That’s how much one Harvard sophomore made playing games on her phone in a single year.
Jennifer Tu (known in the eSports world as HestiaX) won a whopping $3.9 million in 2019 and $5.3 million in the past 5 years just by playing phone games.
“I never imagined that I’d become one of the top mobile gamers in the world,” said Tu in an interview with Venture Beat.
So how did she manage to pull it off? By playing the right games. Solitaire, to be specific.
Papaya Gaming (a Tel Aviv startup), has transformed classic games like Solitaire and Bingo into free, skill-based apps that, surprisingly, dole out real cash prizes as high as $83/game.
Users play speed solitaire head-to-head against another online player.
Whoever solves their deck fastest and in the least amount of moves wins the game – and a cash prize.
Each game takes about 2-3 minutes.
Players are matched up based on skill-level, so even new players are on a level playing field.
Most players (90%+) start by playing free games, and work their way up to cash games as they gain experience.
It might sound like a big leap from $83 to the $5.3 million that HestiaX has won, but if players are successful, winnings can add up fast.
Papaya also caters to fans of other game genres: Bingo Cash (a similar app) allows players to try their hand at speed bingo.
Though Bingo traditionally is a luck-based game, Papaya has cleverly changed the mechanics to turn bingo into a skill-based puzzle game.
Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newcomer, Solitaire Cash offers tons of money-making potential. The app is currently free to download in the app store.
Companies mentioned in this article have not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by included advertisers. Opinions are ours alone.
Content on this page should not be considered financial or investment advice: do your own research. Testimonials/success stories should not be viewed as expected results. Email us at [email protected].
What’s the difference between a $100K and $10M portfolio? Sometimes, it’s as simple as who’s managing the money.
As the economy continues on its historically volatile trend, more and more household investors are turning to financial advisors to safely weather the storm.
According to a 2019 study conducted by the Vanguard Investment Group, household investors with financial advisors tend to beat the market by 3% per year.
In the current state of the market, accessing this increase in compounding returns can help someone retire truly wealthy instead of just well off.
From the dentist to the small business owner and beyond, almost all high net-worth individuals get help managing their investments in one form or another.
Financial advisors specialize in safe, compounding returns that outperform standard index funds—but not everyone can access their services.
In fact, most financial advisors have a minimum portfolio requirement of $100K. Services like WiserAdvisor help connect household investors with financial advisors who specialize in their goals and portfolio size.
Spending less time to make more money
Usually, time costs money. To delegate a task, you need to pay out of pocket.
Financial advising is one of the very few industries where delegating can help you save time while also helping you make more money.
Anyone with a significant portfolio—even the early-20s crypto bachelor—is well served finding a skilled financial advisor to help them establish long-term wealth.
The appeal of spending less time staring at a computer screen managing investments is even more enticing for those with families, demanding careers, and other obligations.
“The moment in which you are financially-planning ready is when your responsibilities go up and your free time goes down.” –Douglas Boneparth, president and founder of Bone Fide Wealth in New York (CNBC).
Visit WiserAdvisor to browse local financial advisors with high ratings and dozens of client reviews.
The danger of ‘do-it-yourself’?
While many successful people are knowledgeable in their own careers, not all types of knowledge translate to investment acumen.
For example, many people can, in theory, cut their own hair. But almost everyone goes to a skilled barber or hairstylist instead.
Investments are the same. Although many people can manage their own investments, almost everyone with a healthy portfolio enlists the help of a financial advisor.
Just like a bad haircut, there are real consequences to a do-it-yourself approach, especially considering how tumultuous the 2020s have been for the market so far.
“It is much more expensive to make a mistake than the price you pay to have money properly managed,” said Winnie Sun, president and founder of California-based Sun Group Wealth Partners (CNBC).
To save some time calling around, use this form to connect with financial advisors in your area who specialize in your goals and portfolio size.
As uncertainty grows, financial advising becomes more popular
As Americans turn to safer investment vehicles to grow their portfolios during uncertain times, getting help from a financial advisor is becoming more and more popular.
The field is expected to grow 13% in the next decade, far outpacing other financial sectors.
“Finding a financial advisor isn’t something you can be pushed to do,” said Sun (CNBC).
“You’ll know when the time is right.”
To see what’s out there, visit WiserAdvisor and type in your zip code to see ratings and reviews from local financial advisors.
That’s all (for now).
Thanks for reading!
Companies mentioned in this article have not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by included advertisers. Opinions are ours alone.
Content on this page should not be considered financial or investment advice: do your own research. Testimonials/success stories should not be viewed as expected results. Email us at [email protected].
I’m a massive coupon/savings nerd, and an embarrassing amount of my time is spent talking to people to find out how they’re spending their money.
In my experience, the average American is making pretty serious financial errors on a daily basis.
