Will Blockchain Help the iGaming Industry

There is no doubting that blockchain is revolutionizing virtual reality. The major component of the blockchain system the Bitcoin, continues to adapt in accordance to the different user needs since its invention in 2008. There are many reasons why blockchain continues to succeed where others have failed. For one, the platform is decentralized and users can control all their affairs without involving a third party. It helps that the platform is also readily available and can be used anonymously.  iGaming has embraced blockchain and here are the benefits it gains from it. 

Security

Online gamers take their privacy and security matters very seriously. In this world, hacking an account is quite easy and can be done in a snap. Blockchain ensures technological infiltration is impossible through decentralization. Security with blockchain is a sure bet which is not the same with other similar systems. 

Low Charges

Payment methods especially online ones can be quite expensive. Blockchain offers costs that are quite friendly in comparison to PayPal’s 3% fee, Ripples 0.0009 XRP fee among others. Transactions are cheaper for users when using blockchain which encourages online gaming. This in turn increases sales and profits gained in the long run.  

Flexibility

Each industry evolves with time. However, the iGaming industry has to continuously change and adapt to new consumer demands and needs. This has seen to its growth in the last decade. It is this kind of flexibility that has allowed blockchain to thrive. What it offers the iGaming is continuous adapting and flexibility with changing times in the industry while delivering on consumer needs. 

Accessibility

Thanks to iGaming, players around the world can enjoy their own casino game selections in accordance with their desires. In addition, they can do this at their own time while at home or at work. In countries where gambling is illegal, gamers can still play on the international platforms available. For example, the CherryCasino, one of the earliest entrants in virtual gaming, has opened its doors to gamers outside Sweden. This casino has incorporated online payment to improve withdrawals and payments and its is highly accessible to players from other countries with a system such as blockchain. The system ensures anonymity for all users across the globe. 

Fits the technology adept players

The average iGamer is tech savvy and looking for a platform that can make banking easy. The current generation is looking for platforms where payments and withdraws can conveniently be completed online in a snap. Blockchain payments provide exactly that and so much more. Incorporating Blockchain into iGaming will not only attract the young and tech-savvy players but it will also make it easy for the average players to load their accounts and cash out their winnings with relative ease.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Online gambling is expected to continue growing for years to come. In the next few years, its’ worth is estimated to be around $100 billion by 2024. Blockchain is also growing at a similar pace. Combining the two will not only makes sense, but also makes it easier for other companies and industries to embrace igaming and Blockchain platforms/ systems. This can only translate to more users, higher profits, and bigger growth in the near future.

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How to Make Money With Your Phone – Cool New App

Could you use some extra cash?  Sure – we could all use more money from time to time to buy those things we want/need or to invest for the long term.  Because of this, I’m always on the lookout for ways to make more money.  It is especially exciting when you find a way to make some extra bucks that isn’t that difficult or time consuming.

Most ways of making money that are quick or easy aren’t going to make you rich!  That’s pretty obvious, but it is always nice to put a couple extra bucks in your pocket.  This cool new way to make some extra money with your cellphone is as simple as simple gets.  Just about everyone has a smart phone these days, and this new money making idea puts that smart phone to good use.

ProxyPics – A Sweet Way to Make Extra Money

The new app I ran across to make some extra money is ProxyPics.  At its heart, ProxyPics is a phone app that lets you snap requested pictures of locations and earn $3.25 per picture.  If you live in a “popular” area, there really isn’t any limit to how much you can make.  It’s awesome to make a quick buck when the notification pops up on your phone with only a couple mins of work!

How to Make Money with Your Phone

Here’s a bit more detail on how ProxyPics work to make money with your phone:

1. A client orders a picture of a particular location
2. If you have the ProxyPics app installed on your phone and are nearby, you will get a notification
3. You accept the job and snap a pic of the location
4. Picture is reviewed by client and approved
5. You get a $3.25 credit to your account

It is really that easy to make money with your phone!

How ProxyPics Works – Video Explanation

Here’s a video explanation of how ProxyPics works.  It explains how you can make money with your phone a bit better than I can:

How Much Can You Make?

The sky is the limit with using your phone to make money with ProxyPics.  The only thing limiting how much you can make with your phone is literally your location!  For folks that live in higher trafficked areas, there are many jobs each day.

As you might suspect, if you are normally in the middle of nowhere, there are not really going to be many (if any) jobs for you.  But for folks in large cities such as LA, Chicago, New York City, etc., there are tons of jobs!

The best part is you can just be walking around town, and you can get a notification to snap a pic of something that you’re already very close to.  What’s not to love?

Are There Downsides to ProxyPics?

ProxyPics is a newer startup company.  So as you might imagine, the ProxyPics app doesn’t have a ton of users yet.  So for some locations of app users, there are not many picture snapping jobs.  Some areas won’t have jobs until the popularity of the app increases as the number of users goes up.  As you can imagine, for those people in the middle of nowhere, there may not ever be jobs just due to a low demand for pics in out of the way locations.  That’s perfectly understandable in my opinion.

As the popularity of ProxyPics increases, there will be more and more clients to request photos.  This is because as the number of users increase, it will be easier for clients to get the pictures they need quickly.  So, the number of jobs should increase exponentially as ProxyPics gains in popularity.  This is great news for those looking to make extra money with your phone.

