#broketips

[howtobebroke-blog1]

Broke Tip No. 5: Surveys

Probably the most stereotypical easy money job for college students, surveys really are a good way to earn some cash on the side. I’m still doing research on several options to figure out which ones are the best and I highly recommend doing the same. 

One Survey app I have confirmed, however, is Google Opinion Rewards. The payout isn’t great and the surveys come rather slow, however, it does truly pay you for your surveys and it automatically cashes out after every $2 earned on surveys. In the month or so I have had it, I’ve made about $9, which isn’t much but every little bit of money counts when you’re living the college life.

I have a feeling that if you fit certain demographics you’ll get more survey opportunities (I’m a straight, white, heterosexual male from an upper-middle-class family who lives in a very rural part of New England). 

[broke-adulting-my-way-thru-life]

Broke Tip: Doing it Yourself Car Wash Style

So 1 years ago I signed up for this subscription through a car wash in town where I got unlimited washes per month for like $18.99 a month. Its increased to 23.99 a month and then again to 28.99 a month and its at the point where I cannot afford 30 bucks a month just to wash my damn car.

So, I went back to do what I used to do, before I ever starred using the car wash club. Here's a tip to help save money

You can use the free vacuums and cleaning stuff at the car wash still, whether you're paying for the subscription or not; and there are these DIY car wash ports where you put in $3 and you wash it yourself using the soap and protectorant choices available. Now, I pay maybe $12 a month, if I find the time to do it every week (I usually don't but I never used the car club more than 3 or 4 times a month either).

It all adds up right?

[howtobebroke-blog1]

Broke Tip No. 4: Find a Job With Benefits

When people are looking for a college job the thing they look at more than anything else is the pay, but you’re going about it all wrong. Benefits are worth so much more than a base wage. Try to find a job that offers benefits and discounts for stuff you are interested in. Are you super into travel and live near an airport? Work for an airline company! Most of them offer free flights on their planes as well as discounted tickets on other airlines. I, personally, work for Delta Air Lines and they offer a ton of cool perks like discounts on hotel rooms and rental cars as well as top destinations like Disney Land, Universal and Six Flags.

I can’t personally speak for the benefits of many other jobs but it's important that you’re aware that many offer them. The biggest benefit you should look for in a prospective employer is whether or not they have a 401k program. No matter how young you are, no time is too early to start putting money towards your retirement (life is expensive and Social Security is not something to rely on anymore). If your employer offers 401k matching, take advantage of this. It might take a little more out of your paycheck now, but 50 years down the road you’re gonna be thanking yourself as you relax at home, comfortably retired instead of cursing yourself as you continue to work paycheck to paycheck because you didn’t prepare for your future.

[howtobebroke-blog1]

Broke Tip No. 3: Invest Your Spare Change

Considering the fact that you are reading this blog about being broke, you have likely heard about Acorns in your extensive research on how to mend your unfortunate situation. However, I believe you might more fully understand how great of an app this is from the perspective of someone who understands the grind of trying to find spare cash while dealing with the crippling debt caused by simply attending college. 

For those who haven’t heard of it, Acorns is an iOS and Android app that links to your Credit and Debit Cards and automatically rounds up your purchases to the next dollar, investing the spare change in stocks for you and saving it. You can choose to leave your money in your Acorns account long term to “grow your Oak” and improve your return, or simply take the extra cash out whenever you really need it (its a really great rainy day fund). There is also an option to make recurring investments (which I highly recommend) ranging from 5-100 dollars a month if you are so inclined.

One of my favorite features in the app has to be the projection graph. Acorns analyzes your current savings as well as the trend you’ve established in its algorithms to determine how much money you will have in your Acorns account so many years from now if you were to leave it be. I like this a lot because it really motivates you to keep saving because you see the long-term benefits it will have for you, it makes you want to take the money out of the account less, in hopes of seeing these projected numbers come to fruition.

If you join Acorns, please use my invite code (we both get $5 out of it if you do) and be sure to pass the word along to your friends!: https://acorns.com/invite/3KJFY3

[howtobebroke-blog1]

Broke Tip No. 2: Open a Second Savings Account

I can’t stress enough to you how much having a second savings account has helped me overcome my struggle when it comes to putting away money. For the longest time, the simple attraction of online shopping and boatloads of shit I don’t need kept making me dip my hand back into my main savings account to feed my unhealthy habit. 

Having a second savings account can be a lifesaver. There are several routes you can go with this and each one is as viable as any other. If you’re looking for an account that makes it easy for you to resist the temptation of early withdrawals, I highly recommend a Discover Bank Account (they charge a flat fee of $30 for each withdrawal). I personally use this as one of my savings accounts as it really holds me to my promise not to dip into my savings for any unnecessary purchases.

If you’re into the convenience of a mobile app that allows you to connect all of your accounts seamlessly, Checking, Savings, and Credit, Varo is the way to go. This is the app I chose for my third savings account (because I got desperate to save even more money and it has helped a ton).

With your second or even third account, I find it helps best to ensure you set a weekly deposit amount for this account and hold yourself to it. I, personally put about $25 dollars in each of my savings account a week (it's not much but its a start and it adds up quick) and any personal checks I receive for whatever reason go straight to my Varo account. Establishing a system for yourself and maintaining that system goes a long way in fixing your savings.