Here are the 8 worst mistakes I typically see (and how you can save money by avoiding them):
Important note: This post contains affiliate links – we get paid when you click on them:
1. Not getting a financial advisor.
99% of people don’t have one, and it’s typically a huge mistake.
Sure, you can manage things on your own if you want to, but most people don’t have the time to actually do things right. There are huge benefits to having somebody pay attention to your money all the time.
People with financial advisors tend to beat the market by ~3%/year (according to a 2019 Vanguard Study). That can make a huge difference over time.
But more important: a good advisor will handle ALL of the annoying retirement stuff & bizarro tax implications you would have never thought of
If you don’t know a financial advisor personally,use a comparison site (like WiserAdvisor and find somebody near you that has good reviews.
2. Not getting paid for screentime (Earning potential: up to 4k/week)
Sounds nuts, obviously, but the idea of playing cash solitaire as a side gig has been around for years, and can be surprisingly lucrative (if you’re good enough, anyway).
The whole thing revolves around Solitaire Cash (a free mobile game).
The game itself is really simple: You play solitaire head-to-head against another real person. Whoever solves their deck the fastest wins real cash.
If you can get good at the game, it can be surprisingly lucrative: typically up to $80/game for the winner. Each game takes ~2 minutes, in my experience.
Debt can make you feel hopeless—even if you’re responsible about making payments on time, the interest sometimes prevents you from paying off the debt.
But, believe it or not, plenty of companies (National Debt Relief, for example) are willing to help you pay off your debt.
Here’s how it typically works:
A company like National Debt Relief (there are plenty of others, too) negotiates with your credit card companies, banks etc. to try and reduce your debt
If possible, they’ll consolidate all of your different sources of debt so you only have to make one monthly payment to one place.
A lot of times you’ll end up paying significantly less than you owe. Here’s an example from NDR’s site:
E.g. he was $36k in debt, but only ended up paying $23kish.
If you aren’t using an ad blocker yet, I am begging you to try one. I am not exaggerating when I say it will change your life.
A good ad blocker will eliminate virtually all of the ads you’d see on the internet.
No more YouTube ads, no more banner ads, no more pop-up ads, etc. It’s incredible.
Most people I know use Total Adblock (link here) – it’s $2.42/month, but there are plenty of solid options.
Ads also typically take a while to load, so using an ad blocker reduces loading times (typically by 50% or more). They also block ad tracking pixels to protect your privacy, which is nice.
Sounds crazy, but the average American saves $410+/year when they switch auto insurance.
Try using a free tool like Coverage.com to compare prices from a bunch of different providers all at once. You’ll likely save yourself a bunch of money.
6. Not investing in real estate (start with as little as $20).
It’s no secret that millionaires and billionaires love investing in real estate, but for the rest of us, buying property has been prohibitively expensive (if not impossible, for some).
Times have changed. There are a few amazing real estate startups that allow you to buy shares of rental homes for as little as $20/share (Ark7 is one of my favorites).
They take care of the property management and collect rent checks for you. Then, on the 3rd of the following month, your share of the property’s profit is distributed to your account.
It’s an interesting way to build yourself a little rental home empire (without spending like a magnate).
If you’re like the average American, your savings account pays you virtually zero interest (typically under 0.3% a year, in my experience).
But believe it or not, plenty of banks are willing to offer you 10x that rate.
SoFi, for example, has an account that pays a whopping ~4%/year right now (as of the time that I’m writing this).
(E.g. if you store $100k in a 4% interest savings account today, in a year you’ll have netted $4,000 from interest alone)
If you’re interested, here are a few bank accounts with solid interest rates.
8. Not getting paid for playing games
There are a bunch of apps that will pay you to test out new games & apps and provide your feedback (sometimes physical products too).
I typically use TesterUp, but there are others too. It’s free: you just sign up and pick which tests look fun/interesting to you. I’ve seen tests pay as much as $160, which can add up pretty quickly.
Believe it or not, your screentime (and your attention) is worth money to a lot of companies.
Very few people know about it, but Nielsen (the company that measures TV ratings) will actually pay you for the time you spend on your phone or PC.
You basically are part of a mini-research study: you just install an app on your device that will give Nielsen anonymous data on how much you use your phone, etc.
Debt can make you feel hopeless. Even if you’re responsible about making payments on time, the interest sometimes prevents you from paying off the debt.
If you’re like most people, you’ve been trying to deal with your debt by yourself. but there are some amazing resources that can help.
Here are some of our favorites (as of Nov 2023):
1. See if this company will help pay off your debt for you.
Surprisingly, plenty of companies (National Debt Relief, for example) are more than willing to help you pay off your debt.
Here’s how it typically works:
You typically need $15k+ in total debt (credit cards, medical bills, etc.).
A company like National Debt Relief (there are plenty of others, too) negotiates with your credit card companies, banks etc. to try and reduce your debt.
If possible, they’ll consolidate all of your different sources of debt so you only have to make one monthly payment to one place.
