Smart Money Links 4U

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 . Warren Buffett is notoriously a good investor. Sure, he’s made some mistakes along the way (who hasn’t?), but whatever move he makes, you can bet he’s thought it through, and it will pay off — big time. Which is why when Mr. Buffett made his biggest stock purchase of the year into Apple, we thought, “Isn’t it too late to do that?” Apple is already trading at the highest price it ever has. It feels out of reach for us non-billionaires. But it turns out, that’s not the case. While we don’t have the ability to own $111 billion (yes, billion with a B) in AAPL shares, we can still get our hands on some — and reap the rewards as the market goes up. One of our favorite ways to get into the stock market and be a part of infamous big-tech returns, without risking billions is through a free app called Stash . It le...

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 . Do you want to help end the pandemic? Do you want to make extra money? A rewards app called Drop wants to help you do both. It’ll pay you up to $50 when you get your shot and take your coveted #VaccineSelfie. Here’s how you can cash in on your new antibodies: Snap a selfie (or have a friend take a picture) when you’re getting vaccinated. A pic with your “Just got my COVID-19 vaccine” sticker works, too. Post the shot of your shot on your Instagram timeline with the hashtag #DropCOVID, tag @joindrop and GeoTag your location. Drop will slide into your DMs with a unique code within 24 hours of posting. Enter your #DropCOVID code into your Drop app and see how much you’ve been paid! The first 10,000 people to post their selfies will receive $50, and the next 10k will get $20. So the sooner you show off ...

While some families feel safer reuniting for Mother’s Day this year with vaccination programs rolling out across the country, others are still keeping their distance as they wait for everyone to get shots. Pandemic aside, some of us live across the country or state from dear old Mom and can’t treat her to brunch. Whatever’s keeping you and Mom apart this Mother’s Day, May 9, there are plenty of ways you can show her you love and miss her. Not only that, but you can do it all while going easy on your wallet. To help, we’ve put together a list of 20 Mother’s Day gifts under $20 you can order online. And that $20 includes shipping — free for some items. Mother’s Day Gifts That Will Help Her Get Outdoors The outdoors is a safer place to hang out than inside thanks to the coronavirus. Pickleball Glove for Mom Pickleball is the hottest team sport these days. This is the perfect season to play socially-distanced and outdoors. If your mom is seriously into this sport, you can pick he...

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 . So, you thought 2020 was bad? Just wait! OK, we’re kidding. Obviously, 2021 should turn out way better than 2020 did, right? There’s no way it could be worse, right? Right? Welllllllll… we hate to sound like pessimists, but if there’s one thing life has taught us, it’s that things can always get worse. Maybe COVID’s sequel shows up. Maybe the economy crashes again. Maybe our weird politics get even weirder. Maybe aliens land in Times Square. Just in case, we’ve got some proactive moves you should make to protect your bank account in case things go south. Before the next crisis gets going, let’s get started with the protective measures: 1. Save Up An Emergency Fund This past year has taught us the hard way that everyone should have an emergency fund. You need a place where you can safely stash your sav...

The market is saturated with insurance companies for all parts of your life: home insurance, auto insurance, life insurance—heck, even pet insurance (which I highly recommend , by the way). Shopping for all these insurance policies can be stressful, especially when you want to compare quotes from multiple insurance companies. That’s where Policygenius comes in. In our Policygenius review, we’ll discuss what this independent insurance broker offers and the pros and cons of using the comparison shopping platform. What Is Policygenius? Life insurance companies like State Farm and Pacific Life and auto insurance companies like Geico and Allstate offer insurance policies from their specific companies. But if you work directly with one of these car or life insurance companies, you miss out on quotes from competitors. Policygenius exists to make comparison shopping easier for you. The website platform is an independent insurance broker that is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D...

During preparations for her nightly baths, Laura Starrett noticed the water pressure wasn’t as strong as it once was. She had also received an alert from her utility company that she had used more water that month than she had before. “Then I realized I’d left my sprinklers on and they were running every day, so I thought that’s why I got an alert that I was using a lot of water,” said the recently retired homeowner in Jacksonville, Florida. So she turned the sprinklers off. Then Starrett got another alert saying her water bill was going to be $1,000. A plumber came out, listened to the pipes and heard water running. Turns out, a backyard pipe was leaking. “You just hope it will go away,” Starrett said. “But I knew there had to be something because your water just doesn’t just disappear.” According to a survey by Travelers insurance company, 42% of homeowners put off a needed repair during 2020. Much of it was the concern about having someone in their house during the pandemic. Of...

After a year of barely leaving the driveway, the desire to fly the friendly skies is high. Bank account balances, however, are still low for a lot of folks so budget airlines can be a great way to travel. For example, the newest low-cost airline, Avelo Airlines, which launched in April, is charging $19 for one-way trips from Los Angeles to numerous western destinations such as Bend, Ore., and Bozeman, Mont. Frontier Airlines is touting $39 flights to Orlando from most domestic cities it serves, and $39 for a return ticket. “Budget airlines are one of my favorite ways to find cheap travel. I have been able to get really great deals. That’s how I got my $99 flight to Iceland,” said Jen Ruiz, author and blogger for Jen on aJetPlane.com.   “People want to spend more money on the destination than how they get there.” Budget airlines offer cheap flights, for sure. But you need to be aware of all the additional fees and other costs that come with flying in and out of the secondary airp...

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 . There’s a difference between being “rich” and being “wealthy.” It’s all in the mindset. It’s the difference between the Rockefellers and Kid Rock. If you’re rich, you have the money to buy what you want, right now. You want a Jet Ski? You’re rich, go buy one, knock yourself out. If you’re wealthy, though, it means you’re building something sustainable that should endure for generations. Wealthy people know how to keep their money and make more money — and how to make their money work for them. Here are five ways to teach yourself to be wealthy: 1. Wealthy People Invest Investing is how you build generational wealth. If you feel like you don’t have enough money to start investing, you’re not alone. But guess what? You really don’t need that much — and you can even get free stocks (worth up to $200!) if y...