BuzzSugar

9 Ways to Earn Extra Cash When Money Is Tight

Wise Bread — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:51:58 PDT

I'm sure everyone can do with a little more cash in their wallets. Here are some great suggestions by Wise Bread for you to make extra money.

Even though I'm self-employed full-time, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to make more money.

Earlier this year, I wrote a Wise Bread post on websites that can help you earn extra cash. More recently, I came across a blog post on Zaarly titled, "10 Ways to Make Money Without a Job." After reviewing the latter post, I thought it was time to revisit the topic and let you in on a few more ways to get paid.

The ideas that Zaarly presents are perfect for the unemployed or those who just want to pad their pockets a little more. In addition, there are moonlighting jobs that I do that I thought you should know about. Thus, if you're without a steady paycheck or you just want to build up a rainy-day stash, here are some of your options.

1. Offer Experiences to Strangers

I recently learned about a new site called Vayable, which allows people with specialized knowledge and talents, local info, and time on their hands to create experiences that others can purchase. It's basically a touring and activity company without the company. Anyone can join the site and set up an experience. For instance, the Kan Brothers offer motorcycle tours of San Francisco - which include helmet rental, a drink at a local hot spot, and a city map - for two to four people at $75 per person. In New York City, Kim G. is offering a personalized painting lesson for groups of two to six for a flat rate of $300; the experience includes acrylic paints; canvas board and supplies; studio space; wine, cheese, and crackers; and Kim’s undivided attention. Consider this tip if you're interested in joining Vayable: Browse the site to see what other people in your area are offering. By creating a unique experience that no one else has established, you have a better chance of getting booked.

Read on for more.

Running 101: The Active Warmup

FitSugar — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:03:09 PDT

Stretching before a run has always been a little iffy in our playbook. It's hard to lengthen muscle fibers before they're warm and trying to do so can lead to injury. But warming up is still a good thing, so try an active warm-up.

A dynamic warm-up raises your heart rate a bit while priming your joints for action. We created this video of five moves to do before you hit the ground running. Check it out! And be sure to enter to win running shoes for a year from Asics to help jump-start your January.

Kristen Stewart and More Stars Get Intimate About Shooting Sex Scenes

Tara Block — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:59:07 PDT

After all the anticipation leading up to Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's big Breaking Dawn Part 1 sex scene (which was so hot it had to be taken down a notch for its PG-13 rating), Kristen is jumping headfirst into more steamy roles. In her latest flick, On the Road, which just debuted today at Cannes, she really pushes the sexual boundaries. In the movie, Kristen goes topless, has a threesome, engages in "road head," and manually stimulates her male costars. On the sex scenes, she said, "I love pushing and I love scaring myself. To watch a genuine [sexual] experience on-screen is so much more interesting than when you see the tape holding up the pasties . . . As long as you're being really honest, there's nothing ever to be ashamed of."

Kristen joins the sexy celebs who have been practicing their acting skills between the sheets. And while many actors and actresses - like Lena Dunham - say that onscreen sex isn't quite as enjoyable as the real deal, some stars get really into it. Amanda Seyfried told W magazine she's a big fan of sex scenes. Amanda rolls around in the hay with Justin Timberlake in In Time, but she dishes that her sexiest love-making scene was actually with a lady. She said, "Jennifer's Body is my favorite movie that I've done . . . They had an extreme close-up of [Megan Fox and my] tongues, and I'm telling you, the thing about the scene is that it's actually really sexy. For a young girl to say that about her own sex scene - it must be because it's special. I think Megan and I kissed really well together. We have similar kissing styles and it worked."

From spanking to slobber to ripped pillows, get the first-hand experiences of shooting a sex scene from some of Hollywood's sexiest stars.

5 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Paying For College

LearnVest — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:15:23 PDT

Paying for college is such a complex issue. LearnVest helps simplify it by answering some key questions in regard to paying tuition.

If you believe everything you read, then you might think you need to be a Rockefeller to have kids.

That, of course, isn't the case.

Yes, kids are expensive, and thinking about paying for a college education can be scary and frustrating . . . but that's where we come in.

As with everything else in life, figuring out what to do about your kid's college savings is all about the planning, says Stephany Kirkpatrick, CFP, LearnVest's director of financial planning. Depending on where you are in life right now and how old your kids are, you may have questions about how to set up a 529 plan (which is an education savings plan designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs), what to look for, and when to start saving.

