86 Places Where Kids Eat Free in 2023

Written By:
Published On:

If you’re a family with small kids and you’re trying to cut back on expenses, you’d be surprised that a bit of planning and choosing restaurants with “kids eat free here” programs can quickly make a dent on your savings.

This is especially true if you eat out more than twice a week.

How do kids eat free?

Kids eat free programs are often for children ages 12 and below.

There are common features of these programs, including:

  • Most restaurants that give freebies to kids only make the deal available once a week.
  • National chains do not have uniform offers. An Applebee’s near you might offer the kids-free-meals on Mondays, but the one located at the next town does it during Sundays.
  • Offers cannot be combined with other promos.
  • There must be a paying adult with the child.
  • Most free kids meals are supposed to be ordered from the kid’s menu
  • Proof of age may be required in some locations.

Free Kids Meals by Day-of-the-Week

Now that you have an idea of the basic rules, let’s check out what’s available.

Kids Eat Free on Mondays

1. Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar: Kids 12 and under get to eat free every Monday, as long as an adult purchases a meal.

2. Cinzetti’s: Kids under 12 eat free between 5 to 9 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. Proof of age may be required. Only 2 kids free per adult.

3. Cody’s Original Roadhouse: Kids 10 years old and under eat free here on Monday and Tuesdays. Limited to 2 kids per paying adult entree.

4. Golden Corral: Kids 10 and younger eat free Mondays from 5 to 9 pm

5.Norms: Every Monday from noon to 10pm, guests 10 and under can get one FREE JR. Entrée from the Kid’s Menu with each adult entree purchased. Dine-in only.

6. Planet Sub: Kids get a free sub any time on Mondays, at the main Kansas branch. One free kids’ meal for each paying adult.

7. Romano’s Macaroni Grill: Kids 12 and under get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entrée. Valid on Monday and Tuesday.

8. Spaghetti Warehouse: Not technically free, but still a good deal. When you buy one adult entree at Spaghetti Warehouse on Mondays, pay only $1.99 for one kid’s entree.

9. T.G.I.Friday’s: Visit here Mondays or Tuesdays to get your child’s meal free for every paying adult.

10. Woody’s BBQ: Kids 10 and younger eat for free every Monday, from 3pm until closing.

Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays

11. Atlanta Bread: A kid can have a free meal every Monday 4pm to closing with adult meal purchased.

12. Back Yard Burgers: Not only does BackYard Burgers have an awesome ‘No Kids Get Hungry’ program, they also have a free kiddie meal Tuesdays with purchase of an adult combo meal.

13. Beef O’Brady’s: Kids receive a free meal on Tuesdays from 5 to 9 pm with the purchase of an adult meal.

14. Bennigan’s: After 4 pm every Tuesday, kids (12 or under) eat free when you purchase an adult entree.

15. Black Eyed Pea: Buy one adult entree and get one item free from the kid’s menu. Offer valid Tuesdays from 5 pm to closing.

16. Bob Evans: Every Tuesday is Family Night at Bob Evans Restaurants from 4 p.m. – close. One kid gets a free meal per adult meal purchased.

17. Carrows Restaurants: Kids 10 and under eat free on Tuesdays from 11am until close. Up to two kids meals per paid adult meal.

18. Chevy’s Fresh Mex: One child can choose from the kid menu for $1 with every paying adult. Valid all day on Tuesday.

19. Chompie’s: Kids (10 and under) eat free all day on Tuesdays.

20. Denny’s: Kids eat dinner free at Denny’s on Tuesdays from 4 – 10 pm. Up to two free kid’s entrées from the kid’s menu per one adult entrée purchase of $6.00 or more.

21. Famous Dave’s: Kids 12 and under eat free all day on Tuesdays. (Some locations may charge $0.99 for kids meals)

22. Fazoli’s: Not free, but any kids meals from the menu is only 99 cents every Tuesday nights from 5 until 8pm.

23. Johnny Rockets: From 4 to 8 p.m. every Tuesdays and Wednesdays, get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entrée and drink.

24 . Lone Star Steakhouse: Kids eat free all day on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Up to 2 free kids’ meals with the purchase of an adult meal.

25. Marie Callender’s Restaurant and Bakery: Kids ages 12 and under eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée.

26. Moe’s Southwest Grill: One free kids’ meal per paying adult.

27. Ponderosa Steakhouse: For every adult entree purchased from 4 – 9 pm on Tuesday nights, you get two free kid’s meals.

28. Pizza Street: Free cheese pizza meal for kids 10 or younger per paying adult.

29. Red Brick Pizza: Buy one adult entree on Tuesday to get a kid’s meal for free.

30. Romano’s Macaroni Grill: Kids ages 12 and under get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entrée.

31. Ruby Tuesday: On Tuesdays after 5 p.m., 1 child per paying adult gets a free meal

32. Shari’s: Up to two free kid’s meals per adult entrée, valid Tuesdays from 10am-11pm.

33. UNO Pizzeria & Grilll: 1 free kiddie meal for kids aged 12 and younger every Tuesdays with the purchase of an adult meal.

Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays

34. Buffalo Wild Wings: On Wednesday nights from 4 to 10pm, any entree from the kid’s menu is only $1.99. It’s not free, but it’s cheap!

35. East Coast Wings: Kids get to eat free per adult entree every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to close.

36. Firehouse Subs: Visit from 5 to 8pm Wednesdays and your kid can get a free kids’ meal for each adult combo meal purchased. Up to 2 kids per 1 adult.

37. Friendly’s: Score kid’s meals for just $1.99 all day on Wednesdays. Or if you can visit after 4pm, kid’s meals are free with every purchase of an adult meal.

38. Gatti Town: A kid (10 and younger) could get a free kid’s buffet when you buy one adult buffet meal.

39. Jason’s Deli: Purchase one adult entree to get one free kid’s meal.

40. Jeffery’s Sports Grill: Kids eat free (one kid per paying adult) any time on Wednesdays.

41. Little Bitty Burger Barn: Kids under 10 eat free all day Wednesdays. Up to 2 kids’ meals for every full-priced adult meal.

42. Luby’s Cafeteria: On Wednesdays 4pm onwards, kids under 10 eat for free.

43. Logan’s Roadhouse:Kids ages 12 and under eat free on Wednesdays with the purchase of an adult entrée.

44. Qdoba Mexican Grill: Kids get to eat free with the purchase of an adult enchilada entrée.

Kids Eat Free on Thursdays

45. Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen:Buy one adult meal here on Thursdays and get up to two free kid’s meals.

46. Chartroose Caboose: Kids receive free meal all day on Thursdays with purchase of an adult meal worth $8 or more.

47. C.B. & Potts Restaurant & Brewery: Not free, but kids eat for only $1 with purchase of adult entrée during Thursdays.

48. Old Country Buffet: On Thursdays, kids (from 4 to 11 years old) eat for only $1.99 with the purchase of an adult buffet.

49. Piccadilly: Thursday All-Day, up to 2 kids 12 and under can enjoy $1.99 meals with an adult purchase.

50. Ryan’s: Thursdays is Family Night at Ryan’s, so kids eat for only $1.99 per adult meal purchased. Visit from From 4 to 8:30 p.m.