A lot of times you’ll end up paying significantly less than you owe. Here’s an example from NDR’s site:
E.g. he was $36k in debt, but only ended up paying $23kish.
You’d be shocked to know how often you’re overpaying on Amazon and elsewhere.
Big stores like Amazon know that no one has time to price shop through dozens of sites, so there’s often no incentive for them to offer bargain prices.
It’s no secret that millionaires and billionaires love investing in real estate, but for the rest of us, buying property has been prohibitively expensive (if not impossible, for some).
Times have changed. There are a few amazing real estate startups that allow you to buy shares of rental homes for as little as $20/share (Ark7 is one of my favorites).
They take care of the property management and collect rent checks for you. Then, on the 3rd of the following month, your share of the property’s profit is distributed to your account.
It’s an interesting way to build yourself a little rental home empire (without spending like a magnate).
Spoiler alert: You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to get into expensive stocks. Get Public and start investing in fractional shares.
This basically means you can buy pieces of expensive stock. Let’s say you want to invest $500, but the stock you want costs $1,000 per share – you could purchase 0.5 shares with Public.
This kind of investing allows you to diversify your portfolio and helps build wealth without needing a ton of money to begin with.
If you’re looking to switch right now, Public has a promotion where if you transfer your account from another brokerage, you can get up to $10,000*.
Those are my top 7 savings tips for the time being (as of 11/08/23) but I’ll keep adding to this article as I find new tips for you.
Thanks for reading!
Companies mentioned in this article have not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by included advertisers. Opinions are ours alone.
Content on this page should not be considered financial or investment advice: do your own research. Testimonials/success stories should not be viewed as expected results. Email us at [email protected].
Our team of side-gig addicts and savings experts have tried literally dozens of money making (and money-saving) methods over the past 2 years.
Most of the methods you see online don’t work very well, but some are surprisingly high-paying.
Here are the money methods that have been most lucrative for us this year:
1. Get paid to fill out surveys (Earning potential: Up to $150/month)
There are companies that pay for you to give feedback. Really.
Sites like Survey Junkie are super simple. Sign up, set-up your profile with basic information about yourself, then you can start completing surveys.
In exchange for the time you spend responding to surveys, you’ll be rewarded with gift cards or cash.
2. Stop overpaying when shopping online (Savings potential: huge).
You might be surprised how often you’re overpaying on Amazon and elsewhere.
Big stores like Amazon know that no one has time to price shop through dozens of sites, so there’s often no incentive for them to offer bargain prices.
I typically hate browser extensions with a fiery passion, but if you don’t have Capital One Shopping installed yet, do yourself a favor and grab it.
When you shop online (on Amazon or elsewhere) it will:
Auto-apply coupon codes for you to save you money
Compare prices from other sellers to make sure you’re not missing out on a better deal
It’s saved me a ton of money more than once. Here’s a quick example:
Savings will vary, this is just an example, of course.
That same exact blender was $26 cheaper at another store (with 2 day shipping) when I shopped.
5. Get a financial advisor to help grow your money for you.
99% of people don’t have one, and it’s typically a huge mistake.
Sure, you can manage things on your own if you want to, but most people don’t have the time to actually do things right. There are huge benefits to having somebody pay attention to your money all the time.
People with financial advisors tend to beat the market by ~3%/year (according to a 2019 Vanguard Study). That can make a huge difference over time.
But more important: a good advisor will handle ALL of the annoying retirement stuff & bizarro tax implications you would have never thought of
If you don’t know a financial advisor personally,use a comparison site (like WiserAdvisor) and find somebody near you that has good reviews.
6. See if this company will help pay off your credit cards.
Credit card debt is, obviously, REALLY expensive to deal with.
But this company (Fiona) might be willing to help you pay it all off.
This is the basic idea:
Use this page to search for a low-interest loan (make sure the loan actually works well for you, of course)
Take that loan, and use it to pay off your higher-interest credit card debt
Then slowly pay off the new loan over time
You’re effectively switching high-interest debt for lower-interest payments (but of course, do your own homework here to make sure it’s a good fit for you).
Or if you’re looking for something easier, enter your credit score into the form below, and it’ll generate a list of lenders that might work for your situation:
7. Invest your spare change
If you’re like the average American, most (or all) of your income goes directly into your checking account. And for the most part, it stays there.
The problem: when your money sits in your savings/checking account, it’s slowly depreciating, thanks to inflation. And, over the past 40 years, inflation has averaged a whopping 3.8% a year.
The solution? Invest your money. Get an app like Acorns. They round up your spare change to the nearest dollar and then auto invest it. E.g. you buy a coffee for $4.25, they’ll round the purchase up to $5 and invest the $0.75 for you.
8. Get paid to be judgy.
As a general rule I would ignore any site that says they’ll pay you to give your opinions, but there are a few that are legitimate (and pay pretty well).
