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In today's video, we are diving deep into a critical topic that can make or break your business: Knowing Your Value. If you're a business owner who constantly feels like you're going above and beyond for your customers without seeing a fair return, this video is for you. One of the biggest profit killers in any business is failing to set clear pricing for additional services or work. Today, we'll explore why this happens, how it impacts your bottom line, and what you can do to ensure you're compensated for every extra mile you go. Customer service is king, and we all want happy customers, but there's a catch: If you're not careful, you could find yourself out of business while trying to please everyone. This video will share real-world insights, including the story of a cleaner who faces this very dilemma. The Cleaner's Story: Customizations Gone Wrong Imagine you're a cleaner, and you've built a good relationship with your client. One day, they ask for some extra customizations—maybe an additional room to clean or a deeper clean in specific areas. You oblige because you want them to be happy. They're thrilled and pay the bill, but next time, they ask for a little more. And then a little more. Soon, these customizations become the norm, and the client expects them at no extra cost. What started as excellent customer service has now turned into an expectation of free. And this can happen in any industry. You think you're building loyalty, but you're also building a profit-sapping pattern. The Pros and Cons of Saying Yes While making your client happy is great, if you're not charging for extra work, here's the reality: Pros: Your client is happy. They pay their bill. Cons: You've created an expectation of free work. Profits quickly disappear with each additional request. Your team and yourself will get burned out from over-delivering without compensation. The Reality of the Needy Customer In my 25+ years in business, I've seen this happen time and time again. The clients who are the neediest and most demanding are usually: Not profitable, Not loyal, and Rarely satisfied. These customers drain your resources, morale, and profits. The longer you keep these clients around, the worse it gets. The Solution: Know Your Value and Charge for It Here's how you can protect your profits and sanity: Set your services and pricing in stone—no exceptions. Stick to your pricing—don't cave under pressure to offer freebies. Set expectations upfront—extras cost extra. Build additional services into packages—this way, clients know that premium services come with premium pricing. Fire needy and cheap clients—they will never be profitable or loyal. Don't be afraid to cut them loose. Homework: Take Action This week, put together a plan that ensures you're getting paid for all of your services moving forward. Review your current client base—if you have a needy, price-haggling client, it might be time to let them go. Remember, you deserve to be compensated for your hard work. It's time to value your services, stop giving away free work, and create a business model that ensures profit with every client. Make sure to subscribe for more business tips and strategies on growing a profitable business without burning out! Keywords: business growth tips, knowing your value, pricing strategy, customer service, profit killers, avoid burnout in business, setting clear pricing, how to stop losing money, needy customers, managing difficult clients, business strategy, how to increase profits, business profitability, extra services pricing, setting client expectations, business tips for entrepreneurs.

Money Hack of the Week: Sim Swapping https://clark.com/cell-phones/sim-card-swapping/ SIM swapping, or a SIM swap scam, happens when a crook is able to take control of the personal information stored on your SIM card by using it on another phone. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a successful SIM swap can occur if a scammer impersonates you and contacts your phone service provider with a bogus story. According to the FTC's website, “They may call your cell phone service provider and say your phone was lost or damaged. Then they ask the provider to activate a new SIM card connected to your phone number on a new phone — a phone they own.” Once scammers successfully take over your phone, they can access your bank account, social media accounts, email account and more. How? While two-factor authentication is typically a decent form of protection, the scammer now has access to your phone number and email. That means they have access to any codes sent through an email or text message. What can you do? Depending on which carrier you have - you can essentially lock down your SIM.  Head to Clark Howards website via the show notes link we have in the show notes to read how to lock down your SIM. I am with T-Mobile - they have a process known as SIM Locking in which I have enabled to ensure nobody can get access to my SIM without me knowing.  Main Topic Should you buy a house with today's interest rates, or is it better to just wait? What is the current rate: Somewhere between 7.2 and 7.9% depending on if you go VA, conventional or FHA What is the historical 30 year rate? 7.75% - as of right now we sit at 7.25% as of this recording First off - Let's talk about why rates are higher Inflation Federal reserve raising rates to cool buying and help strengthen the dollar When rates go up, it's more expensive to borrow and people are incentivized to save because savings rates increase. If you are thinking of buying a house, you are probably well aware that interest rates have a direct correlation with how much home you can afford. A 500,000 loan at a 3.25 interest rate - which you could get about a year ago would be a $2,175 P&I Payment A 500,000 loan at a 7.25 interest rate is $3,411 = 1,200 more for the same priced house per month. So with a $1,200 difference on a 500k house - what are the pros and cons to buying now? Pros: If you can afford the house and the payment fits with your monthly budget, it allows you to purchase a home at today's prices Prices could go up or down - but real estate tends to increase in price by at least the rate of inflation on an annual basis. You get to start paying down the loan immediately If you wait - you are paying someone else's principle payment for them. If you plan on staying the home a long time - even if values decrease in the short term, it likely won't matter by the time you go to sell. We have a supply of housing problem still in the USA.  If interest rates decrease - you can always refinance and pay less of a monthly payment. Cons: You are locking in a “high” rate relative to what rates have looked like in the last few years.  Can't predict if rates will go up or down. Property values are up in many parts of the country.   Nobody can predict where property values in the future Loans are not where they were in 08 and 09 when banks were loaning people money with “stated” income and interest only loans.  People feel like we could be sliding into a recession which could decrease housing prices This is speculation So would we buy a house right now if we were in the market - or would we wait? Solid credit score  = 720 or more You have a monthly budget and you're living and giving on less than you make You have money in an emergency fund - for maintenance costs Your debt is manageable You have the money for a down payment. You're steady in your career and relationship You know what you want Then it's probably time to go ahead and buy that house!

