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…And The Savings Awards Go To: The 2017 SST Awards

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I really value my free time these days. Truth be told, almost all of my time is free and since I retired, I say “every day is Sunday” these days. That’s how it really feels most of the time. So having that time means my mind often wanders to thoughts that otherwise may never come into my head. Like, oh say, writing about the SST Awards (Super Saving Tips Awards).

The SST Awards are my attempt to give savings awards to the businesses and products that save you money and provide you with the best quality and service.

These are the savings awards that I give to the businesses and products that save you, the consumer, the most money or offer the best deals that will earn you the most in cash and rewards! Oh, you haven’t heard about them? Hmmm, that’s strange. It was in all the papers. 😉 Continue reading

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Why Senior Citizens Want to Stay in the Workplace

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Most people think of a “senior” or a retired person as someone who sits around in the back yard snoozing on and off or perhaps hitting the golf course for a round with his retired friends. After all, most retirees have spent decades rising and shining every day and working there as$$es off to provide for themselves and their families and deserve some time to relax and have some fun in their “golden years”. And in most cases, they really do deserve a chance to just hang out and not carry the weight on their shoulders they have had for most of their lives.

Senior citizen jobs are becoming more important & prevalent as retirees go back to work. Here's some of the reasons why they want to stay in the workplace.

But a not-so-funny thing has happened to many older people these days. Many of them have found out that sitting around in retirement isn’t all that it was cracked up to be. There are a lot of reasons for that, so today’s post is something I can write about firsthand and with absolute certainty: why senior citizens want to stay in the workplace. Continue reading

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How to Invest in Real Estate When You Don’t Have a Lot of Time

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Today’s guest post on maximizing your time when investing in real estate is from fellow blogger Kayla Sloan. 

I don’t know about you, but time is something I never seem to have enough of.

There’s always at least one more thing on my “To Do” list at the end of each day than I have the time to accomplish. Maybe it’s because my goals and optimism of how much I can accomplish each day are too lofty.

If you don't have much time, there are still ways you can invest in real estate. Here are 3 different ways to maximize your time with real estate investing.

If this sounds all too similar to what you experience in your own daily life you should know that one thing not to put off until tomorrow is investing.

Perhaps you’ve considered investing in the past and ruled out putting money into real estate investments due to a lack time in your busy schedule to flip houses or manage rentals. But the good news is, those are not the only ways to invest in real estate and it is possible to do even when you don’t have a lot of time. Continue reading

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How Bad Credit Makes Your Life Miserable

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I am constantly surprised at how many among us don’t know or fully understand bad credit and how it can affect us all in our everyday lives. There are some who think that having and using credit is evil or dangerous and so they avoid it at all costs. In fact, there are people who have no credit rating at all who have never had a credit card or loan for anything in their life. Rare, but true, and those folks may wake up one day and find that was a really huge mistake.

Bad credit can make your life miserable in ways you probably haven't even thought of. Here are some ways credit affects you and how to improve it.

When it comes to credit, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to underestimate how much your credit rating may affect you and your lifestyle. In many areas, besides the amount of money you can borrow when you really need to, and the interest rate you will have to pay, mismanaging your credit can affect whether you can qualify for loans for a mortgage, car, or personal loan. Having no credit history means a lender just doesn’t know if you are a good risk and probably won’t lend you money or will charge you a higher interest rate and offer a lower amount if they do. Continue reading

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What Dad Really Wants for Father’s Day

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Last year I wrote a post about my thoughts on Father’s Day and it came from my heart. I think the message in it says what every Dad (and Mom too) thinks and feels about a day like this, even though the environment we live in makes us feel like honoring our Dads and Moms is only about buying gifts and making a big deal out of just one single day a year in our lives. I can tell you from personal experience, that’s not what Dads (and Moms) really want from their kids.

So today, in anticipation of Father’s Day 2017, I am republishing last year’s post. If you didn’t see it last time, I hope it says what you are feeling like it does for me. Here’s hoping all the “kids” of any age out there read and get the message I am conveying. Have a great Father’s Day all year long!

It’s just around the corner: another Father’s Day arrives on Sunday, June 18th.  If you’re like most people, you’ve already begun thinking about what you’re looking to give Dad this year—checking the Sunday papers, looking online, and talking to Mom and your siblings about what Dad really wants this year.

Father's Day is coming on June 18th. I'll share with you the secret of what Dad really wants for his special day and you won't need to spend the big bucks.

