Real life

Yes, You Can Buy a House on Amazon for $18,000

Written by adminJuly 3, 2019

Talk about being the place where you can get anything you want shipped directly to your home – with free delivery! Think of all the sales Amazon has made the customers over the years. The online retail giant cells just about everything and now you can even buy your very own home for relatively cheap price.

Tiny homes have dramatically risen in popularity lately. HGTV started their own TV programs dedicated to his new trend of tiny homes. The National Association of Home Builders even released a survey that stated 53% of people who are pulled said that they would consider buying one for their family to live in.

It would appear as if the younger generations are looking to shed off all of their material possessions. They experienced their parents enduring the great recession that caused many homes to be foreclosed on. It was a dark period in American history that still impacts the housing market to this day. Many millennials are still living at home with their parents.

Now, if you’re interested in buying a tiny log cabin, you can buy one on Amazon for less than $20,000. In fact, the Lillevilla Allwood Cabin Kit Getaway sells for about $18,000 and will be delivered to your home with free shipping. This tiny cabin was designed to function as a small summer home or even a stand-alone retail business, like a food truck without the truck.

The Popularity of Tiny Homes

There was a smaller cabin that sold for $7,250 on Amazon. It sold out after news broke and went viral. Apparently, this Allwood Solvalla is back in stock and ready for purchase. If you want something larger, go for the $18,000 Lillevilla. But this all goes to show just how much the housing market has changed since the great recession.

“I’m not surprised to see [Amazon selling homes],” said Trae Bodge of TrueTrae.com. “Selling these homes online presents a new level of opportunity for the retailer to reach consumers who are outside of their local area.”

Of course, Amazon isn’t the first retail store to sell homes. Back in the day, Sears was the largest retailer in the country and sold homes through its famous catalog. These small home kits are shipped wherever you want to be shipped and come with blueprints and directions needed to construct the home yourself, which usually takes a couple of days.

It’s estimated that Sears sold as many as 75,000 homes through their catalog. So, whether you’re looking to build a new office, a few spare rooms, or even just want to have a place to escape from our materialistic world, you can have peace and tranquility for less than $20,000 in a few days’ work of building your new tiny log cabin.

Written by adminJuly 3, 2019

Real life

If you’re a farmer in the United States, 2019 hasn’t been that good to you. Farmers all across this country are fighting a war being waged on two fronts. This war should concern every single one of us as it may allow for food shortages and prices to spike in the coming months. The first crisis is man-made.

As a result of President Trump’s trade war with China, American farmers are struggling to pull in a profit. The demand for their products is no longer there. While many of our farmers are fighting to make any money in the first place, the second crisis hits: mother nature. This time, it’s not something that can be fixed by man.

Historic rains and flooding across the country has left millions of farmers in a pickle. Before growing season starts, farmers find a good stretch of dry weather in the spring to spread their seeds. The problem is, it just hasn’t stopped raining in many parts of the U.S. That has left a lot of famers worried they won’t have enough time to get their crops in the ground.

Uncooperative Weather

Considering it’s June and farmers haven’t had a solid period of dry weather, many are still waiting. One example is the Hurst family farm in Missouri. Their 600 acres is completely under water after they already planted the fields with corn. They’re considering replanting with soybeans, but other problem is taking root. They’ve already sprayed herbicide for corn. If that herbicide is still in the ground, it would kill any soybean plants.

“It’s just one damn thing after another,” said Hurst, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau. “This one you just sit around and watch it rain ’cause there’s not a darn thing you can do about it.” They, like many other farmers, are struggling with their decision. It’s not an easy one to make. This problem is going to cause a lot of problems for the U.S. economy.

Agriculture makes up 5.4% of our GDP. If farmers can’t get their seed down in time, then that seeps into other industries. A lot of the grain and corn planted go towards feed for animals and other products like ethanol. This is a recipe for disaster. Already broke farmers are risking their entire season, which means demand will go up and supplies will be short.

“Farmers are on the front lines at a time when farm income already pretty low,” said John Newton, a chief economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation. “I think without these trade assistance packages we’d see a crisis across farm country.” Struggling farmers can collect on insurance for the loss, but they need to get their seed in the ground by a certain date.

Many Farms Could Close

Alicia Harvie is the director of the farmer services at Farm Aid. She helps to run a hotline that allows farmers to call and ask for assistance. She has stated that his one-two punch could be on par with the 1980s disasters that ended up forcing the closing of many family farms.

“The average farm family last year made a negative number for their salary,” she said. “What other job do we have where we expect somebody to lose money to do their job every day?” Between the breaking down of trade talks and the bad weather, we’re looking at a poor growing season that could put a lot more farmers out of business.

