repairs. Doing this will keep you prepared when it comes time to start replacing items that ware out.

This does not include your favorite paint color and the many other home decor changes that many new homeowners want to buy to decorate their newly purchased homes.

Now that you understand there are additional costs to owning a home and that you will not be able to call the landlord when things break, it is time to look at what a house will cost.

It easy to go online and see what homes sell for in your target area. If you know where you want to live, the next step is making sure you can afford to live in your desired area.

The rule of thumb for a mortgage payment is 28% of your gross income. Dave Ramsey says 25% of your take-home income.

Not sure what is right for you? Try setting the difference in what you are paying in rent and what your estimated house payment will be aside each month to see what it feels like to pay the mortgage each money.

Is money tight? Can you get by each month without worry about money or running out before the end of the month?

How Much to Save for a House

The down payment is a big part of buying a home. Many financial professionals recommend a 20% down payment. With 20% down, you will avoid paying PMI (private mortgage insurance).

Homes can be bought with a lower down payment. I put 10% down on my second house and 0% down on my first house.

How to Save Money for a House

How to save up for a house is not rocket science, but it can take time. Saving a down payment for a house is like most other types of savings plan.

How much of a down payment do you need for your purchase? How long do you have to save the money? Divide the amount you need for the down payment by the time you have to save it and you will know how much you need to save each month.

That is it in a nutshell. Do you want to speed up the process of saving for a house? Start a side hustle. Learn how to buy and sell online. Become a freelancer.

Pick up a part-time job. Work more hours at your current job. This just scratches the surface for making extra money and saving for a house.

Now, let’s talk about the mortgage payment. If you did not pay for 100% of your house in cash (some people do), you are going to have a mortgage.

Qualifying for a mortgage means being creditworthy. The mortgage qualification process takes a few months or more and requires many documents.

Tax returns, bank statements, proof of earnings and proof of employment are some of the items you will need to provide to the lender.

A mortgage payment has 2 parts…the principle and the interest. Interest is what the bank charges you for borrowing their money.

What you pay for an interest rate depends on what is being charged at that time. But it also depends on your credit score.

The higher your credit score the more favorable your interest rate. Even if you don’t have the best credit score, you may still be able to qualify for a loan, but your interest rate will be higher.

Having a higher interest rate will cost you more over the life of the loan.

The best thing you can do to save yourself money when buying a home is to boost your credit score as much as possible.

Several things go into making up your credit score. First, make sure all charged off and past due bills are brought current.

If you have outstanding debt that is past due, paying it current will be required before you can take out a mortgage. Get used to paying your bills on time.

How to Save $10,000 in a Year
How to Pay Off Debt Quickly in 5 Simple Steps
How to Make a Simple Budget Using the 50/30/20 Method

If you have a high debt to income ratio, the lending bank may ask you to pay some of it off before they will lend to you.

Reducing your consumer debt and paying your bills on time go a long way towards getting your credit score as high as possible.

If you want to save more money, consider taking a loan out for less than 30 years. Some people say you should strive for having your house paid off in 15 years.

The shorter term will most likely mean a larger payment, but it will mean you will be paying less in interest because you will not be owing for as long.

Another way to save money is to make extra principal payments when you have extra money.

If you can make even one or two extra payments each year, you can save thousands of dollars as well as take years off the life of your loan.

How to Have a Low Mortgage Payment

Which combination of factors would result in the lowest monthly mortgage payment? A big down payment, a low-interest rate and a longer term.

In addition to these three factors, the price of the home will also be a big contributing factor in what your mortgage payment will be.

Want a low payment, but a smaller house. Now, you also have to consider that the length of the term could have you paying back a lot more money in the long run.

How to Save Money for a House in 6 Months

You can come up with a down payment in 6 months or less for by doing these things:

Reduce your spending as much as possible to allow more money to be saved for a down payment
Challenge yourself to bring in more money (work more hours, sell stuff, start a side hustle that has little or no startup cost)
Look for special financing programs, such as; FHA, VA, USDA loans and more.

Our first home was an FHA loan guaranteed by Fannie Mae. This allowed us to put only 3% down. The builder allowed us to do work equity for the 3%.

This means that my husband and I did $5,000 worth of labor bring our out-of-pocket down payment to $0. These programs are normally available to first-time buyers only.

Conclusion – How to Save for a House

Owning a home is on the life plan of many people. Take some time to decide if it is right for you.

If it is, make sure your credit report is in order while you are saving the money for a down payment.

Make sure you have included money in the budget not only for a mortgage payment but also for insurance and taxes (if it is not part of the payment).