I’m a Dad of two (they’re grown now and out on their own) and I’m sure they are thinking those same thoughts and hoping to surprise me with something I’m just dying for but would never go out and buy for myself. That’s probably how they think. Continue reading

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7 Lifestyle Changes That Don’t Cost Much But Have Big Benefits

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For today’s guest post on affordable lifestyle changes, please welcome back fellow blogger Anum Yoon.

We all want to change our lives for the better, but it’s hard to know how to do that without spending a bunch of money. Eating organic and having gym memberships is great, but it starts to add up. Consider the following lifestyle changes. They might seem small, but they have major benefits. The best part? They’re affordable.

If you want to improve your health, you don't necessarily have to spend a lot. Check out these 7 affordable lifestyle changes to boost your well-being.

1. Drink More Water

You probably hear this all the time, but it seriously does make a difference. Drinking it from the tap is insanely cheap. Even if your water isn’t the best, an investment in a Brita filter or pitcher is an infrequent buy that pays for itself in the long run. Bottled water creates too much waste, and they’re way more expensive. Continue reading

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Want to Invest in a Movie? The Lure of Equity Crowdfunding

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Isn’t there a little bit inside all of us with stars in our eyes that has us dreaming about what it might be like to be a movie star? Even if you don’t want to admit it out loud, you probably have wanted to find out about Hollywood and its glamorous, glittery trappings, right? You know you have.

These days you can invest in everything from a movie to a basketball team through equity crowdfunding. Here's more about the process and what's out there.

Interestingly enough, these days you could be an insider to the movie business as well as dozens of other great industries by sticking your toe into online equity crowdfunding. And you don’t have to be a “Warren Buffet type” to get involved either! It can be done with a little online research, as little as 100 bucks, and a couple of keystrokes on your home computer. Continue reading

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Invest in the Right Season of the Stock Market Cycles

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This year has brought a real boom in the stock market! The indexes are at record levels, breaking the 21,000 plateau, and at the moment seem to be nothing but “bullish” on the horizon! Anyone who’s invested in the market has seen gains since the beginning of 2017 and that seems to bode well at least in the near term, doesn’t it?

Like the seasons, there are stock market cycles for investing. Knowing when to buy low and when to sell high can help investors maximize their earnings.

If you are asking yourself the big question as to why there is so much optimism in the market these days, one answer you will hear often is this: the proposed tax cuts for business and individuals are now on the table and the cutting of numerous regulations that have been negatively affecting business has begun. These two reasons have been spurring the markets since the November 2016 elections as the numbers have grown by 15% in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Consumer confidence is at a 15-year high as well. Continue reading

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Are You a “Real Contender” in Life?

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We all have heard the stories of those special people that started life at the bottom of the ladder and yet somehow miraculously climbed from the bottom all the way to the top! It’s not only great to hear about those events, but it’s pretty inspirational, too. I mean, we know it’s tough to make it under good circumstances and yet some people overcome what seem to be insurmountable odds and gain such lofty heights despite those disadvantages. So how do they do it? The first thing that all those people do to get into the winner’s circle and become champions is that they have to become “real contenders”.

To succeed in life, you need to become a real contender. Here's more about the mindset to adopt and how it relates to your financial health.

An Example Both Fictional and Real World

If you’re a movie buff, you probably love the ones about the guy or gal who overcomes all the odds. Remember “Rocky” the 1976 film (and then the 1979 and 1982 etc.)?  Currently numbering 7 films in the series, they not only entertain but they really do make you think about an underdog who makes it to the top. Rocky may not be a real character, but the star, Sylvester Stallone is a real life “Rocky” all by himself. After all, he was basically an unknown in Hollywood when he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in a film that no one ever expected to be a success, let alone become a historic franchise about good ole’ Rocky Balboa and whose stories have grossed over $1.3 billion dollars worldwide over the past 40 years! Continue reading

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8 Summer Travel Tips I Know Will Save You Money

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Summer vacation is on my mind and I’ll bet it’s on yours, too. I actually have been thinking about it a lot for months now, since it’s been awhile since my wife and I have traveled on a “real” vacation.  I have always touted myself as a pretty good travel planner, a skill that I have mastered from personal travel planning experience. So I have put together a short list of 8 travel tips I know for a fact will definitely save you money if you are up for a vacation this year. These tips are not only good for the summer travel period, but are year-round bonafide winners that really only require a bit of awareness and a little planning effort. I think that’s worth saving some big bucks and I think you will as well!

Summer tends to be travel season, so it's the perfect time for travel tips that will save you money. A little extra planning upfront can save your budget.

While there’s staycations and weekend getaways and road trips, today I’m focusing on your typical week-long family vacation. Trips like these often involve airfare, hotel, car rental, and food plus entertainment costs as well. Continue reading