Season One of The Profit came to an end a few weeks ago, finally getting around to writing a review and recommending you guys check this show out.
Anyone who owns a small business or considers themself an entrepreneur needs to watch this television show. Marcus is a businessman who's top objective is making money, but he's also willing to dive in and get his hands dirty as well, he's far from a hands off businessman.
I'm a big fan of the business based reality shows, however a big complaint of mine is many of these shows seem too fake or staged. I get that reality television is heavily edited and they have to create a story A show which is edited however is much different from a show which is completely staged. I used to be a big fan of Bar Rescue however that show these days seems fake and staged with fights and other things clearly setup for Drama. I don't find that to be the case with The Profit.
This show doesn't end with hugs and kisses like many of these business reality shows, sometimes he works with some very difficult people and in a few episodes they have walked away either without a deal or in at least one case with cutting a difficult partner out of the business.
First and foremost I find this show entertaining however it's also interesting to see business situations you may have faced in your personal life played out on a stage for you to view. It's easy as an outsider to see how people's stubborness can lead to their downfall. I feel there's definately lessons from the show which can be transitioned to daily life to your own business.
Overall I'm a big fan of this show. I've watched the entire first season and plan on watching season two if and when it comes out. I'd highly recommend any business owner or entrepreneur check this show out.
Showing posts with label Misc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Misc. Show all posts
Earn Cash Back, Frequent Flyer Miles, Or CC Rewards With BlueBird & Vanilla Reload Cards
Okay, so this isn't as good as the US Mint Credit Card Hack from a few years ago but a quick easy way to make some money or rack up some rewards or frequent flyer miles. In this post we will teach you how to rack up credit card rewards, frequent flyer miles, or make an extra $200 a month with Cash Back from a Wells Fargo 5% Cash Back card or other cash back cards.
This doesn't take much time, less than an hour. After that maybe a half hour a month recurring to do this each month. This doesn't take much time or money but you can earn free vacations or even cash back. There are however 4 requirements you will need to meet...
The Requirements...
1. Must have a social security number and reside in the USA.
2. Must have good credit, preferably 720 or higher, though possible to get other cards with lower scores.
3. Checking account or savings account with "BillPay" or "ACH Transfer" ability
4. Need to have a CVS, Walgreens, 711, or other stores that sell "cash cards" and can be reloaded with a credit card.
What To Do...
1. Apply for a Wells Fargo 5% Cash Back Credit Card...
This card gives you 5% cash back for grocery, drug store, gas, and a few other purchases for six months. This card is meant for those with higher credit scores. There are some other cash back cards and you can earn credit card rewards, miles or points on but make sure it's a high earning card. If you have a card that does not offer good rewards you will actually wind up losing money due to the few fees that are involved in buying the reloads and paying bills as often time paying bills with cards adds a small surcharge. If you're denied by Wells Fargo applying online you can call on the phone and generally get a quicker decision. Once you have confirmation you've been accepted to the card you can move on to the next step.
2. Apply for American Express Bluebird Card:
You can often buy a starter pack at Walmart for a few bucks, but it's just as easy to buy one online and wait for it in the mail, shouldn't take longer than a week max. This card doesn't pull your credit for an approval so you won't have your soft credit dinged any points as you would applying for a real credit card. You do however need a social security number, probably due to Frank/Dodd and Anti-Money Laundering Policies but you're credit won't be pulled and you won't be dinged. It basically just allows them to validate your identity.
3. Now that you have the Wells Fargo Card and the Bluebird card in your possession go to any one of the stores that qualify as a drugstore, gas station, or grocery store and buy Vanilla Reload cards with your 5% Wells Fargo Credit Card. It's important that these are Vanilla Reload cards and NOT One Vanilla, My Vanilla or any other variations of the Vanilla brand. You may want to find a store which sells these cards prior to getting all this setup. The card should look like the pic below...
![[Image: VanillaReload.jpg]](http://boardingarea.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/frequentmiler/files/2013/01/VanillaReload.jpg)
The Vanilla Reload cards are reload packs. They allow you to put cash onto many prepaid and other debit cards. They do have a $3.95 charge per card and you can only load a max of $500 on each card. The tough part is locating a gas station, drug store, or grocery store that allows you to purchase the Vanilla Reload cards with Credit Cards. Many of them will only accept cash or will take a card but only debit. Once you find a location which will allow you to use credit cards buy them with your Wells Fargo 5% cash back card.
It will depend on your credit limit and how much a store will sell you. Buy as many as you can up, you max out at $5,000 per month.
4. Now you have Vanilla Reload cards. Visit VanillaReload.Com adn enter the unique 10 digit PIN number into the box. You will find it on the back of the Vanilla Reload card after you scratch it off like a lotto ticket. After doing this enter your 15 digit BlueBird card number. BlueBird will allow $5,000 per month to be loaded and a $1,000 daily limit. This will take you a min of 5 days to accomplish.
5. You now have $5,000 loaded onto your BlueBird card. Go to the "settings" tab on the upper right hand corner and link it to your bank account. You can do this as soon as you get your card as well. Once it's linked you can transfer the entire $5,000 from your BlueBird account that you recieved by buying the Vanilla Reloads to your bank using the "Withdraw Funds" link/feature.
*Some people have been shut down either by Bluebird or their Credit Card company by doing the direct transfer of funds to your bank account. To fly under the radar you may want to instead use your BlueBird card to pay bills, pay your taxes. Though many bills will not allow you to pay with a Credit Card most will allow you to pay with a debit card for a small fee of $3 or $3 vs 2% or 3% which is generally waht you'll be charged to pay bills by card, if they allow payment by credit card at all. It's up to you if you want to take the easy/lazy way and transfer to the bank or if you want to pay your rent and other bills with the debit card.
6. Last step here. Now you have $5,000 in your bank account. Use Billpay or ACH to pay off the $5,039.50 balance on your Wells Fargo 5% cash back card. The reason your paying $5039.50, even though you only loaded $5,000 is because you pay $3.95 per load. This is also why you want to make sure you have a card where points are at least valued at a penny or more, because you're paying about 0.8 cents per mile you earn. If you have a poor earning card you will lose money. If you have a good earning card you will be earning about 0.2 cents per Dollar spent and come out ahead. This is what you will have completed...
1. $5,039.50 Charged on Wells Fargo 5% Cash Back Card for Vanilla Reloads.
2. $5,000 moved from Vanilla reloads to BlueBird.
3. $5,0000 moved from Bluebird to bank account.
4. $5039.50 moved from bank account to pay off Wells Fargo 5% Credit Card.
You're now left with...
1. $5,039.50 credit card balance paid off.
2. 5% rebate of $5,039.50 which comes to $251.98, subtract the $39.50 you paid for 10 Vanilla Reload cards.
Total Monthly Gain: $212.48
Couple Other Things To Consider...
1. No reason to, but don't inform the cashier you are buying the Vanilla Reload cards for what you are doing. If they realize it's easy money they may hoard the cards for themselves.
2. Finding these cards can be a challenge. I'm surprised how hard it is to find these cards. I do find them at a few different CVS locations near my home though. If you get a rapport with a cashier they will sometimes save the cards for you when they come in, be nice and bring them a coffee or something.
3. Not sure how this is taxed if at all. You should do your own research. I'm under the impression this is considered a discount and not taxable income but I suppose all income earned is ordinary income at the least.
4. This sounds somewhat complicated but it's very easy and simple. This type of earning is referred to as arbitrage. It normally takes me 2 minutes to drive to the CVS by my home and buy $5,000 worht of cards. A couple minutes everyday for each reload. Basically less than an hours worth of work for $212.48. Do you make that at your job? the toughest part will be locating the cards and a store who sells them.
Wrapping Up:
Your not gonna get rich off this but at the same time hard to not take advantage of $1,275 over a 6 month period with basically 2 hours worth of work.
This doesn't take much time, less than an hour. After that maybe a half hour a month recurring to do this each month. This doesn't take much time or money but you can earn free vacations or even cash back. There are however 4 requirements you will need to meet...
The Requirements...
1. Must have a social security number and reside in the USA.
2. Must have good credit, preferably 720 or higher, though possible to get other cards with lower scores.
3. Checking account or savings account with "BillPay" or "ACH Transfer" ability
4. Need to have a CVS, Walgreens, 711, or other stores that sell "cash cards" and can be reloaded with a credit card.
What To Do...
1. Apply for a Wells Fargo 5% Cash Back Credit Card...
This card gives you 5% cash back for grocery, drug store, gas, and a few other purchases for six months. This card is meant for those with higher credit scores. There are some other cash back cards and you can earn credit card rewards, miles or points on but make sure it's a high earning card. If you have a card that does not offer good rewards you will actually wind up losing money due to the few fees that are involved in buying the reloads and paying bills as often time paying bills with cards adds a small surcharge. If you're denied by Wells Fargo applying online you can call on the phone and generally get a quicker decision. Once you have confirmation you've been accepted to the card you can move on to the next step.
2. Apply for American Express Bluebird Card:
You can often buy a starter pack at Walmart for a few bucks, but it's just as easy to buy one online and wait for it in the mail, shouldn't take longer than a week max. This card doesn't pull your credit for an approval so you won't have your soft credit dinged any points as you would applying for a real credit card. You do however need a social security number, probably due to Frank/Dodd and Anti-Money Laundering Policies but you're credit won't be pulled and you won't be dinged. It basically just allows them to validate your identity.
3. Now that you have the Wells Fargo Card and the Bluebird card in your possession go to any one of the stores that qualify as a drugstore, gas station, or grocery store and buy Vanilla Reload cards with your 5% Wells Fargo Credit Card. It's important that these are Vanilla Reload cards and NOT One Vanilla, My Vanilla or any other variations of the Vanilla brand. You may want to find a store which sells these cards prior to getting all this setup. The card should look like the pic below...
The Vanilla Reload cards are reload packs. They allow you to put cash onto many prepaid and other debit cards. They do have a $3.95 charge per card and you can only load a max of $500 on each card. The tough part is locating a gas station, drug store, or grocery store that allows you to purchase the Vanilla Reload cards with Credit Cards. Many of them will only accept cash or will take a card but only debit. Once you find a location which will allow you to use credit cards buy them with your Wells Fargo 5% cash back card.
It will depend on your credit limit and how much a store will sell you. Buy as many as you can up, you max out at $5,000 per month.