Written by adminJune 28, 2019

Real life

Do you consider yourself an online shopper? Are you hungry for some of the best deals of the year so far? Then hold on to your hats! Amazon Prime Day 2019 is on its way! Prime Day is the Black Friday of summer shopping sales found only Amazon! Such amazing deals will be had during this two-day extravaganza and you have to be prepared for it!

2019 will be Amazon’s fifth year hosting its annual Prime Day sale. This sale is designed to attract people who have Amazon Prime by offering them amazing deals they can’t find anywhere else. Again, imagine Black Friday and all the people lining up to get their favorite stuff ridiculously cheap. That’s exactly how Prime Day works!

The best part is, every single year, Prime Day has gotten bigger! More amazing products have found themselves as the target of incredible sales than ever before. This year hopes to be an even bigger turnout than ever before. Now that the economy is surging and people have more spending money, this should be a record year for Amazon.

What We Know About Prime Day So Far

Prime Day is set to begin on Monday, July 15^th right at midnight and last a full 36 hours through the 16^th. It’s unknown what kind of deals we can expect, but Amazon is already revealing several pre-Prime Day sales, so head on over to Amazon to see those deals and many others. At least you have a few weeks to save your money if you plan on indulging in a bit of early-holiday shopping!

We do usually expect electronics to be a favorite. Amazon always puts out a cheaper Kindle Fire, 4K TVs, Fire TV sticks, headphones, and so much more. They even offer discounts on their other goods, like cooking utensils, Instant Pot, vacuums, and other household items. Still, we won’t know for sure until we get closer to the event.

This year is also really good news if you’re looking to save extra money. Both eBay and Target have announced plans to try and upstage Amazon by offering amazing sales of their own. So, if you’re really looking to save a lot of money, you have the perfect chance in mid-July to do a bit of sale shopping!

The difference between Target and eBays sales verses Amazon’s is that you don’t need a Prime membership for Target and eBay. Amazon requires a Prime membership to take advantage of their sales. This is one area where Walmart and other stores can try to compete with the online retail super-giant.

Written by adminJune 27, 2019

Real life

Do you consider yourself a grill master? How good are you with ribs? If you can hang as one of the best grilling chefs in America, then you might get to join Reynolds Wrap in a journey across the United States this summer. It’s only for a few weeks, but the pay is solid at $5,000 per week. This is a deal I don’t think anyone can pass up!

Reynolds Wrap has officially stated that they’re looking for their next “Chief Grilling Officer.” If that Chief Grilling Officer is you, then the company will let you choose a friend to join you on the quest of finding the best BBQ ribs in America. They don’t just pay $5,000 per week (in the form of a $10,000 stipend), but also all your lodging and transportation costs.

Now, you may be chomping on the bit to take this job, but it’s not for the faint of heart. You’d be asked to eat A LOT of BBQ ribs over a two-week period. If you can handle it, then the role of Chief Grilling Officer can be all yours! The contest would have the CGO traveling the country and looking for the best rack of ribs in America.

“If you don’t mind being paid to taste test some of the most delicious BBQ ribs across the country, posting envy-inducing pictures of your food and falling asleep every night dreaming about your next rack of ribs, then you could have what it takes to be the next Reynolds Wrap Chief Grilling Officer,” Reynolds Wrap said in a statement.

Genius Marketing Stunt

There are a lot of ways of using Reynolds Wrap foil when barbequing, especially when grilling a rack of nice ribs. A marketing stunt like this, sending the Chief Grilling Officer to find the best ribs in America, is surely done to promote their brand and how amazing chefs, grillers, and smokers across the land use Reynolds Wrap foil for their tasty food.

In order to qualify to be chosen, Reynolds Wrap is asking each contestant to send in a photo that shows them grilling and using their products. They’re also asking for a 100-word essay that explains why you should be the Chief Grilling Officer. But you must hurry! The deadline for this contest is coming up soon!

Written by adminJune 26, 2019

Real life

Currently, you might be one of the millions of people looking for a job. Perhaps you’re a college graduate enters the market for the first time, looking for a summer job, or you just want a change. Either way, the easiest and most convenient way to find work these days is through the internet. There are a ton of job boards and websites to submit your resume.

The sad thing is, there’s a lot of risk when you use these sites. The Better Business Bureau just put out a warning for all job hunters to watch for fake job postings, work-at-home opportunities, and scam opportunities. A lot of these jobs can appear to be legitimate and even have real company names and logos to fool their victims.

The key here is to remember the rule: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. They’ll make promises of massive wages, great benefits, health insurance, and whatever they can to overwhelm you into thinking you just hit the jackpot. Then comes the scam, where they will ask you for upfront money to be trained.