You will also need to budget for repairs and maintenance. Once you are prepared for these expenses, homeownership could easily be in your future.

Survey Junkie In-Depth Review: Is This Paid Survey Site Legit?

cmb38 — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 01:55:53 +0000

Survey Junkie is one of many sites that pay people to complete various online surveys.

There are dozens of these sites. Many of them are legitimate and some of them are a complete waste of time.

Sites that offer paid surveys continue to attract new users that are looking for a quick way to make money online. Unfortunately, many of these sites offer incredibly limited rewards, reducing the potential to make real money.

Before you start spending your hard-earned time taking surveys, you should know what you are getting into. Here is a detailed look at Survey Junkie and whether it offers a real option for earning some extra money.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policies for more details.

Survey Junkie Overview – How Does It Work?

What is Survey Junkie? It is a paid survey site that pays users to take surveys.

You may have seen some of these sites advertised online. You sign up and start taking surveys. Most of these surveys are related to common household products and television shows. They are primarily used to improve advertising and marketing campaigns.

With each survey that you complete, you receive points. The number of points that you can earn varies. Sometimes you may earn 50 points, while other times you may earn several hundred.

How much does Survey Junkie pay? You get paid about $0.50 to $3 per survey, but you do not get paid in cash. You need to earn $10 in points before you can redeem your points.

However, you need to complete a few steps before you start taking surveys. You need to sign up and complete a profile questionnaire.

The Sign-Up Process and Profile Questions

The sign-up process is free and easy. You just need to supply your email address, date of birth, zip code, and gender. You also create a password, which you can reset later in your account profile.

When you finish signing up, you get points. They give you 25 points just for creating an account. You also get another 25 points when you confirm your email address.

After you join, you need to complete a profile questionnaire, which provides you with another 50 points. The questionnaire includes 16 base questions. As you start answering, your responses may open up additional questions.

The goal of the profile questionnaire is to help determine the types of surveys that you will qualify for. Most of the questions are related to your interests, income, family size, and other general demographic data.

You can begin taking surveys after completing these steps. However, before jumping in, you should still learn more, including whether it is safe and legit.

Is Survey Junkie Legal and Safe to Use?

Is Survey Junkie legit? Yes, it is a legitimate online business. Sites that offer paid surveys typically partner with various agencies and firms conducting market research. They need consumers to take surveys so they can get feedback and improve their marketing efforts.

For example, a company may want to know whether people recognize a brand name out of a list of popular brands. Another survey may help a marketing agency determine what type of laundry detergent people use.

In the past, companies needed to conduct focus groups with a handful of consumers. Thanks to the internet, marketing agencies now have access to a much larger group of consumers. They use sites like Survey Junkie to help gather their information.

These sites are legal. Most of them are also safe to use. Survey Junkie is not known to increase the risk of downloading malware by visiting the links on their sites or taking third-party surveys.

However, as an added precaution, everyone should always ensure that they keep their anti-virus software updated when browsing the web.

Survey Junkie also maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The A+ rating lets you know that the company is not currently facing any major lawsuits or complaints. You can trust them to pay what you are owed after earning points for taking surveys.

Can You Make Money from Survey Junkie?

You can make money taking surveys, but how much does Survey Junkie pay? You get paid a relatively small amount for each survey that you take.

Like most survey sites, you get paid in points, instead of cash. When you collect enough points, you can redeem them for electronic gift cards or transfer your balance to your PayPal account.

The rate of exchange is 1000 points for $10.

Unfortunately, it takes a while to reach 1000 points. You can expect to earn between 50 and 300 points per survey. You are basically earning about $0.50 to $3 for each survey that you take.

$3 for a survey still sounds great, until you determine how long they take to complete. Some surveys can take up to 20 minutes to complete. However, shorter surveys may only take 5 minutes.

Based on these figures, you may earn between $6 to $9 per hour to take surveys. You also need to keep in mind that you may not qualify for every survey that you start. In some cases, you may spend several minutes taking a survey only to find out that you do not qualify.

Some users report that they only qualify for one or two surveys out of ten, while others claim that they qualify for nearly every survey.

The other issue that limits your earning potential is the number of surveys that you can take. There are two ways to take surveys. You can log into your account on the website and look for available surveys or you can check your email.

You can opt to receive emails notifying you when a new survey is available. You can simply click on the link and take the survey. In some cases, you may only get to take a few surveys per day or per week.

If you only complete several surveys per week, you may only make about $1.50 to $9. However, if the website has a lot of surveys available, you can earn that much in a day.