51. Red Robin: This used to be free, but the promo now has $1.99 kid’s meal for every adult entree purchased.

52. Salsarita’s: Get one free meal for your child with the purchase of $5 or more adult Mexican entrée; dine in only

53. Zaxby’s: Up to 2 kids under 10 eat FREE on Thursdays with the purchase of an adult meal

Kids Eat Free on Fridays

Fridays is usually a busy day for restaurants, which is why most deals are on off-peak days like Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

More deals pop up on the weekends, since families usually eat out on either Saturday and Sunday.

What better way to lure families with young kids to their restaurants, right?

Kids Eat Free on Saturdays

54. Maggiano’s Little Italy: Kids under 5 get to eat free Italian food all day on Saturday.

55. Margaritas Mexican Restaurant: On Saturdays, visit their East Hartford (CT) and Mystic (CT) locations to receive two free kid’s meals for each adult meal you order.

56. Qdoba Mexican Grill: Buy an adult entrée to get a free kid’s meal. Valid usually during Saturday lunch and dinner, but may vary by location.

57. Steak ‘n Shake: Every Saturday, get one free kids plate for every $9 spent. No drinks and shakes included, sorry. Dine-in only.

58. Texas Land and Cattle: If you buy one adult entree on Saturday afternoons from 11 am – 4 pm, you can get up to two free kid’s meals for free.

59. Which Wich Superior Sandwiches: Buy a 7” sandwich and get a kid’s meal for just 99 cents. Valid for kids 12 years old or younger.

Kids Eat Free on Sundays

60. Arriba Mexican Grill: One free kids’ meal per paying adult valid anytime on Sundays.

61. Blue Mesa Grill: Eat brunch here from 9am to 3pm on Sundays and your kid (5 years old or younger) gets a free meal.

62. Baja Fresh: If you buy an adult entree at this Mexican grill during Sundays, you get a free kid’s meal.

63. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: Kids (12 or younger) eat free all day on Sundays (drinks included) with the purchase of a $10 adult meal.

64. Hooters: If you’re after some Hooters wings, go on Sundays 11am to 11pm for free kid’s meals

65. Jose Pepper’s: Kids get to eat for free all Sunday at Jose Pepper’s.

66. Moe’s Southwest Grill: Visit Moe’s Sunday anytime from 4pm until closing, buy one adult entree and get one free kid’s meal.

67. Slim Chicken’s: Slim Chicken’s for free meals for kids aged 10 and younger is valid every Sunday.

68. Souper! Salad!: On Sundays kids age 4 and younger eat for free with a paying adult.

69. Tony Roma’s: Buy an adult entree and get one free kid’s meal for kids age 12 and younger.

Everyday Free Kiddie Meal

70. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream: As long as your kid is shorter than 40 inches, they can receive one free baby cone. You don’t even have to purchase anything.

71. Cafe Rio: Valid daily, kids ages 6 and under get a free Nino Quesadilla with the purchase of an adult entrée.

72. Carrows: During weekdays (Monday-Friday), one kid below 10 years old can eat for free after 4 pm (for each paying adult).

73. Cici’s: Kids (3 years old or younger) can eat free when you purchase a full-price adult entree.

74. Culver’s: Kids 12 and under get a free frozen custard with the purchase of a meal

75. Fricker’s: Kids eat free all day, every day with the purchase of an adult entrée.

76. IHOP: Usually every spring, kids get to eat free every day from 4 to 9 p.m. with purchase of adult entree.

77. Holiday Inn: Up to four kids 12 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn on-site restaurant.

78. O’Charley’s: Kids eat free every day with the purchase of an adult entree.

79. On The Border: Kids receive a free sundae with meal purchase.

80. Texas de Brazil: With a purchase of an adult meal, kids 2 years old and below eat free; kids 3 to 5 eat for just $5, while big kids from 6 to 12 years old dine for half the adult price.

Depends on Location

81. IKEA: At some IKEA locations, kids (12 and under) can receive up to 2 kiddie meals with purchase of one adult entree worth $3.99 or more. Usually available on Tuesdays.

82. Skyline Chili – Locations vary, but if offered in a location near you, one free kids meal for every adult meal purchase of $5 or more. Only for dine-ins.

Occasional

83. Chick-fil-A: Every Monday night in July, kids can eat free from 5pm-7:30 pm. Receive one FREE Kid’s Meal per child 12 and under. No purchase necessary.

84. Godfather’s Pizza: During the all-you-can-eat family buffet, kids usually eat free.

Free Kids Meals via Rewards or Club Membership

85. Chili’s– When you buy an adult entree, you get one free kid’s entree.

86. Souplantation: All Club Veg members get a free kids meal.

The Bottom Line

If you don’t need a long list of restaurants (and would rather pick your family’s favorite ones), then make sure you have access to their Facebook page, Twitter, or website for double-checking availability of offers.

For kids who are celebrating their birthdays soon, there are also restaurants that give out free stuff on your birthday.

Be sure to check out this list of 20 ways to get free kids books by mail.

Poshmark Review: How to Get the Most for Your Clothes

Written By:
Published On:

This Poshmark review is for anyone who has Marie Kondo’d their wardrobe, garage, shoe closet and other storage recently.

If you’re not going to give your old clothes away to charity, sell them instead of storing them somewhere you won’t see again in years.

Your pockets would love you!

You’d be surprised at how much money you can raise during your monthly or annual cleaning.

To make your online selling as hassle-free as can be, mobile apps like Poshmark are efficient tools. These apps not only serve as the marketplace platform where you’d buy other people’s clothes and sell your own, some apps also have added features like taking photos, documenting, or recording items.

What is Poshmark?

The Poshmark app is a social commerce marketplace where you can sell clothes, shoes, bags, and other fashion accessories online for cash.

Launched in 2011 by Manish Chandra, the Redwood City, California-based company now has 4 million sellers with an accumulated $1 billion+ worth of items sold since its inception.

Selling via Poshmark is super easy. Just download and open the Poshmark app (it’s available on Android and iPhone), take a photo of the item you want to sell, write a description, set the price, and it’s up for sale.

The cool thing about Poshmark is that it was developed originally as an app, which means many of its features run smoothly even when you’re on the go.

Poshmark listing

Compare this to online shops that you only access via mobile browsers and you’ll see what I mean.

However, Poshmark app does have a desktop version, in case you prefer to work in an office.

eBay vs. Poshmark

If you’re going to sell items online, you’d probably be thinking, “why not on eBay?”

eBay is without question the oldest (and still standing) online marketplace today. When it comes to second-hand items, eBay lets you sell and buy stuff on a national level. Its counterpart is probably Craigslist, which has a sub-category for every city across the country.

Poshmark began with people selling used items, similar to eBay, but has since expanded to include new items as well.

Pros and Cons of eBay

  • eBay has been around forever. While it can still have some glitches, these are often scheduled and announced.
  • eBay and PayPal are under the same company, so expect its main payment gateway to be secure.
  • Many payment and shipping options
  • Everyone knows eBay

eBay’s customer support isn’t the best (especially when you’re handling refunds).

