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Amazon Prime Now Review – Groceries and Booze Delivered to Your Door in One Hour

Amazon Prime Now Review – Groceries and Booze Delivered in One Hour

My wife and I have been an Amazon Prime member for years now, and we love it. But, I was even more blown away by Amazon Prime Now when we stumbled on it this week.

What Is Amazon Prime Now

About a year ago, Amazon introduced an expansion of their Amazon Prime service called Amazon Prime Now. Amazon Prime Now gives Prime members in select markets one-hour delivery on more than 10,000 items.

Most of the items are grocery related, but there are some of the other standard Amazon wares included as well. You can also purchase select items from categories including electronics, household products, apparel, personal care products, and toys.

While Amazon Prime’s two-day delivery is included in the cost of your Amazon Prime membership, there is an $8 delivery fee for the one-hour delivery service of Amazon Prime Now.

Amazon Prime Now is currently in 24 markets across the United States, and it’s expanding quickly.

How We Found Amazon Prime Now

So, after spending the last two years living in Tennessee, I’ve gotten into whiskey and bourbon. So, I’m always on the hunt for a great, new whiskey to try out.

Recently, Liquor.com featured an article about Amazon Prime Now on their blog. In a few select cities like New York City, Minneapolis, and Seattle, you can have beer, wine, and liquor delivered right to your doorstep in one hour thanks to Amazon Prime Now.

Of course, Amazon Prime Now doesn’t deliver booze throughout the Bible Belt. But, it still got me thinking. And, my wife and I looked into Amazon Prime Now. It might be really nice to have some of the things we forgot to pick up at the grocery store the other day delivered to the house. This would keep us from having to make another run to the store.

70% of Amazon Prime Now users are purchasing items several times per month. #amazonprimenowClick To Tweet

How To Save A Ton of Money Shopping For Christmas In July

by Hank Coleman

If you haven’t done so already, now is the time that you should start thinking about your Christmas gift-giving plan to your friends and family. Christmas in July has many benefits that you can take advantage of in order to save money on holiday gifts.

“If you tacked on unexpected expenses to your debit or credit card or veered from your shopping list, a little early planning could go a long way toward keeping you on track this year,” says Joe Buhrmann, manager of financial security at COUNTRY Financial®.

Take Advantage of Christmas In July

Boost Your Income Now

Most people look to budgeting to help them prepare for holiday gift giving. If you wait until December to start thinking about your Christmas and holiday gift giving, you will often blow your budget and spend more than you wanted to. There are two sides to every budgeting equation.

While you should look to create a budget and stick to it this holiday season, you should also consider increasing your income. Can you find a part time job? Can you start driving for a ride sharing service like Uber or Lyft? Using the Christmas in July mentality is a great way to stay on budget and buy the gifts that you want. But, you need to consider adding to your income in order to be successful.

There are many great ways to earn extra income now to help you pay for your spending with cash this December.

Stick To Cash For Buying Gifts

You should make it a goal this holiday season not to add to your credit card debt. Do you have a list of everyone that you want to give a gift to? Do you know the amount of money that you want to spend?

You’ve got six months to start setting aside cash. Pull out an envelope and start adding cash to it. Do you save your spare change in a jar? These can be a great resource to help you easily save money for holiday gifts.

Maybe you should start considering the 52 Week Challenge. While you only have about 26 weeks left in the year, as of right now, you can

Download the Money Q&A 52 Week Challenge Worksheet here! It’s an easy way to start saving money each week for your Christmas shopping this year. If you start right now, you’ll be able to save $1,027 with the Money Q&A 52 Week Challenge Worksheet.

If you budget $50 per gift, $1,027 will let you buy over 20 gifts for your friends and family!

Buy Your Gifts Now With Christmas In July

It may seem a little counter intuitive, but now can be a great time to buy a Christmas gift for your loved ones. I like to walk through malls or stores with my wife and listen to things that she points out that she likes. It makes gift buying easy instead of having to ask her at the last minute what she might like.

I’ve got a Wunderlist set up with gift ideas for my wife and children based on off hand comments that they make throughout the year. And, if the item is on sale at some point, like a Christmas in July sale, now is the perfect time to buy the gift and save a lot of money.

I also love to stalk my wife on Pinterest and Etsy. Look at what your wife pins and adds to her favorites in Etsy. These are easy, no-brainer gifts that you know she wants.

Top 3 Incredibly Easy Ways To Save Money Shopping Online

by Hank Coleman

News flash – I’m super cheap. I guess that it comes with the territory of being a personal finance blogger. I’m always on the hunt for ways to save money shopping online. I end up stalking brands and items I’m looking to buy online, looking for the best deal. I often have buyer’s remorse especially with large purchases. I always think that the seller has the upper hand in pricing and a great deal is just around the corner if I’d keep looking. But, there are ways that you can save money shopping online. Here are a few easy ways that you can ensure that you get the best deal when shopping online. How To Save Money Shopping Online Get … Read more

Top 5 Cheap Cruise Tips for Your Next Summer Adventure

by Hank Coleman

Sky’s the limit when it comes to summer vacation ideas. If you’re looking for an affordable yet exotic trip for the upcoming warmer months, then you can’t go wrong with a cruise! Not sure if/how you’ll be able to afford it? These cheap cruise tips lay out everything you need to know to minimize your vacation expenses while maximizing fun while sailing the seven seas!