A lack of available surveys is a common problem for these sites, especially as more sites pop up and attract more users. There is not an endless supply of marketing agencies and firms that need people to take surveys.

How Else Can You Earn Points?

Surveys are the primary way to earn points with Survey Junkie. You also earn points when you first create your account. The only other way to earn points is to refer someone else to the site.

You receive points for referrals, allowing you to earn a few dollars for getting a friend to sign up.

There are other survey sites that provide a variety of ways to earn money. For example, SwagBucks lets you watch videos, browse the web, and earn cashback points through online shopping. There are several other cashback sites and even a site that pays you to read emails.

Are There Any Customer Complaints?

Survey Junkie maintains an A+ BBB rating. There are no official complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. However, some users have complained about issues on social media or through review sites.

Some users have reported that they did not receive the electronic gift cards or PayPal deposits that they requested. There are also several cases of users that had their accounts suddenly closed without explanation.

Another common complaint is the limited number of surveys, but this is not something that Survey Junkie can completely control. In fact, you will face the same issue with any survey site.

These complaints are also anecdotal accounts and only present one side of the story. It is also important to understand that Survey Junkie may deny payment or close an account when a user violates the rules or policies. Many of these complaints are likely from disgruntled users who were banned for violating the rules.

Customers regularly complement Survey Junkie for having great customer service. If you have trouble receiving your gift card or the PayPal deposit does not appear in your account, contact customer service. They will typically resolve the issue in 24 hours or less.

Advantages of Using Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is not the only survey site. As mentioned, there are dozens of them. Why should you think about using Survey Junkie? They offer several benefits, including the following:

Free to join and use
Low payout threshold
No hidden fees
Instant points and rewards
Get points for wasted time
View the survey point value and completion time

There are several survey sites that allow you to join for free and then charge a price for you to access surveys. There are also sites out there that simply try to get you to sign up for special offers and promotions. Survey Junkie is entirely free to join and use. There are no gimmicks or tricks.

Survey Junkie also boasts one of the lowest payout thresholds. With some paid survey sites, you need to earn enough points to redeem $25 before requesting a PayPal transfer. Survey Junkie lets you transfer money when you reach 1000 points ($10).

There are also no hidden fees or charges when you redeem points. Some sites charge a small fee to activate the gift cards or complete the PayPal transfers. With Survey Junkie, reaching 1000 points always earns you $10.

When you take a survey, you receive your points instantly. You do not need to wait 24 hours to verify that you have received the points. They appear almost the second after you complete the survey.

You also receive your gift cards instantly. In most cases, you should get an email containing the gift card code within a few minutes.

You also should not need to wait long for PayPal deposits. These typically only take a few minutes to complete. However, transferring money from your PayPal account to your bank account can still take a day or two.

The top advantage of joining Survey Junkie, especially compared to other survey sites, is that you receive compensation for wasted time. As mentioned, you will not qualify for every survey that you take. Some people may start several surveys before finally completing one.

When you take a survey and do not qualify, you still earn points. While you may not get the same amount of points that you would have received, most other sites offer nothing for disqualified surveys.

Another advantage is knowing how long each survey will take and how many points it is worth. When you receive an email letting you know about a potential survey, it displays the point value and the estimated completion time. This helps you determine whether or not it is worth your effort to complete the survey.

For example, you may get an email letting you know about a 30-point survey that may take 10 minutes to complete. That 30-point survey is equivalent to $0.30. You get to decide if 10 minutes of your time is worth $0.30 before taking the survey.

Disadvantages of Using Survey Junkie

While Survey Junkie offers many advantages compared to the competition, there are several disadvantages as well. These are mostly the same disadvantages that you will experience with any paid survey site, including the following:

You do not qualify for all surveys
The number of surveys is limited
You get lots of spam email from third parties
You may not earn a lot of money

The biggest drawback is that you cannot qualify for every survey that you take. When marketers create surveys, they need responses from specific demographics. They want to get feedback from a specific target audience so that they can improve their ability to market to those individuals.

If you do not hike, a company that sells hiking gear does not need your input. If you do not own a car, a car insurance company does not require your feedback. It is a simple concept, but it causes members to waste their time.

As mentioned, you do get points for the surveys that you do not qualify for. In some cases, you may spend several minutes before the survey stops and you find out that you are not qualified. It is nice that Survey Junkie offers a minimal reward for these wasted surveys.

Another issue is that you may occasionally experience dry spells where you will rarely receive new surveys. The number of available surveys depends on a variety of factors, including the number of active Survey Junkie users and the number and size of contracts that Survey Junkie has with third parties.