4. Now you have Vanilla Reload cards. Visit VanillaReload.Com adn enter the unique 10 digit PIN number into the box. You will find it on the back of the Vanilla Reload card after you scratch it off like a lotto ticket. After doing this enter your 15 digit BlueBird card number. BlueBird will allow $5,000 per month to be loaded and a $1,000 daily limit. This will take you a min of 5 days to accomplish.
5. You now have $5,000 loaded onto your BlueBird card. Go to the "settings" tab on the upper right hand corner and link it to your bank account. You can do this as soon as you get your card as well. Once it's linked you can transfer the entire $5,000 from your BlueBird account that you recieved by buying the Vanilla Reloads to your bank using the "Withdraw Funds" link/feature.
*Some people have been shut down either by Bluebird or their Credit Card company by doing the direct transfer of funds to your bank account. To fly under the radar you may want to instead use your BlueBird card to pay bills, pay your taxes. Though many bills will not allow you to pay with a Credit Card most will allow you to pay with a debit card for a small fee of $3 or $3 vs 2% or 3% which is generally waht you'll be charged to pay bills by card, if they allow payment by credit card at all. It's up to you if you want to take the easy/lazy way and transfer to the bank or if you want to pay your rent and other bills with the debit card.
6. Last step here. Now you have $5,000 in your bank account. Use Billpay or ACH to pay off the $5,039.50 balance on your Wells Fargo 5% cash back card. The reason your paying $5039.50, even though you only loaded $5,000 is because you pay $3.95 per load. This is also why you want to make sure you have a card where points are at least valued at a penny or more, because you're paying about 0.8 cents per mile you earn. If you have a poor earning card you will lose money. If you have a good earning card you will be earning about 0.2 cents per Dollar spent and come out ahead. This is what you will have completed...
1. $5,039.50 Charged on Wells Fargo 5% Cash Back Card for Vanilla Reloads.
2. $5,000 moved from Vanilla reloads to BlueBird.
3. $5,0000 moved from Bluebird to bank account.
4. $5039.50 moved from bank account to pay off Wells Fargo 5% Credit Card.
You're now left with...
1. $5,039.50 credit card balance paid off.
2. 5% rebate of $5,039.50 which comes to $251.98, subtract the $39.50 you paid for 10 Vanilla Reload cards.
Total Monthly Gain: $212.48
Couple Other Things To Consider...
1. No reason to, but don't inform the cashier you are buying the Vanilla Reload cards for what you are doing. If they realize it's easy money they may hoard the cards for themselves.
2. Finding these cards can be a challenge. I'm surprised how hard it is to find these cards. I do find them at a few different CVS locations near my home though. If you get a rapport with a cashier they will sometimes save the cards for you when they come in, be nice and bring them a coffee or something.
3. Not sure how this is taxed if at all. You should do your own research. I'm under the impression this is considered a discount and not taxable income but I suppose all income earned is ordinary income at the least.
4. This sounds somewhat complicated but it's very easy and simple. This type of earning is referred to as arbitrage. It normally takes me 2 minutes to drive to the CVS by my home and buy $5,000 worht of cards. A couple minutes everyday for each reload. Basically less than an hours worth of work for $212.48. Do you make that at your job? the toughest part will be locating the cards and a store who sells them.
Wrapping Up:
Your not gonna get rich off this but at the same time hard to not take advantage of $1,275 over a 6 month period with basically 2 hours worth of work.
Bitcoins For Absolute Beginners, How To Buy Bitcoins
Bitcoins are all the rage in the media these days. You've probably been inundated with stories about Bitcoins used on Black Markets, the rise in the value of Bitcoins, articles about the theft of Bitcoins. Maybe you have an interest in Bitcoins or other Crypto currencies. It can be confusing knowing where to start or even just wrapping your head around the idea of Bitcoins, what are they, how do you hold them, how do you buy them, and how are they used. In this article we are going to explain Bitcoins to you in a way which is easy to understand. Tell you how to hold Bitcoins, how to send and receive Bitcoins, and how and where to purchase Bitcoins with US Dollars. I don't claim to be the foremost expert on Bitcoins but I have done a lot of research, have been using them for a while, and had a hard time understanding them myself so I feel I can explain them in a way which is easy to understand for absolute beginners.
I won't get into the whole history of Bitcoins and who created them, there's plenty of places to research that if your interested. I just want to explain what Bitcoins are and how they work. Bitcoins are a virtual electronic currency. They are not a tangible or physical thing you can hold. You can't have a Bitcoin or a note in your pocket, it's strictly electronic and strictly online.
Bitcoins are what's referred to as a Crypto Currency. There are a number of competitors out there like Litecoins, Feather Coins, Crypt Coins, and many more. Bitcoins are by far the most valuable and also the most widely accepted and well known. If you have an interest in the other crypto currencies and want to diversify and hold a bit of each you generally have to buy Bitcoins first and then you can go to an exchange and swap those for Lite Coins or Feather Coins or Peer Coins or any other coins you want.
Some unique things about Bitcoins is it's not a currency of a country like we generally think of currency. It's basically the currency of the internet, though more and more brick and mortar stores, restaurants, and shops are now accepting them.
Bitcoin transactions cannot be reversed. If you send to the wrong address there is no calling them back. It's argued this is both good and bad. It's good in the sense people can't open a Paypal case or do a credit card chargeback and wind up keeping someone's product or service and getting their cash back. It can also be a downside in that if you send to the wrong address or put a decimal in the wrong place there's no reversing a transaction. Some people view this as a positive, others claim any legit banking system needs a way to reverse mistakes. Many sites which accept Bitcoins however use an escrow service so Bitcoins are held until both parties are satisfied with a transaction.
I know it can be hard to wrap your head around the idea of Bitcoins but it's really no different than sending money via Paypal or online banking, it's actually much simpler than you think. The confusing parts can be how do I hold Bitcoins if there's no physical coins. You can't put them in your pocket or a safe in your house for example. Also, how do I send and receive Bitcoins as well as how do I buy them. These things can be confusing to a newbie so we'll address those below.
You can hold your Bitcoins either through a third party service like Coinbase, which just happens to be a place you can buy Bitcoins from your bank account as well as hold them. There's also other third party services out there which you can buy Bitcoins from and which can also serve as Bitcoin wallets. Another way to hold Bitcoins is in a paper wallet. A paper wallet is basically a program you download onto your computer which is on your computers hard drive, NOT online. This is a more secure way of holding your Bitcoins and you have more control of them.
CoinBase is a great place to buy and maybe keep a small amount of Bitcoins in, however I would not recommend keeping your holdings in a third party online wallet. If they are hacked or seized by the Government or anything you potentially lose your Bitcoins. In a Bitcoin wallet you have a wallet on your computers hard drive which is encrypted and password protected where you can hold Bitcoins.
One confusing thing is you don't really setup an account with a paper wallet like you do with a site like Bitcoin. I had a hard time understanding this. With most things you have to setup an account which is hard to change, your locked into a username and email, etc. With a paper Bitcoin wallet literally within one click you create a new wallet and can easily add or delete wallets. Technically you could use a different wallet for every single transaction you do. You add a name to your wallet, you have the option of adding a password, and you can also keep the details on a zip drive for safe keeping. The paper Bitcoin wallet may seem confusing at first but it's actually a very simple menu and very simple to use.
Each wallet has a unique address which is basically random letters and numbers. Your wallet also has a QR code which can be scanned to send you Bitcoins as well.
I would recommend having an account with Coinbase or a similar site as well as a paperwallet which you'll actually use to store your Bitcoins. Next we'll address how to send and receive Bitcoins.
It's actually surprisingly simple. Either from a paper wallet or an online wallet it's very easy to send Bitcoins. Most people use the actual address vs the QR Code but both are options for you. The nice thing because transactions aren't reversible wallets have a copy to clipboard feature and don't allow you to highlite, copy and paste as you could leave off a letter. They basically force you to be accurate in getting your Bitcoin address to give to someone else. If you want to receive money all you do is give them your address, they send to you and within a minute or a few minutes you receive the Bitcoins.
If you want to send Bitcoins all you need is that persons Bitcoin address, click send Bitcoins, and paste in their Bitcoin address. Whether through an online wallet or a paper wallet this is very easy and straight forward.
Many people wonder, where do I buy Bitcoins? It's actually somewhat difficult to buy Bitcoins. Nobody wants to accept Paypal or Credit Cards understandably because once you give away the Bitcoins you cannot get them back and some bad people could do credit card chargebacks or Paypal disputes, get their cash back and they have your Bitcoins.
There are a few sellers on eBay and some on other sites who will take Paypal but it's generally at a huge markup and in small amounts like $50 or less.
I'm going to share with you my favorite and easiest ways to buy Bitcoins. These methods are what I consider to be more reputable sites or people or more secure ways of buying them as well as the easiest.
CoinBase.Com
Coin Base is a known and trusted supplier of Bitcoins. It's one of the few if not the only place you can buy directly from your bank account. Some people don't like the idea of linking a bank account but the site is very secure and in addition to having a password by default it's setup to send you a text message at each login which you have to verify a code. It's a pretty secure system in my opinion.
You link a bank account and can transfer Bitcoins easily with a relatively small fee, the only downside it's about a week for the coins to clear to your wallet. This is probably the easiest and most straightforward way for a newbie to buy Bitcoins. Even if you'd prefer to buy on Bitlocal or Craigslist or something give these guys a try if even for a small amount just so you can get your feet wet and figure out how to transfer from CoinBase to your paper wallet. Also, though it doesn't have to be CoinBase you will need Coin Base or another site to convert your coins back to dollars unless you want to sell to an individual on Craigslist or something like that.
LocalBitCoins.Com
This site basically connects buyers and sellers. You can buy from and sell to people remotely and deposit money directly into their bank account. Some users accept bankwires or Moneygram or Western Union. It's basically setup on an escrow system so the Coins are held until the seller can provide you with a secret code. Once they provide this to you, you know they sent the Bitcoins.
You can also meetup with people locally and pay cash, they do allow their escrow system to be used for this as well. You'd basically meet someone at a Starbucks or McDonalds, and hand over cash once they provide you with the secret code.
This is a bit more complicated in that if you don't know what your doing and run into a bad seller being face to face they could offer to help you with your wallet or something like that and return the coins to them or screw you over. I think most people are good but don't do anything besides use the escrow system which is setup. I'd recommend having completed a few Bitcoin transactions sending and receiving before using this site.