To help you choose a platform for your musician website, I offer this shortlist of my preferred platforms. This list includes WordPress (.org and .com), Bandzoogle, Wix and Squarespace. Each of these platforms features a content management system (CMS) that makes building a musician website easier than ever. There are a few other popular options, so you're by no means limited to my shortlist. Choosing a website platform should start with knowing your goals, so consider writing them down. You probably want to have a blog section, photo gallery, store for selling merch, contact page, an email signup form, music section and an electronic press kit (EPK). With this in mind, your goals may be to promote your brand, grow your email list, sell your music and merch, up your professional image and/or to promote upcoming performances. This is the stuff you want to think about before you begin setting up your website. Important considerations Ease of use You definitely want site visitors to easily find what they're looking for, whether it's your latest music or upcoming performances. Your site should be both easy to build and easy to use. The platforms discussed in this episode excel in these areas. As the site designer, you'll need to consider how much time you want to invest in learning how to customize your musician website. So ease of use applies to both you (the site designer) and your visitors. Pricing Most musicians I know are on a budget. Even if you're rocking it, so to speak, you surely have a budget of some sort. All the mentioned featured in this episode are affordable, some a bit more than others. Design & features Whichever platform you choose, make sure it supports your goals. Support There will come a time when you need help, either because you're learning or because something has gone wrong. Choose a platform that's known for quality customer support. Ownership & portability You may choose a platform and then one day decide you want to switch to another. Maybe you initially chose Wordpress, because you were attracted to the idea of learning the world of website design therein. But then maybe you realize you bit of more than you can chew and now you want to switch to a platform that requires less time to learn. There are several reasons that might warrant switching platforms, therefore it's important to make sure that you can and that you can do so without restrictions. Check the terms that dictate taking your website content elsewhere. The pros and cons Wordpress (Wordpress.org) Wordpress is considered by many to be the best website builder software to start a website without hiring a developer or coding from scratch. It's considered to be a self-hosted option and you can choose from a plethora of website hosts. It's a free open source website builder that gives you full ownership of your website without any third-party control, and it gives you maximum privacy.  Pros  Gives you complete control on every aspect of your website and online presence.  It can be used to build any kind of website.  There are thousands of high quality pre-made WordPress themes (templates) that you can use for your website's design. Provides drag-and-drop page builder options, which allow you to easily create your own custom website (no coding needed). Gives you access to more than 59,000 free WordPress plugins. Plugins are like apps for WordPress that let you add additional features and functionality to your website such as a shopping cart, contact forms, Google Analytics, photo gallery, social media tools, live chat, etc. Plugins make it easy for you to integrate your website with popular business tools, so you can automate and streamline various recurring operations. Website builder is fully translated in over 75+ languages, and it allows you easily create multilingual websites. Comes with robust SEO tools that search engines love, which ensures your website will do better with rankings in search engines.  Cons You will have to manage your own website, which means you will need to familiarize yourself with a new system, although this can be automated. This learning curve is easily overcome by most users, but it can feel a bit difficult in the beginning. You will also have to keep up with WordPress updates, plugin updates, and create website backups. This too can be automated by your WordPress hosting provider. Bandzoogle Built by musicians, for musicians, there are no coding skills required here. Bandzoogle has drag and drop visual editor for customizing layouts, editing and rearrange your website content on the fly. Add images, text, and other features to your page in one or two clicks.  Easy template switching Change website templates at any time without affecting content, and save your custom designs for later. Bandzoogle and other platforms of its kind have taken the approach of limiting options, which can be a good thing in that it can keep you from getting overwhelmed. This can also keep you from mucking up your site. But wait… there's more. EPK preset layouts Easily create a professional electronic press kit to share with media and industry. Connects with musician services you already use to make building and managing your website easier. Features selling tools made to help you earn more revenue as an artist. These tools enable you to sell music, merch, tickets, subscriptions and crowdfunding directly to fans, commission free. Bandzoogle has built in promotional and marketing features for email, SEO and socials. Pros Performance and Speed Bandzoogle has a cloud infrastructure and is built to provide high performance for heavy design websites. It has the ability to quickly render video and graphics.  E-Commerce ready The basic plan supports most of the rudimentary features required for a music website. All the plans have support for e-commerce.  Built-in mailing list Supports a mailing list for up to 100 fan subscribers with the basic plan. You can quickly connect with your fans using their mailing list feature.  I'm not crazy about mailing list features that are built-in. They are convenient, but more advanced email marketers will want to include a service such as my favorite ConvertKit or something like MailChimp. But if you want to keep it simple, this built-in feature is fine.  Press kits and more Each plan supports Electronic press kits and has SSL security. The more advanced plan has loads of additional features. Advanced features Some of the features included are video headers, inventory tracking, sound scan reporting, album pre-orders and many more.  Trial period Every plan comes with a 30-day free trial.  Insights Provides a lot of data insights with effective reporting which can render interactive data analysis. The system also provides location targeting, with which you can target fans in specific locations with customized email. Cons Add-ons Custom email inboxes are not part of the plans. Email hosting has a separate pricing of $14.95/year. None of the plans support multi websites. Multi-site has a separate pricing for which you need to get in touch with their account specialist. Not as flexible for design due to a small (ish) number of template options. Wix (just the cons) Mobile loading speeds Although they've made huge strides in improving loading speeds (something that hasn't gone unnoticed by Google), mobile speeds still need a bit of work as of this episode. Many of their templates rely on graphics and media to look good, hence there's sometimes a compromise between aesthetics and performance. Templates can't be changed easily Once you have chosen your initial Wix template, you can't switch to a completely new one. While you can certainly change the design within the template, it's not possible to pick an entirely new one. Squarespace (just the cons) No phone support Upgrading from Squarespace version 7.0 to 7.1 requires a site rebuild. This will surely be resolved with future version updates. No free plan available Wordpress.com (just the cons) You are NOT allowed to sell ads on your website. High traffic sites can apply for their advertising program called WordAds, which requires a revenue share with Wordpress.com. Premium and Business plan users can use WordAds right away. You cannot upload plugins. Business plan users can install from a selection of compatible plugins ($300 / year). WordPress.com VIP program lets you install plugins, but starts at $5000 per month. You cannot upload custom themes. Free plan users can only install from the limited free themes collection. Premium and business plan users can also select premium themes. There are limited customization options with the free version. Premium and Business plan users can use custom CSS. You are restricted to their stats. You cannot add Google Analytics or install any other powerful tracking platform. Business plan users can install Google Analytics. You cannot build membership websites on WordPress.com. I hope you find this episode helpful in choosing the right platform for your musician website. Last, but not lease, shout out to these site for providing most of the information used in this episode. WP Beginner – How to Choose the Best Website Builder Bandzoogle – Features & design  HostingPill – Hosting Reviews (Bandzoogle) ToolTester – Pros and Cons of the Wix Website Builder Forbes.com – Squarespace review Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. This episode was powered by Music Marketing Method, a program for independent musicians looking to grow their music career. Music Marketing Method was created by my good friend Lynz Crichton. I'm in the program and I'm learning tons! I'm growing my fan base and learning about many ways that I'll be earning money in the new year. It's also helping me grow this podcast. How cool is that? To lean more and find out if Music Marketing Method can help your music career, visit UnstarvingMusician.com/MusicMarketing. This episode of the was powered by Liner Notes. Learn from the hundreds of musicians and industry pros I've spoken with for the Unstarving Musician on topics such as marketing, songwriting, touring, sync licensing and much more. Sign up for Liner Notes. Liner Notes is an email newsletter from yours truly, in which I share some of the best knowledge gems garnered from the many conversations featured on the Unstarving Musician. You'll also be privy to the latest podcast episodes and Liner Notes subscriber exclusives. Sign up at UnstarvingMusician.com. It's free and you can unsubscribe at anytime. Mentions and Related Episodes Mo Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove The Roots Day of the Dead in Mexico Wordpress.org Bandzoogle.com Wix.com Squarespace.com Wordpress.com Why Do I Need A Musician Website? (Ep 237) Free vs Paid Hosting For Musician Websites (Ep 239) Choosing A Domain For Your Musician Website (Ep 241) Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo Music Marketing Method – The program that helps musicians find fans, grow an audience and make consistent income Bandzoogle – The all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Pardon the Interruption (Disclosure)  Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! Visit UnstarvingMusician.com to sign up for Liner Notes to learn what I'm learning from the best indie musicians and music industry professionals. Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube

This English vocabulary lesson covers some words related to the topic of digital payments. Vocabulary includes: Digital Payments / Digital Wallet / Unbanked / Financial Inclusion / Data Breach / Pros and Cons You can find class notes here: https://www.englishforeconomists.com/digital-payments/

Anna, from the Netherlands, took an analytical approach when deciding to live in Sweden. Pros: good work/life balance. Cons: You often have gravel in your shoes.

When trying to monetize a blog, affiliate marketing is one of the fastest ways to start making money from your site. Affiliate marketing is selling other people's products or services in exchange for a commission on the sale. For more on the basics of affiliate marketing, check out this post. As you get started with using your blog to make recommendations to others, there are a couple of terms you need to know. Affiliate Program vs Affiliate Network There are typically 2 types of options for affiliate marketers. Affiliate programs and affiliate networks.  An affiliate program is when a company manages its own affiliate recruitment, tracking, and payouts. Some large companies, like Amazon, do this. However, this type of affiliate marketing is more commonly used by small businesses and solopreneurs, like Side Hustle Teachers. On the other hand, an affiliate network is a company that manages the affiliate programs for multiple organizations. The networks act as an intermediary and filter for their merchants, as well as managing all the link tracking and payouts. With networks there is often a secondary layer of applying because you will have to apply for the network, then again to each merchant within the network you'd like partner with.   So with that in mind, let's dig in to the 5 affiliate programs or networks all new bloggers should join. 1. Amazon Affiliate Program Amazon is one of the oldest and largest affiliate programs on the web. Because Amazon is so ubiquitous in our 21st century lives, it makes sense for bloggers to join this program. To join, simply click here and then the sign up button. If you already have an Amazon account, you can sign in using that information. If you don't, or you want to keep your personal and affiliate account separate, create a new account. Honestly, part of the benefit of using an affiliate program like Amazon is the ease of use, so I recommend using your existing account, if you have one. Once approved, a gray bar will appear at the top of the screen when you sign into Amazon. There you can check your earnings and easily get affiliate links to share on your blog. Amazon cookies last for 24 hours and apply to anything purchased, whether it was the product you suggested or not. So, if a reader follows a link to a $3 product, but ends up buying a $600 product, you get the affiliate commission on the entire sale. I can tell you from experience! Pros: Amazon sells literally billions of products, so if you want to recommend something… it's probably on Amazon The name Amazon is well known and people feel secure buying from them Easy, free signup Cons: Relatively low commission rates Bank or check payouts only, no PayPal Short cookie life of 24 hours 2. ShareASale Affiliate Program   ShareASale is an affiliate network with more than 16,000 merchants that you can recommend to your readers, and it's wildly popular among bloggers. To join, click here to create an account. Follow the steps provided and then search for merchants you'd like to promote. ShareASale tends to work with small-to-medium businesses, so while you won't find Fortune 500 companies on this platform, there are lots of smaller, highly niched merchants to choose from. Once accepted, you will need to search ShareASale's database and apply separately for each merchant you want to be an affiliate for.  Pros: High acceptance rate for merchants Detailed analytics on each merchant on the platform Great user support for those just getting started Cons: Payout threshold of $50 means it takes longer to get paid Limited links available for each merchant 3. Impact Affiliate Program Like ShareASale, Impact is an affiliate network that was formed by former employees of other affiliate networks, and is quickly becoming a favorite for anyone looking to get started in affiliate marketing. To join, click here. The process to join takes a bit longer than it does on other platforms, but once you're in, getting accepted to a merchant's affiliate program is less cumbersome.  Impact, formerly called Impact Radius, includes many large companies like Best Buy and Home Depot, which is great for building trust with potential buyers. Again, since Impact is an affiliate network, you will need to apply separately for each merchant. When you first join, you may not be eligible to apply for larger merchants, but as you earn commissions, more will open up. Pros: Many large companies work with Impact  $25 payout threshold so you get paid faster Excellent reporting and analytics to track your progress Cons: Many of the larger, more well known merchants are not available to new affiliates Platform navigation is not intuitive 4. Commission Junction Affiliate Program Also known as CJ Affiliate, Commission Junction is another well-established affiliate network that can connect bloggers to numerous companies and products. To join, click here and select “publisher” to let CJ Affiliates know you are a blogger. The application process is relatively straight-forward, however, to become an affiliate (or publisher) you have to apply for each merchant's (advertiser) program separately. CJ makes it easy to find companies that are related to your business by allowing you to search by niche, keyword, or specific business name. When you find a company you'd like to work with, complete their application process. Some will respond instantly, some review each application manually, so it takes a few days, others will never respond. Pros: Well-known, trusted companies are part of CJ Affiliates They serve just about every niche Cons: You have to apply for each company's affiliate program separately, and some are quick tricky to get into Accounts can be cut off for low or no sales Difficult to track payouts for each advertiser 5. Your Personal Choice I know, I know. Insert eyeroll, here, right? But the fact is, the most successful way to make money from any affiliate program is to recommend products or services that are highly specific to your niche and something you use and recommend. To find these programs think about what you use to make life easier, automate tasks, make life more enjoyable, or that are must haves for people in your niche. Go to the websites of those products or services you want to recommend and scroll all the way down to the footer. If they offer a public affiliate program, there will likely be a link to click and register. (This link will often lead to a larger affiliate network, like those we've already discussed… but not always.) If there's no affiliate program available on their website, and it's a product or service you know you want to recommend, reach out to the company or entrepreneur directly and ask. Tell them you love what they do and recommend it to everyone you know. Mention you're starting a blog and would love to partner together to promote their product/service. Pros: Highly niched affiliate programs are less likely to have major competition Your audience is primed to buy these products or services, so sales are often stronger than more general products Working with smaller businesses can often lead to other business partnerships Cons: Not everyone you ask is going to be open to an affiliate relationship Private agreements can be harder to track You're responsible for your own contracts, terms, etc. Putting it All Together There are a gajillion affiliate marketing options out there, and honestly, you can't really go wrong with any of them. In fact, I suggest you join multiple affiliate programs and networks as you learn about how it works.  You will find that some merchants work with more than one network and then you can decide which network fits your goals best. 3 Final Tips: When you join an affiliate network take the time to fill in your profile completely. This will give you the best chance of being accepted to merchants you apply to and help merchants find and reach out to you. Only recommend products or services you truly find useful. Your audience needs to trust that when you tell them to invest in something, it's going to be good. Once that trust is broken, it's hard to get it back. Always disclose that you're an affiliate. This includes affiliate links you share on your blog, in emails, and on social media. Ready to take the next step? Get started with my new free mini-course, the 5-Day Content Challenge. Come up with 6 months worth of post ideas to share your affiliate links in just 20-minutes a day! Enroll for free here!