It is hard to know whether or not there will be jobs in your area unless you give it a try!  So, go ahead and check it out now.  App filesize is definitely not a concern.  At the time of this writing, the downloadable install was less than 8mb.  That’s a relief as many simple apps are completely bloated and over 50mb!

One downside some users concerned with privacy might point out is that the app needs to use your location.  This is pretty fundamental to how the whole process works, so I think it is a worthwhile tradeoff.  You don’t want a notification to a job that’s 200+ miles away, so it’s kinda obvious that ProxyPics would need to use your location.

To me, all of these “downsides” are pretty much expected with a new app.  So, I cannot really fault ProxyPics for any of these.  I do expect this to be a really awesome way to make money in the coming months as the popularity increases.

Final Thoughts

ProxyPics is a cool new way to make money with your phone.  You should definitely give it a try as it is small to download and install can really earn you some nice money if you live in a popular area!

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For more saving money, making money, and investment ideas go to www.MoneyAhoy.com

10 Ways You Can Invest in Yourself

Sometimes we can be so focused on our finances as the key to a better life that we can forget about some of the other things that make life worth living. Sure, managing your money the very best you can, saving for retirement and working to increase your income are all super-important, and achieving financial independence can give you much more freedom to enjoy your time.

Still, it’s important make the proper emotional investments along the way to create the richest possible life for yourself. Here are 10 great ways to invest in yourself that go beyond your checkbook.

Keep Learning

Continuing education is a great way to sharpen your skills and prepare for that big promotion or new career, but traditional university work can be expensive. Your education is a crucial investment to make, but you can also think outside the box for how to get the skills and knowledge you need.

Try free online courses, or teach yourself a new skill with a trip to the library for resources. Your learning doesn’t have to be related to your career. Sometimes apprenticing yourself to a local craftsperson can provide a major quality-of-life boost as you learn to do something you’ve always wanted to try, but haven’t had the time to explore. No matter what you choose to study, keeping your mind sharp will pay big dividends in the future.

Face Your Fears

Sometimes fear can keep you from the learning and exploring you need to do to in order to move ahead. Make a goal to overcome your biggest fears once and for all. To do this, identify what’s holding you back: social anxiety? Fear of failure? Once you know what you need to work on, you can come up with a plan to face your fear. Whether you decide to sign up for hang-gliding lessons to overcome a fear of heights or take a public speaking class to become less shy, taking steps to face your fears will make you feel more powerful. That confidence boost will echo through other areas of your life in positive ways.

Stay Healthy

Good health allows you to enjoy all the other aspects of your life, from spending time with loved ones to climbing a mountain. Vow to invest at least 30 minutes per day on physical exercise to stay fit. You’ll have more energy and sleep better, which will boost your overall happiness. So much of your health is in your own hands, so taking steps to eat right and exercise has an ROI that rivals anything you could spend money on.

Take Risks

Though this may seem to contradict the previous point, it’s not about taking risks with your health. It’s about being willing to take risks that could pay off with future opportunities. Consider making an investment that is a bit riskier than your normal tolerance, or take a risk in expressing your opinion in the next meeting at work. You never know what you can achieve if you don’t stick your neck out a bit. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Be Your Own Boss

One major key to achieving financial independence is to think like an entrepreneur. What can you do right now to make money on your own, without having to worry about an employer telling you what to do? Whether you have things to sell or a skill to share, all you need to do to get started is to place an ad on Craigslist and see what happens. As you build your own entrepreneurial spirit, you’ll find that opportunities keep coming your way, and you may be able to seize freedom for yourself sooner than you ever expected.

Be Kind to Yourself

Sometimes, in the quest to save our money for a rainy day or retirement, we can lose sight of the little things that can help boost our morale. It’s OK to treat yourself once in a while, whether you enjoy a gourmet meal, a weekend getaway or a new pair of shoes. A little splurge won’t break the bank and can keep you motivated to be fiscally responsible for the long haul.

Embrace Your Mistakes

Life isn’t perfect, and neither are you. When you start taking risks, sometimes you’re bound to fail. Allow yourself the space to take a breath and learn from your mistakes instead of beating yourself up. When you take the time to figure out where you went wrong, whether in a relationship, investment or work project, you won’t get stuck in a rut of repeating the same mistakes later. Your errors can end up being your best teachers if you take the time to analyze them.

Follow the Golden Rule

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Treat others the way you would want to be treated. Being kind and courteous to friends and strangers alike will make you feel good, and your positive personality will pay you back as people respond well to you in kind. There’s no quicker way to happiness than to build quality relationships with others.

Surround Yourself With Positive People

Nurturing positive relationships is important, but what about those people in your life that do nothing but make you miserable? Whether it’s a dysfunctional family member, a bullying co-worker or a terrible frenemy you’ve outgrown, sometimes you need to cut ties for your own mental health. If a toxic relationship is bringing you down, quietly walk away. You don’t have to interact on social media or accept any more invitations. No confrontation is necessary to let someone nasty slip out of your social circle.

