retirement

How to get free stuff.

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Once upon a time, it was easy to get free stuff. In the early days of Internet marketing, companies vied with one another to give away everything from candy bars to condoms.

Of course, this free stuff came at a cost: The manufacturers would spam you, and your info would likely be sold so that other people could spam you, too.

But for a little while our mailboxes turned into piñatas, spilling out stuff like protein bars, breakfast cereal, T-shirts, pet food, feminine hygiene products, fabric softener, cosmetics, snack foods, energy drinks and all sorts of over-the-counter medications. Those were the days.

Marketing has changed, and most of the folks who used to run freebie sites either sold their URLs or dropped outta the blogging business. But when asked to find out what’s still there, I found enough to write about for Money Talks News. “6 of the best websites for finding free stuff” notes that times have definitely changed:

“(Some) so-called ‘freebie’ sites are more about items that are free if you:

  • Use coupons and rebates.
  • Pay upfront and then get a loyalty program credit or an online rebate.
  • Jump through multiple hoops, such as creating an account, installing an app and linking your social media account.
  • Enter a drawing for a chance at getting the free item.
  • Take surveys and then use the points you earn to get “free” stuff.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with taking surveys; it’s one way of earning extra cash. Nothing wrong with rebates, either. But sometimes you just want to click it and claim it.”

I did come up with more than half a dozen legitimate ways to score gratis goods. (A couple of extras are tucked in as also-rans.) The article also includes pro tips and caveats. Have a look, and score some free stuff of your own.

A few other pieces I’ve done for Money Talks News lately:

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A retirement trial run.

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I almost didn’t write this post. Not because I was too busy, but rather because I was too busy not being busy. This is my seventh day in Phoenix, and I’ve accomplished relatively little since arriving.

Last week’s overnight flight (Friday night/Saturday morning) provided little sleep due to twin meltdowns: An adult a few rows ahead of me and a toddler a few rows behind me. The adult sobbed aloud (“I can’t do this, I just can’t doooooo this….”) every time we hit turbulence. And there was a lot of turbulence.

The toddler screamed for a big chunk of the six-hour flight. They’d get her calmed down and she’d start up again. The mom in me wondered if an ear infection was involved, since she stopped crying once the plane landed.

Either way, I got relatively little sleep. That first day (Saturday) is kind of a blur and did, in fact, involve a nice long nap. But every day since, I’ve found ways to skirt most work in favor of reading, sleeping, eating and watching a ton of TV* with my daughter.

A couple days ago I realized, “This is a trial run at retirement.” 

You know, doing whatever you want. Getting up when it damn well suits you. Moving at the pace that seems relevant to the day. Eating when you feel hungry, vs. during a “lunch break.” Reading until your eyes blur. Hanging out with loved ones and talking about everything, or talking about nothing at all if you’d rather be absorbed in an excellent drama. Going to bed when it damn well suits you.

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The Saver’s Credit: An overlooked tax boost.

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Need help saving for retirement? The Saver’s Credit can be a big help. Millions of taxpayers are eligible for this tax credit. Far too few of them know it.

According to a new survey from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, just 48 percent of us know about the Saver’s Credit, also known as the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit.

“The Saver’s Credit may help make it easier for people to save because it lowers their federal income tax,” says Catherine Collison, the CEO and president of the Transamerica Institute.

It’s a non-refundable tax credit that could be applied up to the first $2,000 of contributions made to a traditional or Roth IRA, an ABLE account (for people with disabilities), or a 401(k), 403(b) or similar employer-sponsored plan.

“Non-refundable” means that the credit can’t be more than a filer’s federal income tax that year.  The maximum is $1,000 for individual filers and $2,000 for married couples if they file jointly. 

Eligibility is based on age, dependency status and income. More people might be eligible for the Saver’s Credit this year due to pandemic-related employment issues. Here’s how to find out if you’re eligible. 

 

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How to avoid overdrafting.

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It can be surprisingly simple to bounce a check – and overdrafting can put a serious hurt on your finances, especially if you’re living on a tight budget. That’s because banks and credit unions can legally charge non-sufficient funds and/or overdraft fees multiple times per day. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently reported that bank … Read more

Monday miscellany: Porch pirates edition.

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It’s not enough that inflation and supply-chain issues are putting a crimp in preparing for the 2021 holidays. Those dirty rotten porch pirates are back in business, too. According to a study from SafeWise, more than 60 percent of U.S. residents have had a package stolen in the past year. Obviously the holidays are prime … Read more

COVID-19 and retirement.

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In a piece over at Money Talks News today, I address a Pew Research Center study about COVID-19 and retirement. But I didn’t write the headline.

That’s because “7 unusual tactics to keep COVID-19 from derailing your retirement” was made up of tactics that I personally don’t see as all that unusual.

Then again, a lot of money tactics/frugal hacks that others think are offbeat don’t strike me that way.

Learning to cook. Delaying a purchase if it means saving either money or your budget. Stocking up on items at today’s prices ahead of the inflation that’s already taking place.

But as I learned from my early days at MSN Money: It’s always new to somebody. Maybe to a whole lot of somebodies.

During the 2008 recession, personal finance blogs were offering posts on topics like “how to pack a lunch” and “how to save money by going to yard sales and thrift stores.” These are things that strike me (and maybe you) as just basic adulting skills.