When there are not a lot of available surveys, you may only get several new surveys per week. Luckily, there are also plenty of times when surveys are readily available.

If you decide to join Survey Junkie, you should consider creating a new email account or using an old email account that you rarely use. After you join, you will likely start receiving lots of emails from the third-party partners affiliated with Survey Junkie. You may even get emails from other survey sites.

Some people find these unsolicited emails annoying. Unfortunately, there is no way to unsubscribe without canceling your account.

The final drawback is the point value for completing surveys. You may earn less than one dollar for some of the surveys that you complete. The highest-paying surveys only pay $3 and may take up to 20 minutes to complete.

Keep in mind that you will experience these same disadvantages when using any of the other survey sites. These drawbacks come with the territory. No matter which survey site you use, you will probably face limited surveys, low payouts, and spam emails.

Conclusion – Should You Take Surveys on Survey Junkie?

With Survey Junkie, you get paid to take surveys online. It is a simple concept that has attracted millions of users. Before you join, you should consider the pros and cons of getting paid to take online surveys.

The site is free to join. You can also start taking surveys immediately. When you reach 1000 points, you can get a $10 gift card or transfer your money to a PayPal account.

The amount of points per survey and the exchange rate is comparable to other survey sites. You may average between $0.50 and $3 per survey. However, you will not qualify for every survey that you start.

You may occasionally waste several minutes taking a survey. Luckily, Survey Junkie is one of the few sites that offers you a few points as compensation for wasting your time.

The bottom line is that Survey Junkie is one of the most recommended paid survey sites. While it offers several benefits compared to the competition, you will not get rich taking online surveys.

Who should consider joining? Survey Junkie is best suited for those with some free time who want to earn a few extra dollars each day. Whenever you get bored, you can visit the website and take several surveys.

If you want to try a paid survey site, consider starting with Survey Junkie. They provide several advantages that you will not experience with other sites. They have a low payout threshold, reliable customer service, and fast delivery of gift cards and PayPal transfers. You also get points when you do not qualify for a survey.

How to Sell on Facebook and Set Up Your First Facebook Shop

cmb38 — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 11:14:53 +0000

If you want to sell goods online, Facebook may not be the first marketplace that you think of. Amazon, eBay, and Etsy are a few of the most popular choices for online merchants.

However, Facebook is one of the most visited websites in the world. They also have over two billion users, which makes it a prime platform for targeting potential buyers.

No matter if you want to sell handmade crafts or common consumer goods, anyone can start selling on the most popular social media site. Use the following guide to learn how to sell on Facebook and set up your first Facebook Shop.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our policies for more details.

Create a Facebook Business Page

The first step for selling on Facebook is to create a business page. A business account is needed to add a “Shop” section to your Facebook page and to use Facebook Ad Manager.

When you visit your Facebook Business page, you should see several tabs, including the standard “timeline,” “about,” “photos,” and “likes” tabs. To the right of these tabs is the “add shop section” button.

Click on the button and agree to Facebook’s terms and policies for merchants. You will also need to add your business details and payment processing information.

You can also add a description to your Facebook Shop. If you have not yet decided on the type of products that you want to sell, you can edit the description later.

With these steps completed, you are ready to begin adding products to your shop. However, you also need to choose the right products.

Choose the Products You Want to Sell

An important part of learning how to sell on Facebook is determining what types of items sell quickly.

High-priced items and niche products are less likely to sell. Collectibles, rare items and expensive works of art do not have a large market on Facebook.

The best-selling items are affordable everyday items. Baby clothes and accessories, clothing, and video games are all popular categories.

You also need to acquire the products that you plan to sell. When you first get started, you can sell items that you already have. You can get rid of items that you no longer need if they are still in great condition.

Selling a few items helps you learn the process for adding a product listing and completing a transaction. You may also start to gain a few followers and earn some positive feedback from buyers. These details will help you later as you attempt to attract more buyers and sell more goods.

Once you start building your inventory, you will need to begin purchasing products from retailers or wholesalers. There are many ways to acquire items, from shopping at garage sales to buying bulk items online.

No matter how you decide to buy items, you should always look for the best deal. You cannot make money online without a decent profit margin.

Your profits are not equal to the difference between the cost of the item and the amount that you sell it for. You also need to factor in the shipping costs and your advertisement spending.

To increase your profit margins, always try to find items at the lowest available price. Instead of buying from the first source that you find, you should compare prices to get the best deal.