I find this site to be somewhat overpriced. When Bitcoins were at $1,000 people were asking for upwards of $1200. You could do better on CoinBase.Com than those prices. That said you can find some good deals in person occasionally.
Craigslist
Yep, no special accounts, no codes, just regular sales like buying an X-Box or a couch on Craigslist. Look at your local Craigslist site, search for Bitcoins and you'll see a number of people selling them. You can work the transaction however you'd like but generally you'd meetup at a safe trusted place where you have access to internet. You'd give the person cash and they would transfer Bitcoins to your wallet at an agreed upon price or rate. Again, I'd recommend having a few transactions under your belt so you know what to expect before doing this.
Meetups
Bitcoin Meetups are kind of a cool concept. Just like people have meetups for people with pets or Bulldog owners or people who play chess or ride motorcycles. There are meetups for people into Bitcoins. It's basically a community, you can go network with people. Oftentimes there's a weekly or monthly meetup at a bar or coffee shop. You can buy from others and sell to others. I like this method as it's kind of a community with regulars. If someone rips you off they will probably see you or others in the group again making it less likely to happen. You can also ask advice and help from others.
BitInstant.Com
This is one of my favorites and a very easy way to buy Bitcoins. Unfortunately their site is currently down and it doesn't seem like a fix is comming anytime real soon. Basically how this site works, it finds a local store in your area which does Money Gram, basically a Walmart, 711, or CVS. You decide how many Bitcoins you want, they work out the conversion and then have you put in your zipcode where you can see stores in your area. You select one that you will go to, to pay, you then will print out a sheet of paper showing how many Bitcoins you get for the price and how much money you need to send via Money Gram. You bring that paper into the Walmart, 711, or CVS and pay the Money Gram bill. The coins are then sent to your wallet once you make payment. This is very easy and a good way for beginnners, fees aren't the best but it's not terrible and you get your coins in a timely fashion.
Well I hope that gives you a better idea of what Bitcoins are as well as helping you to wrap your head around the concept. We explained Bitcoins and what they are, how to send them and receive them, and the best places to buy as well as how to do so.
This isn't the most complete guide around but I wanted to give you something which wasn't too long, which was concise and gave you all the essentials you need. If you have any questions please ask in the comments section below.
What Are Bitcoins?
Bitcoins are what's referred to as a Crypto Currency. There are a number of competitors out there like Litecoins, Feather Coins, Crypt Coins, and many more. Bitcoins are by far the most valuable and also the most widely accepted and well known. If you have an interest in the other crypto currencies and want to diversify and hold a bit of each you generally have to buy Bitcoins first and then you can go to an exchange and swap those for Lite Coins or Feather Coins or Peer Coins or any other coins you want.
Some unique things about Bitcoins is it's not a currency of a country like we generally think of currency. It's basically the currency of the internet, though more and more brick and mortar stores, restaurants, and shops are now accepting them.
Bitcoin transactions cannot be reversed. If you send to the wrong address there is no calling them back. It's argued this is both good and bad. It's good in the sense people can't open a Paypal case or do a credit card chargeback and wind up keeping someone's product or service and getting their cash back. It can also be a downside in that if you send to the wrong address or put a decimal in the wrong place there's no reversing a transaction. Some people view this as a positive, others claim any legit banking system needs a way to reverse mistakes. Many sites which accept Bitcoins however use an escrow service so Bitcoins are held until both parties are satisfied with a transaction.
I know it can be hard to wrap your head around the idea of Bitcoins but it's really no different than sending money via Paypal or online banking, it's actually much simpler than you think. The confusing parts can be how do I hold Bitcoins if there's no physical coins. You can't put them in your pocket or a safe in your house for example. Also, how do I send and receive Bitcoins as well as how do I buy them. These things can be confusing to a newbie so we'll address those below.
How Do I Hold Bitcoins?
CoinBase is a great place to buy and maybe keep a small amount of Bitcoins in, however I would not recommend keeping your holdings in a third party online wallet. If they are hacked or seized by the Government or anything you potentially lose your Bitcoins. In a Bitcoin wallet you have a wallet on your computers hard drive which is encrypted and password protected where you can hold Bitcoins.
One confusing thing is you don't really setup an account with a paper wallet like you do with a site like Bitcoin. I had a hard time understanding this. With most things you have to setup an account which is hard to change, your locked into a username and email, etc. With a paper Bitcoin wallet literally within one click you create a new wallet and can easily add or delete wallets. Technically you could use a different wallet for every single transaction you do. You add a name to your wallet, you have the option of adding a password, and you can also keep the details on a zip drive for safe keeping. The paper Bitcoin wallet may seem confusing at first but it's actually a very simple menu and very simple to use.
Each wallet has a unique address which is basically random letters and numbers. Your wallet also has a QR code which can be scanned to send you Bitcoins as well.
I would recommend having an account with Coinbase or a similar site as well as a paperwallet which you'll actually use to store your Bitcoins. Next we'll address how to send and receive Bitcoins.
How To Send & Receive Bitcoins?
If you want to send Bitcoins all you need is that persons Bitcoin address, click send Bitcoins, and paste in their Bitcoin address. Whether through an online wallet or a paper wallet this is very easy and straight forward.
Where To Buy Bitcoins?
There are a few sellers on eBay and some on other sites who will take Paypal but it's generally at a huge markup and in small amounts like $50 or less.
I'm going to share with you my favorite and easiest ways to buy Bitcoins. These methods are what I consider to be more reputable sites or people or more secure ways of buying them as well as the easiest.
CoinBase.Com
Coin Base is a known and trusted supplier of Bitcoins. It's one of the few if not the only place you can buy directly from your bank account. Some people don't like the idea of linking a bank account but the site is very secure and in addition to having a password by default it's setup to send you a text message at each login which you have to verify a code. It's a pretty secure system in my opinion.
You link a bank account and can transfer Bitcoins easily with a relatively small fee, the only downside it's about a week for the coins to clear to your wallet. This is probably the easiest and most straightforward way for a newbie to buy Bitcoins. Even if you'd prefer to buy on Bitlocal or Craigslist or something give these guys a try if even for a small amount just so you can get your feet wet and figure out how to transfer from CoinBase to your paper wallet. Also, though it doesn't have to be CoinBase you will need Coin Base or another site to convert your coins back to dollars unless you want to sell to an individual on Craigslist or something like that.
LocalBitCoins.Com
This site basically connects buyers and sellers. You can buy from and sell to people remotely and deposit money directly into their bank account. Some users accept bankwires or Moneygram or Western Union. It's basically setup on an escrow system so the Coins are held until the seller can provide you with a secret code. Once they provide this to you, you know they sent the Bitcoins.
You can also meetup with people locally and pay cash, they do allow their escrow system to be used for this as well. You'd basically meet someone at a Starbucks or McDonalds, and hand over cash once they provide you with the secret code.
This is a bit more complicated in that if you don't know what your doing and run into a bad seller being face to face they could offer to help you with your wallet or something like that and return the coins to them or screw you over. I think most people are good but don't do anything besides use the escrow system which is setup. I'd recommend having completed a few Bitcoin transactions sending and receiving before using this site.
I find this site to be somewhat overpriced. When Bitcoins were at $1,000 people were asking for upwards of $1200. You could do better on CoinBase.Com than those prices. That said you can find some good deals in person occasionally.
Craigslist
Yep, no special accounts, no codes, just regular sales like buying an X-Box or a couch on Craigslist. Look at your local Craigslist site, search for Bitcoins and you'll see a number of people selling them. You can work the transaction however you'd like but generally you'd meetup at a safe trusted place where you have access to internet. You'd give the person cash and they would transfer Bitcoins to your wallet at an agreed upon price or rate. Again, I'd recommend having a few transactions under your belt so you know what to expect before doing this.
Meetups
Bitcoin Meetups are kind of a cool concept. Just like people have meetups for people with pets or Bulldog owners or people who play chess or ride motorcycles. There are meetups for people into Bitcoins. It's basically a community, you can go network with people. Oftentimes there's a weekly or monthly meetup at a bar or coffee shop. You can buy from others and sell to others. I like this method as it's kind of a community with regulars. If someone rips you off they will probably see you or others in the group again making it less likely to happen. You can also ask advice and help from others.
BitInstant.Com
This is one of my favorites and a very easy way to buy Bitcoins. Unfortunately their site is currently down and it doesn't seem like a fix is comming anytime real soon. Basically how this site works, it finds a local store in your area which does Money Gram, basically a Walmart, 711, or CVS. You decide how many Bitcoins you want, they work out the conversion and then have you put in your zipcode where you can see stores in your area. You select one that you will go to, to pay, you then will print out a sheet of paper showing how many Bitcoins you get for the price and how much money you need to send via Money Gram. You bring that paper into the Walmart, 711, or CVS and pay the Money Gram bill. The coins are then sent to your wallet once you make payment. This is very easy and a good way for beginnners, fees aren't the best but it's not terrible and you get your coins in a timely fashion.
Wrapping Up
This isn't the most complete guide around but I wanted to give you something which wasn't too long, which was concise and gave you all the essentials you need. If you have any questions please ask in the comments section below.
Bissel Heavy Duty Vaccum Cleaner - Better Than Dyson 1/4 Of The Price
I've been on the hunt for a new vaccum for about a year and that's not even an exageration. I've probably been out vaccum shopping over a dozen times and everytime I'm in a big box store like Target, Walmart, or Home Depot I can't help but wander down the vacuum isle and see they have to offer.
m for about a year and that's not even an exageration. I've probably been out vaccum shopping over a dozen times and everytime I'm in a big box store like Target, Walmart, or Home Depot I can't help but wander down the vacuum isle and see they have to offer.
I finally decided on the Bissel Heavy Duty vacuum cleaner and could not be happier. Vacuums are certainly not the most exciting thing or most exciting purchase one could possibly make so the fact I'm sitting down writing a blog post to praise this vacuum should say something.
I'm a young professional in my late 20's so buying a household appliance like a vacuum cleaner that costs hundreds of dollars is certainly high on my to do list nor my things I want to spend my hard earned money on list, but none the less it's something I needed. With a large house, two dogs, and a girlfriend who is allergic to my two dogs it was a must I get a good vacuum.
