Verizon Awards: Tip-of-the-Day #358

This is a quickie - but for anyone who uses Verizon as their mobile carrier, you likely see "rewards" popping into your inbox every month. I get pinged via SMS every time I have a new reward. Sometimes I check it out and sometimes I don't. Largely because the rewards aren't always interesting enough for me to exercise (like $5 off a device, etc.). 

Today I clicked through because it's my anniversary and I was greeted with a $10 Amazon reward! Now that's something I can use! Pro tip: don't ignore rewards because some of them are actually meaningful! 

AT&T Bundles for Small Business: Tip-of-the-Day #357

As the Treasurer of my Homeowners Association (HOA) for 20+ years, I am the go-to for all things bill pay, contract negotiation, budgeting, balancing, etc. I don't have a financial background but I am very detail oriented and I'm good with my own money, which seemed to make me the ideal candidate for this role. Well, that and the fact that no one else wants it. Lol. Just a lil' background to ease into this blog post. 

Living in a six story condominium building in San Francisco requires a semi-sophisticated front door entry system that can accommodate all of the owners' and tenants' phone numbers, both local and long distance, and as such, has forced us into a perpetual contract with AT&T. Our rate has fluctuated over the years - for a while it was low because we were recognized as residential but at some point that shifted to a business account which significantly spiked our rate. Not sure how or why that rollover occurred but ever since I've been in fairly constant contact with AT&T to ensure our rate remains low-ish.

A couple of weeks ago, I received the annual letter that explained that I must call the business support line to renew our contract or I would face yet another spike in monthly dues. Always a stickler for due diligence, I phoned in. This time, I was greeted by a young-sounding woman who was eager to help. She quickly launched into a roundup of promotions and bundle offers that I am eligible for and I explained (again) that we are a condo building and only need AT&T for our front door entry system. We don't want to bundle it with anything else because every homeowner/tenant has their own internet and mobile plan separate from the building.

I was told that AT&T is eager to support every small business with mobile options and that I could reduce my monthly obligation by ~$50 if I accept a free 8th generation iPad with my renewed contract. Always the skeptic, because we all know there is no such thing as a free lunch (er, iPad), I point blank asked what the catch was. No catch I was promised. I then humanized the conversation and explained that as Treasurer of the HOA I did not want to compromise my position by making a poor decision on behalf of the whole building. I wasn't looking for trouble, after all. It felt like I had just ported myself into a high stakes Lifetime movie of the week. 

Again, I was told that there is no catch and that my bill would come down from ~$130 each month to approx. $80. How could I argue with that? The nice gal then went on to explain that some people just put the iPad away (unopened) in a drawer and never use it, just to realize the significant savings attached to this promotion. Huh. Assuming it was a recorded line, I said "Well, if you're assuring me that there are no strings attached and that by accepting a FREE IPAD I will be lowering my monthly AT&T bill by $50, then yes, I will take the device."

Within a couple of weeks, the brand new, unopened, latest gen iPad arrived at the building in the name of the condo association (obvie, because that's the name on the phone bill). Still wary, I grabbed it and opened the box in the privacy of my apartment. And there it was. A device that normally runs $600ish, mine for just renewing a contract that would reduce our bill in perpetuity. Hooray!

Truthfully, I'm eagerly awaiting my first phone bill, but for now, it does seem like the best contract renewal I've ever engaged in. 

If you're a small business or in a similar situation as what I've described above, I urge you to explore this bundle with AT&T or the provider you are currently in contract with. Too good to be true? We'll see. I'll keep you posted!

Real Savings at The RealReal: Tip-of-the-Day #356

If you're a fan of consignment (buying OR selling) and haven't yet checked out The RealReal - you're missing out. The RealReal is an online and brick-and-mortar marketplace for authenticated luxury consignment - from clothing, fine jewelry, and watches, to fine art and home decor.

I have had my eye on a couple of things recently, but they are still a smidge outside of what I'm willing to spend. There are two helpful tips to bring the price down. 
  1. Join and get a $25 credit to kickstart your cart.

  2. Buy your treasure through Affirm, a buy-now-pay-later option with no hidden fees, late fees, or surprises. You'll be informed of the total amount you'll pay at checkout and that number never changes. Just enter coupon code Affirm20 and instantly save 20% on the purchase price. That's a big savings! Check out my example below. On a $445 belt, that's an $89 discount! 

  3. You may notice that some items are eligible for a 20% discount using coupon code REAL at checkout. It isn't consistent site-wide, so I'm unsure as to why some items are eligible while others are not. But between the two codes, you should be able to get a nice discount on your purchase. These two screenshots illustrate both codes working in the same way, but note that with coupon code REAL you will pay for your purchase in full at checkout and with coupon code Affirm20 you will pay the amount over time.