Because of its massive reach and millions of items being sold at any given time, eBay’s app can be clunky.

If you’re only planning to sell clothes, eBay is definitely too much for your needs.

Pros and Cons of Poshmark

  • Poshmark was built specifically for mobile use, so the Poshmark app will definitely appeal to people on-the-go
  • The social aspect of Poshmark means your listings are easily shareable inside or outside the Poshmark app
  • Poshmark lets you list an item for sell by simply taking a photo of the item, then adding a description
  • Poshmark is exclusive to fashion items, so you are 100% sure of the target market

The main problem with Poshmark is the high shipping fees, which doesn’t really do anybody good (whether you’re the seller or buyer).

Poshmark Fees vs eBay

On eBay, you don’t pay anything if the item isn’t sold. eBay gets a 8.75% cut of the final selling price, plus an extra 4% if the item is priced $50 to $1,000.

Poshmark gets a 20% cut on items over $15, while a flat rate of $2.95 for any item below $15. You only pay Poshmark fees once you stuff gets sold.

Notable Poshmark Features

As you can see, the Poshmark fees aren’t really that friendly to sellers, but sellers still stick to the Poshmark fees because of the creative ways of selling, and the perks given to Posh Ambassadors and Posh Affiliates.

Aside from having your own online “storefront” on Poshmark, sellers also benefit from these features:

  • Posh Authenticate – Buyers prefer to shop used, branded items at the Poshmark app, mainly because the company guarantees items first. Whenever someone purchases a luxury item, it gets sent to Poshmark headquarters first where the item will be inspected and tagged as authentic. Only then will Poshmark send the item to the buyer. If it fails, buyers are refunded their money.
  • Posh Bundles – The flat lay generation of Instagrammers have definitely inspired online sellers to step up their game when it comes to showcasing products for sale. The Poshmark app lets you bundle items into one purchase, which means you can easily “style” your items for sale.
  • Posh Parties – Poshmark hosts about 3 “virtual parties” daily. These parties are a gathering of buyers and sellers within a particular time. During the party, sellers can share items for sale as long as the item “fits” the party’s theme. For example, “Summerwear party” gathers all sellers with swim wear, summer clothing items, while “Best in Makeup” party invites both buyers and sellers interested in all things cosmetics.
  • Social Sharing (Posh Love, Meet the Posher, etc.) – The Poshmark app is filled with social media vibes. As a new seller, you can introduce yourself by creating a ‘Meet the Posher’ listing and share it all over the app. There’s also the Posh Love feature, where you share what you think looks cool (within your own listings or other sellers’ listing) to your followers.

How to Become a Posh Ambassador and Affiliate

Posh Ambassadors have access to VIP events, programs and newsletter.

They are recommended to new Poshers, which means their market is almost guaranteed.

However, it isn’t easy to become an ambassador.

You’d have to meet these criteria:

  • Listings Sold: At least 15 individual items sold
  • Available Listings: At least 50 available listings in your closet at any given time
  • Average Rating: With an average rating of at least 4.5 stars
  • Average Ship Time: With an average ship time of 3 days (or less)
  • Self-Shares: Record of sharing your own items at least 5,000 times to the community
  • Community Shares: Record of sharing items from other Poshers’ closets for at least 5,000 times

Another advantage of becoming a Posh ambassador is that you’re qualified to join the Posh Affiliate Program.

Meaning, you’ll be able to earn extra money by spreading Posh listings online and getting a commission with all the links that end up as a sale.

How to Start Selling on Poshmark

After signing up, you have a choice of creating a listing on the app, or via web.

If you prefer to list an item via the Poshmark app, here’s how to do it:

  1. Click on the Sell button in the app (It’s the camera icon!)
  2. Your camera will open, so take photos of the item you wish to sell. (You can also upload photos that are already stored on your device).
  3. Add up to 7 more photos for this listing.
  4. Fill in the description, price, size, and other details.

Can You Use Poshmark app for Business?

If you’ve ever faced a Powerseller on eBay or an successful Amazon seller, you know that the buy-and-sell market is alive and well.

Using the Poshmark app as a side gig can lead to a full-blown business if you know how to source products (eventually you’ll run out of things to sell from your closet). You should also be smart with picking luxury items (not all expensive, branded items are guaranteed to sell).

If you look around the community, you’ll see that sellers do make big bucks on the platform, but only a small percent.

It’s mostly due to the Posh Ambassador system that favors long-standing, loyal sellers who have an extensive history with Poshmark.

As a new seller trying our Poshmark, don’t expect to compete against the older Poshers – you’ll just get disappointed.

Instead, welcome the Poshmark app as a new platform to get rid of old stuff hassle-free and convert them into cash.

Garage Sale Tips and How to Make the Most Money

Written By:
Published On:

If you’re looking for garage sale tips, you’ve come to the right place!

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who finds fulfillment in turning unwanted clutter, stored clothes, and old house items into cash.

You can sell items on eBay, Craigslist, and selling apps like Poshmark, but the traditional garage sale is usually enough to do the trick.

The garage sale tips I’m going to share with you are based from personal experience, and have always worked no matter the season.

What Sells Best at a Garage Sale

In the past, I discussed quite a bit about product research and the best things to sell on Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and other online platforms.

Unfortunately, online selling is totally different to traditional yard sales. What sells best at a yard sale may not really sell successfully online…and vice versa. And that’s okay.

Items that sell best at yard sale include:

  • Tools – This can be anything from power tools to gardening tools, and everything else in between. These items sell like hotcakes on yard sales because they don’t get broken too easily, so even if the tools are used, they most likely still have half of their lifetime to spare.
  • Gently-used clothes and costumes – A yard sale shouldn’t include clothes that are no longer usable. As a general rule: if it won’t be usable for you, no other person will find it usable. Costumes are bestsellers, since most of them are only worn once or twice.
  • Shoes and bags – Kids shoes are quick sellers because children grow out of their sizes very quickly. Parents grab second-hand shoes on yard sales since they’re cheaper than new and rarely worn out. When it comes to bags, branded ones can be a hit, especially if you still have the original boxes or paper bags.
  • Jewelry – Selling real jewelry in a garage sale doesn’t really happen, but if you’re game for it, then do so. Many yard sale junkies, however, flock toward costume jewelry or other fashionable statement pieces, so price them appropriately.
  • Antiques and Artwork – Since many homeowners who have kept heirloom pieces may never know the real value of what they have, antique hunters and art collectors check out garage sales regularly in hopes of finding hidden gems. When selling art and antiques, try to find everything you can about the pieces before “laying them on a table.”
  • Books – If you have experience selling books on Amazon or any online platform, you know that there will always have a demand for books. Pile your books altogether in one spot and price them somewhere between $1 to $5.
  • Camping gear – Tents and other camping gear can be expensive. But since most people who have camping gear rarely use them, they’re sure-buys on garage sales.
  • Furniture and appliances – For many families that are just starting out, second-hand furniture and appliance are the only way to go, so if you have an old sofa you’re not using or a study table outgrown by your kids, not only are these a sure sell, but you’re also helping people out.
  • Sports and exercise equipment – Got some exercise equipment collecting dust? This can be anything as small as dumbbells or exercise balls, to something as big as a stationary bike. How about some sports equipment like golf clubs, basketballs, rackets, and so on? Know that they’re always in-demand.
  • Anything in bulk – Put stuff in a box (makeup, comics, toys, etc.) and sell them as a bundle. People love discounted items grouped together like a gift box.