Adding a Product Listing on Facebook

From the Facebook Shop page, you can click on the “Add Products” button and begin adding products to your shop. You can also edit the details for each of the products that you list.

Editing the details is important to promoting your products. You want your products to stand out, especially if they are items that people see every day. The details that you can edit include the following:

Product name
Description
Image
Price
Inventory
Category
Variants
Shipping options

There are also advanced options that you can explore after you master the basics of selling on Facebook.

Facebook requires you to add at least one image for a product. However, you should try to include multiple photos. If possible, take pictures of the product from different angles.

You should also use high-quality photos. Place objects on a white or background and use lots of natural lighting to create crisp, clear photos to promote your products.

You do not need to get creative with the product name. It should clearly describe the product, so people know exactly what they are looking at.

The description is your chance to make your listing stand out. You can include helpful information about your product or appeal to the needs of your potential buyers.

Your items will not appear immediately. Facebook needs to review the listing before it is made public. After your listing is approved, it will appear in your Facebook Shop and Facebook users can start buying your products.

The Benefits of Linking an eCommerce Website

If you search for advice on how to sell on Facebook marketplace, most experts will recommend that you set up an eCommerce website. Instead of simply selling items directly through Facebook, you can link the products on your eCommerce site to your Facebook Shop.

With an eCommerce site, you gain additional features for increasing your online presence. You can generate traffic on your website and direct visitors to your Facebook Shop. You can also take advantage of the options available on your eCommerce platform, including offering multiple payment types and featuring high-resolution images.

There are several eCommerce platforms that you can use, such as Joomla or WordPress. However, Shopify offers several important advantages to Facebook sellers. It offers a streamlined way to acquire and ship products to customers all over the world.

After you link your Shopify store to your Facebook Shop, you can use Shopify to manage your inventory and generate more traffic. You can still use your Facebook Shop as the point of sale with your customers. They never have to leave Facebook to complete the purchase.

Any changes that you make to your product listing on Shopify will also automatically appear on your Facebook Shop, making it easier to manage a large inventory.

You may not need to use Shopify or an eCommerce website when you first start selling on Facebook. While an eCommerce site offers many advantages and helps save you time and energy over time, it also requires more initial work.

You can start with a Facebook Shop and then build an eCommerce store once you master the basics of selling on Facebook.

Promoting Your Products on Facebook

Without an eCommerce store, you do not have as many options for promoting your products. However, Facebook does offer the following options for marketing your products:

Become active in various Facebook Groups
Create your own Facebook Group
Grow your Facebook following
Use Facebook Advertisement Manager

After creating your Facebook Shop, you should start searching for Facebook Groups related to the types of products that you sell. For example, if you plan to sell cooking supplies and appliances, you should look for cooking groups. If you want to sell books, you should look for book groups.

You cannot join a Facebook Group and instantly start sharing posts related to your products. In fact, many Facebook Groups ban users that use the group for self-promotion.

However, these groups are a useful way to learn more about the type of people that you are targeting. You can learn about their interests and what they look for in a product. Becoming an active member of a Facebook Group allows you to conduct market research.

If you have a large group of followers, you may eventually choose to start your own Facebook Group. This is a great way to promote your brand and discuss topics that are directly related to the products that you sell.

It is not always easy to gain new followers, especially for a Facebook Business page that is dedicated to selling random products. If you want to attract more followers, you need to develop your brand.

You should consider focusing your efforts on a niche category. With a niche category, you will face less competition and will be able to cater to the needs of a specific subset of buyers. This typically results in higher conversion rates and makes it easier to conduct market research.

To gain more followers and grow your brand, you should try to become an expert in your industry. Make sure that you pay attention to the latest trends and developments related to the types of products that you sell.

You can also start posting about topics related to your niche category. Focus on providing helpful, relevant information, instead of trying to promote any of your products. If you want to promote your products, you should consider setting up a paid advertisement campaign with Facebook Ad Manager.

Creating a Facebook Paid Advertising Campaign

Facebook has their own pay-per-click advertising platform. You can create paid ads that appear on Facebook as users scroll through their timeline.

The Facebook Ads Manager dashboard provides access to all the settings and analytics for your ad campaigns. You can create a new ad and select the objective for your campaign.

Facebook walks you through the process of setting up your campaign to help you reach a specific goal. You can select awareness, conversion, or consideration. When you are first starting out, you may want to focus on awareness to gain more impressions and promote your brand.

Consideration campaigns are primarily used to direct Facebook users to specific links. For example, users may click on a link to read the details of a specific product. With conversion campaigns, the goal is to directly convert a Facebook user into a buyer.

