Shopping Archives

The Pros and Cons of Buy Now, Pay Later Financing

During the checkout process of online shopping, have you noticed special payment offers that promise to let you “buy now and pay later” popping up in recent years? Fintech companies like Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, and Sezzle are among the most common Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) providers around, though bigger companies like Paypal, Chase, and even Amazon have begun offering their own buy now, pay later programs as well. At first glance, the BNPL programs – also known as “point-of-sale loans” – may seem like they’re too good to be true. After all, isn’t paying over time already something you can do with credit cards? What makes the ‘buy now, pay later’ option any different? To learn more about what … Read more

Top 10 Ways to Save Money on Valentine’s Day Gifts

by Hank Coleman

Valentines Day gifts can be expensive. But, they don’t have to be! You can save money on Valentine’s Day gifts and still make your significant other very happy! You just have to get a little creative on Valentine’s Day gift ideas. Valentine’s Day is an expensive holiday for most people. And, it’s very hard for couples and spouses to save money on Valentine’s Day. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), expected sales for Valentine’s Day this year are expected to be over $19.7 billion. That’s an increase of over $1.1 billion from last year. The average person planning to spend $146 on candy, cards, gifts, and more which is over a 10% increase from last year and the highest spending total in the 12 years that … Read more

How to Lower Internet Bill – 8 Simple Ways to Try

by Hank Coleman

Wasted Time, Lost Revenue, Less Customers

Paying for the internet can be a huge drag in the U.S. because diversified options in the market scarcely exist. Internet service providers (ISPs) are notoriously monopolistic, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has done little to regulate Internet companies and prevent them from price gouging customers with shady advertising and pricing tactics (especially when the ISP is the only provider in the area, leaving customers with no option but to continue service with them). If you’re frustrated with your current Internet provider and want to learn how to lower your internet bill, then here are 8 different strategies you could try. Assess Your Wi-Fi Needs Firstly, do you need your current level of Internet speed and monthly data allotment? … Read more

Top 7 Ways Not to Go into Debt this Christmas

by Hank Coleman

If things are rough this year for your family, that doesn’t mean that you should add to your debt this Christmas to make up for it this holiday season. It is okay to tell your children that Santa is broke this year. They probably already know that something is up, or they have an incredible sixth sense about how grownups are feeling. 7 Ways Not To Go Into Debt This Christmas One of the worst things that you can do though is trying to keep up with the status quo. Here are seven great ways to avoid adding to your debt this Christmas. Use Your Credit Card Reward Points My wife and I love to earn reward points with our … Read more

Why Are You Wasting Your Reward Points?

by Hank Coleman

You may not be fully aware of it, but you’re probably sitting on your own personal treasure hoard: a stash of airline miles, hotel points or reward points you’ve earned through your credit cards. Are you wasting your reward points and frequent flier miles? According to statistics compiled by Points.com and its parent Points International (PCOM), a company specializing in helping consumers trade, exchange and redeem reward points, the average American is hoarding more than 61,000 reward points through various programs. Americans have more than 2.65 billion loyalty memberships — 21.4 per household. This would be fine if we were spending those points — but we’re not. According to a report by Forrester Research, only 16 percent of us redeem … Read more

Review of Ibotta – Earning Cash Back with the Ibotta App While Shopping

by Hank Coleman

Thanks to all of the rewards credit cards available today, there are plenty of financial incentives to get us to spend more money (and sadly not very many incentives to save, with interest rates being as low/nonexistent as they are). Wouldn’t it be great if you could find an easy way to save money on purchases you were going to make anyway, without the cumbersomeness of clipping coupons from your local newspaper or searching the web for good deals? Luckily, there’s an app for that! It’s called Ibotta and it lets you instantly earn cash back while shopping for everyday items and special gifts alike. If you’ve been on the lookout for a good way to earn cash back without … Read more