I usually use Survey Junkie (link here). You basically just get paid to give your opinions on different products/services, etc. Perfect for when you’re watching TV.
Treasure bills (T-Bills for short) are basically a short-term US debt security which the federal government issues. T-Bills are considered a ‘lower-risk’ investment because they’re backed by the government.
The fun part: right now they’re yielding 5.4%/year (as of the time I’m writing this), and they’re exempt from state and local taxes.
You can use this website (Public) to buy them directly. It’s pretty straightforward: I bought some earlier this year and it took me maybe 5-6 minutes to go through their set-up process.
I like Public because they’ll reinvest your T-Bills once they mature (within 1 year) so you get compound yields or you can just sell your T-Bills whenever you want.
First, choose a niche that aligns with your interests and market demand. By focusing on a specific niche, you can differentiate yourself from competitors and better understand your target audience’s needs.
Next, research and connect with reliable suppliers who offer drop shipping services. Building strong relationships with suppliers is crucial for seamless order fulfillment and maintaining product quality.
Create an online store using e-commerce platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Customize the store’s design and branding to create a professional and trustworthy storefront that resonates with your target customers.
Implement effective marketing strategies to drive traffic to your store. Utilize social media, content marketing, and paid advertising to reach your target audience. Highlight the unique value proposition of your products and build a strong online presence to attract customers.
12. Become a transcriber
Develop the ability to accurately transcribe audio or video content by practicing active listening, improving your typing speed, and familiarizing yourself with transcription software and tools.
Once you feel confident in your skills, you can start finding transcription opportunities. Research online platforms, transcription services, and freelancing websites where clients post transcription jobs.
Starting a transcription side gig can be a fulfilling endeavor, offering flexibility, personal growth, and the potential to generate additional income.
With dedication, attention to detail, and continuous skill development, you can establish yourself as a reliable and sought-after transcriber in various industries.
13. Start selling printables online
Consider your interests, skills, and the needs of potential customers. This will help you create unique and appealing printables that cater to specific audiences.
Utilize graphic design software or basic tools like Microsoft Word or PowerPoint to create visually engaging templates, artwork, planners, calendars, worksheets, or coloring pages.
Next, establish an online presence to showcase and sell your printables. Set up an e-commerce store on platforms like Etsy, Shopify, or your own website.
By focusing on quality, marketing effectively, and continuously innovating your designs, you can build a successful printable business and enjoy the rewards of a profitable and fulfilling side gig.
14. Get paid to name companies
For this side gig you’ll need to harness your creativity and linguistic skills. Start by immersing yourself in the world of branding and understanding the essence of a company’s identity.
Research different industries and target markets to gain insights into their naming conventions and preferences.
Next, develop a systematic approach to company naming. Consider factors such as the company’s values, target audience, industry trends, and desired brand positioning.
15. Make money from someone else’s trash
Starting dumpster diving as a side hustle can be an unconventional yet potentially rewarding endeavor. First, familiarize yourself with local laws and regulations regarding waste disposal and scavenging.
Research locations with a higher likelihood of valuable finds, such as behind retail stores, apartment complexes, or college campuses.
Equip yourself with essential tools for dumpster diving, including gloves, a headlamp or flashlight, sturdy bags, and a reacher or grabber tool.
With the right tools, mindset, and a keen eye for valuable finds, dumpster diving can be an environmentally conscious and potentially profitable endeavor.
16. Get paid to paint house numbers on curbs
Note: You’ll have to familiarize yourself with local regulations and any permits required for this type of activity. Ensure that there are no restrictions or specific guidelines in your area that would hinder curb painting services.
Invest in the necessary materials for curb painting, including stencils, durable outdoor paint, brushes, and masking tape. Consider offering a variety of font styles and colors to cater to different customer preferences.
Create flyers or business cards and distribute them in residential areas or community bulletin boards. Utilize social media platforms, local neighborhood groups, and word-of-mouth to spread the word about your services.
With attention to detail, quality workmanship, and effective marketing, you can establish a successful curb painting business that brings visibility, convenience, and safety to homeowners in your community.
17. Start a niche cleaning side hustle
To start a niche cleaning business, identify a specific cleaning niche that aligns with your skills and interests.
Consider areas such as post-construction cleaning, eco-friendly cleaning, or specialized cleaning for specific industries like healthcare or hospitality. Research the demand for your chosen niche in your local area to ensure a viable market.
Niche cleaning services often have less competition compared to general cleaning services, which can provide you with a unique selling proposition and a higher chance of success.
By targeting a specific market segment, you can differentiate yourself from competitors and build a loyal customer base.
19. Earn money creating content for others
Hone your writing skills and familiarize yourself with various types of content, such as blog posts, articles, social media posts, or copywriting. Identify your areas of expertise or interest to target specific industries or niches.