Make Time for Creativity

When you make time for creative projects in your life, you cultivate a feeling of satisfaction in your accomplishments that’s hard to beat. Whether your enjoy building things, performing or writing poetry, your creativity is a big part of who you are as a human being, so embrace it. Cultivating your creativity can also help you to become a better problem solver and strategic thinker, and your projects could even lead you to start your own business in a related field.

10 Ways You Can Invest in Yourself – Final Thoughts

Remember: Your 401(k) isn’t the only thing you need to invest in to have a good life. Invest your time and emotional energy into yourself, and you’ll see a big payoff in your quality of life.

Anum Yoon is a personal finance blogger and writer. She created and maintains her personal finance blog Current on Currency. You can subscribe to her blog newsletter right here for her weekly updates.

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For more saving money, making money, and investment ideas go to www.MoneyAhoy.com

MoneyAhoy’s YouTube Channel Has 200+ Subscribers!

You read that correctly – MoneyAhoy’s YouTube Channel just hit 200+ subscribers.  While this might not seem like all that much (some YouTubers have millions of subscribers), it is a small goal that I mentally set for myself.  In light of this great achievement, here are a couple of other fun facts about MoneyAhoy’s YouTube success:

MoneyAhoy YouTube Fun Facts

• Over 136,000 views
• MoneyAhoy’s YouTube Channel was created 5/13/13 – almost two and a half years old now!
• Total YouTube earnings – over $600!
• Total video comments – 219
• Total like percentage – 88%
• Total videos produced – 53

MoneyAhoy Videos – the Best

• Video that is the most viewed (nearly 50,000 views) – How To Blow Out (Winterize) Your In Ground Lawn Yard Sprinkler System – Step by Step DIY Guide
• Video with the highest average view duration (8 minutes and 5 seconds) – Elite Dangerous – How to Explore
• Video that’s earned the most due to affiliate earnings ($1,200+) – How to Start and Setup an LLC On-line in Less Than 6 Minutes!
• Video that has had the oddest success (17,000+ views) – How To Make Your Own Microphone Stand for Cheap
• Video that gained the most subscribers (37 total) – How to Start and Setup an LLC On-line in Less Than 6 Minutes!
• Video with the most comments (35 total) – How To Make Your Own Microphone Stand for Cheap

Below I’ve included a quick graph of the daily views for all 53 of MoneyAhoy’s videos.  As you can see, things are starting to pickup steam.  That crazy spike in the cold months is all thanks to my #1 video around How To Blow Out (Winterize) Your In Ground Lawn Yard Sprinkler System – Step by Step DIY Guide.  As you can see, now that things are getting colder, it is starting to get more views again!

MoneyAhoy YouTube Daily Views Graph

MoneyAhoy Videos – the Worst

• Video that with the lowest number of views (18 views – this actually took me a while to make) – How to Save a Wet Cell Phone
  • This video used the article from MoneyAhoy – http://www.moneyahoy.com/how-to-save-a-wet-cell-phone/ – with my head at the top right basically reading through it.  This didn’t really work at all, so no more of this type
• Video with the highest dislike ratio (40% dislike ratio) – How to Replace Electronic Oven Control Board
  • This video was good content-wise, but it was too dark.  I really just threw it together at the last minute as I was fixing the oven.  I didn’t have a lot of patience as it was late in the day and I just wanted to get the damn thing fixed.  Oh well – for the future I learned I need to take a bit more time and focus on getting the quality good.

MoneyAhoy’s YouTube Channel Has 200+ Subscribers – Final Thoughts

So, has two years of making videos been worth the effort?  It sure has!  I learned a lot about making videos and using video editing software, made over $1,800 ($600+ from YouTube and $1,200+ from side affiliate income due to one of the videos), and taught myself how to be a better handyman around the house!

So, what makes the most successful videos from my experience?  Well for MoneyAhoy, my top seven videos are all of the “how to” variety.  So…. I think I am going to stick with making many more how to videos since these seem to work the best for me :-).  It’s also very interesting to note from my video views that it can take videos several months before they really take off and begin seeing any sizeable number of views.  Some of my videos have sat around with hardly any views for more than a year before taking off.  How’s that for delayed gratification??

I think YouTube is a great way for people to get started earning a bit of residual income, and it can be really fun if you get into it.  Don’t expect to become a millionaire or anything (although it is possible) just from making YouTube videos.  But if you find the right niche, your channel can really take off!  If not, you may still be looking a a couple hundred bucks a year for the rest of your life (or as long as YouTube lasts :-))!

If you have any questions on YouTube, how to monetize your videos, or getting started with your YouTube channel, that drop me a comment below.

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For more saving money, making money, and investment ideas go to www.MoneyAhoy.com

How to Use Networking to Find a New Job

Are you unemployed and desperately looking for any sort of job?  Maybe you have a job now, but you are looking for something better.  Perhaps your mostly content in your current role and not even actively looking for something.  The point is, most of us have yet to find our “dream” job!

What’s the best way to get that next best job and get you one step closer to your dream job?  NETWORKING!  Read on to find out just how amazingly networking can help you and how you can get better at it!

How many jobs have you had over the years?

How many jobs have you had over the years?  For me, it’s been a total of 11 jobs over the years (I’m 33 now).  Of those 11 jobs, nine of those I heard about, applied for, or basically was given through networking!  You read that right, 80%+ of the jobs I’ve had have come from networking!