Negotiations and Garage Sale Pricing

Garage sale pricing can be tricky, especially if you only do yard sales every couple of years. Buyers would likely negotiate – it’s the norm in yard sales, so you better be prepared and set your limits before opening your doors to the world.

Here are several things to remember when it comes to pricing:

1. Visit other yard sales in your area

Take note of the prices of items, so you’d have a feel for what people locally are buying and for how much they’re willing to spend for them.

2. Price everything before the garage sale starts

Get stickers and write down prices using a permanent marker.

Keep the price of big-ticket items like sofa or heirloom cabinets private (list them down in a notebook or on your phone’s notepad), so you have a starting amount when would-be buyers decide to negotiate price.

Place same-priced items in one spot.

Books priced at $1 each can go in a box.

3. Choose your stickers properly

Neon-colored stickers let buyers see price quickly.

Go with low-tack stickers, which area easier to remove from glass, paper, wood or porcelain.

If the garage sale includes items of your friends and family, various-colored stickers will make your job easier.

Double the sticker to every item, then whenever an item is sold, get the second sticker and put it in a column under your friend or family member’s name.

It’s a quick and easy way to keep everything accounted for.

Be considerate about collector’s items.

Don’t place hard-to-remove stickers on old album covers, windows of collectable toy boxes, and other areas that would de-value the price of the actual item.

4. Never shut down buyers who haggle

It’s part of the garage sale experience.

Add the word “firm” to price stickers for items that have non-negotiable pricing

Generally, clothes range from $1 to $5, while coats and formal wear go a bit higher (around $5 to $15). Shoes can be as low as $2 to up to $10, depending on the amount of wear. Jewelry can be sold as little as 25cents for costume jewelry and up to $20 for antiques.

Books, DVDs or VHS tapes of movies and music, toys, and vinyl records are usually $2 or less.

Kitchen items like knives, silverware, dishware, glassware, and other similar items are priced from $1 to $5.

Of course, those that come in sets (set of knives, 6-pc plate set, etc.) can get over $15 or more.

5 Awesome Garage Sale Tips for a Successful Yard Sale

To ensure your yard sale comes out successful, here are tried-and-tested garage sale tips you can follow:

1. Plan

Be smart about your garage sale.

Plan the date, season, day and time. People prefer to visit yard sales at the end of the week, so choose 2-3 days from Thursday to Sunday.

Go for the nearest weekend after the 15th and 30th (or the nearest payroll date in your state).

If you can start your sale early in the morning, it will attract more buyers with school kids going to school or adults off to work.

If they couldn’t stop by that morning, there’s a good chance they’d be intrigued and stop over on the way back.

And while you’re at it, check weather forecast as well.

Not only will rain cause a lot of hassle with things getting wet, the chances of people stopping over reduces significantly with bad weather.

2. Organize

Planning and organizing may not be the newest or coolest garage sale tips ever, but doing them will definitely make a difference in the outcome of your yard sale.

Doing so allows you to see all items for sale, make an inventory, and group them according to the categories you prefer, such as entertainment, furniture, kids section, sports, and so on.

Organizing items also make the yard sale look more appealing to the buyers.

You don’t want your second-hand items looking like they’re ready to be disposed, right?

3. Encourage your friends, family or neighbors to join

Ask your friends, family or neighbors join your garage sale. Don’t consider them as competition.

People are often drawn to a yard full of stuff, so the more items you include in your garage sale, the better turnout you’ll have.

4. Spread the Word

Traditional ways of marketing still work.

Aside from word-of-mouth, you can also send flyers around your city and put posters up at the community center (and in front of your house).

Of course, online promotions can help too! Make a listing on Craigslist, find your town’s FB page and post there, post on your Facebook (and buy credits to spread it to people who live near you) and so on.

Buyers won’t just visit your garage sale. You have to do a big of legwork to increase your chances of a successful yard sale.

5. Include other Fund-Raising Opportunities During a Garage Sale

If you’re planning a big garage sale, or a neighborhood-wide yard sale, you can make extra money by offering people with drinks, baked goods, snack, CR use, phone charging, and so on.

It’s a smart way to keep kids busy while their parents shop. Having a lemonade table, or a hotdog stand during the garage sale also encourages socialization, so if you’re looking for new friends, the yard sale will be an awesome experience.

The Future of Garage Sales

It’s always nice to know that we could sell things to make money the old-fashioned way, right?

As long as there’s no zombie apocalypse keeping people from going outdoors and socializing within the local neighborhood, garage sales will always be in fashion.

How to Start a Subscription Box Service Quickly

Written By:
Published On:

A subscription box service follows the subscription business model, wherein a product or set of products within a particular niche is bundled together and shipped to buyers.

Because subscription boxes are pre-paid by customers, the company can deliver the boxes at a set date monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or yearly.

In the United States alone, there are about 500 different kinds of subscription boxes.

They have varying prices, frequency of delivery, number of items included, and brands, which is why subscription boxes could cost somewhere from $5 to $200.

How Do Subscription Boxes Make Money?

Making money with a subscription box service is actually easy to explain.

Once you developed an idea, you source products to include into the box and estimate cost-per-box.

Let’s say you want the box to be priced at $25. You then find products to include in your box, compute fees on packaging, overhead and shipping and add all these expenses. The difference is your profit.

The more people you attract to buy a subscription, the higher you get to take home.

Of course, to add to your company’s revenues, you can incorporate other techniques like finding ex-deals from brands, negotiating prices of products directly from the factory or creating more types of subscription boxes.

Most Popular Subscription Box Service

Cratejoy is a directory of subscription box services, so if you’re just looking around and don’t know what to expect, this site is a pretty good resource.

Best Subscription Boxes for Men

The Loot Crate is a fantastic subscription box that mixes men’s apparel with accessories like pins and ties, along with other pop-culture toys. You can even choose which fandom you prefer to receive.

Stitch Fix Men ($20+prices of clothes/mo) is a service for those who don’t like shopping. Personalize your style choices, add sizes and other preferences, then surprise yourself with a couple of hand-picked clothing items to make a complete wardrobe.

Other clothing-specific brands include Society Socks ($10/mo), Watch Gang ($30+/mo) and undies from Basic Man ($20/mo).

>The Tie Bar($199/year) sends 1 tie a month to update your wardrobe.

Aside from clothes, men’s choices for subscription boxes also include grooming:

  • Dollar Shave Club($9+/mo) bundles everything shaving related (razors, creams, and so on) each month so shaving will never be forgotten.
  • Walmart’s Mr. Dashing ($10/mo) lets you test drugstore classics on a monthly basis.
  • Birchbox Men ($10/mo) comes from one of the oldest subscription box service companies in the U.S.