Finally, there is Twine. This is an app where you can start a joint savings account with your significant other to save towards something you both really want to do (whether this is your wedding, your honeymoon or just a super fun trip you both really want to be able to go on). I use this with my girlfriend (we’re saving up for a trip to Dublin) and it is a wonderful help. It breaks down how many weeks it will take to reach your goal based on what you are both contributing and even allows for recurring deposits to be programmed in by default.

Obviously, there are many other options out there for setting up your additional savings accounts and I think you should definitely take the time to research them all and decide which one is the best fit for you. Make sure to take every possible factor into account, especially the interest rate they are offering you for banking with them. This alone will make a huge difference in the long run.

[coffeemom14-blog]

Broke Tip!

A lot of moms know what it is like to have to mop every other day, or even everyday, and these days most companies are trying to provide a convenient way to mop, as opposed to what is practical or cheap.  For instance, the Swiffer company.  They may be awesome and convenient to use, but how practical is it when you run out of the wipes and have to go to the store to get more (which for a stay at home mom also means loading your kids into the car, driving to the store, getting your wipes, loading them back into the car and going home), or trying to find the specific wipe pack for your specific model of Swiffer mop (which at a certain point also means that after your model is 'old' and 'out of date' and they quit making the wipes that fit or work with that mop, you may have to upgrade your Swiffer mop).  It just isn't convenient in the long run.  

Or how about the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Roller Mop?  I have used it and it really is a great product to clean the messes with.  Of course it should be, it isn't necessarily cheap, the refills (which you have to buy after about 2 uses) certainly aren't cheap, and it is nearly impossible to clean by hand or in the washing machine because of the material it is made of:  Melamine.  Which, when you try to clean it like a normal sponge, falls apart--yet it gets dirty extremely easy.  Not practical or cheap.  The replacements are expensive and you have to replace the melamine scrubbing sponge after 2 uses, which is how long mine lasted me.

However, I have found a mop that works so well.  <3  It is the O-Cedar Microfiber Flip Mop, and it costs me about $7 at Walmart.  It cleans the messes well and when you're done you can just toss it in the washing machine with a load of towels and dry it in the dryer, much like a towel.  It won't fall apart or mess up your machines.  It is an amazingly convenient and practical, as well as affordable, since the package says each Flip Mop cover lasts up to 100 washes...  which I can promise you, I can get AT LEAST 350 washes out of it, since you don't even have to actually wash it every time you use it (sometimes it just takes a simple rinse under some water and ringing it out, depending on the severity of the mess you have mopped).

[coffeemom14-blog]

This is an instructional "How to clean a kitchen sponge" video. 

This has to do with being another broke tip.  Why? 

Let me explain it like this:

How often do you buy sponges?  I know a lot of the 'normal' people I know typically have to go out and buy new ones every other week or two, or are using the nastiest raggiest sponges imaginable, because they bought 'cheap' and it wore out quickly and they don't want to spend the money on new sponges already.

Cleaning out your sponges often can make the life of your sponge last sooooo much longer.  Now, that is considering I always buy scotchbrite brand sponges.  I do not buy cheap sponges, and here is why... 

At my old apartment with my roommates (DM, DD, and I just moved into our own house in the suburbs and got out of the city) we lived with DM's step brother and their mutual work friend roomed with him, and of course you know how a lot of guys in their early twenties are...  college minded, I guess, is how I would explain it.  Not always a bad thing, but when I say college minded I mean the type to eat all the good, nutritious groceries I bought, and to them replacing my groceries when I tell them, "ok my daughter and I have to eat so you need to go get groceries since you just inhaled $300 worth of food in a week by yourselves" they go buy a huge supply of ramen noodles and vienna sausages and bologna, instead of putting forth the effort and money to replace what they consumed with itself.  They did the same thing with cleaning supplies. 

They didn't know how to rinse or soak their crusty ass dishes that took FOREVER for them to bring to the sink, so it was always really tough job on the sponges when they used them, and instead of buying me more scotchbrite after they ruined my good sponges, would go buy a 3-pack from the dollar store and call it even....  Not even close, buddy.

I used one of his sponges ONE time, and the green scrubby part started sloughing off after its first use, and not just after, actually DURING its first use.  Needless to say, that was its only use because the thing fell apart after one use.  Which means I just needed to go to the store and replace them myself. 

Now that is the primary reason I don't buy cheap sponges.  What's the point if it wears out like that after one use?  You use them right up as soon as you get them, you have to go buy more, and again and again and again, until you have spent even more than if you had bought the higher quality sponges, for an extra $1 originally. 

And then with those higher quality sponges, you can save money because they don't fall apart after one use, so if you consistently clean them out and keep them fresh by using this peroxide trick once a week (peroxide can be switched with fabuloso, dawn hand soap, etc.) then you should be able to make those sponges last you a while without having to worry about any bacteria growth.  ESPECIALLY, if you make sure your sponges don't just sit there wet.  Dry them out and ring them out as much as you can after each use, and it will prevent bad smells and bacteria growth 10 fold.  I do this and clean mine out once a week anyway, because I am thorough and a clean freak like that, but if you can ring out your sponges and make sure they are stored in a dry area when you're not using them--you won't even have to do this once a week. 

Anyway, this was just another broke tip I wanted to share.  (:  It works for me personally, I bought a 6-pack of the blue scrubby on one side soft on the other scotchbrite sponges about 2.5 months ago and they all look like they are just about new still, because of this care routine.  I haven't even had to buy sponges since living in this house.  So... yeah.  (:  I hope this helps.