The scammers will even ask you to send them money to purchase supplies. They’ll create some complicated scheme where they will want your bank account info to send you money to buy these supplies. It’s never an easy process. Before you know it, you’re being jerked around, they’ll need more money, or even say they accidentally sent too much and need the difference back.

Do Research Beforehand

Again, if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is. These scammers know how to draw on people’s desires. Who wouldn’t love an excellent opportunity to work from home or make money while shopping. We all want to do these things, so it’s quite easy to get caught up in their lies

“No legitimate job would ever overpay an employee and ask for money to be wired elsewhere,” the BBB warned. “This is a common trick used by scammers. If the job posting is for a well-known brand, check the real company’s job page to see if the position is posted there. Look online; if the job comes up in other cities with the exact same post, it’s likely a scam.”

Usually, these scams are well known. You won’t be rolling up on a fresh new scam, which is why it’s important to do research on the companies and jobs before giving any personal information. There’s already likely information out there, especially on the BBB website that will tell you if certain offers are scams.

“Be cautious sharing personal information or any kind of prepayment,” it said. “Be careful if a company promises you great opportunities or big income as long as you pay for coaching, training, certifications or directories.”

Written by adminJune 25, 2019

Real life

When you’re Bill Gates, you must constantly feel like you’re on top of the world. As one of the richest men to have ever born, one must wonder how many times Mr. Gates has struck out with an idea. What mistakes or regrets does this man have? At a Venture Capital event earlier this week, the Microsoft founder revealed that very secret.

For most of his career, Gates has been in lockstep with Apple competing on the world stage to create the best technology. The two sides have been fighting for decades, seeing who makes the best stuff. But one area where Gates didn’t jump in is in the phone industry. While Apple is working on putting out the iPhone, Microsoft should’ve been creating one for themselves.

The market was wide open for a non-Apple phone to revolutionize the mobile industry and take on the iPhone. Microsoft could’ve been in the same position that Android is in now. Android currently powers about 80% of the entire non-Apple mobile market. This market share, according to Gates, is worth around $400 billion.

It’s not like Microsoft wasn’t already working on a prototype. They were deeply involved in created a Windows Mobile OS about a year before Android even considered the opportunity. Rather than putting out that phone, Microsoft made a huge mistake. The CEO at the time, Steve Ballmer, apparently had no vision for what would change the world forever. He said the mobile application would have no appeal for businesses because it doesn’t have a keyboard.

Bill Gates’ Deep Regret

Bill Gates knows that he could’ve had the same market share that Android currently has. They could be in that spot right now, but missed out on the amazing opportunity to jump in right when they could’ve. That means they lost out on around $400 billion, making this perhaps one of the greatest all-time blunders in technology history.

“You know, in the software world, in particular for platforms, these are winner-take-all markets. So, you know, the greatest mistake ever is the whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft to not be what Android is, [meaning] Android is the standard non-Apple phone form platform. That was a natural thing for Microsoft to win. It really is winner take all. If you’re there with half as many apps or 90% as many apps, you’re on your way to complete doom,” said Gates.

He goes on about his regret:

“It’s amazing to me, having made one of the greatest mistakes of all time — and there were this antitrust lawsuit and various things that, you know, our other assets, Windows, Office, are still very strong. So, we are a leading company. If we got that one right, we would be the company. But oh well.”

Microsoft did release their Windows Phone in 2010. It was actually fairly functional and worked well, but the world was moving in a different direction. The Windows Phone lacked support for apps, which ultimately resulted in its death. And rather than make the change and dive deeper into the industry, they pulled back and customers flocked to Android.

Later on, Microsoft attempted to correct their mistake by spending $7 billion to acquire Nokia, but that didn’t go anywhere either. At this time, Gates feels it’s too late. There’s only room for one competitor to take on Apple and Google and other industries trying to break through, Microsoft is content to sit back and make their impact felt in other ways.

Written by adminJune 20, 2019

Real life

Many companies are finding that students right out of college are overestimating how much money they’ll be making. They assume that because they have a degree, they’ll be ushered to the front of the line for better work. That’s not often how life works. Starting from the bottom, one has to work their way up to higher wages.

But college students often come in with some unrealistic expectations. This information comes from an online polling software called Pollfish that surveyed 1,000 undergraduates about what they expected to be making once they graduate. The results of the poll were interesting, as it showed how much expectations don’t meet with reality.

“In particular, we labeled business students as the most ‘delusional majors’ because they overestimate how much they’ll be making out of college by $14,585 and how much they’ll make 10 years into their career by $47,070,” Tommy O’Shaughnessy, head of research at Clever Real Estate Analyst and the author of the report.

“It seems the next generation of college graduates might be in for a rude awakening … the average college student has seriously unrealistic expectations for both their early and mid-career salaries.”