Best Subscription Boxes for Women

Stitch Fix is also available for women, as well as Trunk Club (Nordstrom’s personal styling service). There are also clothing-specific boxes, such as The Lingerie Box ($50/month).

The subscription-based industry is even inclusive. Gwynnie Bee is a women’s clothing subscription box that caters to sizes 10 to 32. How about some workout clothes from SweatStyle ($25/mo) or Running Bird ($40/mo)?

  • Beauty: Birchbox ($10/mo) sends you a box full of sample-sized products to try out beauty products before they hit the stands. Lip Monthly ($10/mo) delivers a monthly supply of everything lippies.
  • Skincare: BeautyFix by Dermstore ($25/month)
  • Jewelry: EarFleek brings a pair of earrings straight to your door each month at only $3.50/month. mintMONGOOSE offers customized jewelry for $12/month.

Best Subscription Boxes for Kids

Kids have some of the coolest subscription boxes around.

The BRICKBOX Club ($19.99/mo), for example, sends buildable legos and mini-figs to kids.

Superpower Academy ($26.95/mo) is an educational box aimed at inspiring and empowering the next generation of leaders.

Science kits like Club Scikidz Labs ($29.95/mo) and Groovy Lab in a Box ($24.95+/mo) are a favorite of kids ages 3 and up.

Those who love arts and crafts will go gaga for kits like the Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Club ($12.95/mo), We Craft Box ($29.99/mo), GIRLS CAN! CRATE ($18.50/mo), or Green Kid Crafts ($17.95/mo) make it easy for parents to play and work on projects with kids.

Food, Books, and other Subscription Boxes

Of course, there are also other categories of subscription boxes, such as:

Food, condiments, spices

SpiceBreeze ($5.60+/mo) introduces you to several spices from around the world each month.

Hot Sauce of the Month Club ($14/mo) is perfect for chileheads looking for the hottest of hot sauce in the world.

Freshly’s chef-prepared gourmet meals ($50/week), a box of sweets from Candy Club ($19 to $30/mo), a box of snacks from MunchPak ($10/mo), wine pairings from Wine Down Box ($70/mo), and exceptional meat choices from SumoJerky ($29/mo) and Carnivore Club ($50/mo) are just some examples of foodie subscription boxes.

There are even diet-specific food boxes, such as the American Gluten Free ($25-$37/mo) or Keto Box ($40/month) for those who wish to eat more healthy.

Pets

Even your dogs and cats can get some regular loving from subscription boxes.

BarkBox ($21/mo) delivers toys and treats for your dogs, while KitNipBox ($20-$30/mo) is exclusively for cats. Similar services are Surprise My Pet ($30/mo) or the vet-approved pet boxes VetPetBox ($35-$50/mo).

Books

Once Upon a Book Club ($34.99/mo), Kids Bookcase Club ($9.99/month) and ComicCrate are just a few examples of book-themed subscription boxes.

How to Start a Subscription Box Company

Now that you see what kind of subscription box services actually sell, let’s talk about getting one setup.

The success of a subscription box service is mainly because of the convenience it gives to consumers.

If you’re interested in joining the subscription-based ecommerce, here’s a quick guide:

1. Start planning

When planning your subscription box company, you have to decide the type of box you want to bring to the market.

CrateJoy updates a list of subscription box ideas that haven’t been made into reality, or lack representation in the market.

Determine the type of box you want: food, beauty, education, pets, hobbies, lifestyle, tech, and so on. Once you’ve chosen your niche, you’d probably have an idea about your audience as well.

2. Brainstorm ideas

After you’ve decided on the major category, you have to conduct deeper research (especially with competition).

Is there a subscription box already in this category?

Would you provide a better service if you launch yours?

What’s the demand for the product you want to sell? Are people clamoring for it? Or just a small market?

Because subscription boxes are ordered online, research can be exclusively done online too.

3. Research products

Now that you’ve figured out what kinds of items you want to include in a box, it’s time to source your products.

Do you prefer high-quality, branded products? Or do you prefer white label products that you can stick your own label onto?

You can go straight to companies in hopes of getting lower-priced deals. Sometimes, you can even bring their new products into your box free of charge.

Some boxes have products custom-made. For example, a razor that’s cheap, but works better than the branded ones, will become a bestseller once proven quality-made.

4. Set up your company’s online presence

You need to have a website with a secured payment system for accepting credit cards and other payment methods. If you don’t want to bother with a website, you can dip your toes and try out your product in a marketplace listing on CrateJoy.

Whether you choose a website, marketplace listing, or both, this platform is where people will check out everything about your product, register and subscribe to your service, and contact you if there are problems in the future.

And while you’re at it, make sure you get every major social media covered as well. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn should be a part of your marketing plan. They’re free to open and widely effective in spreading word about a product, so take advantage of them.

5. Expand

A subscription box service is tricky because although customers want to receive the box at a specific day of the month and expects it to include clothing or makeup or haircare products, or so on, they still love the “surprise factor” of it all.

As such, you’d have to learn how to keep up the mystery, keep your subscriber base happy and grow your number of customers in the process.

Mix it up every now and then by adding a product not within that niche. Check feedback of your clients. And always always bring quality product to the market.

The Future of Subscription Box Services

Are subscription boxes a fad?

Well, this subscription-based commerce business model is still relatively new.

The earliest boxes recorded were in 2004 (“The Sampler” with craft and art products) and 2005 (“Granny’s Attic of Mobile” with painted ponies collectables).

In 2016, Unilever acquired the popular subscription box brand “Dollar Shave Club” for a billion dollars and the industry went wild. Many box services were launched soon after – many of which are still available today.

I say if you have a cool subscription box idea that fills a void, and there’s a continuous need for that product, then go for it.

Get Paid to Do ASMR Videos: How to Turn Sounds into Cash

Written By:
Published On:

Whether you find it soothing or creepy, people are getting paid to make ASMR videos on YouTube.

You know these videos – they’re people whispering on screen, eating loudly, doing a ton of noises, sounds, tones, and other activities to help other people relax.

ASMR videos are part of an interesting phenomenon.

ASMR artists are part of a growing online community of people that make pleasurable sounds either live or pre-recorded in hopes of reaching a person who might find those particular sounds relaxing.

Those videos may seem boring to anyone not familiar with ASMR, but to an entire population of people sensitive to these triggers, it can mean hours-long of genuine relaxation.

What is ASMR, exactly?

ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is a term that was coined in 2010. It refers to the relaxing sensation a person feels from the scalp, crawling to the spine and down the body.

ASMR has been described as ” mild electrical current” or chills people get when someone whispers into their ear or plays with their hair.

ASMR is triggered by numerous auditory and visual things, including specific hand movements, loud chewing/crunching noise, nail tapping, rubbing fabric and whispering, among others.

Many people feel that watching ASMR videos is deeply relaxing. (Check Google Trends and the term “ASMR sleep” consistently ranks high around sleeping time regardless of country of origin). Pretty cool, right?

