Smart Money Links 4U

Your day starts innocently enough. You normally brew a cup of coffee at home, but you’re running late. So you swing by Starbucks for a $5 morning pick-me-up. After a tiring day at work, you stop by a store to get a replacement for your cell phone, which has been on the fritz for weeks. The new phone is an anticipated purchase you budgeted for, but you weren’t planning on the $40 stylish case you just had to have. On the way to your car, you run into a group of Girl Scouts selling cookies. Their cute, persuasive ways have you digging in your wallet to buy a $4 box of Thin Mints. You hit a block of traffic on the way home, doubling your 20-minute commute. At this point, you’re tired and hungry, and the three fast food restaurants you passed are calling your name. You have groceries at home but no energy to cook, and eating Thin Mints for dinner won’t cut it. You steer into the next drive-through and order a $7 meal. Without realizing it, you’ve spent $56 over the course of the day o...

There’s absolutely no reason to spend a fortune on eyeliner when some of the best, boldest and smudge-free products are available at your local drugstore for less than $12 .  There’s everything from shimmery to matte in just about every color imaginable . . . lining your drugstore shelves. (See what we did there?) Note: Prices are accurate as of Sept. 23, 2020. 8 Best Drugstore Eyeliners That Cost Less Than $12 Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner Cost: $5.39 at Target Best for: Liquid liner that doesn’t smudge Why we like it: The brush allows for precise application, which is key when using liquid liner. The colors are pigmented and last all day without flaking or smudging, yet are still easy to remove with makeup remover, says Jarry Lee , a New York-based beauty influencer and professional model. Cruelty free? No Pixi by Petra Endless Silky Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner Cost: $12 at Target Best for: Waterproof eyeliner Why we like it: Pixi makes a quality liner that glid...

Want a seasonal job at Kohl’s this year? Phone it in. The department store is kicking off seasonal recruitment efforts by hosting its second annual “National Hiring Day” event completely over the phone. Kohl’s is looking to hire hordes of seasonal workers to its department-store and e-commerce fulfillment center locations. “We plan to hire seasonal associates across our network to support the increased demand we experience during the holidays, both in store and through our digital channels including Kohls.com and the Kohl’s App,” Marc Chini, Kohl’s head of HR, said in a hiring announcement . “We know customers will be shopping online more than ever this year and we’re staffing accordingly to support increased digital fulfillment efforts.” The announcement didn’t say how many seasonal workers the company plans to hire, but a spokesperson told The Penny Hoarder that hiring will be comparable to past holiday seasons. Kohl’s hired more than 90,000 seasonal workers last year and in 2018...

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated. The handyman looked at the plaster dangling from the top of our downstairs window. Then, he headed upstairs to check the seal on the window directly overhead. “It needs some caulk,” he announced when he returned. “If I come out again and fix it, it’ll cost $250. Or, you can pick up caulk for two or three bucks and do it yourself.” My husband and I exchanged a nervous glance. The last time I’d held a caulk gun was 10 years ago. He never had. But we’d just been told how to knock 99% off our potential repair bill. It seemed like now was the perfect time to learn! If you’re considering your own home repair or remodel, you’re not alone. Amid the increasing transition to a work-from-home life, 75% of Americans said they’re making improvements to their homes , according to a recent Travelers insurance company survey. We’re here with ways to help you get started on your own DIY. Guide to DIY Home Repairs Wh...

For most of us, retiring someday is the ultimate financial goal. But getting there involves so much guesswork: Will you need a tax break decades from now more than you need it today? How much will you really need for your retirement budget ? Plus, how do you navigate the scores of complicated IRS rules for saving and spending your funds? Here I answer six of your toughest questions about money and your golden years. If you have a tricky question about retirement, email me at DearPenny@thepennyhoarder.com. Q: I’ve read that we should save 15% pre-tax in a retirement plan, but how much should we save post-tax in an IRA or savings account? A: I think if you can save 15% in any retirement account, pre-tax or post-tax, you’re doing just great! There’s no single savings percentage that works for everyone, but here’s how I’d prioritize. I’d focus first on contributing whatever you need to get your employer’s full retirement match. If you have a traditional 401(k) plan , you do this pre-t...

