Tell us a little bit about yourself Andrew. Where are you from? What you do? Etc.

I was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. I was educated at Brown University and I launched Money Crashers, a personal finance website, in 2008. Money Crashers is a website dedicated to educating its readers on ways to better manage their finances. It includes articles and resources on a variety of finance-related topics, including saving more money, investing for retirement, creating an emergency fund, and avoiding credit card debt.

What does your average day look like?

As you might expect with a startup, I wear many buts, but lately I’ve been able to focus a lot more of my efforts on marketing our brand. These days, I spend a lot of time on general marketing opportunities and social media. We are active on Facebook and Twitter, and looking to expand our presence on Google Plus. We’re also taking a look at some of the other rising social media platforms, such as Pinterest and Instagram.

What is an interesting fact about you?

I am a huge ice hockey fan and long-time player. I’ve played it all my life, and I closely follow the NHL.

How long did it take for you to start making a livable wage with MoneyCrashers.com?
I was able to walk away from my day job and rely solely on the revenue from Money Crashers after about two years.

What is the hardest part about what you do?

One of the hardest things about my business is managing the accounting. I can complete all tasks competently, it just takes a lot more time than I ever envisioned.

Do you love what you do? Why?

I love what I do. Small business ownership presents the opportunity to be your own boss, set your own hours, and work in a field that you’re passionate about. It was especially hard work in the beginning, but now I’m definitely enjoying the benefits.

Did you have a job that you didn’t like at one point? What was that like?

Right after graduation, I took a position at an investment fund in Chicago. I soon realized that the corporate world just wasn’t for me. Too many politics. I was frustrated and restless. That was one of the main motivations behind my getting into the world of entrepreneurship.

How did you get from doing something you didn’t enjoy to where you are today?

I launched Money Crashers in my spare time by organizing my personal life so I had more time to devote to my new venture. I worked my tail off in the beginning and was eventually able to leave my corporate career.

Was there a person who was influential in helping you get where you are today?

My dad was one person who was always there for me during my transition. He kept me motivated, answered many of my questions, and was influential in the path I chose.

Is there a book that you would recommend for people who would be interested in doing what you do?
One of the best books for those interested in getting involved in small business ownership is called “The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What To Do About It” by Michael Gerber.

What other tips do you have to help people searching for a job that they love?

Identify your passion and look for a career involving something that you truly love doing. Expand your network to include professionals from that field. Be patient and develop your relationships. Eventually an opportunity will come your way.

What is your latest project that you are working on?

Most of what I’m working on now involves expanding the social media presence of our brand.

How can people get in touch with you?

You can get in touch directly through our contact page: http://www.moneycrashers.com/contact/

It’s a known fact that Amazon.com changes the price of items on a daily or even hourly basis. While they are fairly closed lip on this topic, it is my belief that they are simply following buying trends and data which they have collected over the years. Be sure to use this to your advantage by adding products to your cart in the “Save for Later” section. Then check back often to observe the price changes. Only buy when the price dips to a comfortable level. I have personally used this strategy to save up to 40% off my purchase price.

Amazon.com Subscribe & Save

Have you ever heard of the Amazon.com ‘Subscribe & Save’ program? The program is a great way to save money and get free shipping on items you buy on a regular basis. Things like diapers, office supplies, and household supplies fit the mold. Essentially it works by Amazon mailing you your pre-selected items on a pre-determined schedule. The best part is you’ll save up to 15% off when you have 5 or more items on your monthly schedule. Also, the kicker is that you’ll always get free shipping. Cancel at any time, no fees, and no obligations.

Shop the Amazon Outlet

Many are unaware that Amazon.com has an online outlet that offers deals up to 70% off the retail price. The outlet is not shown on the homepage as a clickable link. Amazon breaks the outlet down into very easy to navigate categories as well as the savings available. Popular outlet categories include clothing, jewelry, electronics, and shoes. Your best bet to get to the outlet is to click on the above link or do a Google search for “Amazon.com outlet”.

Consider the Prime Membership

If you are a loyal Amazon user you should definitely consider a Prime membership. For $79 a year, you get unlimited free 2-day shipping with no minimum order size, instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows, and 1 Kindle book borrow per month. The Prime membership breaks down to just over $6.50 per month, so if you make at least 2 purchases a month with Amazon you’ll essentially breakeven. With the unlimited shipping and the amazing selection that Amazon has, you can shop from home for not only gifts but household supplies and everyday items. The convenience is what really makes the Prime membership so attractive to consumers. But with that comes the risk of overbuying and impulse purchases. You definitely have to be aware and keep your spending in check.