Renowned painter and iconic artist Bob Ross, more specifically his soft dulcet-toned voice, has been regarded an ASMR trigger.

Those who discover Bob Ross only recently feel that the reason for his popularity is how Bob’s voice made people deeply relaxed.

How does ASMR work?

You either have ASMR, or you don’t.

This means if you watch a trigger like crinkling paper and you do not have experience a tingling sensation because of it, it simply means your body didn’t react to this particular trigger (and probably opt out of the video).

In some cases, you can still discover a specific trigger that lets you experience ASMR.

Sometimes you never do.

Contrary to what others may think, ASMR isn’t ALL sexual.

However, this doesn’t mean a person watching ASMR cannot get turned on.

Heck, there’s a sub-niche of ASMR devoted completely to sexual ASMR.

Watching ASMR videos is a slippery slope.

This is because the tingling sensation felt (or ASMR) varies from one person to the next. A person may get turned on by watching someone stirring a bowl of soup today, and feel completely different about that same ASMR video tomorrow.

And since there’s very little science behind ASMR, what we know about this sensation and the triggers behind it come from those who watch and those who get paid to do ASMR videos.

Highest Paid ASMR Artists and Their Work

As you can see, ASMR isn’t exactly an easy topic to explain. But to give you an idea how many people get paid to do ASMR videos these days, here are 6 examples:

1. SAS-ASMR

  • Specialty: ASMR with Mukbang (Korean words for “eating” and “broadcasting”)
  • Subscribers: 7.6 million (from April 2016 to present)
  • Income: She reportedly has a net worth of $7.5 million and earns about $120,000 a month

On this video, she eats all of the most popular foods from her channel – honeycomb, aloe vera, seagrapes, and octopus – in one go with her trademark extremely loud chewing, crunching and gulping sounds.

2. Makenna K Kelly (of Life with MaK)

  • Specialty: She does role-plays and a ton of whispering
  • Subscribers: 1.6 million (from November 2017 to present)
  • Income: The teen earns a whopping $1,000 a day from her ASMR videos

As the youngest popular ASMR YouTuber (she’s only 14 as of 2019), her channel is highly controversial and the continuous flagging means YouTube takes her content down more often as she’d hope.

For example, her video role-playing a first class flight attendant has been viewed about 3 million times. Her mom tries to protect Makenna by blocking comments on YouTube, but this doesn’t stop bloggers and other YouTubers from poking fun of the teen’s ASMR videos.

3. Maria Viktorovna (of Gentle Whispering channel)

  • Specialty: natural sleep aid videos
  • Subscribers: 1.7 million (from 2011 to present)
  • Income: Maria earns a whopping $130,000 a year from YouTube alone.

On this particular video, she taps her face, “taps” the viewers face, talks to her viewers in a whisper and smiles every now and then.

4. Taylor Darling (of ASMR Darling)

  • Specialty: known for her affirmation, compliments, face touching, hair brushing, hair play and ASMR makeup videos
  • Subscribers:4 million (from 2014 to present)
  • Income: Earns around $12,000 a month with a net worth of $1m as of 2019

Darling is truly adorable and wholesome. On this video, she explains 20 triggers that can help people sleep or happy.

5. Gibi ASMR

  • Specialty: cosplay, makeup ASMR, role-playing and whispering
  • Subscribers:2 million (from June 2016 to present)
  • Income: Has an estimate net worth of $1.5m as of 2019

Of all the ASMR explanation videos, Gibi’s video is probably the most entertaining.

Other examples of ASMR artists on YouTube:

Even celebrities like Eva Longoria is aware (and took a crack at ASMR) for W Magazine.

5 Ways to Get Paid to do ASMR Videos

Now that you understand the whole picture of ASMR and if you’re lucky enough to have found your triggers quickly, are you interested in becoming an ASMR artist?

If you answered “yes,” here are 5 ways ASMR artists get to earn from their content:

1. Create videos for YouTube

Many ASMR artists have called YouTube home since starting their ASMR channels. As long as the content remains clean (not sensual in nature), you’ll be find earning from YouTube ads. Learn more about YouTube monetization here.

If you prefer to create adult content (sexual ASMR), you’re going to be flagged on YouTube for sure. TwitchTV would be a better platform for you.

2. Live stream on Twitch

TwitchTV is massive in the online gaming/livestreaming world, but there’s no reason not to try your luck here if you’d like to showcase ASMR trigger live.

MaryJLeeee’s TwitchTV features her in sexy costumes, but her live-streamed ASMR is pretty wholesome (except of course when she does “mic licking” to make listeners feel their ears being licked).

MaryJLeeee details how she tries to keep it clean so she’d be taken seriously as a professional that helps with mental healing, but argues that other ASMR like Amouranth (who embraces her sex appeal on her ASMR channel) makes it hard to do so.

Whether you keep it clean or not, TwitchTV gives you more control over the money you can potentially earn.

You have ad revenues like YouTube, donations, subscriptions, paid livestreams, gifts, and other monetization.

Visit my TwitchTV guide if you want to check out this platform.

3. Setup a Patreon Account

YouTube and TwitchTV is where you upload your ASMR videos directly.

Meanwhile, Patreon complements you chosen platform.

If you wish to talk to your fans directly and offer perks in exchange for paid subscription tiers, this is the way to go.

4. Solicit Donations

There are several ways you can ask donations from your followers.

Some ASMR artists like Life with MaK leaves a link to her PayPal, so fans could send donations directly. Others include donation buttons on Patreon or TwitchTV.

Adding a donation button is perfect for supporters who prefer to have some control on the amount they wish to give. This is particularly true for TwitchTV and Patreon “plans” (with corresponding amount) that the ASMR artist already made in advance.

5. Get Sponsored

This monetization option is mostly reserved for ASMR artists who have millions of followers.

This is because brands would want to spread news about its products with the biggest audience they could find within their niche.

So if brands like Revlon or MAC want to enter the ASMR world, they’d probably look into artists who create makeup ASMR with a significant number of followers.

The Future of Getting Paid for ASMR

Even at its peak, ASMR has remained popular only within subset of people on the internet.

But it’s slowly growing and reaching mainstream.

In fact, at the Super Bowl 2019, Michelob Ultra ran an ASMR-triggering ad featuring Zoë Kravitz whispering into two microphones, playing with the beer bottle and pouring a glass altogether. It’s a pretty ballsy move, especially since Super Bowl traditionally feature big, loud and attention-grabbing ads.

However, only half of those 100 million viewers during Super Bowl “get” the ad. It divided the internet completely.

ASMR will always be misunderstood, since not everyone is sensitive to ASMR.

That is, of course, until more science can explain why some people are triggered by different visual and auditory cues (and some do not).

But it shouldn’t stop you from discovering your triggers and sharing them to the world, while you get paid to do ASMR videos.

20 Free Things You Can Get on Your Birthday Without Signing Up

Written By:
Last Updated:

Yesterday, I published a giant list of free stuff you can get on your birthday. There were over 200 ideas in there.