I used Affirm to buy my Peloton and have been incredibly pleased with that decision. It was an interest-free loan, which means that I get to enjoy my savings growing over time and on my terms, while only paying the bare minimum each month on my luxury purchase. Not every loan is interest-free to the consumer, but for those that are, it's the merchant that pays Affirm a percentage fee of the product’s sales price in exchange for managing the payment and taking on the risk of default.

Now, there is another way to leverage The RealReal and that's through consigning your own luxury goods that you no longer want/need. It's simple to get started and once you sell 20 items you are bonused with $100 to spend on your next splurge! Ship, drop off your items, or enjoy free at-home pickup, earn up to 85% of the sale price (~3X more than other resellers), and let The RealReal do the heavy marketing lift for you (copy, price positioning, etc.). Once your item sells, there are myriad payout options (direct deposit, store credit, check by mail). 

If you have some "spring cleaning" in the works but you're unsure of whether your items meet the criteria for The RealReal, check out their full list of accepted brands.

I plan to list some items in the near future and if I find success with that, I will update this post!
Happy shopping/re-selling. :)

Why Chromebooks are Killin' It: Tip-of-the-Day #355


Chromebooks are known for being budget-friendly, long on battery life, highly secure, and easy-to-manage devices. They are also compatible with Google Classroom and Google Workspace for Education, which makes them a very attractive option for the enormous student population, many of whom are still forced to learn remotely. 

In fact, for the above stated reasons, Chromebooks are a logical choice for school administrators, faculty, students and IT staff who have had to pivot to online learning initiatives over the past year and half due to the pandemic.

 Chromebooks began noticeably penetrating the space from 2011 to 2016, and quickly gained traction with those seeking laptop-like form and functionality, and prices that tend to match the criteria of people looking for value-for-money computing devices. Although there are certainly more powerful, high-end models available, Chromebooks are generally budget-friendly compared with other laptops on the market. You can quickly find Chromebooks in the $200-$600 range on websites like Amazon

If you've been vacillating over which device to go with, or you just need a second device around the house (for the kids, car trips, vacations, etc.) the low price point aligns well. And, Chromebooks are perfectly suited for the budgetary requirements of students who either don't qualify for loaner laptops or whose schools don't offer a loaner program at all. 

Note that most Chromebooks can last at least eight hours on a full charge—more than enough for a full day of school/work with plenty to spare. These two factors alone make Chromebooks an attractive option for anyone seeking a portable, budget-friendly device that enables remote productivity. 

Check one out!

Hone Your Side Hustle: Tip-of-the-Day #354

 


A strong side hustle never hurts the pocketbook. I've been writing copy for years 'on the side' of my full time marketing job. Why? Because it's easy for me, it pays well, and I can do it on my time (evenings, weekends, holidays, etc.). A friend of mine is looking to start, without much professional experience, but with a whole lot of talent. Here's the advice I gave to him.

Create a portfolio that showcases your work. Even if you don't have a professional body of work to tout, you can certainly round up anything you've written (blog articles, short stories, "fake ads" for companies you love, etc.) and feature it in a professional way for easy consumption. I can't tell you how many years I succumbed to sending zip files to prospective employers. That just doesn't cut it in 2021. Not when there are easy website building tools out there the likes of Wix. And, to the tune of FREE, you can create your own site in minutes. If you get to a point where you'd like a custom domain or an ad-free experience, you can upgrade your site, but it's really not necessary in the beginning. 

Once you've created a simple portfolio that makes it easier for prospective employers to review your work (your voice, your range, short form vs. long form content, etc.) then you can start looking for more opportunities to flex your writing muscle.

Sean Kernan, American writer, recently wrote a fascinating article about leaving his full-time job in finance to become a full-time writer. He didn't worry about where the money would come from, he followed his passion and it paid off. He started writing for Quora, Medium, and getting freelance gigs. And his followers grew quickly. Note: in addition to getting paid for your strong content, you can also begin to monetize your content with ads and/or partner marketing programs, but that's for another article.

I've found that signing up for Upwork and searching the thousands of opportunities that exist there is a great way to start. In fact, this article sums up how to do it. My favorite takeaways are:

  1. Start small. Take a fast-turn, low-paying gig to get the experience and the (positive) feedback, which will make you more attractive to other employers. Also, one small, well-performed job can lead to more work with that business!

  2. Submit proposals. If you see something you like, throw your hat in! If you don't play, you can't win. And, in the beginning, you won't likely get many invitations to submit. So, you have to make the first move. 

  3. Optimize your profile. Make sure you include information about yourself, your skillset, your strengths, and your availability. Answer as many questions as you can, upfront, to minimize misalignment.

There are tons of articles out there that explain how to start your side hustle - from dog walking to search engine optimization. Find your niche, and monetize it! The time is now.

Drop me a note and tell me how you've been hustling!