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 70% of all jobs come from networking.  So, my results seem pretty spot on with the national average.

Well, that’s just one data-point and one quoted source Derek.  I need more proof!  OK, let’s take my wife as another example.  She’s had eight jobs over the years and only 3 came from outside her network!  That’s about 63% of her jobs that came from networking.  Still not convinced?  Let me tell you a story of how she scored her most recent job!

How Can Networking with Strangers Land You a Job?

After we moved to Georgia, my wife got a real nice part-time job making even more than she did pre-move.  She landed that job by just walking into different establishments and presenting her resume.  Well, that job was great for about two months, then things began to slow down  It got so bad, that she was basically out of work for one, then two, and three weeks!  We basically had to come to the realization that she was out of work.

She proceeded to update her resume and get mentally prepared to shop herself around again.  During this period of time, she had quite a bit of free time – that tends to happen when you’re unemployed  Well, she was at an exercise class at the YMCA round about 10am when one of the other class participants asked her what she was doing there in the middle of the day…

My wife went into the story of how her work slowed down and she’s just getting ready to start looking for another job in her field.  Now, here’s where I’m going to slap you with a big fat networking stick to wake you up!  You won’t believe it, but this lady in the workout class happened to have a best friend that was married to someone that was desperately looking to hire someone in my wife’s field!  After a quick call and interview the next day, she had a job with this new guy making even more money that before!!!  Is this like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon or what?!?!?  All this from basically being friendly and networking with a complete stranger!

How Many People Do You Know?

Now, if my wife can network with a complete stranger and find a better job, then surely you can work with people you know to improve your chances of finding a better job.  Let’s start with how many people do you know?

According to The New York Times, the average person knows about 600 people.  This was developed using a pretty complicated strategy I’m not going to get into here – but that is quite a lot of people.  OK, OK – that’s just people you know “of”, but how many people can the average person have a relationship with.

Other information I could find suggests that the average human can maintain anywhere from 100 – 250 socially stable relationships.  This is called Dunbar’s number.

If you start to think about the several hundred people you know, and the several hundred people that each one of them knows, things start to go exponential pretty quickly!  The main point here is that a friend-of-a-friend could be sitting around looking for you to fill a job!

Know What You’re Looking For

Before you start to “work your network” to find a job, it pays to do a little soul searching.  It is a very good idea to take time and think about what jobs you would consider promising and what jobs you definitely wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.

When you start asking your network for promising leads, there may be many options thrown at you.  It is best to have given it some thought and be ready to articulate exactly what you’re looking for.  If you are unsure exactly what type of work you’d like to do, start with listing out what things you enjoy in your free time, old jobs when you’ve really been engaged, and what types of things you absolutely hate.  Sometimes you’d be surprised at the insights you can gain by running through this simple self-exercise.

When Should You Start Networking?

This is an easy one – yesterday!  Seriously, it is never too early to start networking.  In-fact, you may already be networking and not even have realized it.

What Exactly is Networking?

The formal definition of networking is to: “interact with other people to exchange information and develop contacts, especially to further one’s career.”  Networking is basically being friendly, meeting new people, finding out what they do, sharing what you do, and being helpful.

As you can see from the above definition and my interpretation, you basically have the potential to “network” at any time and any place if you recognize every moment as a potential opportunity.

Where is The Best Place to Network?

As I mentioned above, any time and any place can be turned into a potential networking opportunity.  The extroverts among us have a leg up as they can naturally come off as friendly and fun to be around.  Those of us that lean more towards the introverted scale will have to work a little harder to make every location a best place to network.

Tips for Switching into Network Mode

OK – so if everywhere is the best place to network, then how do you get started?  Really the easiest way to get into the habit of networking anywhere is to start by being helpful.  This could be to coworkers, people in your community, or that random stranger in line at the airport.  Being helpful will open the window to strike up a conversation and get things going.

Next, I’ve found an easy way to turn on your brain to “networking mode” is to ask others for help or advice.  This makes the person your questioning an automatic expert.  And who doesn’t love to be an expert?  This allows you to present where you are and what you’re looking for without coming off pushy.  If you genuinely listen, the person could also gift you with some very good advice.

If the person you are talking to knows of any opportunities they’d like to share, they’ll usually let you know.  By asking their general advice, your giving them the indirect opportunity to suggest any jobs they know of to you.  If they don’t want to give you job information they have (for whatever reason) this allows them to keep the information to themselves “gracefully.”

Work On Your Communication Skills

What’s the best way to improve your communication skills to start your networking adventure?  This may sound strange, but I’ve found the best way to practice is to start with strangers you will NEVER meet again.  You can fool your brain into eliminating your shyness by just telling yourself that you’ll never see them again.  If you’ll never see them again, then it doesn’t really matter if you make a fool of yourself – right?

Now, armed with this info you can practice just as much as you want   Practice makes perfect – let’s try some more practical tips!

Communication Skills – F.O.R.D

I read this on Reddit one day, and it’s really helped me practice and develop my communication skills.  It’s called F.O.R.D and it works wonders.  What does this acronym stand for?