Are you an avid Amazon.com shopper? If so, do you have any other secrets on how to score a great deal? I look forward to your comments.

Kyle James owns and operates an online coupon website titled Rather-Be-Shopping.com which specializes in coupons to over 850 popular retailers like Walmart, Amazon.com, Best Buy, and Lands’ End.

What really stood out to me is that there are 29 MILLION people who are Millionaires around the world. Now, I am sure that most people look at this chart and say “but there are 3.1 billion people who have less than $10,000″. While that is true, I see this as an eye opening graphic, not one that should be depressing. In this day in age, almost anyone can become a millionaire if they take the time to learn how.
 

How do you become a Millionaire? By learning from other people that have already done it. While it is not my goal to become a millionaire, I do believe that I will be one in the future just because of the habits of wealthy people that I have implemented over the years. Habits like spending less than I make, investing wisely, etc. Reading books by millionaires is a great way to learn if you don’t know one personally.

Books by Millionaires that I have read:

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

The Millionaire Mind by Thomas Stanley

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey

Podcasts that I listen too that would also help you on this journey:

Think Entrepreneurship Podcast by Pete Sveen – In this podcast, Pete interviews successful entrepreneurs from around the world; some of which are millionaires and even billionaires.

Smart Passive Income Podcast with Pat Flynn – This podcast is great because the host, Pat Flynn, makes around $50,000 per month from his online business and he shares the details of how he does it.

Entrepreneur on Fire Podcast with John Dumas – This is a a daily podcast that interviews today’s most inspiring and successful Entrepreneurs.

Do you have a book or a podcast that you would recommend for people looking to learn the habits of millionaires?

Source: Road to Riches: Tracking the Journey of the Global Superwealthy

Note: Some of the links above our affiliate links where I get paid a small commission if you order a product by clicking on them. However, know that I only recommend these books because they have been helpful to us in our journey to achieve our financial goals in life.

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” ― Confucius

A good manager is a man who isn’t worried about his own career but rather the careers of those who work for him.” ― H. S. M. Burns

It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome. That’s what defines your career.” ― Carlton Fisk

Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done. Life’s too short to think small.” ― Tim Ferriss

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
― Michael Jordan

Work to become, not to acquire.”
― Elbert Hubbard

The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!” ― Earl Nightingale

Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard hammering and chiseling and scraping and polishing.” ― BC Forbes

I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as ‘making a life’.”
― Maya Angelou

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” ― Thomas A. Edison

Do you have a favorite quote when it comes to careers?

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Dating as far back as 700 B.C., thriving, ancient cultures that were far ahead of their time recognized both the aesthetic and monetary value of gold and the coveted metal became a standard of currency for many an empire.

Today, investing in gold has been one of the most lucrative investments. Even a small amount of gold in your investment portfolio can potentially garner a nice return over time. For this reason, investing in gold can be worth considering for those who are new to the stock market, as well as more seasoned investors who know a good addition to their portfolio when they see one. A recent Gallup poll showed that 24% of Americans viewed gold as the best investment — particularly long-term.

One of the chief reasons gold remains so popular, even in an unstable market plagued by financial crises both at home and abroad, is that gold affords investors a hedge against fluctuating currencies around the world.

How to Invest In Gold

If you’re a beginner, one of the simplest ways to start off with precious metal investing is to assess just how much of your total investment portfolio that you want to devote to gold. Some experts suggest allocating 3-5% of your portfolio to gold and precious metals.

Once you’ve determined how much of your investment portfolio you’d like to devote to gold, you have a few options as to which form you’d like your gold investing to take.

You can either purchase tangible gold itself and hold it directly, or obtain a brokerage account which can be used to purchase shares of companies that are involved in either the mining or processing of gold, or holding a gold exchange traded fund (ETF) or mutual fund in the brokerage account.