By the Numbers

The average student believes their bachelor’s degree right out of college is worth $57,964 in their first year. Sadly, that doesn’t line up with what really happens. The average median salary of someone with a bachelor’s degree hovers around $11,000 lower per year. That’s a massive overestimation! One can expect to make around $47,000 per year throughout their first five years.

O’Shaughnessy continued to state that there’s a true ‘lack of information’ that has led graduates to overinflate their starting salaries. Some of it has to do with a feeling of superiority as well. College grads put 4 years of work into their degree and expect a rolling out of the red carpet and a hefty salary to pull them in.

“While college graduates [who] get further along in their education… learn more about different job opportunities and can start to estimate how much they’ll earn, … there’s a phenomenon known as ‘illusory superiority,’ which is the tendency for people to overestimate their qualities and abilities,” O’Shaughnessy added. “I think we’re seeing that tendency come through in this study.”

Student Loan Debt Part of It

While a lot of the problem stems from a lack of information and illusory superiority, there’s still a massive chunk of this to blame on student loan debt. Most college students leave school tens of thousands of dollars in debt. They only have a six-month grace period before their payments start to kick in, whether they’re ready for it or not.

As college tuition rises, so does student loan debt. When one graduates with so much debt, they expect to find a job that will make racking up all that debt worth it. The problem is, a college degree is a long-term investment. You might see greater opportunities because you have a degree, but it takes time to find the right career.

You also have to put a bit more experience behind you. The more experienced you are, the better opportunity you have to ask for higher sums of money. You’ll get raises over the course of your time working at a company. So, while a college degree might not seem as if it’s worth it at first, stick with it. Its value will grow over time.

Written by adminJune 8, 2019

Real life

While you personally think you might have a good handle on money, marriage can complicate things a bit. What happens if your spouse has a completely different mindset towards money than you do? It can really spell disaster for your marriage. But most people don’t often see it as a challenge. They think having two incomes will make life easier. Not necessarily!

Elle from Couple Money, a finance blog she writes with her husband, also thought it would be a great thing for her finances. She learned a huge lesson very quickly. It turns out she was the big spender and her husband was a saver. It was a crash course for both of them to create a plan they could both get behind.

“Very quickly we discovered we had different ideas on money!” she says. “I came from a background where if you can afford the payments, you were good. My husband was much more conservative and cautious with money.”

Coming together to create a plan was ultimately in the best interest of their marriage. It even allowed them to save up a bit of money for a rainy-day fund. They actually took the time to communicate about their spending and work on a compromise. Sadly, many couples do not have that same level of communication when it comes to money.

Marriage and Money

There’s no doubt that two incomes are better than one, but that statistical advantage doesn’t matter if a couple can’t agree financially. 36% of couples say that their biggest stressor is money. This is according to a 2018 study from Ally Bank. Only 17% and 13% of people said health and family are their biggest stressors.

A lot of the problem, again, comes down to miscommunication. Engagements are a great time that involve a lot of planning. How many couples undergo financial counseling? Do they even talk about money or just make a bunch of assumptions about two incomes being better than one? It appears to be the later, as the number one cause of divorce in the U.S. is money.

According to another study from John Hancock, three-quarters of couples are actually confused and nervous about attempting to save money with their partner. 57% of people even try to avoid bringing up money on any time of monthly or weekly basis. They know it only leads to arguing and contention.

“Advance planning could provide a much-needed boost in financial security for those who unexpectedly end up alone at any phase of their lives,” says David Lynch, managing director for TD Ameritrade. “Considering divorce or the loss of a spouse is a smart addition to any long-term financial plan. It’s no different than planning for things like a major illness, disability or potential long-term care needs.”

Written by adminMay 17, 2017

Real life

Praesent eu massa vel diam laoreet elementum ac sed felis. Donec suscipit ultricies risus sed mollis. Donec volutpat porta risus posuere imperdiet. Sed viverra dolor sed dolor placerat ornare ut et diam. Aliquam quis nunc quam. Maecenas feugiat dui venenatis dui convallis, a consectetur quam ornare. Proin eleifend, tellus in interdum malesuada, eros purus mattis augue, in auctor nunc ligula vel metus. Duis congue, lacus quis viverra egestas, felis elit imperdiet lorem, quis consectetur odio libero vitae sapien. Morbi ut velit tincidunt, pellentesque elit vitae, ultrices massa. Maecenas varius tellus nisi, ac consectetur est pulvinar in. Integer consequat maximus dui, vitae dignissim tortor iaculis eu. Nullam scelerisque consequat fringilla. Duis leo libero, accumsan gravida tincidunt vitae, congue in mauris. Morbi nec lorem nec urna tincidunt molestie ut id nibh. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Categories

Become a member

Popular Posts