• F – Family – asking someone about their family could give you hours of topics to communicate about.
• O – Occupation – some people would love to talk about their job for hours – why not test the waters to find out if the person you’re talking to is one of them?
• R – Recreation – Just about everyone has a hobby.  Ask what it is and you have an automatic ticket in with most folks.  Bonus points if you randomly find someone you share the same hobby with.
• D – Dreams – almost everyone has something they’re passionate about that they could discuss for days at a time.  Asking someone what their dreams are is basically a free ticket to an almost endless discussion and connection with someone.  Sometimes it could be creepy to jump straight to this one, so save it for last.  There’s a reason why it’s at the end of the list

Build Relationships by Being Helpful

I mentioned this networking tip earlier, but one of the best ways to grow and cultivate your network is by being helpful.  Everyone loves someone that is positive and helps them solve problems!

You can find ways to be helpful and solve problems by using common sense and employing the F.O.R.D. method above.  Once you get good with the F.O.R.D. model and practice this with everyone you know, you’ll naturally know of folks that are experts in areas that can help solve other’s problems.  Even if you can’t solve the problem directly, being able to link up a problem solver with a person that has the problem can be invaluable.  That’s really taking your network to the next level!

Do You Have Gaps In Your Network?

As you get more practiced at expanding and cultivating your network, there will come a point where some folks come less and less out of touch with you.  It will be up to you at that point whether or not you circle back and check-in on those folks or chose to let the relationship fade away.

The sweet spot is to have a healthy balance between the number of folks your are helping and the number of folks you request help from.  If you are balanced too far one way or the other, you aren’t really using your network effectively.  If you are helping people 99% of the time and not seeing any return for your efforts, it may be easy to get burned out or taken advantage of.  Likewise, if you are only every asking for help and never returning favors, you will be seen as an abuser!

Don’t Make Your Network a Drive By!

Just as I said above, make sure there is a healthy balance of give and take.  Hitting up that old friend from five years ago just to ask if he has any job contacts is tacky and jerky.  Don’t be that person!  You need to be authentic and genuine with everyone that you deal.

The biggest secret is that most people are generally selfish at some level.  Their brains are always asking what’s best for them and how can they gain from a situation.  Make sure you leave every relationship in balance and don’t always seek to take-take-take.  It will catch up with you!

Reach Down to Pull Folks Up

What’s the best way to not always take-take-take?  That’s easy – look to reach down, sideways, or up to help others in your network out.  If you can get into the mode where you graciously give-give-give and rarely take, it will come back to benefit you.

If you know of a job, opportunity, or something of the like, be sure to take it to your network first!  I’ve had people that helped me 10+ years ago, and now I’m in a position to return the favor.  That sort of mentality can really pay dividends to you and your network!

LinkedIn and Networking

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet, then stop what you’re doing and go create an account!  This is a great tool to help establish, build, and cultivate your network.  I haven’t taken a job that came from LinkedIn yet, but I’ve had dozens of offers!  Most of them have been from a friend-of-a-friend.

It really can pay off to take the time to create a nice profile and invite everyone you know to your network.  I way really surprised just how many people I know professionally when I started to build my network.  I have 500+ connections that have a potential to help me at some point down the road.  Also, I’ve been able to help a handful of folks in my network find promising leads!!

How to Use Networking to Find a New Job – Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this guide on how to use networking to find a job.  As you can see, if you are trying to find your dream job, you really can’t afford not to network!  What’s your craziest networking success tale?

The post How to Use Networking to Find a New Job appeared first on MoneyAhoy.

For more saving money, making money, and investment ideas go to www.MoneyAhoy.com

How to Save Money at Theme Parks

A day at a theme park is rather costly. When you are on a budget, there are several things that you can do to save money and still have a great time. Discount tickets are almost always available; it just takes a little research on your part to find them.

How to Save Money at Theme Parks – Eat Well Beforehand

Activity at a theme park often stirs up an appetite. It is ideal to have a good, filling breakfast at home before going. You should also consider taking a picnic lunch with you in a cooler. Most theme parks will allow this but it is best to check their rules and guidelines first.

If you must, to save money, make arrangements with the theme park management beforehand stating that there are special dietary needs in the family that require you to bring in your own food.

How to Save Money at Theme Parks – Look for Discounts

Local grocers often have discount tickets available for theme parks. These tickets are for general admission and are only available for a limited time. It is important to find out if your local area has specials like this. Some rewards programs allow you to earn points at local grocers to redeem them for theme park and entertainment tickets. Make sure that you join these programs to take advantage of the perks.

Also listen to radio and television commercials for local auto dealerships. There are times when incentives are offered for test driving vehicles, and tickets to a local theme park may be available to at least allow you to go for free.

Online for sale websites, such as Craigslist, have a section for tickets. This includes concerts, airfare and entertainment such as theme parks or sporting events. The cost of the tickets is generally discounted, especially if they were given as a gift to the seller, to help families attend the theme parks at a discounted rate.  Here is a related article about travel deals and discounts.

How to Save Money at Theme Parks – Join Groupon

Groupon sends deals via email for your specific area daily. You should sign up for your local area, the area that the theme park is in and anywhere that you plan to vacation. In some cases, the packages are deeply discounted to save you more than 50-percent.