Cheap Cruise Tips for Your Summer

Compare Cruise Prices

As with airfare, accommodations, and other aspects of travel, comparing your different options in terms of amenities and pricing is a crucial first step to saving money on your summer vacation and is an important cruise tip. All too often, folks rely solely on their preferred travel agency or cruise booking website without looking elsewhere for better options.

To avoid getting a so-so deal instead of the best deal possible, Cruise Compete and Cruise Critic’s comparison tool can help you search through multiple booking agencies and websites’ listings. The sites lay out all your possible options before deciding which cruise is right for your budget and vacation preferences. You can also check Priceline for deals!

If you’re cruising alone, you may have a bit more researching to do to avoid a huge single supplement on your cruise cabin because although more cruises are becoming solo-traveler friendly. The surcharge for a single-occupancy cabin remains a popular industry tactic for buffering their bottom lines.

When you compare cruises however, you might find some that offer studio-style cabins built specifically for folks traveling on their own. Or, you might find cruises offering reduced rates for solo travelers. Save up to $500 with a flight+hotel Vacation Package!

Find Onboard Credit Specials

According to Cruise Critic, onboard credits are basically free money that you can spend on everything from special dining options to onshore tour excursions. Even all-inclusive cruises may be missing a few luxurious add-ons here and there.

You may want to look for a day tour around the port city, unlimited drinks coupon, salon and spa package, etc. And, onboard credits can help you pay for extra services that aren’t already included in your cruise package.

Most online cruise offers include a small amount of onboard credits – e.g., $100 in credits when you book through a particular website, $250 in credits when you upgrade before departure, or $200 in credits for booking a cruise line you’ve sailed with previously.

But, you can score more onboard credits by signing up for the cruise line’s e-newsletter or loyalty program. You can also earn rewards for referring friends or family to your favorite cruise line too. For example, Royal Caribbean gives out onboard credits for everything from referrals and future bookings to joining the Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program, the Crown and Anchor Society.

Onboard credits are treated like a special credit card that you can use for most purchases of goods and services during your cruise adventure. Finding these deals before booking can mean the difference between a bare bones cruise with minimal amenities and a top-notch cruise trip with extraordinary services offered while you’re at sea.

Have you gone on a cruise lately? What are your best cruise tips in order to save money at sea?Click To Tweet

Is Airbnb Worth It? The Pros and Cons of Staying with AirBnB

by Hank Coleman

Airbnb launched in the summer of 2008 as an affordable, practical alternative to hotel lodgings. Airbnb currently has over 1.5 million listings across 34,000 cities in 191 countries, which makes it an enormously valuable resource for budget travelers around the world. Homeowners or hosts benefit from Airbnb by listing their available rooms or properties on the website to bring in a nice side income with regular guest stays. Travelers benefit from Airbnb by finding unique accommodations beyond the usual option of hotels or motels. The concept isn’t perfect, but over 60 million guests have tried Airbnb since it first came out. A recent consumer survey found that only 40% of people who have tried Airbnb still prefer hotels. Is Airbnb Worth … Read more

Top 7 Practical Alternatives to Giving Grads Monetary Gifts

by Hank Coleman

School graduations are celebrated at many different levels (even kindergarten nowadays). But, there’s only one thing many people tend to rely on for graduation gift giving: money. Sure, most kids and college students love seeing cash flutter out of their congratulatory cards. But, cash is not a great gift, especially when there are more ideas for exciting and practical graduation gifts out there.

Cool Alternatives to Giving Money As Graduation Gifts

Here are a few exciting and practical ideas for graduation gifts that you can use to surprise your new graduate no matter the age.

DIY “Tuition Gift Certificate”

At this point, most of us are uncomfortably aware of the dire student loan statistics. Seven out of 10 college students finishing their degrees only with the help of loans? The $1.3 trillion in outstanding student loans as of 2015? Yikes.

If you want to give a truly helpful graduation gift to a college-bound high school grad, then why not a DIY gift certificate promising to pay for a certain amount of their tuition? This is way more valuable than just giving them money and hoping they use it for tuition (hint: most college freshman won’t). The only issues are the lack of accountability (unless the parents are paying for some of the tuition and you send money their way) and lack of excitement.

Let’s face it: “I’ll help you pay for tuition so you’re not drowning in debt in 5+ years!” doesn’t have the same “wow” factor for a high school graduate as a pile of cash would because they won’t notice just how much this gift helps them until they finish their degree and the student loan repayments begin.

Alternatively, you can give the new grad your own gift certificate promising to pay for textbooks or campus parking for their first semester or school year. These are more feasible options because you’re reimbursing the student for an expense that comes with a receipt, which guarantees your money will be spent on something school-related.

To add an educational benefit to your gift for a high school student, you could give them a basic personal finance book with the promise of paying for something (tuition, textbooks, parking, etc.) after they prove they’ve read it. It’s not the most exciting gift, but they’ll thank you later on for a lesson that most other students learn the hard way during college.

Grocery Gift Basket

A grocery gift basket is perfect for high school grads and college grads alike. You can be as creative as you’d like, throwing in staple items like pasta and sauces, chips, energy drinks, and protein bars, along with basic cookware and dishes, which are perfect for a high school grad moving into their first apartment.

Or, giving a small appliance is perfect for a college grad upgrading to a nicer lifestyle in the “real world”. You can’t go wrong with a grocery gift card either, because this is a great back-up plan if they run out of money and would have to survive on ramen noodles and dollar menu items otherwise.