I've been a homeowner for a number of years but none the less I'm not especially experienced at buying vacuums. It had also been pounded into my head by commercials as well as reading forums that a Dyson vacuum or at the very least a Shark vacuum was the only way to go. I've seen some demonstrations of the Dyson vacuum at Costco and though impressive I really have a hard time wrapping my head around paying $500-$700 for a vacuum, even if it is a long term investment. People do rave about their Dysons but I hear just as many complaints from people saying they went and bought a $100 Hoover and it cleaned just as well if not better or that the motor of the Dyson is strong but the cheap plastic parts break before the motor even has a chance to breakdown.
I had considered Hoover Wind Tunnel vacuums as I've read rave reviews but I had a Hoover Windtunnel T Series bagged vacuum my mother had bought me as a homewarming present shortly after buying my first house and the thing was terrible. I also used a friends high end Kenmore vacuum and that was junk as well.
Well I finally was walking through Walmart and saw some deals on marked down vacuums. I was deciding between a Eureka that claimed it was better than the Dyson at a fraction of the price but both Walmart reviews and Amazon reviews said otherwise with only three stars. I then stumbled upon this Bissel Heavy Duty.
This wasn't one of the vacuums I had been considering or had researched but it looked sturdy, it claimed to be better than the Dyson and not only did I like that it was called heavy duty but it also seemed heavy duty. My problem with the Hoovers was how light they are. I know some people value light weightness as it's easier to carry around, to store, etc. I even have seen the Hoover heavy duty marked down points on reviews for being heavy but I like a heavy vacuum. To me personally heavy means quality.
You can also tell just by using this vacuum, by touching it, by looking at it, and by pushing it that it's much better quality design and materials than other vacuums on the market. Rather than just having cheap light plastic wheels it has heavier duty plastic wheels, but they are also covered in rubber for better traction and better quality design.
I really can't say enough good stuff about this vacuum. It picked up tons dirt out of the carpet, my carpets are a totally different color after using this vacuum. This was also my first bagless vacuum and it was amazing seeing how much dirt and hair were in the cannister even after just doing half of a room.
This vacuum comes with a few tools as well, a brush, a crevice tool, and an upholstery brush. Though this vacuum is not marketed specifically as a pet vacuum or as having a pet upholstery brush, this brush was absolutely amazing at removing pet hair from couches, pillows, blankets and even clothes.
At first I was a little worried the brushes on the upholstery tool weren't very stiff they were relatively soft. I realie this is because it actually works like a whipping motion whipping pet hair off your upholstery and sucking it all up. I had spent hours with other upholstery tools and brushes working hard and trying to get pet hair with no avail, this tool quickly and easily removed literally every last hair.
Using it as an upright vacuum it actually fluffs my carpet, I can see the beater brush working. Though it doesn't necessarily get EVERY last hair, it does do an amazing job. Previously even after vacuuming I still had a layer of a dog hair carpet on top of my regular carpet. After using this vacuum you can see the occasional hair still in the carpet but you can actually pick out individual hairs here and there as opposed to seeing the entire carpet covered in a layer of dog hair.
Emptying the vacuum is relatively easy. I love how the Dyson vacuum has a one button push to empty the canister. The bisselisn't quite that easy, however it is just a tab that drops the bottom of the cannister out and empties the vacuum. My one complain is you do have to stick your hand or a brush or something in to clear out all the dust, junk and hair, however that's only a small complaint.
I really coudln't be anymore thrilled with this vacuum. I had considered some of the lift off or liftaway models which are trying to copy the Shark Navigator liftaway. It is a cool feature but the most snap off and removable parts the more likely something is to break and I also worry about how strong the seals are and how strong the suction will be with all these snap off and moveable parts so I stayed away from the Shark as well as the Bissel Lift Off Pet vacuum which had worese reviews than the heavy duty vacuum.
This Bissel Heavy Duty vacuum normally retails for $179, however Walmart had it marked down to $149. I was hoping to get something for $99 but am glad I spent the extra $49 and was thrilled with the performance of this vacuum.
It sounds corny to say but it's actually fun to vacuum with this vacuum. I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon enough, but it's actually a good feeling cleaning and actually seeing things get clean. With my old vacuum I never had that clean feeling or crisp look this Bissel Heavy Duty vacuum gives my carpets. At about a quarter of the price of a Dyson this vacuum is AWESOME and I've been recommending it to everyone I know.
Now in fairness I've only had this vacuum for a few days so the test as far as reliablility is yet to be seen but as far as cleaning effectiveness I don't think it can be beat, definately not at this price point.
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I finally decided on the Bissel Heavy Duty vacuum cleaner and could not be happier. Vacuums are certainly not the most exciting thing or most exciting purchase one could possibly make so the fact I'm sitting down writing a blog post to praise this vacuum should say something.
I'm a young professional in my late 20's so buying a household appliance like a vacuum cleaner that costs hundreds of dollars is certainly high on my to do list nor my things I want to spend my hard earned money on list, but none the less it's something I needed. With a large house, two dogs, and a girlfriend who is allergic to my two dogs it was a must I get a good vacuum.
I've been a homeowner for a number of years but none the less I'm not especially experienced at buying vacuums. It had also been pounded into my head by commercials as well as reading forums that a Dyson vacuum or at the very least a Shark vacuum was the only way to go. I've seen some demonstrations of the Dyson vacuum at Costco and though impressive I really have a hard time wrapping my head around paying $500-$700 for a vacuum, even if it is a long term investment. People do rave about their Dysons but I hear just as many complaints from people saying they went and bought a $100 Hoover and it cleaned just as well if not better or that the motor of the Dyson is strong but the cheap plastic parts break before the motor even has a chance to breakdown.
I had considered Hoover Wind Tunnel vacuums as I've read rave reviews but I had a Hoover Windtunnel T Series bagged vacuum my mother had bought me as a homewarming present shortly after buying my first house and the thing was terrible. I also used a friends high end Kenmore vacuum and that was junk as well.
Well I finally was walking through Walmart and saw some deals on marked down vacuums. I was deciding between a Eureka that claimed it was better than the Dyson at a fraction of the price but both Walmart reviews and Amazon reviews said otherwise with only three stars. I then stumbled upon this Bissel Heavy Duty.
This wasn't one of the vacuums I had been considering or had researched but it looked sturdy, it claimed to be better than the Dyson and not only did I like that it was called heavy duty but it also seemed heavy duty. My problem with the Hoovers was how light they are. I know some people value light weightness as it's easier to carry around, to store, etc. I even have seen the Hoover heavy duty marked down points on reviews for being heavy but I like a heavy vacuum. To me personally heavy means quality.
You can also tell just by using this vacuum, by touching it, by looking at it, and by pushing it that it's much better quality design and materials than other vacuums on the market. Rather than just having cheap light plastic wheels it has heavier duty plastic wheels, but they are also covered in rubber for better traction and better quality design.
I really can't say enough good stuff about this vacuum. It picked up tons dirt out of the carpet, my carpets are a totally different color after using this vacuum. This was also my first bagless vacuum and it was amazing seeing how much dirt and hair were in the cannister even after just doing half of a room.
This vacuum comes with a few tools as well, a brush, a crevice tool, and an upholstery brush. Though this vacuum is not marketed specifically as a pet vacuum or as having a pet upholstery brush, this brush was absolutely amazing at removing pet hair from couches, pillows, blankets and even clothes.
At first I was a little worried the brushes on the upholstery tool weren't very stiff they were relatively soft. I realie this is because it actually works like a whipping motion whipping pet hair off your upholstery and sucking it all up. I had spent hours with other upholstery tools and brushes working hard and trying to get pet hair with no avail, this tool quickly and easily removed literally every last hair.
Using it as an upright vacuum it actually fluffs my carpet, I can see the beater brush working. Though it doesn't necessarily get EVERY last hair, it does do an amazing job. Previously even after vacuuming I still had a layer of a dog hair carpet on top of my regular carpet. After using this vacuum you can see the occasional hair still in the carpet but you can actually pick out individual hairs here and there as opposed to seeing the entire carpet covered in a layer of dog hair.
Emptying the vacuum is relatively easy. I love how the Dyson vacuum has a one button push to empty the canister. The bisselisn't quite that easy, however it is just a tab that drops the bottom of the cannister out and empties the vacuum. My one complain is you do have to stick your hand or a brush or something in to clear out all the dust, junk and hair, however that's only a small complaint.
I really coudln't be anymore thrilled with this vacuum. I had considered some of the lift off or liftaway models which are trying to copy the Shark Navigator liftaway. It is a cool feature but the most snap off and removable parts the more likely something is to break and I also worry about how strong the seals are and how strong the suction will be with all these snap off and moveable parts so I stayed away from the Shark as well as the Bissel Lift Off Pet vacuum which had worese reviews than the heavy duty vacuum.
This Bissel Heavy Duty vacuum normally retails for $179, however Walmart had it marked down to $149. I was hoping to get something for $99 but am glad I spent the extra $49 and was thrilled with the performance of this vacuum.
It sounds corny to say but it's actually fun to vacuum with this vacuum. I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon enough, but it's actually a good feeling cleaning and actually seeing things get clean. With my old vacuum I never had that clean feeling or crisp look this Bissel Heavy Duty vacuum gives my carpets. At about a quarter of the price of a Dyson this vacuum is AWESOME and I've been recommending it to everyone I know.
Now in fairness I've only had this vacuum for a few days so the test as far as reliablility is yet to be seen but as far as cleaning effectiveness I don't think it can be beat, definately not at this price point.
Buying A Home Verse Renting In Your Twenties Good Or Bad? - Advice For Young Professionals
Okay, so you just got your first real job out of a college and are ready to move out of your parents house or move out of the place your currently living in roomates. Many people face the conundrum of whether to buy or rent?
Sure there's a million different articles on the internet as well as websites with calculators where you can enter figures in and see whether it makes more sense financially to buy or to rent but in this article I'm going to be talking about my experience as a Young Professional in my early twenties and buying a home. I'm going to tell you about what I liked about it as well as what I disliked about it as well as discuss other intangibles that you should consider if your wrestling with the decision of whether to buy or whether to rent.