These suggestions will help you and your family to attend a theme park and stay within budget. Look for deals that include food discounts or free items at eating establishments that are nearby the park if you are unable to take food in yourself. It doesn’t hurt to follow a couple of local bloggers via social media either, as many post these types of deals.

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For more saving money, making money, and investment ideas go to www.MoneyAhoy.com

How To Make Money Tutoring

I found this great article from Grayson over at Sproutwealth on how to make extra money this summer.  One of the 13 tips given was tutoring.  I thought I would chime in here with a simple guide on how to make money tutoring since I have had pretty good luck with this lately.

How to Make Money Tutoring – Getting Started

What types of things do you know more about than your average person?  This is the most important question to ask yourself if you are considering becoming a tutor.  People that are willing to pay for tutoring are looking for two things:

• Expert knowledge in a field
• The ability to convey this knowledge to them in an efficient, friendly way

Obviously, if you do not know more than the student in their field of interest, you are going to run into trouble!  As a tutor, you need to be at least two or three steps ahead of the student at all times or you are really doing the student a disservice

How to Make Money Tutoring – My Example

If you are a college graduate, chances are that you know more about one particular field of study than the average person.  Even if you don’t have a degree, chances are that you have unique knowledge or expertise in some area that someone out there is willing to pay for.  Take a minute to perform a self assessment to determine where your unique strengths and abilities are.  When I started listing my knowledge areas out, I was surprised at just how much I knew that could be monetized.

I am a Mechanical Engineer with ~12 years of broad industry experience at a fortune 100 company.  I am Six Sigma Black Belt certified and just recently received my MBA.    As you can see, my expertise is in math, business, and process improvement.  This is great because people are willing to pay top dollar to learn these sorts of skills!

How to Make Money Tutoring – Where to Find Customers

There are several tutoring websites our there that will set you up with potential students.  They serve as a basic match-making service similar to Ebay.  One of the most popular tutoring websites is WyzAnt, but there are literally dozens out there.  I have never actually signed up as a tutor for this company, but one of the things that really turned me off was that they take 40% of what you make for their “match making” service.  What the hell?!?!?  We can do much better than that!

A simple ad on Craigslist is probably enough to get the ball rolling for a majority of folks.  I created my Craigslist ad and had six opportunities within the first three weeks.  That was more than I could handle time-wise, and I get 100% of the money versus 60% if I went with WyzAnt!

Here is what my Craigslist ad looks like – please feel free to steal shamelessly from it to make your own Craigslist ad:

Intro:
I am a friendly, patient, results oriented, and experienced tutor. I have a vast understanding of math, science, computer, and business topics. But that’s only half of the picture! After all, what good is an intelligent tutor if they cannot find a way to speak in a language that the student can understand? 

I have the uncanny ability to breakdown complex topics and present them in a way that makes sense to the student. I was always known as the student that classmates went to for the “simple explanation.” Some tutors or teachers can spend hours with students without getting anywhere! I have frequently been able to explain topics in minutes to students and make the “light bulb” turn on once I understand their background. I have a life-long passion for learning and thoroughly enjoy helping others unlock their full potential. If you’re having difficulty with any of the topics below, please reach out to me to get the help that you need!

Background:
• 12 years industry experience in Engineering/Statistics with Fortune-500 corporation
• BS in Mechanical Engineering with Minor in Physics — Valedictorian – Virginia Commonwealth University
• MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University
• Six Sigma Black Belt certified
• SAT Math (I/II) — earned a perfect 730 score
• Run my own personal finance blog at: www.MoneyAhoy.com

Services available:
• Tutoring ,Test preparation, Homework help, Project help, and Paper writing/editing/proofreading

Services Available for the Following Topics:
• Math & Science:
o Pre-algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II, Linear Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Trigonometry, Geometry, General Mathematics, Statistics, Probability, Physics, SAT/ACT/GRE/GED test preparation
• Problem Solving:
o Root Cause Failure Analysis, Why-Trees, Fish-bone diagrams, Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt methodology
• Computers & Software:
o Visual Basic programming, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Access, SQL, Photoshop
• Websites:
o Website Design, WordPress Blogs, HTML, CSS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social media consulting
• Business:
o Business/Managerial Accounting and Finance, Economics

Rate and Logistics:
• People of all ages: 4 through 104 – no one is too young or too old
• Free phone consultation to ensure I have the right skills to help you succeed
• $40/hr (one-hour minimum)
• Meet in a public location
• Webcam/Skype sessions also available

How to Make Money Tutoring – Decide Your Rate

As you can see, my background is highly technical.  Because of this, I am able to charge a pretty high rate for my services.  I performed some market analysis for my area using WyzAnt and surveying other Craigslist ads, and it seems that a good average price for tutoring is around $40/hr.  You may be able to get more than this if your specific knowledge is in high demand.

I would encourage you to start a little on the high end and then drop your price if you don’t get any takers.  If you find yourself with more available time for tutoring, you can always drop your price to fill up your free time.