This morning DF and I were talking about these and other basic skills. I reminded him that a lot of success as an adult depends on what you grow up hearing. For example, no one ever said to me “it’s best to start saving for retirement early because of compound interest.”

I was well into adulthood before I learned this – and other people would probably have responded, “How could you not know this?” Because we don’t know what we don’t know, that’s why. What I heard growing up was, “Work hard, pay your bills and if there’s anything left over, put it in the bank.”

Had I known better, I’d be so much farther ahead when it comes to money. For that reason, I’m going to add a few more tactics that could help people with regard to COVID-19 and retirement. If they sound familiar or even oversimplified, remember: We don’t all start at the same place.

 

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“I can’t afford to retire.”

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One day last week I was trotting around a big-box store, using the Shopkick* app. I hadn’t planned to buy anything; I was there simply to rack up hundreds of points by scanning universal product codes with my phone.

Out of habit, I checked the clearance rack and saw a slightly dented can of tomato soup for 55 cents. Since winter is coming and I loves me a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup, I grabbed it.

The last Shopkick scans were right outside the store’s beauty section, which has its own cash register. Rather than go to the front of the store and stand in line, I asked if I could pay there.

The cashier wore one of those clear face shields to protect against the virus. She looked tired, pale and a bit stooped. As she scanned my order she said, “It’s my 73rd birthday today.”

I wished her a happy birthday and she smiled just a bit. Then I remarked that I was on my way over to visit a retired friend in her 70s, and would now tell her to get off her lazy behind and get a job.

The woman smiled again, a touch wistfully. “I can’t afford to retire.”

Boy, did I feel like a horse’s patoot. Here she was, obviously fatigued and having to stand for her entire shift, and there I was, making a clumsy joke about working in one’s 70s.

I took a closer look and she seemed older than 73. DF’s mom is 20 years older than that, but doesn’t seem“old.” Sure, she has a lot of wrinkles and is increasingly frail – 93 years will do that to a person – but she still takes both a daily walk and a lively interest in the world. Heck, she gives her great-granddaughter art lessons every week.

The cashier, on the other hand, seemed beaten-down by life. Perhaps she’d had bad luck: illness, job loss, a divorce that didn’t come out in her favor. Possibly she’d earned very little during her lifetime due to social pressures to stay home with a family and/or social mores that didn’t encourage women to seek highly skilled (or highly paid) employment. Could be she’d made bad money decisions due to a lack of financial education.

Whatever happened has left her where she is: weary, and working because she has no choice. Which is why I wanted to share her story with you. The moral of that story is simple:

 

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Giveaway: Stacy Johnson’s retirement course.

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Do you know whether or not you’ll be able to retire comfortably, or at all? According to the Federal Reserve Bank, 25 percent of U.S. workers have neither pension nor retirement savings.

Now that’s scary. And just in time for Halloween!

Instead of the defined benefit retirement plans that many of our parents received, most U.S. residents rely on things like 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts (IRAs), which can be fee-heavy and which require you to invest your own money. Some employers offer a match, but mostly it’s on you.

Social Security is available for most of us, but it likely won’t be enough to live on. (And in fact it may not be fully funded by the time you retire; see Liz Weston’s recent article on this topic.)

Oh, and there’s always personal savings. Right? Or wrong. Some people don’t have a dime in liquid savings. Worse, some of them don’t have any kind of retirement plan other than Social Security.

Stacy Johnson, founder of Money Talks News, is concerned about two big issues surrounding retirement in this country: skyrocketing expenses and a shrinking safety net. That’s why he created a “retirement boot camp” for people aged 40 and older: a 14-week video course designed to teach you how to judge what you’ve already got and accomplish what you’ll need to have a secure, comfortable retirement.

Stacy is a certified public accountant and has also earned licenses in mutual funds, life insurance, stocks, commodities, options principal, securities supervisor and real estate. He has generously donated a copy of “The Only Retirement Guide You’ll Ever Need” for me to give away on my site. Who’s in it to win it?

 

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Extreme heat, safe retirement and book-ish T-shirts.

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I’m in Phoenix, where my brain is slowly frying. Which helps explains the rando stuff I’m about to post.

First: I flew down here to Satan’s Fry Daddy to help my daughter celebrate her 40th birthday. Yes, I was surprised as well, and mildly curious as to where those four decades flew.

Part of my birthday gift to Abby was to help prepare* for the bash: cleaning, shopping and food prep. It was quite the spread, encompassing fruits, vegetables, hummus, meats, cheeses, tortilla chips and salsa, crackers, pita bread, chocolate chip cookies, miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups and a decent selection of adult beverages, bought by Abby and Tim and also brought by their pals.

If you’re gonna invite people, invite those who bring the weird stuff rather than expect you to anticipate their tastes. Hard iced tea – who knew?

 

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Giveaway: “You Can Retire Early!”

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Early retirement has spawned a subset of personal finance blogging. Those who write on the topic call it the FIRE movement, i.e., “Financial Independence/Retire Early.”

Their readers tend to be younger, but it’s also possible to construe “early” as earlier than you thought, as in “maybe you won’t have to work until you drop dead.”

Understand: Not everyone wants to retire early. Some of us like what we do so much that we can’t quite imagine ourselves not doing it. That said, some people who love what they do would like the option of changing the way they do it.

Members of both groups should be interested in “You Can Retire Early!: Everything You Need to Achieve Financial Independence When You Want It.” And one of you will get this book for free, because I’m giving away a copy.

 

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