With December here, you may have considered rolling over your 401k retirement plan.  Today, Vince Oldre and Jag break down the pros and cons of doing it:Cons:You plan to retire early or lateProtection from lawsuitsFeesNot sure who to trustLimited OptionsPros:Better performing fundsMore OptionsWant alternatives to bondsWant more flexibility to withdrawalsWant better income strategiesWork with someone who has built a customized portfolio for youAdditional Resources:CFG Retirement Website: https://cfgretirement.com/CFG Retirement Phone Number to Call: 952-657-7470CFG Retirement TEXT line: 612-448-3243Vince email: vince@cfgretirement.com

Episode #15 - 8 Simple Ways To Grow Food In Your Backyard  A while back I asked a gardening community what was something they wished they knew before starting their own food garden. I had many responses including when to plant, water, fertilise, what grows well in their area and how to deal with pests and diseases. These are all pretty common questions for a new gardener and for a well-seasoned one too.  One sentiment that came up was I wish I knew about different methods. It sparked a lot of conversation and it was really interesting to see just how many of us start our journey not knowing what our options are. We research what we want to grow but not how we want to grow it.  In this episode, I want to highlight 8 simple methods that are suitable for the most backyard, or front yard gardens and that are easy enough for any gardener to learn a little about and get going. I will go through the pros and cons of each to help you understand what method or methods will be best for you.  I have personally tried all of these methods at some time over the last 20 years and have settled on a few favourites. I have however been as unbiased as I can.   Containers Container growing is so easy and super convenient especially if you're renting or have a hard surface backyard like a paved courtyard. When you think of container growing don't limit to just pots. Think about anything that you can put soil in and that either has or you can create drainage.  I've grown food in tubs, old buckets, kids paddling pools, old bathtubs, grow bags or old stockfeed bags, direct into potting mix bags and used food containers like soft drink bottles, yoghurt tubs and take away coffee cups.  You will need to choose the right size container for your plant. For instance, you won't grow potatoes in an old yoghurt container but you can grow lettuce or herbs.    Pros Convenient - you can put them just about anywhere Cost-effective - you can find something to grow in for free around the house or pots are very cheap to buy Temporary - If you move you can take them with you Fewer weeds - Containers can get fewer weeds in them and are easy to remove if they do Easy to protect - Easy to cover up f you have issues with pests or animals eating your crops like a hungry possum   Cons You have to add your own soil - This may bump up your budget You have to improve the soil yourself - The plants will deplete the life of the soil fast in pots so you need to stay on top of adding more organic material like compost regularly You will have to feed the soil - you will have to fertilise on a regular basis Water - They require more water more regularly than any other method as they can dry out through heat very fast. When you water a plant in a container the water moves through quite fast.  The plant only has a very limited time to take as much moisture as possible after you water it. Once the water drains through the container the plant doesn't have a water source until the next time you water. On the other hand, if you don't have enough drainage you will drown your plants. Roots need moisture, air and nutrients. An imbalance in any of these will have your container veggies begging for attention.   Raised garden beds Raised garden beds have been around for a very long time and are a favorite of backyard gardeners around the world. There are tonnes of styles, varieties and designs of raised beds. Raised beds are a simple solution to just about any garden and you can set one up pretty easily using reclaimed materials like recycled timber, old roof sheeting, or anything that you can put together that will hold soil. Or, you can buy a raised bed system to install.    Pros All the same pros of containers plus a few more No bending - raised beds are great for people who find bending down challenging Great for urban areas - Many Urban areas are susceptible to soil contamination from heavy metals. if you don't know if your soil may be contaminated a raised garden bed is a great alternative No tilling -  with raised garden beds it's easy to add compost and soil to the top of the bed each season without the need of turning over the soil No compaction from walking in the garden -  remember I mentioned that plants need moisture, air and nutrients. Compaction from us walking back and forth on our gardens can deplete the air pockets, a raised bed can help overcome this.  Cons Again, all the same cons as containers plus a few more Cost- I know I said earlier that it can be very cheap or maybe even free to build a raised garden bed but if you want to put in a whole Garden of raised garden beds it's likely but you're going to have to outlay some money. As with containers, you're going to have to import soil to fill up those raised garden beds. Productivity -  If you have great soil and have all the elements of the 3 key ingredients right then this won't be an issue however, getting the right balance across the growing season is tricky and this will affect the productivity of your garden.  Overcrowding - It is much easier to overcrowd a raised bed, even with best-laid plans. Often when we plant out our raised garden bed to maximize the space with plant flower seeds or seedlings close to the edge. Unfortunately, their roots don't take nutrients from the hard edge so their roots are pushed back in towards their neighbours, creating competition. You need some skills - you have to be a little handy to put them together and maintain them. They won't last forever.  Conventional garden beds When I'm talking about a conventional garden bed, I'm talking about the old school style bed where you would dig or till a section of your garden, remove the weeds and maybe add some gypsum if on clay soil or import soil and compost if you are on sandy soil and plant into the ground. This is the standard method for most garden market and large scale farmers.     Pros No Cost - it's pretty much free, pending any soil improvement you may need to do Access to greater nutrients - Without the restriction of walls the plants roots can go deeper and wider accessing a greater level of nutrients and moisturiser Beaks up compacted soil - tilling a garden bed can help to break up any compaction that will allow air and moisture to penetrate the soil. Cons Disturbs the soil structure - The soil is a web of life and when we turn the soil over we are turning that structure on its head. This allows dominant weeds to access sunlight and grow and causes helpful underground critters such as earthworms to go deeper in all moved undisturbed areas.  Causes crusty bits - When we till the soil we expose a greater surface area to air and sunlight while reducing moisture retainability. This causes the earth to crust over and causes water to be repelled rather than absorbed.  Can cause erosion - when we till we loosen the topsoil and when it rains or it's windy, there is nothing to hold the soil together causing erosion.    No-dig or Lasagne method I did say at the start that I would be as unbiased as possible, I do have to say however this is one of my favourite methods. A no-dig or lasagne method is where you layer a mix of carbon-based materials and nitrogen-based materials.  Carbon material is anything like straw, woodchips, cardboard or wet newspaper, leaf litter, sawdust and rotten timber.  Nitrogen is anything such as grass clippings, weeds, worm castings, compost, vegetable scraps, animal manure, animal bedding and coffee grounds.  Often carbons are referred to as browns and nitrogen is referred to as greens, but this colour identification isn't always accurate. As the name suggests you layer these items on top of each other starting with the bulkiest item of carbon followed by the bulkiest nitrogen layer followed by another carbon layer and so on. A good tip is to add some compost as you go to help maintain the structure and kick start the microbe process. Water each layer as you go This bed will heat up and over a few weeks, start to break down. Wait for the heat to go out of the garden bed. You can plant directly into it or put a thicker layer of compost and soil on top and plant shallow rooted veggies like leafy greens and water well.    2 big tips here is to  1-Use a garden fork to ‘open the soil' before adding the first layer. Put the fork all the way in and tilt it back without digging up or turning over the soil.  2-Place wet newspaper or wet cardboard over the top of the finished lasagne garden. overlapping it so no daylight can get through, Then add a thick layer of mulch over the top. This will do one of two things first it will stop any weeds from germinating as they won't be able to access sunlight and secondly it will retain moisture like a boss.    Pros Retains moisture very very well - even though droughts Natural nutrients are accessible at all times - No fertilising needed Soil is alive - you will have created a living garden bed with all the great bacteria, worms and other life needed for a super healthy garden Once and done - there is a bit of work upfront but once it's done you will have minimal maintenance No hard digging - no hard labour needed Reduction in soil compaction - You will have opened the soil and created loads of airflow along with moisture holding properties.  More natural style gardening - this mimics nature so it's hardier and more pest and disease resistant Regeneration - This method regenerates even the hardest, compacted and crappy soil over time Best producing garden bed - this is by far the best producing method I have and still use.     Cons Not suitable for hard surfaces - You can't use this method on concrete or pavers Need to gather all materials beforehand - you can add to it as you go but to get going you will want to have everything there ready to put on.  