Drive for Uber or Lyft.

If you’re strapped for cash but want to work on your own schedule, you might want to consider becoming a driver for Uber or Lyft. You can drive as much (or as little) as you want and set your own schedule. Of course, the amount of money you make depends on your location and how often you cart people around. So if you have a free Saturday every now and then, you might want to spend it as a glorified taxi driver exploring your city and getting paid for it.

Become a food delivery driver.

With social distancing guidelines, a lot of restaurants have limited seating. So what’s that mean? More take out! Become a hero by delivering food to front porches in your city. Driving for Uber Eats, Grubhub or Postmates is a great way to make extra money in your free time just by delivering food to hungry clients.

Join a focus group.

If you like sharing your opinion, why not get paid for it? Check to see if there’s a local focus group in your area or online. You could earn cash just for doing taste tests or trying out different products. Just make sure you fit the demographic they’re looking for before applying.

Deliver groceries.

If you love the thrill of shopping but don’t want to spend your own money, this might interest you. With Shipt, you get paid to shop and deliver groceries to clients through an on-demand service. According to the company, their shoppers make up to $22 an hour!

Take up babysitting.

It’s one of the easiest ways to make extra money! All you have to do is babysit for just a couple nights a week. Most parents are always eager to have a date night, but sometimes, finding a sitter they trust can be tricky. Let people know you’d be happy to watch their children in your spare time (they need to pay you, of course). And if it’s a little awkward for you to spread the news by word of mouth, you can always sign up for a service like Sittercity or Care.com to help you land some babysitting jobs.

Start pet sitting.

Are you an animal lover at heart? How about making some extra money just by taking a dog for a walk or boarding a cat for the weekend? You can advertise your own pet-sitting business on social media, put up signs throughout your neighborhood, or use a website like Rover.They let you set your schedule and adjust your fees as you want. If you do use Rover, keep in mind that they take a cut of what you make.

Sell unwanted stuff.

Sift through your hall closet, attic and garage for everything you don’t use anymore. What can you live without? Of course, you can always sell items on tried-and-true sites like eBay and Craigslist. But don’t forget about apps like OfferUp, VarageSale, Poshmark, thredUP and Facebook Marketplace that make it even easier to make extra money by selling secondhand stuff.

Rent your belongings.

The popular renting company Fat Llama (we know) lets you rent out nearly any of your belongings! Some of the most in-demand items are camera equipment, projectors, lighting and audio equipment. So if you’re a photographer, videographer or just a tech-gadget-lover, you might make a good amount. But remember, you can rent out nearly anything—even your lawn mower. . .or tractor. . .or scooter. Who knew? ~Source: ramseysolutions.com

The post How to Make Extra Money appeared first on Concord Management Blog.

1. Use e-file and direct deposit to avoid delays. Taxpayers should electronically file and choose direct deposit as soon as they have everything they need to file an accurate return. The software helps individuals avoid mistakes by doing the math, and guides you through each section of their tax return using a question-and-answer format.
2. Collect all documents before preparing a tax return. Make sure stimulus payment and advance Child Tax Credit information is accurate. In addition to collecting W-2s, Form 1099s and other income-related statements, it is important that people have their advance Child Tax Credit and Economic Impact Payment information on hand when filing.
3. Avoid lengthy phone delays. Use online resources before calling the IRS. Phone demand on IRS assistance lines remains at record highs. The IRS urges people to use IRS.gov to get answers to tax questions, check a refund status or pay taxes. These online tools and resources are available 24 hours a day.
4. Waiting on a 2020 tax return to be processed? For those waiting on their 2020 tax return to be processed, make sure to enter $0 (zero dollars) for last year’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on the 2021 tax return. For those who used a Non-Filer tool in 2021 to register for an advance Child Tax Credit or third Economic Impact Payment in 2021, they should enter $1 as their prior year AGI. Everyone else should enter their prior year’s AGI from last year’s return. If using the same tax preparation software as last year, this field will auto-populate.
5. Free resources are available to help taxpayers file. There are many options for free help, including many resources on IRS.gov. For those looking to avoid the delays with a paper tax return, IRS Free File is an option. With Free File, leading tax software providers make their online products available for free as part of a 20-year partnership with the Internal Revenue Service. This year, there are eight products in English and two in Spanish. IRS Free File is available to any person or family who earned $73,000 or less in 2021. Qualified taxpayers can also find free one-on-one tax preparation help around the nation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs.

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Buy for Next Christmas
Seasonal items like holiday kitchenware and decorations will have the deepest discounts. If you ran out of gift wrap or cards this year, stock up for next year when these items go on sale for 75% off. Buy discounted solid colored wrap to use on other gifts throughout the year. Holiday fabric for tablecloths and next year's craft projects is also a good deal. 

Buy Gifts Year Round 
Shop after Christmas sales for gifts to give to your loved ones on their birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Make a note on the New Year's calendar that you already have a gift for their birthday. Don't buy what you don't need, even if it's on sale- if you don't need another set of lights, don't buy them. Pass on items that are still over-priced or not useful. Buying what you don't need is never frugal. 

Grocery Stores 
Shop for items such as colored plastic wrap, baggies or anything with festive prints. Stock up on kids' cereals, cookies, or snacks that have holiday packaging. 
Your children won't know the difference!