Create a professional portfolio that showcases your writing abilities and demonstrates your versatility. Include samples of your work that highlight your unique writing style and ability to tailor content for different platforms and target audiences.
Utilize online platforms such as LinkedIn, Medium, or personal websites to showcase your portfolio and increase your visibility.
The flexibility, creative fulfillment, income potential, and ability to make a positive impact make freelancing content creation a worthwhile and rewarding side hustle.
21. Make some side cash proofreading people’s work
To become a proofreader, it’s important to have a strong command of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style.
Brush up on your language skills by reading widely and staying updated with grammar and style guides.
Build your portfolio and gain practical experience by offering your proofreading services to friends, family, or local businesses. Start with smaller projects, such as proofreading resumes, blog posts, or articles, and gradually expand your clientele.
As you gain experience and establish a reputation for delivering high-quality work, you can attract more clients and potentially increase your rates. Continuous learning and staying up-to-date with industry trends will help you grow as a proofreader and open up further opportunities in the field.
That’s all (for now).
I’ll keep adding to this article as I find new tips for you.
I’m a massive coupon/savings nerd, and an embarrassing amount of my time is spent talking to people to find out how much they’re spending.
In my experience, the average American is overpaying for things on an almost daily basis.
Here are the 7 worst culprits for overspending (and how you can save money by avoiding them):
(Note: this page has affiliate links, I get paid when you click on them, so click on them a lot!)
#1: Not using high-yield savings accounts.
If you’re like the average American, your savings account pays you virtually zero interest (typically under 0.3% a year, in my experience).
But believe it or not, plenty of banks are willing to offer you 10x that rate.
Barclays, for example, has an account that pays a whopping ~4%/year right now (with no minimums).
(E.g. if you store $100k in a 4% interest savings account today, in a year you’ll have netted $4,000 from interest alone)
If you’re interested, here are a few banks with high-yield savings options:
2. Overspending on online shopping
You might be surprised how often you’re overpaying on Amazon and elsewhere.
Big stores like Amazon know that no one has time to price shop through dozens of sites, so there’s often no incentive for them to offer bargain prices.
I typically hate browser extensions with a fiery passion, but if you don’t have Capital One Shopping installed yet, do yourself a favor and grab it.
When you shop online (on Amazon or elsewhere) it will:
Auto-apply coupon codes for you to save you money
Compare prices from other sellers to make sure you’re not missing out on a better deal
It’s saved me a ton of money more than once. Here’s a quick example:
Savings will vary, this is just an example, of course.
That same exact blender was $26 cheaper at another store (with 2 day shipping) when I shopped.
99% of people don’t have one, and it’s typically a huge mistake.
Sure, you can manage things on your own if you want to, but most people don’t have the time to actually do things right. There are huge benefits to having somebody pay attention to your money all the time.
People with financial advisors tend to beat the market by ~3%/year (according to a 2019 Vanguard Study). That can make a huge difference over time.
But more important: a good advisor will handle ALL of the annoying retirement stuff & bizarro tax implications you would have never thought of
If you don’t know a financial advisor personally,use a comparison site (like WiserAdvisor) and find somebody near you that has good reviews.
Very few people know about it, but Nielsen (the company that measures TV ratings) will actually pay you for the time you spend on your phone or PC.
You basically are part of a mini-research study: you just install an app on your device that will give Nielsen anonymous data on how much you use your phone, etc.
Not everybody qualifies for it, but if you do, it’s a sweet gig.
6. Overpaying on credit card debt
Credit card debt is, obviously, REALLY expensive to deal with.
But this company (Bankrate) might be willing to pay all of it off for you.
Here’s the basic idea:
Use this page to search for the lowest-interest loan you can find (make sure the loan actually works well for you, of course)
Take that loan, and use it to pay off your higher-interest credit card debt
Then slowly pay off the new loan over time
You’re effectively switching high-interest debt for lower-interest payments (but of course, do your own homework here to make sure it’s a good fit for you).
That’s all (for now).
Those are my top 7 savings tips for the time being (as of 5/2/23) but I’ll keep adding to this article as I find new tips for you.
I’m a massive savings/investing nerd, and as such, I spend a lot of my time talking to people about their money habits.
And, spoiler alert: the ultra-wealthy tend to do things way differently than the rest of us.
When you have access to lots of capital, you also tend to get access to the best financial advice: including secret techniques that very few Americans know about.
In my experience, here are the 7 secrets ultra-rich families use to grow their wealth (and cut down on expenses).
(Note: this page contains affiliate links)
Secret #1. They use savings accounts that pay up to 10x more interest than average.
If you’re like the average American, your savings account pays you virtually zero interest (typically under 0.3% a year, in my experience).
Believe it or not, plenty of banks are willing to offer 10x that rate. PNC, for example, has an account that pays a whopping 4%/year right now (with no minimums).