There is no one “correct” way to invest in gold. Rather, it’s a matter of personal preference and what makes the investor most comfortable. In fact, all of the aforementioned investment strategies can be employed simultaneously for a well-rounded portfolio that includes gold as an investment. As always, it pays to do your homework to see what works best for you. Consider consulting a financial advisor, too, to better inform your portfolio, as well.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Gold Investment Strategies

The most seemingly simple way of investing in gold is purchasing gold coins, bars, or bullion from dealers, companies, or even the U.S. Mint. Once purchased, these coins and tangible gold assets can be stored in a safe deposit box at home or in a bank or trusted financial institution of choice. While it’s always nice to have an investment you can see and touch — not to mention have easy access to in case of a financial emergency — the downside to investing in this way is that gold can easily be stolen if kept in the home. (If you insist upon keeping your gold investments at home in a safe, it’s much more secure to keep it in a wall safe than a standalone version that could just be lifted from your place of residence.) Before you choose this option, investigate how much it will cost you to safely store and protect your gold investments.

Investing in companies that mine gold or companies that refine gold might be a bit safer than keeping gold (in a safe or under your mattress) in your home. As the value of gold increases, so does the amount of appreciation on your gold share prices. However, there is an element of risk with investing in these types of companies in that if a company goes bankrupt, you lose your investment.

Arguably the safest means of investing in gold can be to choose a gold mutual fund which eliminates the potential for tangible gold assets to be stolen from your home and can also be easy to trade. As an added benefit, certain funds are not subject to state taxes when held in these brokerage accounts. The downside, however, is that you don’t have direct access to cash earned from your investment if you need it immediately.

The Final Verdict?

As a new investor, it really depends on which particular method of investing in gold that appeals to you. As always, it’s good to speak with a financial advisor who can best assess your needs and what you hope to achieve with your investment. While certain methods may immediately make more sense to you, it never hurts to hear another informed opinion as to which specific method of investing in gold — or whether a mix of gold investment options as those outlined above — will work best for you.

This article was provided by Garfield Refining, a leading refiner of precious metals including gold, silver, platinum and palladium. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Garfield Refining has been purchasing precious metals nationwide since 1892 and is an accredited precious metal refiner by the Better Business Bureau.

This year shoppers are forecasted to spend a million hours shopping online for gifts according to research from Experian Hitwise. That’s in addition to the money they’ll fork over for a present. Also, don’t forget the Mother’s Day card!

 
Time and money are both valuable, so don’t waste either this year. Here are some frugal Mother’s Day gift ideas:

• Even if your mother is not a foodie, show her how sweet she is by treating her to dessert. If you take her out just for dessert, the cost is a fraction of the price of dining out for the entire meal. Also, be sure to check for a coupon! Many people will overspend as Mother’s Day is the busiest dining day of the year, according to The National Restaurant Association, (NRA).
• If you prefer to stay home, celebrate by raising a glass to the woman who raised you. Gather your family and toast to mom. Be sure to check for rebates on alcohol like champagne, wine and more. Your retailer should have the offers posted in the store.
• For traditional children who want to purchase a gift for their mother, don’t forget to show her you listen. Mothers want the best for their kids and teach them lessons, like the value of a dollar. Use a coupon and shop smart if you buy her a gift. You can find sales flyers online to view the specials and print retail coupons as well.
• An alternative to giving gifts, spend your time to help her. You can do an activity she will appreciate such as chores around her home, lawn mowing/yard work, or anything else you think she’d be grateful having help with.

Mother’s Day does not need to involve spending a fortune. Showing your mother that you care can be done in a frugal manner.

This is a guest post from Jon Lal, founder of coupons and cash back website BeFrugal.com. BeFrugal.com offers cash back for online shopping at 3,000+ online stores with a current average rate of 7%.

When it comes to starting up your own business, there are also some fundamental questions you should ask yourself, because it’s no easy undertaking. It takes certain must-have attributes if you’re to have any chance of succeeding.

This time, however, the only person who can answer these questions is you. Here’s what you should be asking yourself before you set up your business.

Am I a leader?

This is all about independence and also about confidence. You’re the one behind the controls. You’ll have to make big decisions about how the business operates, how the money should be spent, business premises, suppliers and service providers, etc., all to make the business profitable. Can you cope with this kind of pressure?

Maybe an employee is the kind of guy or girl you’d happily take home to meet your parents, but at work they’re not performing well and you have to get rid of them. Can you go through with it?

Maybe morale is low, and the troops will be looking for someone to steer the ship through tough times. Are you the type of person that will just abandon it, or will you stand in front of your employees and rouse them with a speech that inspires them in body, mind, and spirit?


Does risk scare me?

Starting up a business is always risky. You invest a lot of money — paying for business consultants, articles of association, human resources, business premises, fixed capital, floating capital, service providers and a whole lot more — without knowing if you’ll make a profit out of it all. Neither do you know how much will you earn — if anything at all — each month.