If you're pregnant or have a newborn and are starting to think about this, then good for you! The earlier you get started socking away cash for their college, the easier it will be. You'll learn a lot in this article, but you should also check out our Baby on Board Bootcamp, which will tell you everything you need to know - financially - to be ready for a baby. It includes 529 advice, as well as financial tips on everything from putting together a will and picking out a life insurance policy to buying nursery basics.
If your kid is slightly older and you’ve done your research but haven’t yet started saving in a 529 plan, then first read the four mistakes to avoid when choosing a 529 plan, and then check out the different college savings plans available to you.
If this is the first you’re thinking about it, no matter your kid's ageI, then don't worry about it. You have to start somewhere!

Read on for more.

How-To: Continue Saving Travel Dollars After You've Booked and Paid

Emily Co — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:03:26 PDT

Scouring for deals before you make your purchase is always smart, but you can save even more if you go the extra mile and get some money back after you've booked. Here are some savvy tips to get you more savings after you've forked up cash:

Air Travel: You can save more money on air tickets if the price of the flight goes down. Get refunded the difference when you buy your ticket from airlines like JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and Southwest. Some airlines will charge an extra fee because they will consider it to be changing reservations. AirTran and Virgin, for example, charge $75, while United charges $150. An easy way to keep track of the changing airline prices is to use online price tracker Yapta.com, which will do the work for you and send you refund alerts when your fare has gone down. Be sure to also check out Yapta's other cool feature that keeps track of the flights that you're interested in buying and sends you alerts when the price drops.
Rental Car: Although Yapta tracks rental-car fares, there is an even better site that will do most of the work for you. It's called autoslash.com; it basically books the car for you, checks around for a cheaper price, then emails you when it finds a lower rate. If you want to go with the lower rate, it will rebook it for you.
Hotels: Pick a hotel with a good refund policy or one that allows you to cancel without any penalties if you want to get your money back when you spot a lower rate on a hotel.Then use Yapta as a price-tracking system for hotels, which alerts you when the price of a hotel drops. If the rate does decrease, you can just cancel your reservation and make a new one. You can generally cancel your hotel booking if you don't pay up front for your reservation, but be sure to read the fine print because every hotel has different policy.
Bonus: Alternatively, if you book through travel sites, you can get some sort of price guarantee for your flight, hotel room, and rental car. Keep in mind that every site has different requirements. For hotel stays, Orbitz will refund you the difference if you find the same room at the same hotel and dates at a cheaper price elsewhere. However, the claim has to be submitted before the hotel applies cancellation fees (which requires paying attention to hotel policies) and only works with rates that have the "Low Price Guarantee" or “Price Assurance.” Travelocity, Expedia, and Priceline all have some sort of price guarantee with some differences, so don't assume that the same policy will apply to the other sites.

Why Everyone (Even 20-Somethings) Should Make a Will

Business Insider — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:15:44 PDT

Getting a will is not just for those who are on the cusp of retiring. People of all ages should consider writing one, says Business Insider. Here's why.

Despite the well-known fact that everyone alive today will kick the bucket at one point or another, nearly 60 percent of Americans admitted in a 2011 poll conducted by online legal service Rocket Lawyer that they didn't have a will.

In fact, one-third said they'd rather do their taxes, get a root canal, or give up sex for a month than lay out their dying wishes in black and white.

All right, let's not get out of hand now.

Making a will these days is easier than ever, and if you've been putting it off simply because it seems daunting, then you could be making a big mistake.

"You do it for your family's [future]," says Rocket Lawyer founder Charley Moore. "[A will] enables you to start thinking about issues like whether you have the right insurance coverage, life insurance, and ways of replacing your lost income."

Whether you're 22 years old and just ran your umpteenth marathon or you're ready to retire, laying out an estate plan should definitely be near the top of your to-do list.

It's one of the three most important documents every adult should have.

Here are the other two, according to Moore:

A living will: Also called an advanced healthcare directive, a living will is where you lay out all the nuts and bolts of your end-of-life care. If you wind up in a coma or unresponsive in the hospital, then a living will can help your family decide how to handle your medical treatment.

Durable power of attorney: Choose an attorney you trust to administer your estate after your death, says Moore. He or she will be objective (unlike family members), and their entire job is to follow your wishes.

Read on for more.

Lease Leonardo DiCaprio's Malibu Beach House This Summer - For $150K a Month

Elka Karl — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:03:03 PDT

Sure, it may be some serious cash, but dedicated fans may find the price of admission worth it if they can live in Leonardo DiCaprio's Malibu beach house this Summer. Recently updated and ready for Summer parties, this seven-bedroom compound - it includes a main house, loft, and guest cottage - is perfect for hosting friends and family.