(E.g. if you store $100k in a 4% interest savings account today, in a year you’ll have netted $4,000 from interest alone)
PNC doesn’t have minimum deposits or monthly service charges, so they’re a good option to consider (link is below):
Secret #2. They pay way less when shopping online.
You might be surprised how often you’re overpaying on Amazon and elsewhere.
Big stores like Amazon know that no one has time to price shop through dozens of sites, so there’s often no incentive for them to offer bargain prices.
I typically hate browser extensions with a fiery passion, but if you don’t have Capital One Shopping installed yet, do yourself a favor and grab it.
When you shop online (on Amazon or elsewhere) it will:
Auto-apply coupon codes for you to save you money
Compare prices from other sellers to make sure you’re not missing out on a better deal
It’s saved me a ton of money more than once. Here’s a quick example:
Savings will vary, this is just an example, of course.
That same exact blender was $26 cheaper at another store (with 2 day shipping) when I shopped.
Very few people know about it, but Nielsen (the company that measures TV ratings) will actually pay you for the time you spend on your phone or PC.
You basically are part of a mini-research study: you just install an app on your device that will give Nielsen anonymous data on how much you use your phone, etc.
Not everybody qualifies for it, but if you do, it’s a sweet gig.
Secret #5. They make money by giving their opinions
There are companies that pay for you to give feedback. Really.
Sites like Branded Surveys are super simple. Sign up, set-up your profile with basic information about yourself, then you can start completing surveys.
In exchange for the time you spend responding to service, you’ll be rewarded with gift cards.
And probably the biggest secret of all: they get a financial advisor to do the work for them.
Doesn’t sound like much, right? 99% of people don’t have one, and it’s typically a huge mistake.
Sure, you can manage things on your own if you want to, but most people don’t have the time to actually do things right. There are huge benefits to having somebody pay attention to your money all the time.
People with financial advisors tend to beat the market by ~3%/year (according to a 2019 Vanguard Study). That can make a huge difference over time.
But more important: a good advisor will handle ALL of the annoying retirement stuff & bizarro tax implications you would have never thought of
If you don’t know a financial advisor personally,use a comparison site (like WiserAdvisor) and find somebody near you that has good reviews.
Congratulations on having a solid financial foundation!
Having $5,000 or more in the bank is a significant achievement that opens up a world of possibilities for you.
Now, as we step into 2023, it’s crucial to make the most of your hard-earned savings and take smart financial steps that can propel you towards a brighter future.
In this post, we will discuss five strategic money moves that can help you grow your wealth, secure your finances, and make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.
(Note: this page contains affiliate links)
1. Switch to a savings account that pays you up to 10x more interest.
If you’re like the average American, your savings account pays you virtually zero interest (typically under 0.3% a year, in my experience).
Believe it or not, plenty of banks are willing to offer 10x that rate. PNC, for example, has an account that pays a whopping 4%/year right now (with no minimums).
(E.g. if you store $100k in a 4% interest savings account today, in a year you’ll have netted $4,000 from interest alone)
PNC doesn’t have minimum deposits or monthly service charges, so they’re a good option to consider, but here’s a list of some viable banks in your area:
2. Refi your car payments – avg savings: $143/month
Rates have prob changed since you bought your car, and other lenders can likely get you a better deal than your dealership gave you.
Use a company like iLending or Upstart (typically takes a few minutes to do).
3. Refi your student loans – avg savings: $18k over the life of the loan
Same basic strategy as above. Huge savings potential here:
A 2018 report from Credible said the avg. savings for a student loan refi was $18,000.
The average person somehow pays $250 in overdraft fees every year (according to the CFPB), because banks are awful.
A quick fix: switch your bank to Current (or a similar app). Has zero overdraft charges, high savings rates (up to 4%), and the ability to get your paychecks 2 days early.
5. Invest the change from almost anything you buy
Get an app like Acorns. They round up your spare change to the nearest dollar and then auto invest it. E.g. you buy a coffee for $4.25, they’ll round the purchase up to $5 and invest the $0.75 for you.
That’s all (for now).
Thanks for reading! We’ll update this post monthly as new options become available.
(Note: this page has affiliate links, I get paid when you click on them, so click on them a lot!)
After years of inflation and soaring prices, it’s been difficult as a consumer to keep up. There could be certain things you actually need to buy, but don’t, thinking of all the other things you need to pay for first.
Just last year, Amazon Prime increased their yearly subscription from $119 to $139. There’s no doubt online shoppers are feeling the strain on their wallets.
But before you renew your Prime membership, take a minute and grab Capital One Shopping. It’s a free browser extension which is made to help you find a better deal online for almost any purchase.
It’s really simple to use: Add their extension to your browser, search for the product you need on Amazon, then Capital One Shopping will search through thousands of different online stores and sellers to help you find a better deal on the same product.