Solid research and planning can help you calculate risks and hedge against them, but ultimately, no one can see into the future. He who dares…wins, they say. Are you prepared to run risks?

How ambitious am I?

If there’s one observation that can be made about starting a business, it’s that it is an adventure. If you’re ambitious or constantly looking for new challenges, it’ can be an adventure that never ends.

Would you want to open up new stores or business outlets, or develop new products, for instance? You can expand into Europe, the USA, Africa or the Middle East (the GCC countries and ones like Egypt are very receptive to foreign business). Expanding a business requires sound asset management, too, not just burning ambition. Remember that.

Am I willing to make sacrifices?

Starting a business takes a lot of hard work, and you have to work a lot of extra hours to get it off the ground. Then once it’s up and running, you have to keep up the good (extra) work so that everything runs smoothly. Would you be happy to be the only left in the office after 5pm, or analyzing accounts on the weekend when everyone else is taking it easy?

Setting up a business isn’t an activity for mere thrill-seekers, and it takes certain attributes to make it work.  You must be a leader, not a follower. You must be hard-working. Risk and the future must not intimidate you, and you must be willing to make a real go of your business. If these attributes describe you, you already enjoy the foundations for potential success in business. Now build on them, and make it all happen.

For more tips on starting up a business, click here.

With busier lives, economical struggles and a high unemployment rate, among other things, managing your finances responsibly can be a challenge. While it is a good idea in theory, most people don’t have the time, energy, or know-how to actually do it. This leads to overdrawn checking accounts and a tendency to live paycheck to paycheck, even when it isn’t necessary.

If you are on Well Kept Wallet, then you can probably identify with all of the above. Perhaps your struggle has been going on for longer than you can remember, or perhaps this is new due to circumstances that have just cropped up. We now live in an electronic age so rather than suffer through financial debacles, why not let your phone manage your finances for you?

Here are The 4 Best Personal Finance Apps for Your Smartphone

4. Cash Flow

Image via Google Play

Even in the midst of any financial struggle, how often do you still find the money for the items you want, like the latest cell phone or other electronic? But, when you’re able to keep up with your finances even as you’re spending, you realize that 4g phones quickly pay for themselves. Once you have yours, download Cash Flow right away. If you’re used to manually tracking your expenses by saving endless receipts or if you ever struggle to remember to balance your checkbook, this is an efficient, time-saving app.

With Cash Flow, you’ll have records for everything, the details of the people and companies to whom you’re making payments, your current balance, and your expenses. Keep up with the transactions and payments you make every month as well as one-off payments. The best part is that it’s free, although you can upgrade if you like it.

3. iWallet

Image via Google Play

Keeping up with the income you’re bringing in and the expenses you’re paying out is an effortless process with iWallet. If you need a budget but you’ve never done it before or you’re afraid of is calculating, this app will be invaluable. If you’re always running low before your next paycheck, this app helps you see where your money is going. That way, if you’re spending too much on junk food, need to stop eating out so much, or are investing an exorbitant amount on frivolous items, you’ll know exactly where to cut back so you can stop living your life from paycheck to paycheck.

2. Home Budget

Image via Google Play

Although it’s still smart to keep receipts, you’ll only need them for records, returns, or your taxes if you download Home Budget. It’s a simple app overall, but it serves a huge purpose by keeping up with all your payments as they happen. Updating in real time makes it so much easier to see what you’re spending, when you are spending most often, where you should curb your spending, and why. With Home Budget, you’ll never have to visit the bank or an ATM to check your balances either. Also, you can seamlessly transfer money between accounts or even merge your accounts together, all with just a couple of clicks in Home Budget.

1. Mint

Image via Apple

The Mint.com application is definitely one of the most popular and best personal finance apps around, because it lets you build your own easy-to-follow budgets. Create a budget for eating out, gas, entertainment, luxuries like cable and Internet, or anything else you want to monitor or save for. This app not only keeps track of what you’re spending but also shows you how much you have left on a given budget, and color codes your categories so you’ll easily know when you’re reaching the danger zone. Mint.com even keeps up with your investments and offers helpful stock tips and advice.

Simply put, you don’t have to hire a money manager to learn about personal finance, all you need is a good phone. Have any finance apps helped you become a smarter, savvier spender?

About the author:Jennifer is a freelance writer, working hard to maintain that positive balance in her checking account and helping others to do the same.

