finances Archives - Penny Thots

4 College Financial Aid Offers In Preferred Order

We can argue about whether college is worth the financial implications or not from now until tomorrow, but there's no denying the fact that a college education still plays an important role in career prospects and growth. Hence, for folks who are already in college or those planning to go back to get a degree, there's always a nagging concern about how to fund a college education. Unless you have rich parents (or relatives) willing to fund your college expenses, the means of raising funding for a college education are pretty limited. This post looks at 4 financial aid offers for a college education in the order of favorability of terms and conditions. … [Read more...]

7 Things You Need To Become Successfully Rich

Although a lot of people have a dream to become rich thanks to some lucky numbers on a lottery ticket, being successful has far greater rewards. Not only will you have the satisfaction of a job well done, but you will become rich for the long term. So how do you find success so that you can become rich? There are 7 key things you need to develop in order to find success. In this post, I will list them for you so that you can start your journey of success and building wealth. … [Read more...]

Virtual Terminals For Small Business Owners

Running your small business takes a lot of work. To be successful, you want to offer your customers the best experience possible. This means have an inviting store that is well-lit and easy to find things. It also meaning competitively pricing your products and accepting many forms of payments. And being able to accept credit cards is critical for any small businesses success. But how can you offer this convenience to your customers while also making sure to keep costs in check? Say hello to virtual terminals for credit card processing. … [Read more...]

6 Ways To Make Money While You Sleep

Whether you’re trying to pay off debt, top off your emergency fund or invest more, a little extra monthly income can get you there faster. But there are only so many hours in a day and maybe adding another side hustle to your busy schedule just isn’t possible. Wouldn’t it be great if you could somehow earn more without working additional hours or hitting up your boss for another raise? That’s what happens when you create passive income streams. You can make money while you sleep. “Passive income’s great because it increases your cash flow and allows you to save [more],” says financial adviser Craig J. Ferrantino, president of Craig James Financial Services, LLC in New York. “The initial effort in some cases is minimal, and you have … [Read more...]

The 15 Best Jobs For Young People All Pay At Least $40,000

You might love watching reruns of Law & Order, but just because you get a kick out of watching people duke it out in a courtroom on TV doesn’t mean you should go to law school. Yet 25% of high school students choose their future career based on something they saw on TV or in a movie, according to research from CareerBuilder. Choosing a college major or career because it seems cool can backfire. A third of full-time workers come to regret their college major, CareerBuilder found. But by the time they realize they’ve made a mistake, doing a career reset is costly and complicated. Better to pick right the first time than have to start all over again in your 20s or 30s once you realize you’re not really cut out to be (or can’t make it … [Read more...]

How To Make Money With Photography: 10 Ideas You Can Start Today

You love taking pictures. Going out and seeing the world through a lens provides you with happiness and relaxation. While many enjoy photography just for the pleasure and joy that it brings, others are interested in learning how to make money with photography. After all, no one would pass up making money doing something they love right? So just how do you go about making money with photography? It is much easier than you think. Here are 10 easy and fun ways for how to make money with photography that you can start using today. 10 Easy Ways To Make Money With Photography #1. Sell Images To Publications More and more media outlets are slashing their expense budgets and one big expense is having in-house photographers. As a result of … [Read more...]

Making Sure Your Business Runs Smoothly With The Right Accounting Software

As a business owner, you want to do what you love. Whether that means designing clothing or writing articles, you want to spend your day doing the things that bring you enjoyment. Unfortunately, if you want to run a business and have it be a success, you need to dip your toes in the not-so-fun world of business accounting. Now maybe you are one of the rare birds who enjoys accounting. For you, this post is right up your alley. For others who dislike business accounting, don’t run off just yet. I found something that will make business accounting an enjoyable time in your day and not something that you run and hide from until the last day of the month. Finding Business Software That Works With more people jumping from traditional … [Read more...]

How Much Money Should I Save? Learn The Right Amount For You

A reader recently emailed me asking how much money should I save for retirement? While this question seems simple enough to answer, the truth is, it is actually hard to do. The reason is because I have no idea what retirement looks like to you. And chances are, you don’t either. For most of us, we have this grand idea of retirement. We want to get to this magical place where we don’t have to wake up to an alarm clock and can sit around all day long. But in reality, that would get boring quickly. In order to know how much money you should save, you need to get detailed with what your goal is. And this is true for retirement, buying a house, going on vacation, etc. Think about it this way. When you want to go on vacation, you don’t … [Read more...]

6 Ways To Stretch Your Retirement Income

Retirement can be a polarizing thought for millions of Americans. On one hand, it represents the freedom to sleep late, travel, enjoy time with family and basically choose how to spend your time. On the other, it poses the ever-so-important question, “How will I pay for it?” If this is how you’re feeling, you aren’t alone in your trepidations. According to a 2015 analysis by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), 29% of households age 55 and older had no retirement savings or Defined Benefit (DB) plan. Whether you are a young professional with plenty of time to save or a seasoned employee approaching the next phase of life, every retirement dollar counts. Consider the following cost-cutting measures as you begin to plan. … [Read more...]

Frugal Ways To Melt Ice: Water Softener Salt

As Cindy noted a few weeks ago, winter is upon us, at least in the mountain states. But don’t worry or beware, depending on your feelings on the matter, winter is going to be hitting the rest of the country pretty soon. If you live in one of those states that gets freezing weather, I have a frugal tip that could save you thousands of dollars over the next decade. Rock salt is an expensive part of your snow removal routine, but there are cheaper alternatives for melting ice. Below are a few ways to melt ice and keep more money in your pocket. How To Melt Ice While water freezes at 32 degrees, salt water freezes at a temperature closer to zero. So during winter weather, icy surfaces typically receive a treatment of rock salt to help melt … [Read more...]