The objective that you choose helps determine some of the later settings, such as how your ads are delivered to Facebook users. However, before you explore those settings, you need to select your target audience.

Facebook allows you to select the location of your audience. You can select the country, state, or city. You can even set a mile radius around a zip code.

When selecting your audience, you can also choose the age, gender, language, education, interests, net worth, and behaviors of your target group. These details help Facebook deliver your ads to the people that are most likely to purchase your products.

After choosing your audience, you can set your budget. You can set a daily spending limit or a lifetime limit. With your first campaign, start with a small budget to test the process.

You also need to choose between paying per click and paying for impressions. Cost-per-click (CPC) is recommended when you want to drive traffic to a product listing. If you select CPM, you pay for every 1,000 impressions that your ad gets.

The total impressions are the total number of users that Facebook delivers your ad to. You do not pay extra if they click on the ad, which makes it a suitable option for building more awareness.

These ads are a great way to promote your products. However, they should only comprise one part of your marketing strategy. You should also use Facebook Groups and continue to build your following.

Conclusion – Anyone Can Sell on Facebook

Facebook is the largest social media site and now seeks to become the largest online marketplace. While Facebook does not move the same volume of merchandise compared to Amazon or eBay, it provides a way to reach almost two billion potential customers.

Anyone can create a Facebook Shop and start selling products. However, you need to learn the best methods if you want to know how to sell on Facebook marketplace and make money.

Success does not happen overnight. You need to slowly build a strong reputation by selling quality products. You also need to gain followers and promote your products through online marketing and paid advertising.

Setting up an eCommerce website can also provide more options for building your eCommerce empire. With Shopify, you can easily sell items that you acquire online and link your products to your Facebook Shop page.

Whether you choose to set up an eCommerce site or simply sell directly on Facebook, remember that your reputation is a key component of your success.

Always resolve disputes quickly and quietly. You should also try your best to ship products immediately after they are purchased. Keeping your customers happy may encourage additional sales and referrals.

Overall, Facebook provides a lucrative opportunity for those who want to sell goods online. You just need to continually work on your marketing techniques and sell items with high profit margins.

How to Sell on Amazon: A Guide to Selling on the World’s Largest Marketplace

cmb38 — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 11:05:55 +0000

Amazon is the largest online marketplace. While people often think of eBay, Etsy, and Shopify when it comes to selling goods online, Amazon may provide the perfect platform for establishing your eCommerce business.

However, learning how to sell on Amazon requires a lot of work. You need to research products, build your inventory, and maintain a positive seller reputation.

The selling process can be intimidating for beginners. Even if you have experience selling goods online, listing products on Amazon may require different techniques compared to your typical methods.

With the right advice, you can establish yourself as a reliable Amazon seller and create a steady revenue stream. Here is your complete guide for how to sell on Amazon for beginners.

Decide on the Type of Products You Want to Sell

While you do not need to select a specific product category immediately, you should eventually narrow your focus to a niche market. This will make it easier to research the latest trends in the market.

When you only pay attention to one or two product categories, you can keep track of the newest products and gain more knowledge about what sells and what doesn’t.

Amazon sells a little bit of everything. However, there are only certain categories that are open to new sellers. There are also categories that require approval before you can list in them.

Books are a popular choice, as they are a low-cost item to acquire. Learning how to sell books on Amazon is often easier compared to selling in other product categories.

People are more likely to buy used books and it is easy to set a profitable price margin. Books are also one of the categories in which you can sell new or used items without having to receive approval.

Select a Selling Plan and Create Your Account

The type of products that you plan to sell may also impact your decision when choosing between the Individual Seller and Professional Seller plans. These are the two plans that are available to Amazon merchants.

The Individual Seller plan is free, while the Professional Seller plan includes a monthly fee. With the monthly fee, you get several advantages to help you sell items.

Professional Sellers do not get charged a per-item selling fee, while Individual Sellers are charged $0.99 per item. Also, professional sellers save on shipping costs for certain categories when fulfilling orders themselves instead of using the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) option.

The Professional Seller plan also provides access to categories that are not available to individual sellers. For example, only those with a premium plan can sell business products, collectible coins, jewelry, gourmet food, and industrial or scientific equipment.

You can always get started with the Individual Seller plan and then upgrade to the Professional Seller plan later.

When you first start selling, it may take several months to build your reputation and learn how to sell on Amazon FBA using the latest advertising and marketing techniques. During this learning phase, you may not need the advantages provided by the Professional Seller Plan.