Although you can buy other brands of K-cups that are cheaper, it still generally comes out to .50 cents or more for one cup of coffee. In order to save money with my Keurig, I use the Ekobrew reusable K-Cup. This saves me hundreds of dollars per year and all I have to do is buy  coffee that is ground and fill the K-cup myself.

Why the reusable K-Cup saves me so much money

Yesterday I decided to get a 1/4lb of Starbucks Pikes Place ground coffee. They ground the coffee right in front of me and it only cost $2.98. I then figured out that in order to fill the the refillable k-cup, it takes about 1/8 of a cup of ground coffee to fill it to the line. I was able to get 15 scoops from the bag which means that I could have about 15 cups of (10 oz) coffee for a total of $2.98!

So lets compare some of our single cup of coffee options

• One cup from Starbucks – Tall coffee (12 oz) is $1.65
• 12 pack of K-Cups for $11.95 – This is about $1 per cup
• 50 pack of Green Mountain Coffee for $27.78 – Comes out to around .55 cents per cup.
  
• Ekobrew Refillable Cup for the Keurig - Roughly .20 cents per cup.

The long term savings

It is amazing how much every penny adds up over time. If I was to buy just a tall coffee from Starbucks every day of the week, it would end up costing me just over $600 per year. Now, if I was to have one cup of coffee using the Ekobrew Refillable cup, it would only cost me $72 for a years worth of coffee! I understand that it is vary rare to find someone who will buy coffee at Starbucks everyday, however, this helps to show how great the savings is to have a refillable cup for the Keurig versus buying a cup from a store.

What to keep in mind when grinding the coffee

When you go to have the coffee ground, it does matter how fine the coffee is ground. There are essentially two ways to grind:

A Fine Grind – The finer you grind the coffee, the slower the water will pass through the refillable cup. This is great if you like your coffee to have a bold taste. You do not want a grind that is too fine because that could potentially cause the Keurig to back up and you may get some overflow.

A Coarse Grind – With a coarser grind, water will pass through the refillable cup faster. Because of this the coffee will not be as strong. If you like a milder cup of coffee than a coarser grind would be your best option.

Want to start saving money with your Keurig? You can buy the Ekobrew reusable k cup for the Keurig for only $10.99 right now on Amazon!

Note: This post was revised on 5/13/2013 when I realized that Starbucks had accidentally given me 1/2 lb instead of 1/4 lb. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.

Are There Several Monthly Debts?

Debt consolidation is not right for everyone, but it will help people in several different situations. Some people have several unmanageable debts. For instance, they may have several credit card accounts with high interest rates. This requires that they make several monthly payments that are too high for them to comfortably afford.

If the consumers in the above situation decide to consolidate debt, they will reduce their several payments to just one. This payment will be lower because the debt management company will have the interest rates lowered. This means that consumers pay less in interest to each of their creditors. If they can afford to do so, they can apply the amount of money that they save on this plan toward the balances and eliminate their debts even faster.

Will It Take 10 or 20 Years to Eliminate Debts?

Some consumers are considering bankruptcy because they realize that they will be repaying their debts for longer than five years. Typically, people in this situation have balances on one or more debts that are between $3,000 and $100,000 that also have high interest rates. These consumers can consolidate debt and finish repaying their obligations in a shorter period of time if they engage in a debt management program.

Is a Home Equity Loan Impossible?

One way to consolidate debt without a debt management company is to obtain a second mortgage. However, those who do not own a house or do not wish to risk it by offering it as collateral in another loan would benefit from a debt management plan. Obtaining another loan does not help people learn how to manage their finances, and they often become mired in debt again after they have received a home equity loan. Those who seek the services of a debt management company do not have to worry that they may default on their payments and possibly lose their homes to foreclosure.

How to Find a Good Debt Management Company  

Debt management companies are in abundance because so many people are currently in debt and in need of a solution. Because of this, there are a few disreputable entities in existence that would rather take advantage of people than help them. Because there are so many people in this situation, Americans have several opportunities to ask others if they ever used a debt management company to consolidate debt and whether or not they received the help they needed.

Companies such as Consolidated Credit can help put together a free plan on how you can consolidate debt. Additionally, consumers can ask their friends, family members or even co-workers to find the best debt management companies. By asking people they know and trust about this subject, consumers have a good chance of finding the debt management company that will do the best job for them.

About the Author:

This article is composed by Elaine McPartland who is associated with “Consolidated Credit” as their community writer. You can add her at her google+ profile.