Takes a bit of grunt to do initially - this isn't totally labour free. The initial building of the lasagne bed does take some effort, it's great to get helpers involved. May need to start small - Because this method takes some time and financial investment to get all the materials in one place and put them together it may be a good idea to start small and add to your garden bed as you need.   Straw bales There are 2 straw bale methods. One is planting into the bales directly and the other is using them as the walls of the garden bed, similar to a raised garden bed. I am talking about the latter where straw bales are put together and used to create a temporary garden bed. Ideally only one bale wide and as many as you like long.  The reason you only want one bale wide is you can still access the centre of your garden bed from either side. Fill up the garden bed as you would a raised bed.  I have tried the grow in bale method a number of times and have had a little success but the fuss of it wasn't worth it in my opinion and that's why I am talking about the method I still use when I have access to cheap straw or cow hay bales.    Pros Moisture retention - once the bales are wet they hold moisture incredibly well and this keeps a good level of accessible moisture in the soil. They break down creating compost  - as the straw bale start to decompose they will add nutrients to the soil and create an in situ compost. You can put them just about anywhere -  you don't have to put these on soil, you can put them on a concrete or paved surface. But be mindful that this may create permanent stains so may not be suitable for renters.  Cheap - At about $5 a bale,  they are a very cost-effective raised garden bed Free mulch and compost when it's finished  - once the bales are spent and no longer has structure you can add this back into your soil in the next garden bed as compost and mulch   Cons You need to transport bales or have them delivered - they are bulky Temporary - I found that they will last about 2 seasons at most so not suitable for longer crops or perennials.  Not suitable for small spaces - again they are bulky in the garden so if you are tight on space then they may not be for you   Vertical Growing vertically is great if you're limited on space and have vacant sunny walls or fences.  you can use any of the other methods with a vertical garden buy trellising from a container, raised bed or garden bed or by installing a vertical system designed for upward growth.  Pros Space saver - you can grow more food by growing vines upward Build your own - use reclaimed or recycled materials like pipe and brackets to create your own vertical garden Buy your own - if you are lacking in the handy skills department there are many vertical garden clip together options to choose from Easy to access and maintain - no bending or digging   Cons Limited on crops - you are limited to growing food plants that fit within the growing space. Things like corn and potatoes aren't going to be as practical as strawberries, herbs, and vines. Cost - even if you're going to build your own it's going to take some financial outlay Watering system - Growing vertically tends to zap the moisture from the soil very fast so you will want to have a watering system in place such as drip irrigation or some sort of gravity-fed watering system.   Hydroponics  I have dabbled with hydroponics on and off over the years but I haven't ever found it to be sustainable for me and besides, I like getting my hands in the soil. I do know though that there are many backyards that find this method fail-proof and swear by it. Pros Indoors - With a hydroponic system you can grow indoors with no mess Your plants get exactly the right nutrients - the kit tells you exactly what to put in when so there is no guessing if your veggies need extra nutrients. No watering - because they are grown in water Healthy strong plants- because the plants get the right amount of nutrients spell tend to be strong and this will reduced pest and diseases   Cons  Limited crops - Like with vertical gardening your limited to the types of food plants you can grow Cost - This is the most expensive way to grow vegetables.  There are large set up costs and substantial ongoing costs to buy the right hydroponic solutions and nutrients. Skill - There is a fair amount of skill involved in setting up and maintaining a hydroponic system   Wicking Garden Bed A wicking bed is a garden bed that has a water reservoir at the bottom filled with rocks or sand and a wicking material that separates the reservoir from the top layer of soil. The reservoir is filled up from a tube at the top of the garden bed comma and an overflow is installed at the very top of the reservoir to ensure that the soil doesn't become waterlogged. Wicking beds are great if you want to grow in containers but don't have the time to water every day or are water conscious and don't want to waste any. These can be as big or small as you like and can be made using buckets or even large IBC's cut in half (the big white caged food-grade containers).    Pros No water wastage - whether you fill-up the reservoir from the fill tube or water the garden bed as normal any excess water is stored in the base and is used on demand by the plants Keeps plants watered all the time - no summer wilting or dry out stress You can add nutrients to the water - like diluted worm wee or weed tea that will give your plants an ongoing source of nutrients Less weed - like raised garden beds Great for anywhere - this is ideal for renters or those with no soil areas. Easy to maintain garden - the veggies will almost look after themselves   Cons You need materials - this will cost to set up. You need your container, reservoir medium, flexi pipe for the fill tube, poly pipe for the overflow, geotextile fabric and soil. You need knowledge - There is some research and understanding you need before setting up a wicking bed When something goes wrong it usually means starting again - Issues include piercing the reservoir, geo-tech fabric, having soil enter the reservoir or blocked pipes. I would love to hear what works for you or what you would like to try.     More information Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast Blogs - www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting Newsletter sign up    This episode is sponsored by Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Composting Masterclass. This masterclass will help you go from wasting food and money to creating your own gold star garden soil system without mess, cost or hard work. The masterclass will show you how to choose, create and get started with your own simple system, all in your backyard.    Reach me Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/ Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet jo@sohfarmlet.com.au   Subscribe Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Review I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week). For apple listeners, you can review HERE. For other players follow the review link (if available) don't forget to leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram too so I can give you a shout out!   Share I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related. I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!   Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

-SUPPORT THE SHOW-MERCH and Art https://shop.odddadoutpodcast.com(I checked, it works)Leave Me a Voicemail ‪(516) 636-7631‬ (ODO-POD1)Join the Facebook Group Oddballs: Friends of The Odd Dad Outhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/odddadoutDonate on Patreonhttp://patreon.com/join/odddadoutFollow Along on Social athttps://www.twitter.com/odddadout/https://www.facebook.com/odddadout/https://www.instagram.com/odddadoutIn the last episode I started to talk about all of the things that I've been up to during the hiatus, before getting thumb deep into a bloody mess. This time the plan is to give you the rest of the update that I meant to give last time. And oh boy! Do I have a lot of stuff to share with you! I'm not gonna cover everything right now. We all know that would take hours and I'm completely capable of doing it. Instead, I'll hit some high points, and if you want to hear more about something, you can just let me know. And finally, an update on how the featured podcast segment is changing, and my first rebooted podcast review feature is going to, my very first audio drama love, "Welcome to Night Vale."Recommended ListeningWelcome to Night Valehttp://welcometonightvale.com/"WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local "weather," news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events."Pros:In the early seasons, the story arc that flows through between episodes really adds depth to the worldExcellent writing and character development over the years.Cecil's voice and narrative style draws you in and makes you trust him, until you learn that he may have a little bit of bias.The complexity of the story after 8 years of building is amazing. So many things have changed in this world since the first season that it's hardly even the same world anymore. *wink*The little running gags and dark humor will have you questioning what you just heard while also laughing your head off at the absurdity.It's got a taste of Lovecraft inspiration, but not directly .The original musical score by "Disparition" sets the tone perfectly.Cons:You really can't just jump in at any time. You've gotta go all the way back to the start.The "weather" segments are very "hit or miss."There are way too many ads at the start of each episode. (I know it's shitty to complain about this, but after a while it gets really annoying to listen to.)The later seasons start dragging out and become difficult to follow.The main storyline in later seasons is less cohesive. It is obvious in the storytelling when the writers stopped focusing on this show.In short, I really do love "Welcome to Night Vale." The weirdness of it all is right up my alley. The character and lore development over 8 years is phenomenal. The contrast of the macabre with the humor is perfect. But after 8 years, the writing quality is starting to dip and the stories just aren't as engaging as they were in earlier seasons. Is it still a great podcast? Absolutely. But is it still as great as it once was? Not necessarily. 3 1/2 stars.