Your Local Thrift Stores 
Thrift stores see an influx of goods this time of year, due to people wanting to claim their tax deductions before the year is over. Stores see a surplus of donations and a slow-down of shoppers … the perfect time to shop! 

Before You Buy … 
Examine sales items carefully. After being handled by many Christmas shoppers, some items may show their wear … make sure they are not damaged. This is especially important if irregulars are mixed in with the clearance sales. 

The post Post-Holiday Bargains appeared first on Concord Management Blog.

Make a list… and check it twice. Creating a list will help to avoid last minute purchases for forgotten family members. When you make the list, try to jot down some favorites as well as sizes. This will save quite a bit of time when picking out items to purchase

Set a budget and stick to it. Be reasonable, allocating different amounts based on the amount you want to spend on each person. Try to also leave a cushion for last minute purchases for holiday parties at work, or for co-workers who give you unexpected gifts

Save. After setting your budget, save the money to cover the cost of presents. Saving ahead of time will leave you with money readily available for purchases, keeping you from the hassle of incurring debt on charge cards.

Credit is a no-no. Take only cash with you when you go shopping to avoid impulse purchases. If you feel uncomfortable carrying large amounts of cash and feel you can use your charge card and remain within your established spending budget for gifts, another option would be to put all of your purchases on one card and pay the bill in one lump sum with the money you have saved.

Shop around. During the holiday season, it is extremely important to check sales ads. Comparison shopping is the only way to ensure you are getting the best price for your purchase.  Also, surf the web and find the best price (and save a lot of time surfing) by using price comparison websites like PriceGrabber.com, the Amazon app, Price.com and others. Be sure to check more than one since some sites only list certain stores.

Be creative. Think of gifts that come from the heart. Homemade gifts and gift certificates for services that require nothing more than your time are both inexpensive and unique. When you really think about it, you can come up with a variety of ways to put a smile on your family's faces!

The post Tips For A Debt Free Holiday Season appeared first on Concord Management Blog.

Why Should Students Learn About Personal Finance?

As a young person with few financial responsibilities, it can be tempting to spend impulsively. That's why it is important to learn responsible money management strategies early on, so you don't end up with poor spending habits later in life when more serious financial responsibilities take hold. In fact, the earlier you can learn about personal finance, the better. Knowing the importance of financial management can help you avoid or minimize debt, making it less likely that you become trapped in a cycle of lifelong money struggles.

Knowing this, how does one learn about personal finance? It depends. While in some cases personal finance education can happen in the home, be aware that not all parents wish to or are even capable of teaching their children about personal finance. If your parents are unwilling or unable to teach you about managing your personal finances, then it will be up to you to find other ways to learn about the subject matter. Fortunately, there are several places you can start.

If possible, enroll in personal finance courses at your school. While not all schools offer such courses, if yours does, then definitely consider taking them—even if your parents are willing to teach you some personal finance lessons at home. If no such courses are currently available at your school, check the library for books about responsible money management or look online for websites covering similar topics.

When learning about personal finance, there are many topics worth exploring. Some of the more useful ones are the importance of spending less than you make, balancing a checkbook, understanding debt, and the consequences of having a low credit score. Having an understanding of such topics allows you to make better spending decisions, so you'll be less likely to find yourself in a never-ending cycle of debt.

It's also important that students transitioning into post-secondary education have a basic understanding of typical tuition costs and know how much of their future income will be tied up in student loan repayments. After all, many students who enroll in post-secondary education later leave with huge student debts. If you plan to continue your education by attending a post-secondary institution, it's crucially important that you learn about personal finance.

Though exploring the topic of personal finance may seem overwhelming at first, it's still something that you really should do to ease your transition into adulthood. To help keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed, seek outside help whenever possible and work through the topics a little at a time. By tackling the subject in stages, you will gradually gain a deeper understanding of how personal finances work, so you can strengthen your money management skills before facing any serious financial decisions.

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Did you know that on average, a single person uses 2100 gallons of water per month?* That's more than 4 billion gallons of water per month in Florida alone! Luckily, there are plenty of ways we can conserve water to not only save the environment, but also save some cash on your water bill every month. Follow the tips below!

Kitchen Usage

While a smaller percentage of water use occurs in the kitchen, there are still things that can be done to reduce the amount of water used. Instead of washing small batches of dishes in your dishwasher, wait until it's full to avoid running multiple cycles. If you prefer to wash your dishes by hand, turn off the faucet when you aren't rinsing.

Bathroom Usage

Showers and toilets contribute to the largest expenses when it comes to your water bill. Many of us enjoy a long shower to wake us up in the morning, but you'd be surprised on how much you can save by reducing your shower by 1 minute each time! Also, use a waste basket instead of flushing waste whenever possible, as some toilets use multiple gallons of water per flush.

Other Usage

Similarly to dishwashers, try to stay away from running multiple loads of clothes in your washing machine. Also, remember to set the water level at the appropriate amount when running.

Leaks

Check for leaks on a regular basis and fill out a Maintenance Request from your Resident Portal immediately after finding a leak. This is the fastest and most efficient way to notify your communities' Service Team Member of required maintenance. If you need assistance in logging in or registering to the resident portal, please notify your Community Director for instructions on how to register.

Follow these steps over the course of a month and compare to your prior water bill. How did you do?

*-From www.YESEnergyManagement.com

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