Here’s an example:
Capital One Shopping found a better deal on this blender by looking for the same exact product online, but they found it from a different seller at a much better price. It can be shocking at times to see how much you can actually save on a single purchase when you have the tool to compare prices in real time.
Comparing prices manually on your own is near impossible, but having access to Capital One Shopping is almost like having a loyal personal shopper whose number one goal is to save you money wherever possible.
It’s 100% free to use and super easy to get started, but if for whatever reason you’re not convinced, you can just uninstall it. However, last year alone, Capital One Shopping saved their users over $160 million on their purchases, which is something to think about.
The average person somehow pays $250 in overdraft fees every year (according to the CFPB), because banks are awful.
A quick fix: switch your bank to Current (or a similar app). Has zero overdraft charges, high savings rates (up to 4%), and the ability to get your paychecks 2 days early.
5. Invest the change from almost anything you buy
Get an app like Acorns. They round up your spare change to the nearest dollar and then auto invest it. E.g. you buy a coffee for $4.25, they’ll round the purchase up to $5 and invest the $0.75 for you.
That’s all (for now).
Those are my top 5 savings tips for the time being (as of 04/07/23) but I’ll keep adding to this article as I find new tips for you.
The average person somehow pays $250 in overdraft fees every year (according to the CFPB), because banks are awful.
A quick fix: switch your bank to Current (or a similar app). Has zero overdraft charges, high savings rates (up to 4%), and the ability to get your paychecks 2 days early.
5. Invest the change from almost anything you buy
Get an app like Acorns. They round up your spare change to the nearest dollar and then auto invest it. E.g. you buy a coffee for $4.25, they’ll round the purchase up to $5 and invest the $0.75 for you.
That’s all (for now).
Those are my top 5 savings tips for the time being (as of 3/14/23) but I’ll keep adding to this article as I find new tips for you.
I’m a massive coupon/savings nerd, and an embarrassing amount of my time is spent talking to people to find out how much they’re spending.
In my experience, the average American is overpaying for things on an almost daily basis.
Here are the 8 worst culprits for overspending (and how you can save money by avoiding them):
(Note: this page has affiliate links, I get paid when you click on them, so click on them a lot!)
1. Online shopping
You might be surprised how often you’re overpaying on Amazon and elsewhere.
Big stores like Amazon know that no one has time to price shop through dozens of sites, so there’s often no incentive for them to offer bargain prices.
I typically hate browser extensions with a fiery passion, but if you don’t have Capital One Shopping installed yet, do yourself a favor and grab it.
When you shop online (on Amazon or elsewhere) it will:
Auto-apply coupon codes for you to save you money
Compare prices from other sellers to make sure you’re not missing out on a better deal
It’s saved me a ton of money more than once. Here’s a quick example:
Savings will vary, this is just an example, of course.
That same exact blender was $26 cheaper at another store (with 2 day shipping) when I shopped.
Debt can make you feel hopeless—even if you’re responsible about making payments on time, the interest sometimes prevents you from paying off the debt.
But, believe it or not, plenty of companies (National Debt Relief, for example) are willing to help you pay off your debt.
Here’s how it typically works:
A company like National Debt Relief (there are plenty of others, too) negotiates with your credit card companies, banks etc. to try and reduce your debt
If possible, they’ll consolidate all of your different sources of debt so you only have to make one monthly payment to one place.
A lot of times you’ll end up paying significantly less than you owe. Here’s an example from National Debt Relief’s site:
E.g. he was $36k in debt, but only ended up paying $23kish.
If you aren’t using an ad blocker yet, I am begging you to try one. I am not exaggerating when I say it will change your life.
A good ad blocker will eliminate virtually all of the ads you’d see on the internet.
No more YouTube ads, no more banner ads, no more pop-up ads, etc. It’s incredible.
Most people I know use Total Adblock (link here) – it’s $2.42/month, but there are plenty of solid options.
Ads also typically take a while to load, so using an ad blocker reduces loading times (typically by 50% or more). They also block ad tracking pixels to protect your privacy, which is nice.
99% of people don’t have one, and it’s typically a huge mistake.
Sure, you can manage things on your own if you want to, but most people don’t have the time to actually do things right. There are huge benefits to having somebody pay attention to your money all the time.
People with financial advisors tend to beat the market by ~3%/year (according to a 2019 Vanguard Study). That can make a huge difference over time.
But more important: a good advisor will handle ALL of the annoying retirement stuff & bizarro tax implications you would have never thought of
If you don’t know a financial advisor personally,use a comparison site (like WiserAdvisor) and find somebody near you that has good reviews.
If you’re like the average American, your savings account pays you virtually zero interest (typically under 0.3% a year, in my experience).
But believe it or not, plenty of banks are willing to offer you 10x that rate.
Barclays, for example, has an account that pays a whopping ~4%/year right now (as of the time that I’m writing this).