Mmm-mm we like the sound of this new microphone from CUI Devices - the new CMM-4030D-261-I2S (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/CMM-4030D-261-I2S-TR/2223-CMM-4030D-261-I2S-CT-ND/13404679?itemSeq=343478410) That part number is quite a mouthful, but also pretty descriptive since 4030 is the size of the mic (4x3mm) and I2S is the interface it uses for audio. The reason we picked this for EYE on NPI? It's the only top-ported I2S microphone available on Digi-Key and we've been looking for one for a while! If you've ever designed a product with a microphone input you know you basically have two choices - good ol' electret microphones (https://www.adafruit.com/?q=electret&sort=BestMatch) or MEMS-based mics. (https://www.cuidevices.com/blog/analog-or-digital-how-to-choose-the-right-mems-microphone-interface). Electrets have been around for decades, are very inexpensive and easy to use. However, they have a few big downsides - one is you can't SMT reflow them (or at least, not any of the low cost one's we've ever seen or used) - they must be hand/selective/wave soldered instead. Two, they are analog output and need an amplifier. The amplifier is not a big deal, but if you want to have digital input into your chip, single board computer, or FPGA, you need to then get a separate I2S audio converter chip (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/filter/interface-codecs/716). Either way, if you're trying to avoid non-SMT assembly steps, that low cost electret isn't as low cost anymore! OK so next you look at MEMS mics - created by measuring the capacitance change in a MEMS diaphragm when sound pushes it towards a matching plate. (https://res.mdpi.com/d_attachment/micromachines/micromachines-09-00323/article_deploy/micromachines-09-00323.pdf) Because they are solid state, you can pick and place and SMT reflow them for easy manufacture. They're also much smaller and thinner than electrets, so they're great for making tight builds. So, problem number one is solved! And, unlike electrets, you can get them with three different output options: analog, PDM and I2S (https://www.cuidevices.com/catalog/audio/microphones/mems-microphones) Analog is the earliest and simplest - the capacitance change in the MEMS transducer is converted to a small analog value and piped out one of the pins. (https://www.cuidevices.com/product-spotlight/mems-microphones#5) You still need to amplify it, but any op-amp will do the job. Pro: cheap, simple, great if you have an analog input, can replace electret analog circuits. Cons: Need an extra op-amp and passives, analog input. Next up is PDM output - which is a weird semi-analog digital signal. Like PWM, if you were to low-pass filter PDM, you'd get an analog signal, but you get the benefit of clock-synced output. And it's really simple with only two pins needed for stereo microphone in (one has data on falling clock, one on rising). You do need to do heavy filtering to get rid of the square wave 'carrier' but that's often handled within the PDM peripheral on your chip - at worst you can sorta treat it like an SPI device at 1 MHz and perform the filtering yourself in code. (https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_ZeroPDM) Pros: cheap, fairly simple if you have a PDM peripheral on your chip. Cons: You need that special peripheral! So finally we get to I2S, which was how we got here in the first place! I2S microphones have a true I2S interface, so they work with many more chips including existing codecs that expect I2S inputs. For example, Raspberry Pi computers and other Single Board Linux computers often don't have PDM inputs, but they do have I2S! So you can wire this microphone directly to a Pi. (https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-i2s-mems-microphone-breakout/overview) Also many other chips, even if they don't have PDM or you don't want to use analog, will have solid I2S support. Only downside is that, at least for now, I2S mics are more expensive than PDM or analog - but they may be cheaper than analog mics + a codec or ADC! And they're definitely small so if you want to have a very compact build, they're great. Like we mentioned at the beginning, this is the first top-ported I2S microphone we've seen, so we're happy we can pick one up to use in a future design. Digi-Key has a bunch of CMM-4030D-261-I2S-TR in stock right now (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/CMM-4030D-261-I2S-TR/2223-CMM-4030D-261-I2S-CT-ND/13404679?itemSeq=343478410), you can order tonight and have it by tomorrow morning, save yourself some time by downloading the CAD footprint from SnapEDA (https://www.snapeda.com/parts/CMM-4030D-261-I2S-TR/CUI%20Devices/view-part/?ref=digikey) while you wait for the package to be delivered! Short URL to Digi-Key: https://www.digikey.com/short/zdfjf1 Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/

Many people who ask me to be their executor commonly make their will using do-it-yourself methods. DIY estate planning can be tricky, so here are some tips on how to maximize the chances your DIY estate plan will actually work. Our Methodology We created identical estate plans using 3 popular free DIY will sites. Here is the fictional persona we used: John Doe is a solo ager. That is, he's unmarried with no children Unless your will is super-simple, you should work with a lawyer. So John's plan is very basic: he'd like to give his estate in equal thirds to two friends and one charity John would like to nominate me as his professional executor John will hire a lawyer to supervise his signing, as we recommend. Therefore, we did not review each site's signing instructions We generated John's will on the 3 free sites. Then, my trusted colleague Maureen Pritchard, Esq. and I reviewed the results. FreeWill.com Our top pick for DIY will software is FreeWill.com. The site is well-designed, and pleasant to navigate, and John's will had zero errors. The only caveat is the constant requests for donations. The site was funded by various charities, and they're not shy about asking to be named in your will. We were interrupted several times with prompts asking if John would like to add charitable beneficiaries to his will. But if you're thick-skinned and can ignore the pushy requests, or if you plan to give to charity anyway, this is a great choice. Pros Very professional product. The will did not have any typos or substantive errors Well-designed site. A very pleasant user experience Includes health care documents, too Cons Barrage of requests for charitable donations Your will includes signatures lines and initials on each page. These are not legally necessary, and feel like overkill DoYourOwnWill.com DoYourOwnWill.com is truly a 100% free option for making a DIY will. You don't even have to give you email address (unless you want to save your will). This means that you're not even paying with your personal data. But, just as in most of life, you get what you pay for. It may be completely free, but it has a few problems. Pros 100% Free. Not even an email required Most private option Easy-to-follow user-interface Includes health care documents, too Cons Several typos in John's will. Despite the typos, the will was substantively fine John's burial instruction is written into his will. In real life, this doesn't make much sense, since in many cases no one even looks at the will until after the funeral,. RocketLawyer.com RocketLawyer is the most well-known brand on this list but be prepared to be up-sold from their free option to one of their more profitable packages. It doesn't feel like they spent a lot of effort on this free version. The user-experience is very clunky, and John's will has substantive errors. Maybe the plan is to nudge free users to a better, paid version?   Pros RocketLawyer is big name in legal DIY You may already have a RocketLawyer account and feel comfortable with their platform Cons You must create an account, and it feels like you'll get up-sold a lot John's will had a substantive error (the will treated the charity as an individual. Not necessarily fatal, but can cause headaches later during the probate process) We couldn't find healthcare documents as part of the free package There are many DIY estate planning sites out there. We hope that our review and recommendations will help you pick the one that's right for you. To learn more about the process of planning your estate, complete the info below to receive a FREE copy of my best-sellingbook. FREE Copy of “The Solo Ager Estate Plan” Complete this form to receive your complimentary copy of Anthony’s Amazon best-seller, “The Solo Ager Estate Plan”

Want multiple streams of income? How would it feel not to be 100% dependent on just your day job income? Today we want to dive into streams of income that others use to smooth out the edges as things get rough - and in 2020, everybody needs multiple streams of income! Develop Your Multiple Streams of Income (MSI) Here are some of the more popular categories others use for diversification of their income. Your Day Job - Never forget to focus on this income source. Providing service through a third party - Pizza delivery, shopper, Uber driver, Amazon driver, UPS, or another delivery driver. Pros - They do the marketing. Cons - You have little control over what you do. Consulting/coaching service - Fiverr, Upwork, etc. - This is the easiest thing to do where you have a little control over what you offer. Pros - It is easy to get started. Cons - Takes your time to deliver the service. Home services - From yard work, small repairs, pressure washing, cooking, cleaning, closet organizing - something for everyone here. Pros - We all have something to offer. Cons - You have to work on location. Creating Intellectual Property - Udemy, teaching, writing books, etc. Pros - Recurring income and some platforms help you market. Cons - Can feel daunting to start. No money flows until you are complete. Real Estate Rentals - Cost more to get started and can be a long haul to start to win. Pros - Can be almost passive. Cons - The higher cost to get started. Buying a Business Pros - Can generate much higher returns than others. Cons - Takes time to work a deal and can turn into a lot of cash. My MSI Stocks - The biggest win for growth. Little maintenance, significant growth. Not something that many start with. E-Commerce - The most money and the easiest to ramp up or down as I need Real estate - This is steady money. Houses paid off. Good renters. Maintenance a constant issue but comes and goes. Online courses - Steady income with almost no maintenance activity. Books - Money goes up and down at times, but again little maintenance activity. Affiliates - These are products from other companies I sell and they ship. Amazon is one. Others are companies that have products which complement my own products. Coaching/Consulting - Professional startup and career coaching and business consulting, mostly involving organizational and process improvement. I have never focused heavily on developing this path - but the work is enjoyable. Click here to listen now. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes! If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you! Links mentioned in this episode: Fiverr Upwork Udemy