After creating your account, you can access Amazon Seller Central. Seller Central is the primary web interface that you will use to manage your seller account and list your products. You should spend a little time browsing the menus to familiarize yourself with the layout.

You can instantly start listing products on Amazon. You can either list products that are already on Amazon or products that are not yet offered. When someone purchases an item, you will get paid and receive an email.

Choose Your Shipping Method for Fulfilling Orders

Another decision that you need to make is whether you want to ship your items to an Amazon warehouse or directly ship the items to the customer.

With the Fulfillment by Amazon Program, items are sent to an Amazon fulfillment center and then shipped to the customer. This also allows customers to use their Amazon Prime benefits. They can get free two-day shipping on the products that you sell.

Items shipped by Amazon include the same policy for returns that is used for items sold by Amazon. The trust that customers have in Amazon and the Prime shipping benefits helps you sell more items.

The second option is to fulfill the orders yourself. This is called Merchant Fulfill. With this option, you ship the item directly to the customer after they complete the transaction.

In most cases, the Amazon FBA program is the recommended shipping method. The process for learning how to sell on Amazon FBA does not require the same amount of work compared to selling with the Merchant Fulfill option.

Selling on Amazon FBA is also the only way to get your product to appear in the “buy box.” If you only sell as a merchant, your listing will appear in the “other sellers” section, which does not generate the same number of impressions compared to the main product details page.

Download and Install the Amazon Seller Mobile App

Amazon provides sellers with a variety of tools to help them manage their merchant account, including the Amazon Seller App.

This official mobile app is available directly from Amazon. It includes beneficial resources for setting prices and calculating your potential revenue.

You can use the app to enter the price of an item, the cost of shipping it to Amazon, and the amount that you spent on the item. The Amazon Revenue Calculator determines how much you will be charged in fees and how much profit you will earn.

You should enter every item that you plan to list in the calculator to ensure that it is a wise investment. Typically, a more expensive item should offer a larger profit margin.

With cheap goods, such as items that cost less than $20, you may only earn a few dollars per transaction. However, these cheaper goods tend to sell faster.

Decide How You Want to Acquire Your Inventory

You can sell a wide range of products on Amazon. However, unless you are selling digital goods, it is not the best online marketplace for selling original creations.

Most Amazon merchants sell new or used products. You can sell everything from new clothing to used books or automotive parts.

The method that you use for acquiring your inventory directly impacts your earning potential. Maximizing your profit margins requires you to find items at low prices and then sell them for a profit.

Some Amazon sellers start by selling items that they already have. You may have used items that are still in great condition that you no longer use.

Keep in mind that Amazon only allows new sellers to list used items in certain categories. There are also items that require prior approval. The product categories that do not require approval for used items include the following:

Cameras and photography equipment
Musical instruments
Office products
Outdoor gear
Sports equipment
Hunting equipment
Tools
Video games
Computer software

If you have items that fall in any of these categories, selling them on Amazon is a great way to start building your seller reputation.

How to Find Low-Cost Items to Build Your Inventory

When you run out of things around the house to sell, you need to decide how to buy low-cost items. You can either obtain items from local businesses or buy them online.

If you visit a local retailer, bring your smartphone with the Amazon Seller App installed. You can scan the barcode of items in the store and then view the current price for that product on Amazon. You can compare the prices to determine whether or not the item offers a good profit margin.

Remember that you can also use the Amazon Revenue Calculator when trying to find items. When searching for low-cost items online, always enter them into the calculator.

There are advantages to shopping locally and buying online. When you purchase low-cost items online, you have more options. There are more retailers that you can compare to find the lowest price.

However, you cannot physically see the product to determine if it is in good condition. There is also a risk of lost or delayed shipments.

Purchasing locally allows you to examine the product before buying. The drawback is that you may not always find the lowest price. You may also find it difficult to acquire large quantities of items.

You may want to try both options. Search for items both locally and online until you get a good idea of which option works best for the type of products that you sell.

Getting Your Item Listed in the Buy Box

If you want to know how to sell on Amazon, you should understand how products are featured on the website. For those that are not familiar with the Amazon website, you should take the time to review the product details page.

When shoppers search for items and click on a product, they can view the details and features of the product. This detail page also includes the price and buying options.

The seller with the top listing for that product appears in the “buy box”. When a user adds the item to their cart from the details page, they are buying it from this seller.

They can also click on the “available from other sellers” button. However, 90% of shoppers simply add the items to their carts without exploring the offerings of other sellers, making it essential to get listed in the buy box.