I was a few years out of college in my mid twenties and was living with my parents. I had been holding off on renting or buying my old place as the job I was working out of college was a great job in my industry and I was paid well, however it was a contract position and I wasn't comfortable taking on the commitment of a 30 year mortgage when I had a secure job for only 3 months at a time. Well after the economy took a nosedive my contract wasn't renewed and I was out some time before finding a stable job. About a year and a half into my new job I had considered moving out and either renting an apartment or buying a condo, townhome, or single family home. After finally getting sick of living at home and not wanting to "throw rent money away" I decided to look into buying a place.
I had first considered condos due to a lower price point as well as less maintenance. What turned me off however was the high association fees. At least mortgage interest is tax deductable, however association fees or dues are not so though you often do get things for that money such as a gym and property maintenance essentially that is money that is completely lost.
Now part of my problem was I was looking at poorly run buildings where there were a lot of shortsales and foreclosures and due to this fees had increased as less people were paying into them. Don't get me wrong some condo communities give many ameneties for the price. One for example in my area has a free daily breakfast, free shuttle to the train station, boat rentals, free skiing, all types of events for young people and singles. All this for about $300. Other condos however were charging upwards of $400 for a dated mediocre property with no amendities aside from a tennis court with chipped concrete, certainly not worth that $400.
Eventually I shied away from condos in favor or either a Single Family Home or a Townhome. One other thing that tilted my decision, though I believe real estate should be looked at as a place to live and not an investment, especially following the housing crisis, I still think future value should play some role in deciding on a property and condos tend to appreciate at a lower rate than single family homes and townhomes. I also liked the idea of having my own yard for my dogs, to have people over for BBQ's, things like that.
Then I wrestled with the option of Single Family Home versus a Townhome or Duplex. I was finding single family homes out of my price range so I opted for a Duplex or Townhome.
After finally narrowing it down to a Townhome or Duplex I was faced with another question. Do I buy one with an association or no association? I decided I wanted no association as A. I didn't want to pay someone to cut my postage stamp size yard and shovel my one car driveway, something I could easily do myself. I also didn't want my hands tied by crazy rules as we have all heard so many horror stories about no satellite dishes allowed, fines for all types of things. Not being able to park your own car in your own driveway, etc.
I opted to go with no association. I looked in a neighborhood of Duplexes with no association and eventually bought one. Let me briefly digress to tell you I really wish I would have opted for an association for several reasons. Sure some associations have very high fees with very little you get for your money, however oftentimes duplexes and townhomes association dues are only about $100-$150 each month. Depending on the assocation what's covered can vary but generally they do your landscaping and lawncare as well as snow removal in the winter if you live in an area with snow. This may not seem like much and it may even seem a lot to pay to mow a small yard for example but I really wish I had opted to have this covered.
Though my lawn is small and doesn't take that long to cut, you don't think about all the tools and expenses that go along with having a lawn. You have to have a lawnmower which costs a few hundred dollars, you need gas and oil for that lawnmower as well as Spring and Fall maintenance on it. You have to buy mulch, paving stones, fertilizer, shovels, sprinklers, hoses, etc. All this stuff begins to add up. Also, though you may think you can handle the work on this relatively small yard just fine, keep in mind your a young person, you probably like to be out with friends on the weekend, having fun, traveling, and probably don't want to spend your time in your yard doing yardwork, even if it is a relatively small amount of yardwork.
The biggest factor in my opinion however in terms of why to choose an association is exterior maintenance. With most associations in townhome or duplex communities part of the dues go to a fund to pay for exterior maintenance on all the properties. If for example you need a new roof over time, or new siding, with an association generally that's covered with no fees to you,however without an association that stuff ads up to big money. Also, even something like damage to a roof or siding in a storm without an association that's on you to repair, with an association not only is the money covered by them but they hire the workers and take care of the whole shebang leaving nothing for you to do which is also a bonus.
Looking back I wish I would have opted for a place with an association because although it may feel to you as if your throwing away money, if you find a place with reasonable association dues or fees and you actually get a good amount of maintenance and insurance for that fee, it will save you time and money in the long run.
Well, I just wanted to briefly touch on my experience in choosing between a Condo, Duplex/Townhome, and Single Family home as well as my thoughts looking back on that decision as well as the decision to go with an assocaition versus without an association another thing I wanted to touch on was just the experience of being a young person owning a home.
There are definately positives to it. I enjoy having a home, it's something I take pride in, I enjoy having people over to my home and entertaining friends which as a young person can save money over going to the bars. It's fun having your buddies over on a Sunday for some beers and food and to watch a game. It's fun having a place to invite a lady over for dinner. It's nice owning your own place and not having landlords check up on you.
There are also downsides to owning a home though. It's a big responsibility. You essentially have a large bill you owe for the next 30 years. As a young person you may want the flexibility to move to a new city for a job. Not that you can't do that with a home but it complicates things as you now have to sell your home or rent your home before you move.
Owning a home also somewhat locks you into a job. They say now days people change not just jobs but entire careers something like 6-8 times over their grownup working life. When you have a mortgage your are somewhat tied down to your job as you need a steady paycheck. Without a home if you want to explore a new career or even just find a new job your pretty much free to hop around. You probably have the ability to either move back in with family temporarily or crash on a friends couch for cheap rent. When you have a home however you really need a steady paycheck so switching jobs or careers is more difficult as well.
Back to some of the plus sides. As a young person you tend to have a lot of friends and associate with a lot of people. It's still socially acceptable to have roomates in your twenties and even early thirties and maybe you have friends looking for a place to live. This happenned to me and I wound up having two buddies move in with me. This was fun as not only was I able to have my friends as roomates but I was able to offer them rent cheaper than they could find elsewhere all the while they were paying my entire mortgage for me leaving only utitlies and insurance for me to pay.
I wound up having two buddies live with my for about 3 years and over the course of that time had my mortgage paid by them my entire time allowing me to either overpay on my mortgage and knock down the principal, or put money away into savings.
Currently I'm renting the home out and looking to purchase another property to live in while keeping that property as a rental property.
Though there are downsides to owning a home, especially to owning a home at such a young age, there are definately positives as well and overall I am happy with my decision. Were I faced with this decision to rent or own again I would choose to rent again. A few changes I would make I may have opted for a Condo over a Duplex. Sure it's great to have a yard but it's also a lot of work and oftentimes if you find a good one condos can come with some fun amenedies such as pools, workout centers, business centers, etc. Were I to choose between an association or no association I would definately opt for an association providing I found one that covered lawncare, exterior maintenance and insurance for a decent price.
If your considering purchasing your first place and are wresting with the decision to rent vs. own as well as what type of place to buy leave a comment below.
Sure there's a million different articles on the internet as well as websites with calculators where you can enter figures in and see whether it makes more sense financially to buy or to rent but in this article I'm going to be talking about my experience as a Young Professional in my early twenties and buying a home. I'm going to tell you about what I liked about it as well as what I disliked about it as well as discuss other intangibles that you should consider if your wrestling with the decision of whether to buy or whether to rent.
I was a few years out of college in my mid twenties and was living with my parents. I had been holding off on renting or buying my old place as the job I was working out of college was a great job in my industry and I was paid well, however it was a contract position and I wasn't comfortable taking on the commitment of a 30 year mortgage when I had a secure job for only 3 months at a time. Well after the economy took a nosedive my contract wasn't renewed and I was out some time before finding a stable job. About a year and a half into my new job I had considered moving out and either renting an apartment or buying a condo, townhome, or single family home. After finally getting sick of living at home and not wanting to "throw rent money away" I decided to look into buying a place.
I had first considered condos due to a lower price point as well as less maintenance. What turned me off however was the high association fees. At least mortgage interest is tax deductable, however association fees or dues are not so though you often do get things for that money such as a gym and property maintenance essentially that is money that is completely lost.
Now part of my problem was I was looking at poorly run buildings where there were a lot of shortsales and foreclosures and due to this fees had increased as less people were paying into them. Don't get me wrong some condo communities give many ameneties for the price. One for example in my area has a free daily breakfast, free shuttle to the train station, boat rentals, free skiing, all types of events for young people and singles. All this for about $300. Other condos however were charging upwards of $400 for a dated mediocre property with no amendities aside from a tennis court with chipped concrete, certainly not worth that $400.
Eventually I shied away from condos in favor or either a Single Family Home or a Townhome. One other thing that tilted my decision, though I believe real estate should be looked at as a place to live and not an investment, especially following the housing crisis, I still think future value should play some role in deciding on a property and condos tend to appreciate at a lower rate than single family homes and townhomes. I also liked the idea of having my own yard for my dogs, to have people over for BBQ's, things like that.
Then I wrestled with the option of Single Family Home versus a Townhome or Duplex. I was finding single family homes out of my price range so I opted for a Duplex or Townhome.
After finally narrowing it down to a Townhome or Duplex I was faced with another question. Do I buy one with an association or no association? I decided I wanted no association as A. I didn't want to pay someone to cut my postage stamp size yard and shovel my one car driveway, something I could easily do myself. I also didn't want my hands tied by crazy rules as we have all heard so many horror stories about no satellite dishes allowed, fines for all types of things. Not being able to park your own car in your own driveway, etc.
I opted to go with no association. I looked in a neighborhood of Duplexes with no association and eventually bought one. Let me briefly digress to tell you I really wish I would have opted for an association for several reasons. Sure some associations have very high fees with very little you get for your money, however oftentimes duplexes and townhomes association dues are only about $100-$150 each month. Depending on the assocation what's covered can vary but generally they do your landscaping and lawncare as well as snow removal in the winter if you live in an area with snow. This may not seem like much and it may even seem a lot to pay to mow a small yard for example but I really wish I had opted to have this covered.
Though my lawn is small and doesn't take that long to cut, you don't think about all the tools and expenses that go along with having a lawn. You have to have a lawnmower which costs a few hundred dollars, you need gas and oil for that lawnmower as well as Spring and Fall maintenance on it. You have to buy mulch, paving stones, fertilizer, shovels, sprinklers, hoses, etc. All this stuff begins to add up. Also, though you may think you can handle the work on this relatively small yard just fine, keep in mind your a young person, you probably like to be out with friends on the weekend, having fun, traveling, and probably don't want to spend your time in your yard doing yardwork, even if it is a relatively small amount of yardwork.
The biggest factor in my opinion however in terms of why to choose an association is exterior maintenance. With most associations in townhome or duplex communities part of the dues go to a fund to pay for exterior maintenance on all the properties. If for example you need a new roof over time, or new siding, with an association generally that's covered with no fees to you,however without an association that stuff ads up to big money. Also, even something like damage to a roof or siding in a storm without an association that's on you to repair, with an association not only is the money covered by them but they hire the workers and take care of the whole shebang leaving nothing for you to do which is also a bonus.