How to Make Money Tutoring – Other Tips

Here are some other tips I’ve learned along the way that help round out this “how to make money tutoring” guide:

• Meet in a public place like a Panera, Starbucks, Library, etc.  –  Your safety is of the highest importance!
• As a tutor, make sure you are comfortable with the material.  Spend a couple minutes gauging what the student is asking from you.  In two cases so far over the past month, I have had to turn folks away because my level of knowledge was just not high enough.  I would not feel right charging someone $40/hr and stumbling through the topic.
• As a tutor, inform your students that you only accept cash!  I have had people pay in check before.  Besides being a hassle to drop by the bank, there is always a chance that the funds will not go through.
• Don’t be afraid to ask the student to meet some place convenient to YOUR location.  I have driven 30 minutes out of my way before to tutor someone.  We probably could have met closer if I would have just pressed this a bit.
• Wear a watch!  Most of my sessions naturally last about two hours, but you want to make sure you stick to one hour intervals if possible.
• Come prepared with the materials you will need – pencils, pens, paper, calculator, computer, etc.  Do not assume the student will bring all the materials they will need.
• One of the most important tips for how to make money tutoring is to keep a spreadsheet or list of all of your students.  A day or two after the session, send them an email or a text thanking them and offering more help if they want or need it.  You will find that you will get plenty of students by word of mouth!  I have received repeat tutoring sessions by ensuring I followup with the students.  It only takes 1-2 minutes of your time.  It can also serve as a great reference list down the road if someone requests this.
• School is NOT out for summer!  Many students are taking accelerated summer college courses.  Tutoring can be more important than ever for these summer students!
• Make sure you leave multiple methods of contact on your Craigslist ad.  Different people prefer one method over another.
• Craigslist ads expire after 45 days – make sure you keep your tutoring ad fresh.

How to Make Money Tutoring – Final Thoughts

I just got started with tutoring about four weeks ago.  I have already had three different students and have banked $240!  My first session was tutoring someone in WordPress  So if you are a blog owner, you already have one topic right there that you can monetize!  The second student was trying to pass a math entry test into nursing school – this was basically 5th grade math type of stuff – fractions, percentages, etc.  My last student needed help in Physics 101 – I can do that with my eyes closed

One guy wanted tutoring in differential equations – I had to turn him away because I couldn’t remember any of that stuff to save my life!  Another wanted some accounting help that was just a little over my head.

All-in-all I cannot believe I did not start tutoring years ago!!  Tutoring really is an awesome way to make $40/hr by helping students learn topics that I am very comfortable with.  It is also really great knowing that I am helping someone else in their potential future career, hobby, or side business.  If you have not given tutoring a try, I would suggest you create your own Craigslist ad and give it a whirl.  It is a great way to help people and make money.

Please let me know if you have any other helpful tips to improve this how to make money tutoring guide!!

The post How to Make Money Tutoring appeared first on MoneyAhoy.

For more saving money, making money, and investment ideas go to www.MoneyAhoy.com

Yard Sale vs Retail

Check out some of these great yard sale deals that our family has been able to snag recently in the April 2014 time frame.  If you are not taking advantage of the savings that yard sales have to offer, then what the heck are you waiting for?!?  The deals you can find at yard sales will beat retail by 95%- 99%!!!  What’s not to love?

Yard Sale vs Retail – Aeropostale Shirt

My wife found this great Aeropostale shirt for a quarter at one yard sale.  I would never pay full price for this type of t-shift, but you can’t really refuse a perfectly good t-shirt for $0.25, can you?

Yard Sale Deals for April 2014 – REI Fall/Winter/Spring Jacket

My wife found this REI jacket as yard sales were winding down one Saturday.  They wanted $5 for it, but I bargained for $3 since it was very late in the day (nearly 1pm).  They went for the deal!  I am now the proud owner of a sweet new jacket.  It’s been discontinued, but I think it would normally retail for something around $120 – here’s something similar to what it looks like.

Yard Sale vs Retail – Jeans

I’m not really sure of the brand as I am typing this, but at $0.50 does it really matter?  They fit well and there are no real problems with them.  Not sure why someone would be selling these, but oh well

Yard Sale vs Retail – Bass Hiking Boots

These great boots retail for about $50 new.  These were marked at $1 for the pair – pretty hard to resist.  They are in about 8/10 condition and should last for for several more years.  I don’t have any type of outdoor shoes for walking/hiking at all, so this was a perfect find for me!

Yard Sale vs Retail – Final Thoughts

I’m so glad I’ve finished up my MBA classes so that I can get back into yard sales.  The deals are just unbeatable, and it feels so great to buy useful stuff at 98% off!  I also enjoy the bargaining aspect of yard sales, although that part isn’t for everyone…

Below, you’ll find a pic of me sporting my whole new outfit that cost me less than $5 total!  That’s a complete outfit that would normally cost me $240 if I bought everything brand new!  If loving yard sale deals is wrong, then I don’t want to be right

The post Yard Sale vs Retail appeared first on MoneyAhoy.

For more saving money, making money, and investment ideas go to www.MoneyAhoy.com

Happy Birthday MoneyAhoy!

MoneyAhoy just turned one year old over the weekend!  It’s been a great year overall and I thank you for joining me on this blogging adventure.  My goal for the blog was to help myself and others save money, make more money, and invest it!  This blog has been great for me personally, hopefully it has helped you in some way as well

Join me for a walk down memory lane as we  look back over some of the highlights of the past year!