Amid an unusual seasonal hiring season, Best Buy is holding on-the-spot hiring events at its retail stores. The consumer electronics retailer announced its plans to hire “thousands” of seasonal workers nationwide. To jump start recruitment efforts, the company is holding on-site job fairs at all retail locations Oct. 3-4. “The job fairs may include same-day interviews and on-the-spot job offers,” the hiring announcement stated. According to Best Buy’s store locator tool , it has more than 1,000 storefronts across 38 states and one in Washington, D.C. Best Buy did not specify exactly how many seasonal workers it plans to hire, though its online job board currently lists more than 2,700 seasonal openings. According to a spokesperson, the company never commits to a specific number. Seasonal Jobs at Best Buy Best Buy is looking to hire sales and customer service agents, automobile installation technicians, distribution center workers and more. All employees — including seasonal wor...

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . How many times have you tried building a budget, only to throw it out the window when it got too complicated — or you blew through your spending limit within a week? It’s happened to the best of us. No shame. The thing is, there are so many apps and websites out there that promise to make sense of your spending and encourage you to save, but nothing feels like it fits your exact needs . Sometimes it seems like the only way to get any real insight is to hire a pricy financial adviser or design a 100-line, formula-laden spreadsheet. But that’s no longer true. Enter a new app called Simplifi , built by the personal finance whiz kids over at Quicken. It’ll create an easy-to-follow spending plan for you, so you can work toward your money goals — whether that’s affording rent next month, buying a home or bulki...

A new question has crept into my catch-up conversations with friends. They start with “What are you watching?” and “What are you reading?” Then we lean in and almost whisper: “What podcasts are you listening to?” And while true-crime stories and heartfelt narrative arcs dominate much of the podcast scene, the beauty of the medium is the variety at your fingertips — most of it absolutely free to consume. If you have money on your mind, there’s a podcast to help, whether you want education or commiseration. Next time you’re clipping your coupons and working on your budget, tune your ears to one of these personal finance podcasts. 1. Planet Money This long-running NPR segment and podcast has a way of turning even the most complex or mind-numbing facets of economics into clear, often fun explanations about how money rules our world. Over the summer, the Planet Money team changed their podcast feed into a summer school for economics. And at just 15 to 30 minutes long, we promise your e...

I love greeting cards. I didn’t know, however, that you can actually make money by submitting phrases, poems, art and photography to greeting card companies. Some card companies even want old photos, so you don’t have to do anything but have some fun rummaging through your photo albums and memory boxes. Here’s how to get in on the gig. Get Paid to Write Greeting Cards for These 7 Companies I found a bunch of greeting card companies that’ll pay to use your words, art or photos. Before swamping these companies with your submissions, though, be sure to familiarize yourself with the type of content they want. Check out our rundown. 1. Blue Mountain Arts Poet-artist duo Susan Polis Schutz and Stephen Schutz founded Blue Mountain Arts nearly 50 years ago. Their goal? Help people express their thoughts in, well, thoughtful ways. Get familiar with the content by checking out the company’s Facebook page . You can find the writing guidelines on their website, too. Pay is not mentione...

You want to buy low and sell high, but guess what? So does everyone else. If we all had time machines, of course we’d go back to March 23, the day the S&P 500 reached its low and throw money into the stock market. If you’d invested in an S&P 500 index fund then, you’d be 50% richer today. But none of us knew on March 23 that we’d reached bottom. Then the stock market rallied , even as the economy sputtered. Now there’s lots of talk that the market may be overpriced. So how are you supposed to buy low when prices are high? And how do you avoid overpaying when you invest in stocks ? Reality check: You’re not always going to buy low. You should worry more about the risk of always buying high — which often happens when you invest based on what the stock market is doing. By the time you feel confident enough to invest following a crash, prices have already risen. The best way for most beginning investors to navigate the stock market is to ignore it altogether using a strategy...