Almost all of them required you to opt-in or at the very least give up your email address.

I’ve narrowed down the list a bit to find a bunch of free stuff on your birthday without signing up for anything.

Companies that offer these birthday freebies without the need to sign up are relying on good karma.

In theory, people who have good experiences with a particular brand tend to remember its name and in turn, either intentionally or unintentionally choose these brands when shopping, dining, or just going out.

Birthday Freebies: FREE Admission to Attractions

If you’re asking yourself: “What can I get for free on my birthday?” Your best bet it to filter your search by location.

Many museums, zoos, parks and other local attractions open their doors to birthday celebrants free of charge. You do have to double-check and call the place you wish to go to first, just to be sure.

For example, a birthday gets you free admission to the Denver Zoo and a whole bunch of other birthday gifts as well.

Denver zoo logo

In most cases, you only have to prove that it’s your birthday (an I.D. will do, if your birthday is printed on it).

You may also have to prove that you’re a local… so if you can bring anything proof of billing, postal ID, or any other document that shows you live nearby, then bring it with you.

All-You-Can-Use Birthday Coupons

Many businesses need your e-mail addresses, personal info, or membership for future marketing.

They use birthday freebies into luring people to sign-up.

And it works.

The upside to this is that you’ll never run out of birthday coupons.

Even if you don’t want to sign-up to claim a birthday gift or freebie, there’s a good chance that you’ve already signed up to a couple of them in the past.

If your birthday is coming up, check all your e-mails for birthday coupons by doing a search for “birthday” and print out those you like best. Check your spam folder. You might see treasures there, too!

Most companies send birthday coupons weeks or a month before your actual birthday, so you can begin hunting for good birthday freebies ahead of your birthday.

20 Birthday Freebies (Without Signing up for Anything)

The following establishments give you free birthday gifts just for visiting their store on your birthday (or sometimes, even within your birth month).

The most common requirement is that you have to flash your ID before you can claim your free food, drinks, dessert, or even a lively birthday song from the crew.

1. Bob Evans

Freebie: Free meals for kids

How to Claim: Dine in exactly on your kid’s birthday.

They also offer free kid’s meals after 4PM every Tuesday with the purchase of an adult meal.

2. Cheesecake Factory

Free Cheesecake Factory

Freebie: Get a free Birthday Mini Hot Fudge Sundae. It’s disappointing not to have a cheesecake freebie when you visit The Cheesecake Factory, but a free sundae is still free food.

If you’re ordering a cake or any other dessert, The Cheesecake Factory can decorate it with a “Happy Birthday” greeting, confetti and candle free of charge.

How to Claim: If you’re dining in at The Cheesecake Factory, just tell your server that it’s your birthday and let them handle the rest.

Find a location near you.

3. Chompies

Freebie: Claim your “Eggciting Breakfast” free. This breakfast meal includes home fries, two eggs, and a choice of English muffin, bagel or toast.

How to Claim: This is only available around Arizona. Make sure to bring your ID whichever branch you go to.

4. Dutch Bros. Coffee

Freebie: Get your free coffee, if you’re near a branch that participates in this promotion.

Note that since every Dutch Bros. Coffee is locally owned, it is the discretion of the franchise owner if he/she wants to follow company promotions.

How to Claim: Show your ID at any participating branch. Find a location near you.

5 Cracker Barrel

Freebie: You can get a free dessert and a lively birthday song from the crew.

How to Claim: If you’re planning to celebrate your birthday at Cracker Barrel, tell your server that it’s your birthday. The birthday freebie is valid with purchase of a meal.

Check if there are Cracker Barrel locations near you.

6. Denny’s

Free Denny's Grand Slam

Freebie: Free “Original Grand Slam” breakfast, which includes two bacon strips, two eggs, two sausage links and a short stack of pancakes.

How to Claim: There’s no sign up required for this one, but you need to present a valid ID at any Denny’s on your birthday.

Find a location near you.

7. Dunkin’ Donuts

Freebie: Get a free drink of your choice (except for bottled drinks)

How to Claim: The Dunkin Donuts website states that in order to claim your free birthday beverage, you should be a DD Rewards card holder. However, many Dunkin Donuts branches give out free birthday drinks just with an ID.

To be sure, you can find and call your local Dunkin Donuts.

8. Firehouse Subs

Freebie: Get a free medium sub on your birthday.

How to Claim: The Firehouse Subs website states that you’ll have to sign up to the Rewards club, but many fans of this company report that they were able to claim their birthday freebies just by showing their IDs.

Check out a Firehouse Sub location near you.

9. Joe’s Farm Grill or  Joe’s Real BBQ

Freebie: Get a free adult-sized meal on your birthday. (The meal’s worth $10)

How to Claim: You have to be a local or visiting Arizona, since both restaurants only have local branches. You’d also need to present you ID to prove it’s your birthday.

10. Iguana Mia

Freebie: Get a regular entree of your choice (up to an $18 value) and free fried ice cream. You can even get a free picture with their huge sombrero to commemorate your celebration there, as long as you provide a camera for the picture-taking.

How to Claim: You must visit Iguana Mia on  your actual birth date and present an ID or birth certificate.

11. The Capital Grille

Free chocolate espresso cake

Freebie: Get a chocolate espresso cake on the house.

How to Claim: If you’re dining at the Capital Grille on your birthday, you can claim your dessert as long as you bring your ID exactly on your birthday. The birthday freebie comes with meal purchase, so prepare to eat here as well.

Find a Capital Grille branch near you.

12. Jack in the Box

Freebie: Choose from a New York cheesecake, chocolate overload cake, or 5-piece mini churros snack. Sometimes, the freebie depends on your local branch.

How to Claim: There’s no sign-up required, but you have to visit the Jack in the Box website and print out the birthday coupon. Once you’re in a Jack in the Box location, show your ID as proof and claim your birthday freebies.

13. The Dead Poet (New York)

Freebie: Get a free beer on the house

How to Claim: If you’re looking for a bar to spend your birthday at, check out this New York-based bar. If you’re lucky and you share your birthday with one of the dead poets listed here, claim your free beer while listening to good music.

14. Outback Steakhouse

Freebie: Birthday freebies vary from blooming onion to dessert. This would depend on your local Outback.

How to Claim: The home of juicy steaks doesn’t advertise birthday promos often, but they do provide birthday freebies to celebrants who dine in store. Be sure to prepare your ID to verify your birthday.

15. California Pizza Kitchen

Freebie: Get a free dessert when you dine in on your birthday. You’ll have more birthday freebies if you sign-up for rewards, or you enlist your kid/s for the CPK Kids Club.

How to Claim: Just visit any CPK near you, show proof of identity (with birth date of course), and enjoy your treat.

16. TGI Friday’s

Free Friday's Chocolate Obsession

Freebie: Get a free ice cream (when you dine in). The crew will even sing a “Happy Birthday” rap or song for you.

How to Claim: Normally, TGI Friday’s only give birthday celebrants birthday freebies when they’re a member of the Rewards club. But if you dine in at a local branch and tell your server that it’s your birthday, you’ll be given your treat, no questions asked.