Top-5 Posts

Here’s a listing of the top most popular posts for the past year:

1. Save Money on Cable – How to Watch Cable TV for Free by Switching to Online TV – I created a list of websites that allow users to watch online cable TV for free.  This post was extremely popular over the months.
2. Do You Need Short Term Disability Insurance? – This analysis was able to help me uncover that we didn’t actually need short term disability insurance.  By eliminating this, we’re saving $826 a year!
3. Progressive Snapshot Review – I love the Snapshot device.  It has helped us to save $60 a year.
4. Does High Deductible Car or Home Insurance Actually Save Money? – This was an analysis I performed to see what the best deductible would be for car and home.  It turns out my wife’s gut reaction was correct and going with a crazy high deductible is a terrible idea in the long run!  Just two months later I was hit by a deer randomly on my way to work.  I’m glad I didn’t go with the conventional wisdom and take out a policy with a super high deductible
5.  Frugal Guide for Buying a Used Car – Over the past year I was able to snag a great deal on a Corolla by using this guide I put together.  Check it out if you’re in the market for a new used car!

Money Results

Through the focus, motivation, and education that this blog drove me to achieve, I was able to achieve the following:

• Saving – We were able to save an additional $4,500 a year on all kinds of stuff.  Check out the Money Saving Master Table for the best ideas that I’ve found.
• Making – MoneyAhoy has motivated me to generate nearly $1,900 in additional side hustle income.  This is anything from Ebay sales, sponsored articles, and adSense/YouTube revenue.
• Investing – Our investments have generated $870 in dividends and more than $3,100 in capital appreciation!  Because of stupid investing mistakes years earlier, I was really damaged goods when it came to investing.  This blog helped me to get over my fixation with timing the market and develop healthy investing habits.

If you total everything up for the past year, MoneyAhoy.com alone has directly led to a $10,000 increase in our net worth!

What’s Next?

I’ve got a number of things that I’m currently working on in the money saving, making, and investing arenas.  Here are a couple of the major things I have planned for the next year:

• Continue to look for ways to save, make, and invest more money and blog about them here
• Write a beginner’s book to stock market investing (currently starting on the last chapter of the manuscript)
• Continue to crank out YouTube videos on saving, making, and investing money
• Start marketing my math/technical talents through tutoring (already have one potential client)
• Downsize our house – we plan to relocate if the right opportunity comes along.  Downsizing will help us across to the board and should save us thousands annually.

I hope you’ll stick with me over the following year to see what type of progress I’m able to make with all of these things.  Now that I’m finished with my MBA, I should have a lot more time to devote to this blog and other money making pursuits.  If you have suggestions on how I can make the blog even better, please comment here or send me an email!!

The post Happy Birthday MoneyAhoy! appeared first on MoneyAhoy.

For more saving money, making money, and investment ideas go to www.MoneyAhoy.com

How to Make Your Own Microphone Stand for Cheap

Have a microphone and looking for a way to save a little money on a microphone stand?  Well, you’ve come to the right place – read this post on how to make your own microphone stand for cheap.

How to Make Your Own Microphone Stand for Cheap – Background

Many folks are getting more and more interested in starting their own podcast, youtube channel, or twitch stream as a way to interact with their web audience.  The core of these activities centers around having a good audio input.  For this to happen, you need a quality microphone, and it needs to be relatively close to your mouth.

Well, I recently purchased the Audio-Technica ATR2100 microphone (a great mic for the price btw) and ran into a bit of a problem.  It came with a free stand, but when I’m sitting at the computer it is still about 14 inches away from my mouth.  This is a problem because to get a good sound level I have to turn up the microphone gain very high.  This causes distortion and generally bad sounds audio.  I needed a microphone stand!

How to Make Your Own Microphone Stand for Cheap – Alternatives

I had a feeling that the free microphone stand was too short, but I wanted to test it out before spending any money.  Alternative desk-mounted microphone stands were anywhere from $30 – $99 (cheaper one and top of the line ) !  Well the cheaper one was a bust, so I got ready to fork over some cash for a the cheaper version.  Because I’m a money saving lover, I began to wonder if I could somehow make my own microphone stand for cheap.

How to Make Your Own Microphone Stand for Cheap – DIY

I googled “how to make your own microphone stand for cheap” and found several different write-ups and videos on how to make your own microphone stand from a simple wire coat hanger.  I tried this method out and it worked like a charm!  Check the youtube video that I made below to see how easy it is to make your own microphone stand for cheap!  Because I plan to have the microphone and microphone stand out of the view of the video, there really isn’t any reason why I cannot use this cheap microphone stand for all of my recording needs.

How to Make Your Own Microphone Stand for Cheap – Final Thoughts

As you can see from the video, making your own microphone stand from a wire coat hanger doesn’t give you the prettiest thing in the world, but it’s pretty functional and gets the basic job done.  If the youtube videos really start to pay off for me, then I’ll possibly looking into getting something more professional.  But, for now I’m glad I googled how to make your own microphone stand for cheap and learned of this great method!

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For more saving money, making money, and investment ideas go to www.MoneyAhoy.com