Looking back I wish I would have opted for a place with an association because although it may feel to you as if your throwing away money, if you find a place with reasonable association dues or fees and you actually get a good amount of maintenance and insurance for that fee, it will save you time and money in the long run.
Well, I just wanted to briefly touch on my experience in choosing between a Condo, Duplex/Townhome, and Single Family home as well as my thoughts looking back on that decision as well as the decision to go with an assocaition versus without an association another thing I wanted to touch on was just the experience of being a young person owning a home.
There are definately positives to it. I enjoy having a home, it's something I take pride in, I enjoy having people over to my home and entertaining friends which as a young person can save money over going to the bars. It's fun having your buddies over on a Sunday for some beers and food and to watch a game. It's fun having a place to invite a lady over for dinner. It's nice owning your own place and not having landlords check up on you.
There are also downsides to owning a home though. It's a big responsibility. You essentially have a large bill you owe for the next 30 years. As a young person you may want the flexibility to move to a new city for a job. Not that you can't do that with a home but it complicates things as you now have to sell your home or rent your home before you move.
Owning a home also somewhat locks you into a job. They say now days people change not just jobs but entire careers something like 6-8 times over their grownup working life. When you have a mortgage your are somewhat tied down to your job as you need a steady paycheck. Without a home if you want to explore a new career or even just find a new job your pretty much free to hop around. You probably have the ability to either move back in with family temporarily or crash on a friends couch for cheap rent. When you have a home however you really need a steady paycheck so switching jobs or careers is more difficult as well.
Back to some of the plus sides. As a young person you tend to have a lot of friends and associate with a lot of people. It's still socially acceptable to have roomates in your twenties and even early thirties and maybe you have friends looking for a place to live. This happenned to me and I wound up having two buddies move in with me. This was fun as not only was I able to have my friends as roomates but I was able to offer them rent cheaper than they could find elsewhere all the while they were paying my entire mortgage for me leaving only utitlies and insurance for me to pay.
I wound up having two buddies live with my for about 3 years and over the course of that time had my mortgage paid by them my entire time allowing me to either overpay on my mortgage and knock down the principal, or put money away into savings.
Currently I'm renting the home out and looking to purchase another property to live in while keeping that property as a rental property.
Though there are downsides to owning a home, especially to owning a home at such a young age, there are definately positives as well and overall I am happy with my decision. Were I faced with this decision to rent or own again I would choose to rent again. A few changes I would make I may have opted for a Condo over a Duplex. Sure it's great to have a yard but it's also a lot of work and oftentimes if you find a good one condos can come with some fun amenedies such as pools, workout centers, business centers, etc. Were I to choose between an association or no association I would definately opt for an association providing I found one that covered lawncare, exterior maintenance and insurance for a decent price.
If your considering purchasing your first place and are wresting with the decision to rent vs. own as well as what type of place to buy leave a comment below.
What Is Entrepreneurship In Todays Modern Business World?
Everywhere you turn these days you hear about entrepreneurship be it magazine covers, business confrences, hotel lobbies, all over the internet and even the White House is constantly talking about entrepreneurs, even though the current President sitting in the White House isn't too friendly to them...remember the whole "you didn't build that" fiasco.
The French word entrepreneur first appeared in a French dictionary in 1723 and it described a person who organizes or operates a business and takes a financial risk. Though that was a long time ago the same idea still holds true today. Today however the entrepreneur is celebrated like never before, although today entrepreneurs are defined in much different ways than the past.
I have been practicing entrepreneurship since I was a child. I remember walking around my neighborhood selling salt crystals meant for use with hard water but if I remember correctly I was calling them diamonds of some type of gems. All of us at some point in our lives have probably practiced entrepreneurship.
Some in the past have compared entrepreneurship to a warriors mentality.
So You Wanna Be An Entrepreneur...
Most entrepreneurial ventures fail. Most entrepreneurs make alot less money than if they were working for someone else. The life of an entrepreneur and the road to a successful business is often long and lonely. Long hours, lots and lots of stress, and a huge amount of personal sacrafice. Keep in mind at your current job when there's a problem with a computer you call the IT Dept, when there's something you don't understand you ask your supervisor. When your an entrepreneur you are the IT dept, you are your supervisor, you are the maintenance dept, you are the customer service department. You have nobody to turn to but yourself. So why would anyone want to become an entrepreneur?
To Live: Many people become entrepreneurs simply to survive. If you look at most third world countries there's no social safety nets, you do what you have to do to survive. If you've ever visited even someplace like Mexico or an island in the Caribbean everyone is an entrepreneur.Around the globe people become entrepreneurs in order to survive. They have no job prospects and no social safety nets so they become an entreprenuer to squeek out a living and some wind up becomming very successful while others merely get by. Though I have always had an entrepreurial spirit my first serious business venture was when I was in college and it was because I needed more money than a part time job could pay me and it was tough working work hours around school hours so I decided to strike off on my own and become an entrepreneur.
To Chase A Dream: Many entrepreneurs start a business around something which is a passion of theirs. I have a few friends who had a passion for skydiving. After years of paying hundreds of dollars doing this for fun they got financing, found someone crazy enough to insure them, and started their own business. Now they skydive as much as they want and they get paid for it. Many people have some activity or area of interest they are passionate about and pursue their dream to do it for a living. Many others though maybe not something they are passionate about already have a skill or do something at their current job and realize a demand is not being met and start their own business. Yeah maybe it's not something they are passionate about but at least are knowledgeable about and they can be their own boss. People love to follow their dreams but only a small percentage of people are brave enogh...or maybe crazy enough...to actually follow that dream.
To Make The World A Better Place: Many people become entrepreneurs to make the world a better place. This could be anything from using profits to help the less fortunate or to help their favorite charity. It could they find a way to make a business who's business helps people. And it can even be something as simple as just being an entrepreneur and creating a business because that creates jobs for people which helps people out.
Entrepreneur Like A Warrior?
The United States Armys Ethos Or Slogan Is...
1. I will always place the mission first.
2. I will never accept defeat
3. I will never quit
4. I will never leave a fallen comrade.
This ethos applies to entrepreneurs as well as warriors. It defines an entrepreneurs personal and professional life. An entrepreneur has to make self sacrafice with their time and often has to put their personal lives aside for the sake of their business. This relates to always putting the mission first.
An entrepreneur cannot accept defeat. Being an entrepreneur is about perseverence as much as it is about luck or skill. An entrepreneur has to wear many hats and there's no IT dept to turn to, no manager to ask a quesiton to. You are every position and you cannot just rollover and accept defeat when faced with challenges. This relates to boht never accepting defeat and never quitting.
What it really boils down to however is that there is no blueprint for entrepreneurship. Every business is unique and every person running each business is unique and has a unique set of attributes and skills. Entrepreneurship is a jouney, though most of those on this road who are successful share a few common traits. The journey of entrepreneurshi is uniquely yours and yours only.
Good luck...
The French word entrepreneur first appeared in a French dictionary in 1723 and it described a person who organizes or operates a business and takes a financial risk. Though that was a long time ago the same idea still holds true today. Today however the entrepreneur is celebrated like never before, although today entrepreneurs are defined in much different ways than the past.
I have been practicing entrepreneurship since I was a child. I remember walking around my neighborhood selling salt crystals meant for use with hard water but if I remember correctly I was calling them diamonds of some type of gems. All of us at some point in our lives have probably practiced entrepreneurship.
Some in the past have compared entrepreneurship to a warriors mentality.
So You Wanna Be An Entrepreneur...
Most entrepreneurial ventures fail. Most entrepreneurs make alot less money than if they were working for someone else. The life of an entrepreneur and the road to a successful business is often long and lonely. Long hours, lots and lots of stress, and a huge amount of personal sacrafice. Keep in mind at your current job when there's a problem with a computer you call the IT Dept, when there's something you don't understand you ask your supervisor. When your an entrepreneur you are the IT dept, you are your supervisor, you are the maintenance dept, you are the customer service department. You have nobody to turn to but yourself. So why would anyone want to become an entrepreneur?
To Live: Many people become entrepreneurs simply to survive. If you look at most third world countries there's no social safety nets, you do what you have to do to survive. If you've ever visited even someplace like Mexico or an island in the Caribbean everyone is an entrepreneur.Around the globe people become entrepreneurs in order to survive. They have no job prospects and no social safety nets so they become an entreprenuer to squeek out a living and some wind up becomming very successful while others merely get by. Though I have always had an entrepreurial spirit my first serious business venture was when I was in college and it was because I needed more money than a part time job could pay me and it was tough working work hours around school hours so I decided to strike off on my own and become an entrepreneur.
To Chase A Dream: Many entrepreneurs start a business around something which is a passion of theirs. I have a few friends who had a passion for skydiving. After years of paying hundreds of dollars doing this for fun they got financing, found someone crazy enough to insure them, and started their own business. Now they skydive as much as they want and they get paid for it. Many people have some activity or area of interest they are passionate about and pursue their dream to do it for a living. Many others though maybe not something they are passionate about already have a skill or do something at their current job and realize a demand is not being met and start their own business. Yeah maybe it's not something they are passionate about but at least are knowledgeable about and they can be their own boss. People love to follow their dreams but only a small percentage of people are brave enogh...or maybe crazy enough...to actually follow that dream.
To Make The World A Better Place: Many people become entrepreneurs to make the world a better place. This could be anything from using profits to help the less fortunate or to help their favorite charity. It could they find a way to make a business who's business helps people. And it can even be something as simple as just being an entrepreneur and creating a business because that creates jobs for people which helps people out.
Entrepreneur Like A Warrior?
The United States Armys Ethos Or Slogan Is...
1. I will always place the mission first.
2. I will never accept defeat
3. I will never quit
4. I will never leave a fallen comrade.
This ethos applies to entrepreneurs as well as warriors. It defines an entrepreneurs personal and professional life. An entrepreneur has to make self sacrafice with their time and often has to put their personal lives aside for the sake of their business. This relates to always putting the mission first.