We both focus more on tracking our expenses vs. budgeting.  We thrive on spending as little as we can, though Maggie does splurge more than Mike does and Maggie believes in spending top dollar in some categories of her life.  Although we focus on tracking expenses, we know a lot of people who really focus on setting and keeping to a budget.  If you’re budgeting, then you’re tracking to some degree as you need to do that to know if you’re meeting your set budget.  But you could decide to only track, and not set a specific budget goal.  Budgeting:Setting a dollar limit for categories of expenses you can spend in a time period. Typically this is based on your income, but can also be for one-off or special purchases.Pros:Helps develop discipline by creating a goal.Can help alleviate the guilt of spending money if you give yourself permission to spend up to that budget.Cons:You’ll always spend right up to or over your budget, even if you don’t really need something.  While helping create discipline to do so later, it doesn’t by itself drive better performance over time.Best to use this method if...You don’t have a lot of discipline, and you know you need and do better with clear boundaries.  You’re on a fixed income.  Systems:  Dave Ramsey envelope, YNAB, Mint app, personal capital, etc.Tracking Expenses:Cataloging every expense you have, reviewing it regularly and changing your spending habits because of it.Pros:Creates a tool for continuous improvement. Creates a great record of expenses for research or comparisonsAllows you to better forecast your income needs in the future, which is an absolute requirement if you’re interested in FIRE.Cons:Sometimes makes it hard to splurge if you’re constantly measuring yourself against previous months or years. Time consumingTediousBest to use this method if...Budgeting hasn’t worked for you in the past.You can’t explain where your money is going.You have aggressive financial goals.You’ve already established some level of discipline. Systems:  Manual spreadsheet like we do, Mint app, personal capital, etc. Top 3 Takeaways:These are two different ends of systems and approaches, and they each have their benefits.  Think of them as a progression. Move from budgeting to tracking as you establish discipline.Budgeting is easy, but the results can be mixed. Tracking is hard, but the potential is huge.Whatever you decide, you need to understand where your money is going. Until you establish a method to improve your spending, chances are it will continue to get worse because the economy is set up to get you to spend more and more.--Show ReferencesPersonal CapitalMintYNAB - You need a budget---Follow friends on FIRETwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedInLeave us a voicemail or text us: 404-981-3370eMail us at:  friendsonfiremm@gmail.comVisit our website: www.friendsonfire.org---Other LinksMaggie’s Blog: Mostly Minimal LifeMike’s Book: Your New Relationship with Money

Hosts Kevin Farrell and Dr Nancy Lottridge Anderson and Ryder Taff discuss, current events, credit cards and take your questions.American credit card debt now exceeds $1 trillion. The average US household has $8,398 in credit card debt. 60% of Americans carry their credit card balance month to month. Coin shortage, mortgage rates, stores closing on Thanksgiving this year: everybody https://www.theblackfriday.com/stores-closed-on-thanksgiving-day.phpAccording to the website nerd wallet dot com credit score ranges are: 300-329 Bad, 630 – 689 Fair, 690-719 Good, and 720-850 means the likelihood of you repaying new debt is excellent. A credit card allows you to borrow money from a bank to make purchases. As long as you pay back the money you borrow within the “grace period” of 25-30 days, you don’t have to pay extra. If you don’t pay it back in that time period, you’ll have to pay interest — a percentage of the money you owe the bank — on top of what you borrowed. Until the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, women could not get a credit card without a husband as a co-signer. That meant single women and married women who wished to establish credit separate from their spouses were denied credit cards. The 1974 law made it illegal for creditors to discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or marital status.According to Shift Credit Card Processing: 14% of Americans have at least 10 credit cardsPros:You can make a large purchase now and pay it off in smaller amounts over time. Carrying credit cards is more convenient (and safer) than carrying a wad of cash, and credit cards are more widely accepted than personal checks. With responsible use, you can build your credit, which will be important later on.Many credit cards give you rewards, essentially giving you back 1% or more of the money you spend. Or sign-up bonuses.Cons:You can easily dig yourself into debt if you’re not careful about your spending.The ease of using credit cards can cause you to overspend.Missing payments or maxing out a card can sink your credit score quickly.Interest can make even a small debt become large over time.Types of cards:REWARDS – cash back, travel points, specific airline or hotel cards, store cards.Best for cardholders who pay their bill in full every monthLOW INTEREST - lower interest rate, might come with a 0% introductory APR period. Good credit needed to qualifyBALANCE TRANSFER - move your debt from another issuer to take advantage of a lower interest rate. Requires good or excellent credit.SECURED credit card require a security deposit. For those with average or bad creditSTUDENT CARDS - The Credit Card Act of 2009 prohibits issuers from giving cards to people under 21 unless they have proof of income or a co-signer. Helps people establish creditRemember:Fees: late payment, annual fees, Balance transfer fee, Cash advance fee, Foreign transaction feeInterest payments when you don’t pay off your debt in full: APR for purchases, APR for balance transfers, APR for cash advances, Penalty APRTips:Pay your bill on time and in full every monthKeep your balance below 30% of your available creditWait at least six months between credit card applicationsReview your account online weekly to track spending and avoid fraudKeep no-annual-fee credit cards open and active to avoid hurting your credit scorehttps://spendmenot.com/credit-card-debt-statistics/https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/nerdscholar/credit-card/#:~:text=A%20credit%20card%20allows%20you%20to%20borrow%20money%20from%20a,round%2Dtrip%20ticket%20to%20France.&text=If%20you%20don't%20pay,top%20of%20what%20you%20borrowed.https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/credit-cards-101?trk=nw_gn2_4.0https://shiftprocessing.com/credit-card/Calls about:Billsproving it's not your debtdebt collection time framekeeping a file of correspondence See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode we talk about if Airbnb is a good investment for you! We talk about the pros and cons of owning an airbnb investment property. We discuss all the possible hidden fees that can occur, which a regular LTR property may not have! Help support us by joining our Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/BrokeMillennialFinance)Check out our website for more content: (https://brokemillennialfinance.net) Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel: (https://www.youtube.com/c/brokemillennialfinance)Here are the referral links for you to join to get your free stocks:Robinhood: (http://join.robinhood.com/mohamak17)Webull: (https://act.webull.com/i/QNmo8WB8Yzc2/ufl/)Coinbase: (http://coinbase.com/join/khan_st?src=ios-link)Show Notes:Is airbnb a good investment?Pros:The short term rental market is growingIt is expected to grow 8% annuallyHigh rental incomeYou can get a lot more income in prime locations rather than renting your place.I.e: You can rent out a place in Orlando for about $120 a day (60% occupancy rate, monthly $2160) and average rent is $1400 a month.You can use the place for vacation yourself!Landlord/Tenant laws don't apply.Cons:You will have to get a PMThey end up charging 25-50% of your income which can be quite high. This can be a fixed fee as well, but might not be worth it depending on occupancy %.Income can be irregularIt takes time to build up your ratings and reviews.You might get charged certain fees for HOA or the local communityRegulations can end up hurting you (NYC banned airbnb for rental shorter than 30 days)You are responsible for all bills (Taxes, Electricity, Gas, etc)

ZeroMQ is an Open Source Messaging Library designed for a high-performance asynchronous messaging library. In this video I discuss this tech and build a simple queue with this tech 0:00 Intro 1:48 What is ZeroMQ? 4:48 Messaging Patterns 6:42 Socket Types 8:55 Simple Queue 11:00 Code 23:20 ZeroMQ Pros & Cons 29:30 Summary Source Code https://github.com/hnasr/javascript_playground/tree/master/zeromq-simplequeue Resources https://github.com/booksbyus/zguide/tree/master/examples/Node.js https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZeroMQ https://blog.scottlogic.com/2015/03/20/ZeroMQ-Quick-Intro.html http://zguide.zeromq.org/page:chapter3#advanced-request-reply Outline What is ZeroMQ? Message library Message Patterns Broker less Simple you build the components that you need Sockets Types REQ REP PUSH PULL ROUTER DEALER Message PatternS Synchronous Request/Response Asynchronous Request/Response Publish/Subscribe Push/Pull Exclusive Pair Example! (Simple Queue (Push Pull)) Pros & Cons Pros Simple (meh) Efficient lightweight Great for small use cases Cons You have to write customize If you are building a large distributed message queue then you need to implement all features Feels over-engineered Could be simpler. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hnasr/message