You will need to use the Amazon FBA shipment option and set a price that matches the average price offered by other merchants. However, the biggest factor is your reputation. You need to slowly increase your seller rating.

Selling Print Books and eBooks on Amazon

Besides selling new or used items that you purchase from other retailers or wholesalers, you can sell your own products. Independently published books comprise a major portion of the book market on Amazon.

If you search for books in almost any genre, many of the titles that you see are written and published by individual authors without the backing of a publishing company.

Amazon even provides additional tools and resources for creating your own book and getting it listed on the website. With an Amazon CreateSpace account, you can upload your completed manuscript, add a cover, and list print copies of your book for sale on Amazon.

After creating your book on CreateSpace, you can transfer the files to Kindle Direct Publishing. This allows you to sell an eBook version of the print book and have them appear in the same listing.

The steps needed for learning how to sell your own book on Amazon are different compared to selling goods as a third-party vendor.

Instead of worrying about the “buy box” or becoming the top-listed seller, you need to focus on promoting your book. This typically requires online marketing outside of Amazon. Paid advertisements can be used to attract visitors from Google or Facebook.

Last Thoughts on Making Money by Selling on Amazon

Learning how to sell on Amazon takes practice and research. You need to experience the sales process yourself and find out what methods work. You also need to continually research the latest marketing techniques and product releases for your niche categories.

During the first several months, you may not sell many items. In fact, you may go weeks without selling a single item. These dry spells should not discourage you from continuing to sell items on Amazon. It can take time for your listings to get noticed and for you to develop a positive seller reputation.

Amazon is the largest online marketplace and provides a simplified platform for selling a wide range of goods. When you first get started, try to find products that sell quickly. These tend to be low-cost items that people purchase impulsively, such as books and home or office supplies.

You should also keep track of your results. Focus more on the products that sell well and cut back on the products that people tend to overlook.

In the end, Amazon is a great place to start selling goods. Anyone can get started for free and you can target customers all over the world.

Stashing Dollars

7 Ways to Save Money on Back to School Shopping

Back to School Shopping Tips

Check Social Media

Drop by the Dollar Store

Reuse What You Can

Saving on School Uniforms

Tackling College Textbooks

Extracurricular Expenses

Exercise Your Power as a Parent

You Might Also Like…

Follow Us

Swagbucks In-Depth Review – Can You Make Money for Browsing the Web?

What Is Swagbucks and How Do You Get Started?

The Basics of How Swagbucks Works

What Do You Get With Your SB Points?

How Much Money Can You Make with Swagbucks?

Shopping Online

Answering Surveys

Watching Videos

Taking Polls

Discovering Offers

Playing Games

Searching the Web

Daily Bonuses

Is Swagbucks Legitimate?

Advantages of Swagbucks

Disadvantages of Swagbucks

Tips for Earning More Money through Swagbucks

Who Should Consider Joining Swagbucks?

Conclusion – Should You Start Using Swagbucks?

You Might Also Like…

Follow Us

Debt Free Living: 10 Things Debt Free People Do

How to Get Out of Debt and Stay Out of Debt

1. They Have An Emergency Fund

2. They Don’t Carry Credit Card Balances

3. They Don’t Live Above Their Means

4. They Save for Retirement

5. They Pay Bills on Time

6. They Educate Themselves on How Money Works

7. They Don’t Buy Things Impulsively

8. They Are Goal Driven

9. They Make Sacrifices for Financial Freedom

10. They Communicate

Conclusion – Debt-Free Living

You Might Also Like…

Follow Us

How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt Fast

How To Pay Off Debt Quickly

1. Make A List Of Your Debts

2. Negotiate Lower Interest Rates

3. Create a Repayment Plan

4. Reduce Your Spending

5. Make Extra Money

You Might Also Like…

Follow Us

17 Ways to Save Money on Groceries

1. Buy in Bulk

2. Buy Only What You Need

3. Do Meal Planning

4. Shop with a List

5. Shop Online and Pick Up at the Store

6. Buy “in season” Fruits and Vegetables

7. Freeze or Can Foods

8. Use Coupons

9. Make a Budget and Pay Cash

10. Buy Generic or Store Brands

11. Cut Back on Meat Purchases

12. Eat Your Leftovers

13. Check the Unit Price when Shopping

14. Limit the Amount of Convenience Foods

15. Shop at Less Expensive Grocery Stores

16. Plant a Garden

17. Use Savings Apps

Conclusion – Ways to Save Money on Groceries

You Might Also Like…

Follow Us

22 Innovative Ways to Make $100 a Day

How to Make $100 a Day