An entrepreneur cannot accept defeat. Being an entrepreneur is about perseverence as much as it is about luck or skill. An entrepreneur has to wear many hats and there's no IT dept to turn to, no manager to ask a quesiton to. You are every position and you cannot just rollover and accept defeat when faced with challenges. This relates to boht never accepting defeat and never quitting.
So What Makes An Entrepreneur?
When we actually look at what an entrepreneur is we have to look at the warrior ethos. We can also look at things such as their personality, atttitude, skills they possess, as well as what motivates them.
Personality: entrepreneurs must be resilient, tenacious, have the ability to spot opportunities and also be willing to take risks
Attitude: entrepreneurs must have awareness in all areas of their busieness. They must focus on their customers or clients. They must apply creativity to business problems. They must have an imagination and creativity to think outside the box because generally when your an entrepreneur there is no blueprint, you are a pioneer and a trailblazer.
Skills: every entrepreneur brings certain skills to the table. Oftentimes partnerships are nice in that generally one partner has one set of skillls but lacks another where as the second partner may lack a skill the certain partner has but be strong in another area. Some skills all entrepreneurs generally posess are strategic thinking, access to resources, knowledge of business, people skills, and management skills help as well.
When we actually look at what an entrepreneur is we have to look at the warrior ethos. We can also look at things such as their personality, atttitude, skills they possess, as well as what motivates them.
Personality: entrepreneurs must be resilient, tenacious, have the ability to spot opportunities and also be willing to take risks
Attitude: entrepreneurs must have awareness in all areas of their busieness. They must focus on their customers or clients. They must apply creativity to business problems. They must have an imagination and creativity to think outside the box because generally when your an entrepreneur there is no blueprint, you are a pioneer and a trailblazer.
Skills: every entrepreneur brings certain skills to the table. Oftentimes partnerships are nice in that generally one partner has one set of skillls but lacks another where as the second partner may lack a skill the certain partner has but be strong in another area. Some skills all entrepreneurs generally posess are strategic thinking, access to resources, knowledge of business, people skills, and management skills help as well.
Motivation: personal drive and ambition is critical to being an entrepreneur. There's nobody there to give you a peptalk, there's no boss to threaten you, you dictate your succes or failure and with long hours and challenging problems an entrepreneur has to be able to motivate themselves because there's nobody else there to do it. Entrepreneurs have a drive for achievement or self satisfaction, they desire status, they like wealth and social responsibility.
What it really boils down to however is that there is no blueprint for entrepreneurship. Every business is unique and every person running each business is unique and has a unique set of attributes and skills. Entrepreneurship is a jouney, though most of those on this road who are successful share a few common traits. The journey of entrepreneurshi is uniquely yours and yours only.
Good luck...
Get A Great Deal On Maxim Magazine $1.26 Per Issue & Earn Bonus Credit Card Miles When You Do It!!!
Get Maxim Magazine for only $1.26 per issue.
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Professionals.
What's The Best Way To SEO Youtube Videos And Your Youtube Channel?
Youtube in addition to being a great way to promote your
blog, website, or e-commerce site; Youtube is also a great way to earn money by
monetizing your videos.
I’ve recently had a lot of readers asking me how to get more
views on their videos, how to get more subscribers to their channel, and how to
get their videos ranked higher.
10 Frugal Things You Should Be Doing To Save Money
1. Obtaining Car Financing / Getting A Car Loan BEFORE Car Shopping. First off make sure you're buying a car for a logical reason to which is to get you from place A to place B economically and not for emotional reasons like liking how the car looks and the image it gives off. . If you obtain financing first and know before shopping what you can afford you will be in a better situation to make a more logical and smart decision.
2. Consolidate Your Loans. If you're paying a high interest rate on your loans try consolidating your loans to get a lower rate and give yourself some extra room in your monthly budget.
3. Learn About Investing. It's not as difficult as the professionals would like you to believe. This past year I myself who's far from being an expert investor outperformed several friends and family members financial advisers by over 16%. Who's going to care more about YOUR MONEY? You or someone else?
4. Pay Off Your Credit Card At The End Of Every Month. Don't Carry A Balance!!! Most people carry a balance on their credit card. Regardless of whether it's large or small it costs you money each month, money you don't need to be wasting.
5. Save Something!!! Obviously the more money you can save the better off you are but many people don't save anything or put anything away for retirement. No matter how difficult your current situation is try to put SOMETHING...ANYTHING...away for savings.
6. Install A Programmable Thermostat. Get control of your heating and cooling costs by installing a programmable thermostat. It's easy and you can do it yourself. If you have roommates this is also a great way to keep costs under control by setting and controlling the heating and cooling of your home and not leaving it in the control of roommates who don't have to pay the utilities.
7. Have A Yard Sale Or Sell Some Un-needed Items On EBay. Not only is this your chance to declutter your home but make some money while your at it. Having a yard sale or garage sale or selling items you don't use on eBay can be a great way to declutter your home and your life while adding some funds to your bank account as well.
8. Bring Lunch To Work. If your like me in your head you think eating lunch out costs $5. That may be true if your eating off the dollar menu but even a sandwich chips and a drink from Panera, Subway or most other sub shops will run you $7-$8. That adds up quickly, during a 5 day work week that adds up to $40 and can easily run higher depending upon where you eat out at. You should be able to make your lunch at home for less than $2 a day. That's savings that will add up quickly and you'll probably be eating healthier as well.
9. Take Advantage Of The Deal Craze. If you haven't been under a rock for the past few years you're probably familiar with sites like Groupon, Living Social, and YouSwoop. When you are going to go out to eat, or go do some fun leisure activity for the day why pay full price. Take advantage of Groupon, Living Social and other deal sites and save upwards of 60% off eating out and other leisure activities.
10. Cancel Your Home Phone Line Or Landline. Most of us mainly use our cellphones these days. It seems only people over 30 have a landline and even they don't use it. I know most of my older friends and family members complain how they have a landline and only telemarketers call. Why keep it around as it could be costing you upwards of $60 per month. Cancel the landline and add some more money to your bottomline.
2. Consolidate Your Loans. If you're paying a high interest rate on your loans try consolidating your loans to get a lower rate and give yourself some extra room in your monthly budget.
3. Learn About Investing. It's not as difficult as the professionals would like you to believe. This past year I myself who's far from being an expert investor outperformed several friends and family members financial advisers by over 16%. Who's going to care more about YOUR MONEY? You or someone else?
4. Pay Off Your Credit Card At The End Of Every Month. Don't Carry A Balance!!! Most people carry a balance on their credit card. Regardless of whether it's large or small it costs you money each month, money you don't need to be wasting.
5. Save Something!!! Obviously the more money you can save the better off you are but many people don't save anything or put anything away for retirement. No matter how difficult your current situation is try to put SOMETHING...ANYTHING...away for savings.
6. Install A Programmable Thermostat. Get control of your heating and cooling costs by installing a programmable thermostat. It's easy and you can do it yourself. If you have roommates this is also a great way to keep costs under control by setting and controlling the heating and cooling of your home and not leaving it in the control of roommates who don't have to pay the utilities.
7. Have A Yard Sale Or Sell Some Un-needed Items On EBay. Not only is this your chance to declutter your home but make some money while your at it. Having a yard sale or garage sale or selling items you don't use on eBay can be a great way to declutter your home and your life while adding some funds to your bank account as well.
8. Bring Lunch To Work. If your like me in your head you think eating lunch out costs $5. That may be true if your eating off the dollar menu but even a sandwich chips and a drink from Panera, Subway or most other sub shops will run you $7-$8. That adds up quickly, during a 5 day work week that adds up to $40 and can easily run higher depending upon where you eat out at. You should be able to make your lunch at home for less than $2 a day. That's savings that will add up quickly and you'll probably be eating healthier as well.
9. Take Advantage Of The Deal Craze. If you haven't been under a rock for the past few years you're probably familiar with sites like Groupon, Living Social, and YouSwoop. When you are going to go out to eat, or go do some fun leisure activity for the day why pay full price. Take advantage of Groupon, Living Social and other deal sites and save upwards of 60% off eating out and other leisure activities.
10. Cancel Your Home Phone Line Or Landline. Most of us mainly use our cellphones these days. It seems only people over 30 have a landline and even they don't use it. I know most of my older friends and family members complain how they have a landline and only telemarketers call. Why keep it around as it could be costing you upwards of $60 per month. Cancel the landline and add some more money to your bottomline.
Great Places To Build Backlinks - Get More Website Traffic - Three Part Series
Okay, so if your trying to drive traffic to your website or blog and are in the beginning stages of learning how to do so you've probably read or heard about back links
What is a back link you ask? It's a link from another site to your site. Why do you want back links? Google has a very complicated algorithm that figures out what websites to display when you do a search. An important part of this algorithm is back links. Google figures if a site is linked to by a lot of other sites it must be popular, and if it's popular it must be good so let's rank it high on our search engine.
Adsense Tips For Newbies - Be More Successful With Adsense - 3 Tips - Part Three
Here at RulesForRebels.Com were going to be doing a short series of posts titled “Adwords Tips For The Adwords Newbie” where we will share 5 tips a day on how to improve your adwords experience. Part Three
1. Powerful Words/Phrases For Adwords Titles & Ads - Not a tip so much as just some very powerful words to use in your adwords titles as well as ad copy. We will list these blow…
Free shipping, learn, tricks, tips, limited time offer, in depth, discover, learn how, unique, one of a kind, urgent, limited time, unbeatable, drive traffic, proven, incredible, amazing, special offer, free, cheap, amazing, booming, powerful, easy, step by step, revealed, one time only, super, tactic, first, only, ingenious.
1. Powerful Words/Phrases For Adwords Titles & Ads - Not a tip so much as just some very powerful words to use in your adwords titles as well as ad copy. We will list these blow…
Free shipping, learn, tricks, tips, limited time offer, in depth, discover, learn how, unique, one of a kind, urgent, limited time, unbeatable, drive traffic, proven, incredible, amazing, special offer, free, cheap, amazing, booming, powerful, easy, step by step, revealed, one time only, super, tactic, first, only, ingenious.
Can I ask The Interviewer Why I Wasn't Hired For The Position? Career / Job Advice
Can I Ask The Interviewer Why I Wasn’t Hired?
Seeing as how we cover all things Business & Lifestyle we often touch on workplace issues.
Recently on a lot of online forums and message boards about jobs, the workplace, and careers I see a lot of threads asking if it’s okay to ask an interviewer why you weren’t hired and some people even want to ask what they could improve upon.