If you’re having trouble paying your mortgage during the pandemic, don’t seek out a forbearance before reading this. What is a forbearance? Put simply, a forbearance is an agreement in which your mortgage provider allows you to delay your payments for a certain period—but it’s not the same as mortgage forgiveness. For example, suppose you’re in the restaurant industry with a $1,000-a-month payment, and you’re just not able to make those payments for the next four months. So what happens to the $4,000 you deferred? Well, different things can happen to it: The bank can add it to the back of your loan, meaning your loan period will be extended by four months. You can also get what’s called a ‘silent second’, which means that the deferred $4,000 will be kept on the side, and whenever you sell or refinance the property, you’ll be expected to pay it. Here are some pros and cons of forbearance: Cons: You still owe the deferred amount. This is something that people need to consider, especially those who have FHA or VA loans, where you pay your taxes and insurance together with your mortgage. In those cases, your property taxes and insurance aren’t getting paid, and since there’s no law or regulation that states what will happen to that portion of your payment, the county might demand that you pay your property taxes, and your insurance company might do the same. If the government isn’t stepping in for that portion of your payment, you’re still liable. It’s critical that you speak with your lender to see how forbearance would affect your situation. “A forbearance isn’t a way of saving money—it’s a can of worms.” Pros: Forbearance will help you get through these challenging times. Plus, there won’t be any late payments for the deferral period. Not to mention that your lender won’t be reporting your forbearance to your credit bureau, which means your credit won’t be penalized. Mind you, we’re not talking about every single mortgage out there—only the ones governed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other government-backed entities.  If you’ve been affected by the pandemic and need assistance, here are the steps you need to take: Call the number on the bottom on your mortgage statement and request forbearance. They won’t implement this help automatically. Fill them in on your situation and why you cannot make your mortgage payment.  Make sure you get the details of the arrangement in writing. I do want to reemphasize that forbearance is not equal to forgiveness, and that’s why I recommend that if you still have a job and can pay your mortgage, you should. Don’t jump on the bandwagon of forbearance simply because it seems easy in the short term. A forbearance isn’t a way of saving money—it’s a can of worms. That money is non-interest-bearing, so you won’t generate any interest on the money you don’t pay. If you need help or have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help you.

Pros: You will learn. You will be pushed when you need it. You will likely get out of your normal way of doing things and find new ways that you might like better. You have accountability. You are required to literally show up. You invested yourself financially, and therefore you are more likely to follow through with the plan. You save time you would spend yourself on planning your training and nutrition (depending on the coach). You don’t have to think. You just show up and perform what your coach asks. Your coach most likely knows a lot more than you. Online coaches can do a good amount more for you than in person CPTs. Cons: You have to pay for it. Your coach won’t know right away what plan is best for you and your body. You might get a “bad” coach. You might pay money but it doesn’t guarantee results. You won’t get instant results. Expect to have a coach for a long time—I’d say plan for a year at minimum. You might not get a coach that teaches you. They might just tell you what to do without explaining why. In-gym personal trainers cost way too much money, and most of that money doesn’t even go to the trainer. In-gym CPTs are supervised and make sure that you continually keep paying for programs. On the flip side, online coaches oftentimes keep trying to make you come back to them for everything. They try to make you dependent on them by saying things like “everyone needs a coach.” That’s false. Not everyone needs a coach. Coaches not “graduating” their clients to the real world.

Today I'm joined by Andy Hill from the podcast Marriage, Kids and Money. We're also joined by his lovely wife, Nicole. Together, Andy and Nicole share all about their vacation bringing their two kids to Walt Disney World for the very first time. You will learn things like what they would do differently next time and their favorite meal at the Magic Kingdom. And I'll give you a spoiler...it's not Be Our Guest! Trip Dates: September 23 - 26 Weather: In Andy's words...It was pretty sweaty. Crowds: It's interesting because Nicole felt the parks were SUPER crowded.  She said coincidentally they walked by a guy who was like, "Wow, I've never seen it so empty here." This proves perspective is everything! Resort Review: All-Star Sports Trip Planning Details Travel Party: Andy and Nicole's two little kids: a six-year-old daughter and a four-year-old boy Calvin. It was not only the four of them, but this trip was also a  very special treat. It was Andy's parent's 50th anniversary this year and their 70th birthdays this year and they said for their birthdays, all they wanted to do was treat Andy and his family to Disney World. All expenses paid. How very blessed to have such loving parents and in-laws that would do something like that! How they picked their dates: Andy had a conference for his side hustle that was going on at the same time. They also thought it might be a little cooler than the summertime, it worked well for Andy's parents, taking the kids out of school at six and four wasn't a concern. Memory Maker: No Disney Dining Plan: No Dining Reservations: None The Itinerary Arrival Day: Magic Kingdom Favorite ride: The Little Mermaid (they rode it at least six times during their trip!) Highlight: Meeting Tiana and Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall Day Two: Animal Kingdom Dinosaur was too scary for their kids After spending some time with the family at the park, Andy and Nicole hung back while Grandma and Grandpa took the kids back to the hotel. They enjoyed a meal at Rainforest Cafe and rode Expedition Everest, which they absolutely loved. Day Three: Magic Kingdom Day Four: Epcot & Magic Kingdom The kids were not thrilled with Epcot, and in fact found the most joy in the splash pad fountain. It happens. Even though Nicole really enjoyed it and would have like to stay, she had great perspective in that this trip is for her kids, so they went back to the hotel and swam. That night, Andy's parents took the kids back to Magic Kingdom while Andy and Nicole attended a work event. His parents told him that the kids lit up watching the Happily Ever After fireworks more than they did the rest of the entire trip. Stroller Tip: Kingdom Strollers Andy and Nicole felt that the best investment they made for their four days in the parks was partnering with Kingdom Strollers. They had a double BOB delivered directly to the hotel every morning. Pros: Skip the lines to check out the stroller in the morning and back in at night, when you're so tired. Cons: You have to bring it on the bus if you're staying on property. If it was a full shuttle, you will most likely find it pressed up against you, but still worth it to not wait in the lines when you're entering and leaving the park.   Vacation Tips for Families Designate somebody to be the program leader of the trip, owning the FastPass+ reservations and understanding what are the rides that you're going to get on, and then closely monitoring the app throughout the day. If you can master the app, it can work to your advantage big time. As soon as you check in at your third ride, check the My Disney Experience app for open FastPasses. You can keep doing this until they are all gone for the day! The biggest learning Andy and Nicole would like to share is that you may have a strategy or a plan on paper or study what's worked for somebody else, but once you get there it's really all letting the kids influence decisions and take the lead. They might want to stay on The Little Mermaid ride ten more times and you may have a FastPass+ in ten minutes. You might have to say, forget the FastPass+, as hard as it might have been to get. This is what you're here for. Let them smile, let them lead the charge some of the time, and let go of the plan. What they packed in their park bag: SPF, water bottles, sandwiches and snacks, and a change of clothes for the kids. Andy and Nicole's Favorite Restaurant: Table Service Tony's Town Square Restuarant What Andy and Nicole will plan for on their next vacation Be Our Guest Character meals Stay in a monorail resort Favorite Vacation memories Nicole: Expedition Everest, and seeing her kids' faces light up on The Little Mermaid ride Andy: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (it's a good family compromise between Expedition Everest and The Little Mermaid). Grandma and Grandpa: Hands down Happily Ever After (the fireworks) when they went back that Wednesday night. Learn more about Andy Hill and Marriage, Kids and Money The podcast, Marriage, Kids and Money, is focused on helping young families build wealth and make smart money decisions. And sometimes Disney can be a big money decision! A lot of the conversations on the podcast are about how we can save up our money to be able to go on a trip like this and be able to afford it so it doesn't become something that's on our credit card bill for six months later. The conversations Andy is having on his podcast are about how we can set our family up for success and truly strengthen our family tree. You will find it so helpful and impactful. Be sure to check for the latest episodes here. You can also find Andy on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. **Report the Magic is not affiliated with Andy Hill or Marriage, Kids and Money**

Selling your home via an auction comes with its share of benefits and drawbacks, which I'll share with you today. Selling your Colorado home? Get a free home value report Buying a Colorado home? Search all homes for sale Thinking about selling your home through an auction? Here are some of the pros and cons of doing so: Pros: You can sell the home quickly in a specific time period. A bidding war can lead to a higher sales price. The home is usually sold as is, so you won't have to worry about making any repairs to it. Cons: You might not meet your reserve price (the price you set that's the lowest you're willing to sell the home for) if there's not enough pre-marketing activity. I definitely recommend setting a reserve price, otherwise, your home might end up selling for $1. You may have additional commissions, costs, fees, and expenses. Most real estate agents aren't auctioneers, so you'll have to pay for those additional services. Many retail buyers don't like the auction process—they have to pay additional fees as well. Home auctions are typically used by sellers whose homes aren't selling quickly enough in a slower market, so since we're in a really fast market, it may not apply to current conditions. Banks also tend to use auctions to sell homes that are in a state of disrepair. “HOME AUCTIONS ARE TYPICALLY USED BY SELLERS WHOSE HOMES AREN'T SELLING QUICKLY ENOUGH IN A SLOWER MARKET.” You have the choice of either auctioning your home through the public trustee's auction at the steps of the courthouse or through a private auction company. My team has experience with both, so if you'd like more information about them or you have more questions about the auction process, don't hesitate to reach out to us. As always, if you have any other questions or you're thinking of buying or selling a home, feel free to call or email me. My team and I would love to help you.