The listing reads:

Just completed a beautiful remodel in time for Summer! Unique property has a 4-bedroom main house on ocean front, a two bedroom detached guest house, and a third detached loft with gym, Media room, seventh bedroom, office area. The short term rate - less than 6 months is $150,000/month. Beautiful gardens and lawns very unique to the beach front!

For more information on DiCaprio's other properties, and how you can rent this property for less, check out Trulia's blog. To take a closer look at the property, just keep clicking!

Leonardo DiCaprio photos courtesy Getty

Real estate photos courtesy Arete Estates

12 Chores You Can Pay Someone Else to Do - and What They Cost

Emily Co — Mon, 21 May 2012 05:20:31 PDT

We can't all be celebrities and pay personal assistants to do mundane chores we dread doing. However, you can hire someone to do one-off tasks: the website TaskRabbit hooks up those looking to pay for assistance with people who want to earn money for chores. When I was looking through the website, I discovered pretty much every imaginable task you can think of. Here are some examples:

Ikea delivery: The most common recent Ikea delivery transactions have been completed for about $16 to $35.
Ikea assembly: One of the most tiresome things about Ikea furniture is putting it together. The most popular historical price according to TaskRabbit data is $45.
Grocery delivery: Recent listings have offered at least $12 for grocery delivery, but the most common asking price range seems to be around $20 to $30
Help moving heavy stuff: The most common task price for help with "heavy-lifting" moving is $40, according to TaskRabbit's historical data.
Transcription: A lister offered to pay $10 to $15 to transcribe a four-minute YouTube video.
Donation pickup: People have recently arranged for donation pickups for at least $11.
Selling stuff on Craigslist: Can't be bothered with listing items on Craigslist? TaskRabbit's historical data for Craigslist assistance listings show that the most common going rate is $45.
Research: One example offered to pay $42 to $58 to a TaskRabbiter to research a list of about 400 artists and their biographic information.

Read on for more.

What It Takes to Buy a Home

Kiplinger — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:14:47 PDT

Do you have what it takes to buy a home? Consider this exhaustive guide from Kiplinger.

Tired of renting? It could be a great time to buy your first home. In many cities, home prices have bottomed, and rents have risen. Mortgage rates are still superlow. In fact, homes haven't been as affordable since 1971. On the downside, in many cities, buyers have fewer homes from which to choose and more competition for the best houses.

In Austin, TX, newlyweds Mark and Ariane Corcoran bought their first home in March. They were renting in a popular downtown neighborhood, where they paid $1,200 a month for a 500-square-foot loft apartment, when they inherited enough money for a down payment. When they began shopping, they expected to buy a classic 1930s Austin bungalow. They found lots of prospects online but drove by most of them. "Agents are really good at taking photos that exclude what they don't want you to see, like the used-car lot out back," says Mark.

They put in an offer on a $225,000, 800-square-foot home. But after the home inspection, they realized that it needed $20,000 to $30,000 in renovations and repairs and that they'd quickly outgrow it. They walked away during the state-mandated rescission period (during which a buyer can back out for any reason and get back any earnest money deposited).

Ariane identified their next prospect within an hour after the listing appeared online. It was a newly built, 1,600-square-foot home with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a yard for the dogs. The builder asked $270,000, the couple offered $260,000, he countered, and they paid $268,000. They put down 20 percent to avoid private mortgage insurance and snagged a 30-year fixed rate of 3.75 percent from a credit union. Their monthly mortgage payment is $1,524.

Before you take the plunge, consider the answers to questions often posed by first-time buyers. Read on for what to ask yourself.

Savvy Confessions: Asking For a Raise (It's Complicated)

Savvy Community — Sun, 20 May 2012 06:22:17 PDT

This post was submitted (anonymously, as always) to our Savvy Confessions group. Got any advice? Leave it in the comments.

Hi, fellow Savvy Confessors. I've got an issue I've been struggling with that I could seriously use some help on. I am in a job where I am paid to be "available." I am paid salary (based on an hourly rate at 40 hours a week) regardless of how little or how much I work. Some weeks I work four hours, and some weeks I work 40. Sometimes I have whole weeks off at a time - but only with extremely last-minute notice. Usually, I don't know my schedule until late the night before or early in the morning the day of.

There have been only three times since I started this job almost two years ago that I have gone over 40 hours, but I was compensated for overtime. I am on the books and paid weekly via direct deposit, but receive absolutely no benefits - health, dental, 401(k), etc. After 20 months, I am still on the same salary as when I started. For the most part, it's an amazing job - the actual work is really rewarding, my boss is really nice and friendly, and (as you can see with my fluctuating schedule) I have plenty of downtime to myself. All in all - a really awesome job!!

So what's the problem? Read on.