Seeing as how we cover all things Business & Lifestyle we often touch on workplace issues.
Recently on a lot of online forums and message boards about jobs, the workplace, and careers I see a lot of threads asking if it’s okay to ask an interviewer why you weren’t hired and some people even want to ask what they could improve upon.
Corona Chicken In 10 Easy Steps - A Great Summer Grilling Recipe - Wrapped In Bacon? Must Be Delicious
Corona Chicken Recipe
Corona Chicken is a delicious recipe I hi-jacked and put my own twist on. I first saw this recipe featured on Anthony Bourdain's television show "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel. I made a few small changes to suit my taste and this is what you have, delicious Corona Chicken.
This dish is delicious served with a side of Spanish Rice. This dish is also versatile in that it can be cooked on outside on the grill or in the oven depending on the season and weather. Outdoors on the grill adds a smokiness and complexity to the flavor of the dish although indoors in the oven seems to get the bacon a bit crisper.
Free Credit Card Miles For Buying Presidential Coins From The Mint - The U.S. Mint Finally Caught On & The Program Is Over
The US Government and un-intended consequences, the story repeats itself once again.
You know how the government is always comming up with a stupid solution to a problem, however the solution either creates more problems or a problem that is worse than the origional problem they set out to solve? Well they have done it once again.
Some people make a hobby and even some financial gain out of amassing credit card rewards points which can be good for travel, merchandise, or even cash back. Well, people caught onto a way to earn big credit card rewards points through a stupid program the U.S. Mint had put together.
Here's Some CheckPoints Bar Code Cheats For You - Will Also Work For ShopKick, FourSquare, TopGuest & Others
Here's some cheats for you to earn some points on CheckPoints. These barcodes should also work for Shopkick, FourSquare, TopGuest & Other location based sites where you scan barcodes as long as those apps are featuring the same products.
5 Hour Energy
Advil
CheckPoints Another Twist On Checking In - Which Do You Like...CheckPoints, FourSquare, TopGuest, ShopKick?
Okay so maybe you've checked out some of the others Shopkick, Foursquare, etc, etc, etc
Introducing You To CheckPoints
A company called CheckPoints has just come out with yet another "check in" location based application. With this new smart phone application you are rewarded for scanning the barcodes of your favorite products while shopping. You just use your phones camera to scan the barcodes of products while shopping. You can also earn points just by "checking in" at stores or restaurants you are visiting.These product scans earn you points which can then be redeemed for prizes. Some of the other location based programs give you "tokens" or other meaningless online trinkets you can trade with others but really who cares about worthless tokens and trinkets. The beauty of CheckPoints is that you earn cold hard cash. Well not cash persay but gift cards to your favorite stores or points to buy some of your favorite products.
These are good prizes too!!! Amazon Gift Cards, Apple Gift Cards, Frequent Flyer Miles, Tablet PC's, Ipods, and even Video Games like the Nintendo Wii.
How Does CheckPoints Differ From ShopKick & Others...
CheckPoints wasn't the first on the scene so maybe you started out with Foursquare, ShopKick or one of the other location based apps.
Similar to Shopkick and others users use their smartphone's camera to scan product barcodes at retailers and in turn those scans turn into points which are later turned into prizes.
That's about all these different apps have in common. With Shopkick for example, consumers get points for checking in as well as scanning items as with CheckPoints. However to verify that someone has actually checked in and isn't just sitting in the comfort of their living room "fake" checking in at places; with ShopKick; retailers must install special equipment in their store to determine if a user of the app is physically present in the store and not just fake checking in to earn points.
Though I suppose Shopkick keeps users honest, the downside is that it limits the number and scope of businesses who will partner with ShopKick. Not all stores may want an outside company installing equipment in their stores and smaller retailers may not be interesting enough to ShopKick to make the investment of putting their equipment in that location.
So Why Should I Check In?
Does this sort of interaction appeal to you? It probably depends on what kind of "check-in" app user you are. I tried out Foursquare as personally I didn't like how it was a more personal based check in system. With CheckPoints though obviously someone is monitoring your behavior as a consumer, it's not being made known to other individuals using the program where you are at every moment of the day.
With FourSquare however, you can see others checking in which I personally don't like. I had deleted my Foursqaure app a while back but was recently sitting at a bar / restaurant with a buddy of mine and he opened up his Foursquare app and noticed "The Mayor" was at the bar.
The Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel you ask? No not the mayor of the city, "The Mayor" of the bar.
If your not familiar with Foursquare the people and/or person who attends a certain place the most becomes "The Mayor" of that location.
This is the type of thing which turns me off to Foursquare. I don't necessarily want my friends or family knowing where I am all the time let alone a stranger at a bar sitting in the booth behind me.
Some app users do enjoy the more social or personal aspect of apps like Foursquare, Brightkite, and Gowalla which award you with titles, stamples and pointless virtual rewards that mean nothing. Personally it doesn't do much for me.
The one thing I will say about Foursquare that I do enjoy is they seem to have more restaurants and retailers pushing special virtual coupons and promotions. I was at Houlihans the other day and I believe you got a free appetizer for Checking in on Foursquare. CheckPoints on the other hand doesn't have as many if any instant free offers however the points you earn that go towards prizes tend to be better than the other apps.
Many people like myself however "don't get" Foursquare. Maybe in the same way your still wondering "What the hell is the point of Twitter?"
Personally I find more value in things like CheckPoints and Topguest which give automatic rewards to frequent travelers in the form of free miles and discount hotel deals. The appeal of real rewards for disclosing my location holds much more appeal than meaningless titles, badges, stamps and whatever other crap some of these other apps are offering.
It basically boils down to "What's in it for me?" Personally I don't feel there is enough of a return to warrant the privacy invasion of the app as well as my friends knowing where I am at every moment of the day. I prefer getting points that can be used more broadly with online and offline brands as well as making charity donations.
What Do You Think?
Do you use one of these location based check in apps? Which ones do you use and which is your favorite? It will be interesting to see if "Checking In" will be the next big thing in mobile rewards or whether it will remain a niche thing as so many other location baed services are. What are your thoughts?
As an intersting side note, I already see "CheckPoint Cheat" websites comming out where people post pictures of the barcodes and you can scan them from the comfort of your couch off your computer earning points while watching tv rather than actually being in the store walking the isles hunting down these products.
Does Someone Have A Case Of The Mondays? Despise Your Corporate Job? Make A Change!!!!
Do you hate your job as much as Peter Gibbons?
If that reference didn't make sense you must not be a fan of the cult classic "Office Space".
"Office Space" is a comedic tale about workers who hate their jobs. Ron Livingston played a character named Peter Gibbons who hated his job as well as the whole corporate atmosphere.
Recently I recieved a letter from a reader who is fed up with their job as well as the whole corporate environment. I'll post the letter as well as our response to it...
Open Your Own Cafe Press Store - No Cost Way To Start Your Own Business Quickly & Easily
Looking for a quick way to start your own business at no cost to yourself?
CafePress is the place to become entrepreneur, and own your own t-shirt store quickly and easily. All you need is a computer, Internet connection, and a preferably though not necessary a graphics program and your up and running.
Check back in a day or two and we'll have a full run down of what a CafePress store is and how to start one for free. We'll also discuss some alternatives to CafePress such as Zazzzle, Spreadshirt, and others. We will compare the various shop options, as well as the pro's and cons of each.
We'll also discuss how to price your items. The way CafePress works each item has a base price upon which you can talk on a % as a commission you can select the dollar amount.
If your serious about operating a t-shirt business and have a steady flow of customers CafePres probably isn't the way to go as you can get better pricing and keep more profit for yourself finding your own printing and handling the printing and shipping yourself. However just starting up you can try out some of your designs or phrases on t-shirts and see if they sell.
CafePress is the place to become entrepreneur, and own your own t-shirt store quickly and easily. All you need is a computer, Internet connection, and a preferably though not necessary a graphics program and your up and running.
Check back in a day or two and we'll have a full run down of what a CafePress store is and how to start one for free. We'll also discuss some alternatives to CafePress such as Zazzzle, Spreadshirt, and others. We will compare the various shop options, as well as the pro's and cons of each.
We'll also discuss how to price your items. The way CafePress works each item has a base price upon which you can talk on a % as a commission you can select the dollar amount.
If your serious about operating a t-shirt business and have a steady flow of customers CafePres probably isn't the way to go as you can get better pricing and keep more profit for yourself finding your own printing and handling the printing and shipping yourself. However just starting up you can try out some of your designs or phrases on t-shirts and see if they sell.
Is Jumping From The Cliffs At Rick's Cafe Safe?
If you enjoy watching The Travel Channel or Travel Shows in general you have probably heard of Rick's Cafe on the West End in Negril, Jamaica.
If you haven't heard of it do a quick google search or watch a few YouTube videos, it's worth checking out.
A Quick Into To Sorting Coins For Silver Coins & Copper Pennies - Silver & Copper Bullion - Commentary On The Ryedale Coin Sorter & Home Made Coin Sorters
A while back a buddy got me started looking at coins in the hopes of finding Silver Ag coins. Half Dollar coins prior to 1965 have a silver content of 90%. Silver continued to be used in the Halves until 1970 however these years the coins only contained 40% silver. These coins are referred to as "junk silver". Quarters and Dimes of these years also contained silver.
With Silver prices sitting around $35 currently, it even approached $50 a few weeks ago, some money can be made by sorting out these silver coins.
Many are beginning to hoard copper old copper pennies as well. Copper Pennies 1982 and earlier contain 95% Copper and 5% Zinc. Starting in 1982 the metal content flipped and started being made with 5% Copper and 95% Zinc. For years Copper prices hovered around $1 making collecting or hoarding the coins not worth it. These days however Copper has been consistently above $4 making collecting Copper Pennies a potentially profitable endevour.
With Silver prices sitting around $35 currently, it even approached $50 a few weeks ago, some money can be made by sorting out these silver coins.
Many are beginning to hoard copper old copper pennies as well. Copper Pennies 1982 and earlier contain 95% Copper and 5% Zinc. Starting in 1982 the metal content flipped and started being made with 5% Copper and 95% Zinc. For years Copper prices hovered around $1 making collecting or hoarding the coins not worth it. These days however Copper has been consistently above $4 making collecting Copper Pennies a potentially profitable endevour.
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