In this episode, you will hear our guest - Heneka Watkis Porter discussing failure as it relates to starting a business from home. Here’s a summary of what was discussed: ✅ When to know it's time to make a change Pivoting is part of the journey Align with your passion; your core message ✅ Start with an idea as most businesses do It may be as a hobby Do it part time if necessary ✅ Always assess your progress There will be challenges as it is with anything else Be honest with yourself; authenticity ✅ PIvoting can be scary It is a struggle to let go of something that you’ve had for a long time Change is not easy It’s important to start somewhere no matter how small it is ✅ Balance outside voices Some can be supportive and others not Choose wisely who you listen to ✅ Pros of starting your business: Flexibility Freedom Being your own boss ✅ Cons: You have to be consistent Find a balance both financially and relationally because of the startup nature of your business Not take care of yourself in a holistic manner ✅ Links: Www.henekawatkisporter.com www.startabusinessonlinefromhome.com/042

Today I want to talk to you about investing in real estate as part of your retirement plan. I’m a little biased because I have invested in real estate as part of my own retirement, but I’ll do my best to be objective. Here are some pros and cons of investing in real estate: Cons You need active knowledge about the industry. If you want to invest in real estate locally, you have to learn about the industry and understand its inner workings. You have to actively manage the properties. This can be time consuming because you will be actively managing maintenance calls, setting up showings, and running the properties. Unless you have a ton of capital, you’ll be doing all these things yourself. You need a significant amount of capital. There are stories about ways to get creative and put little or no money down, but those are the exception, not the rule. Pros You’ll get a significantly higher return on your investment. This is assuming you’re in a decently appreciating market like south-central Pennsylvania and you’re holding the property for the long-term, not just short-term sales. There are significant tax advantages to investing in real estate. It’s best to speak with an accountant about the details, but if you buy enough real estate, those tax advantages do add up over the years. You can eliminate most of the risks involved in investing in real estate if you’ve taken the time to understand the industry and you’re investing in a market that remains moderately stable and isn’t as volatile as some of the other markets in our nation. This is especially true with long-term ownership and residential rental properties. “A good strategy is to buy a property at or around the birth of a child.” One of the strategies that I particularly love is buying a property at or around the time of the birth of a child. You can then pay it down and use tax-free refinance income or equity to pay for all or part of the child’s college education. You can then pay it back down and do the same thing to supplement your retirement income later down the road. You’re using the same property for a dual purpose, and it makes the investment valuable to you and your family. I think that real estate investment is a great way to save for retirement alongside other investments like securities and other investment tools and is a great way to get you farther in reaching your retirement goals. If you have any questions about real estate or anything else in the real estate market, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be happy to help you.

Today we get to have some fun with lots of different topics. We've had quite a few questions in the last two weeks, and with a looming weekend pig roast in the offing, I thought today would be the perfect time for a Listener Q&A show. So we will talk about grinding your own wheat for flour and the pros and cons of that, give a shout out to a small craftsman who made me something extraordinary - sounds mysterious I know but it will make sense when we get there, talk about hindsight on my homestead, talk about my favorite itchy rash a bit more, cover raised beds in year one when you are using commercial dirt, and then wrap it up with a question about a doggie first aid kit. Eating Seasonally and Tales from the Prepper Pantry This is where we share what we are eating as it comes to us - and talk about ways to use what we store. Lambs quarter should be coming on but I haven't gone searching for it Cabbage everything and the first squash is at the farmers market Radishes and spinach Last garlic scapes Salad dressing recipe of the week: Mustart, bbq sauce, balsamic, honey, water, salt, smoked cayenne, mainnaise Getting the Gardens Ready Where we share what we are doing to get our food growing operation up and running. The garden is in and one of our chickens is in danger of being processed - she killed SIX cucumber plants! Putting in the okra seeds and sweet potato slips - why not earlier? Seeding tomato trays for the fall garden   Grinding your own flour Cost Flavor Health Time Equipment Pros Less per pound Tastes better Makes me feel better Cons You still need to buy flour for very fine applications unless your equipment is expensive It's another appliance you have to buy - unless you have a vitamix Relearning to bake Overall: two thumbs up The belt: A shout-out to OMG Leather Works: http://www.omgleatherworks.com/ Poison Ivy Feedback Neosporin plus jewelweed is a winner The poke weed root rub method did not work (But there is the boiled poke root bath method I have not tried) The Poison Ivy Guy From Ford in TN: If you could change one thing about your homestead what would it be? Frank in Wisconsin: Raised garden beds and how to make the dirt good? As a bald man when you wash your face, where do you stop Willow in east TN: What are some items you would keep in a homemade first aid kit for animals? Tailored for your animals - learn a bit about what they need. Know where to go before you have the emergency and write it down on actual paper Look for crossover with human first aid needs That said, this is what I have gauze and animal wrap tape - in fact I use the horse leg wrap for humans too Clippers Sharp scissors Clamps Tweezers gloves Peroxide - spray bottle Povidone-iodine Sani wipes bleach Neosporin Bluekote Probiotics Kickin Chicken vitamin mix Antibiotics and a syringe Benedryl aspirin Extras of medication if you have animals that require them (My dog has congestive heart failure) I wish i had suture thread and needles but I dont yet Cayenne pepper, ground Topic herbals like comfrey/plantain/etc Our kickstarter is LIVE! We've almost broken the $600 mark! Also, on Wednesday I am being interviewed by Jack Spirko over at The Survival Podcast if you want to hear more about the coffee business! With that - get out there and Make it a great week! Song: Sauce, Every Way

I will be on vacation for the next two weeks, so unless something monumental happens in between now and late July there won’t be any episodes of Developing Perspective. Back at WWDC, basking in the glow of the river of great new announcements I had quipped “Wow, they gave us everything but a business model.” That comment is clearly absurd but it does drive towards a more honest and worthwhile point. In many ways the situation iOS developers find themselves in heading into the Autumn of 2014 isn’t about technology or tools, it is about business. As the market has matured the natural consequence is that older inefficiencies that may have propped up unsustainable models have fallen away. The App Store and related ecosystems are now extremely efficient. If there is an opportunity to be exploited we can expect it to be found and exploited. If you come up with a great new idea it will be analyzed, dissected and the interesting parts copied with often head-turning pace. As I have navigated this transition myself I have started to see many issues with the approach I had been taking to my business. Some of which I have been able to address but many of which I’m still working through. For the purpose of today’s episode I thought it might be constructive to take a quick tour of the various models and their various strengths and weaknesses. I’m going to be working in rough order of which I think they are desirable in the current ecosystem. Subscriptions tl;dr - People pay you on an ongoing basis for providing software and software related services. Pros - So long as your subscription base is enough for your expenses and your renewal/signup rate exceeds your cancellations you are golden. Cons - Often tricker to get someone to make a long term commitment. Managing credit cards, expirations, etc. Typically smaller user base needed (yay!), each requiring and feeling owed more (not so yay). Advertising tl;dr - People use your software and are presented a message from someone else you pays you. Pros - Strong possibility for ongoing revenue. Can make your software free. Cons - You need to show other people’s messages in your apps. Requires large customerbases for reasonable revenue. Consumable In-App Purchases tl;dr - People make (typically) small, repeated payments to continue to gain access to aspects of your software. Gratuity based models also fall into this category. Pros - Strong possibility for ongoing revenue. Lets you segment your customer base by how much they are willing to spend. Cons - Can quickly get very dodgy. One Time In-App Purchases tl;dr - People make payments to gain access to specific parts of the application or content therein. Pros - Gives users a clear trial of the experience before needing to make a commitment. Cons - Often very tricky to work out what part of the application can be segmented off. If you are too generous nobody will buy, too stingy and nobody will buy. Up Front One Time Purchase tl;dr - People pay money to be able to use your software. Pros - Simple and straightforward. Cons - Trickier to make sustainable since your effectively cap your income per user. Single Price. Long term support gets hard to justify. Free tl;dr - You create software, everyone uses it without charge. Pros - Wide adoption potential. Cons - Often hard to sustain long term. Most often seen in either altruistic or venture based software. What is best? It is going to vary for each business. What I have found over the last 6 years is that models that have more of a focus on ongoing revenue are more sustainable than things that are more one-time oriented. Mixing as many as you can often is important too. It is also absolutely imperative that you have a good working definition of what success looks like for yourself before you can make a thoughtful choice.

Things we talk about Why sell your property Need to sell! Opportunity cost Selling your own home without an agent Websites to assist: For Sale By Owner, Buy My Place ✔ Pros: Save on commission ✘ Cons: You need to market, you are not objective, you need to show people around your home My advice: […]