(E.g. if you store $100k in a 4% interest savings account today, in a year you’ll have netted $4,000 from interest alone)
If you’re interested, here are a few bank accounts with solid interest rates:
7. Not securing your passwords.
If you’re not worried about your passwords being hacked, you probably should be.
Approximately 110 million Americans are hacked each year (and over 600k Facebook accounts are hacked daily). Hackers have published a whopping 555 million stolen passwords on the dark web since 2017.
Odds are, you will have an account hacked at some point in the next few years.
You probably already know how to defend yourself: by using long, ultra-strong passwords, and using a different one for each website.
But the issue is that nobody can remember 10+ strong passwords (especially if they’re made up of random letters and numbers).
The fix: experts recommend using a password manager.
Think of it like a lockbox, but for your passwords. A password manager is a service that securely stores all of your logins in one app (so you don’t have to remember a gajillion different passwords). They’re ultra-secure, and also crazily helpful.
I typically recommend Total Password, but there are lots of other providers, too. Expect to pay $2-$4/month for a service like this, but it’s well worth it (the average identity theft will cost you $3,500+).
As a general rule I would ignore any site that says they’ll pay you to fill out surveys, but there are a few that are legitimate (and pay pretty well).
I usually use Survey Junkie (link here). You basically just get paid to give your opinions on different products/services, etc. Perfect for when you’re watching TV.
Here’s the form I used to sign up – I think it took me maybe 1-2 minutes tops. They don’t accept everyone, but if you get in it’s a sweet gig.
9. Not investing in real estate (start with as little as $20).
It’s no secret that millionaires and billionaires love investing in real estate, but for the rest of us, buying property has been prohibitively expensive (if not impossible, for some).
Times have changed. There are a few amazing real estate startups that allow you to buy shares of rental homes for as little as $20/share (Ark7 is one of my favorites).
They take care of the property management and collect rent checks for you. Then, on the 3rd of the following month, your share of the property’s profit is distributed to your account.
It’s an interesting way to build yourself a little rental home empire (without spending like a magnate).
If you’re like the average American, most (or all) of your income goes directly into your checking account. And for the most part, it stays there.
The problem: when your money sits in your savings/checking account, it’s slowly depreciating, thanks to inflation. And, over the past 40 years, inflation has averaged a whopping 3.8% a year.
The solution? Invest your money. Get an app like Acorns. They round up your spare change to the nearest dollar and then auto invest it. E.g. you buy a coffee for $4.25, they’ll round the purchase up to $5 and invest the $0.75 for you.
That’s all (for now).
Those are my top savings tips for the time being (as of 11/6/23) but I’ll keep adding to this article as I find new tips for you.
There are many pet products available on the market, and the best ones will depend on your specific pet’s needs and preferences. However, here are some of the most popular and highly-rated pet products:
Furbo Dog Camera
This is a smart dog camera that allows you to monitor your dog while you’re away, and even dispense treats and talk to them through the app. It also has a barking sensor that alerts you when your dog is barking excessively.
Kong Classic Dog Toy
This is a durable and versatile dog toy that can be filled with treats or peanut butter to keep your dog entertained and engaged.
Fresh Patch
This is a real grass patch that can be used as an indoor potty for dogs. It’s a convenient and eco-friendly solution for dogs who can’t go outside or for owners who live in apartments.
Catit Flower Fountain
This is a unique cat water fountain that provides a constant flow of fresh water, encouraging cats to drink more and stay hydrated.
Litter-Robot
This is a self-cleaning litter box for cats that uses sensors to detect when your cat has used the litter box and automatically cleans and disposes of waste.
PetSafe ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box – Another popular self-cleaning litter box option, this one uses disposable trays and crystal litter to absorb urine and dehydrate solid waste, reducing odor and making cleanup easy.
These are just a few examples of some of the best pet products available on the market. It’s important to research and read reviews before purchasing any pet product to ensure that it’s safe, effective, and meets your pet’s needs.
There are many mobile phone apps available that are underrated and not used as much as they should be. Here are some of the most underrated mobile phone apps that people should use more:
Pocket
This app lets you save articles, videos, and other content from the web to read or watch later, even when you’re offline. It’s a great way to curate your own personalized reading list.
Feedly
This app lets you create a personalized news feed by subscribing to various blogs and websites. It’s a great way to stay informed on the topics you’re interested in.
Forest
This app helps you focus and be more productive by encouraging you to stay off your phone. It rewards you for staying focused by growing a virtual tree, which can be a fun and motivating way to stay on task.
Duolingo
This app is a fun and easy way to learn a new language. It offers short lessons that are designed to be engaging and interactive.
MyFitnessPal
This app helps you track your daily food intake and exercise, making it easier to stay on track with your health goals. It also has a large database of food and exercise information, making it easy to log your daily activities.
These are just a few examples of underrated mobile phone apps that people should use more. There are many more great apps out there, so it’s worth exploring and trying out new ones to find the ones that work best for you.
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