17. O’Charley’s

Freebie: Free slice of pie.

How to Claim: If you’re dining at O’Charley’s and your birthday falls on a Wednesday, you can claim this freebie even without signing up.

18. Changing Hands Bookstore (Arizona)

Freebie: Get a $10 or 25% off from your purchase anytime during your birthday month. Kids receive birthday gifts if they visit as well.

How to Claim: Adults need a driver’s license or other forms of ID to claim their birthday freebies, or to claim their kid’s freebie.

19. Harkins Theatres

Freebie: If you’re going to see a movie at Harkins Theatres on your birthday, you can get free popcorn.

How to Claim: You don’t have to sign up with any clubs or newsletters, but you do  have to show proof with a driver’s license or birth certificate. Visit the box office when purchasing your ticket. It’s valid across multiple Harkins Theatres locations.

20. Benefit Cosmetics

Freebie: Free brow arch

How to Claim: Visit your local Benefit Browbar Beauty Lounge and claim a free brow arch anytime during your birthday week. There’s no sign-up required for this free service.

Tips for More Birthday Freebies

Most birthday freebies require you to become a loyalty member of some sort in order to claim a reward.

Your best bet at getting free stuff on your birthday without signing up for anything will be in the form of a comped appetizer or dessert.

When making a reservation at a restaurant, make sure you specify that you have chosen their establishment to celebrate your birthday, just be prepared for the staff to sing “Happy Birthday” while you sit there awkwardly salivating at the free cake.

I have also received free desserts when noting that we are coming in to celebrate our anniversary. Don’t limit yourself to just birthdays!

Happy Birthday!

I hope this list of birthday freebies bring a hint of joy to someone’s birthday. After all, everyone loves free stuff.

If you’re fine with filling up a form to register, I have a bigger 200+ list of birthday freebiesb you should definitely check out.

5 Insider Tips to Make More Money on Upwork

Written By:
Published On:

Whether you’ve been feeling the need for a career change and just got into freelancing, or you’re a seasoned freelancer with many hours of work under your belt, you’ve probably heard of Upwork and wondered whether it’s worth joining up.

Can you make enough money on Upwork to support a sustainable lifestyle, or is it a pit of cheapskate gigs and lowball offers?

Below I talk about my experience on the platform so far, and give some insider tips on how you can start making money on Upwork.

Why Upwork?

There are many reasons why people turn to freelancing as a career path instead of sticking to the 9 – 5 full-time setup.

Personally, I’ve never been able to see myself as someone’s full-time employee, and the few short months I spent doing just that after finishing my degree made it painfully clear that the boss/employee dynamic will never work for me.

So on the advice of a friend, I took a chance on Upwork as a stepping stone to achieving personal and financial freedom.

Starting out on Upwork felt like a safer way to approach freelancing than trying to find clients on my own.

Like many others who are new to the workforce, I wanted to kick-start my career but had serious doubts about my abilities and didn’t want to take too big of a leap into the unknown.

Upwork felt like a better option than trying to get things set up myself, and this gamble worked out in the end.

Sure, there are other freelance marketplaces like PeoplePerHour and Freelancer, but I couldn’t get the same sense of security and support from them that I did get from Upwork at the time.

That said, getting used to the bidding system – with plenty of other people clamoring to get at the same jobs – was daunting at first and I didn’t make a lot of money off Upwork for the first couple of months.

1. Avoid Getting Drowned Out by an Endless Sea of Voices

Despite recent changes to its bidding system, Upwork is still the largest online talent marketplace in the world, with millions of freelancers looking for the financial stability a platform like that can offer.

But with thousands or even millions of other people to contend with for job opportunities – how do you single yourself out above the noise that so many voices inevitably create?

Here’s what I learned:

Don’t climb into the shallow, shark-infested waters with the rest of them.

I don’t want to get paid $5 for a full day’s work and neither should you. No matter the industry you’re in, whether it’s design, bookkeeping, writing, programming, or any one of the host of career paths listed on Upwork, you deserve to be paid a livable wage.

It’s easy to get frustrated and discouraged when looking for jobs on a bidding platform like Upwork, because there are thousands of listings that expect perfection for literal peanuts and yet there are still dozens of applicants going for them.

Don’t fall into that same trap.

Even if you’re just starting out as a freelancer, you have something valuable to offer.

Whether it’s your education in a specific field or niche knowledge you’ve built up through experience. A client will value what you have to bring to the table, but you need to sell it effectively.

This is why it’s so important to specialize right from the beginning.

You might feel pressured into applying for anything just so you can start making money on Upwork, but that isn’t going to help further your career or help you land high-paying gigs.

Your profile will be your greatest asset in this regard, and you have to make sure to set it up in a way that attracts the type of clients you’re aiming for.

Upwork has a great job filtering system as well, and you need to use that to your advantage too. Make your searches as niche as you can, and ignore any job posts that have poor/unclear descriptions or don’t pay what the job is worth.

2. Create a Specialized Profile

Setting up your profile is the first thing you’ll do on Upwork and it’s very important to get this right.

Your profile and your cover letter are the only things clients will have to base their decision off of, which means they need to be professional, coherent, and present the assets you bring to the table in a favorable way (without lying of course).

Upwork now also provides the ability to create multiple specialized profiles that you can apply with, depending on the type of job.

I haven’t tested this new feature enough to be able to comment on its merits, but I know enough about the importance of specializing as a freelancer to know that you should definitely utilize this system to its full potential.

That said, it is possible to make money on Upwork without backing yourself into the “expert” corner.

You can apply to a wide variety of jobs within your field and get contracts that way – I’ve done that too and earned enough to scrape by.

But if you’re looking to earn more then you need to specialize and find quality, long-term clients.

3. Bid Correctly on Upwork

I mentioned changes to Upwork’s bidding system earlier, so let’s get into that as it will have an impact on how you approach applying for jobs on the platform.

The company recently went public and, without getting into all of the details of what that means, let’s just say that Upwork is working really hard to make more money right now.

Which has (unofficially) led to a couple of changes to the way they charge clients and freelancers.

What that means for you, is that you will now have to pay for connects to apply to jobs, with each job requiring a different amount of connects.

This is on top of the percentages that Upwork charges you per job.

Here’s my advice:

Take the amount you’ll be paying for connects into account when bidding on jobs.

If the probability of you getting that job doesn’t seem high enough to warrant the connect payment then don’t do it. Unfortunately, this system is pretty skewed in that it benefits established freelancers on the platform while keeping new ones down.

The best advice I can give you is to take your time when applying (even though it’s frustrating) and to only apply to high-paying jobs. That way, the finances kind of balance themselves out and Upwork takes less of your hard-earned money overall.

4. Know When to Quit Working With Difficult Clients

Upwork might be a great way to attract new clients, but that doesn’t mean those clients are always great.

Every now and then you might come into contact with a client who’s demanding and even unreasonable at times.

When this happens, you have one of two choices:

  1. End the contract
  2. Do your best to keep them happy

Ending the contract might seem counterproductive, but on Upwork, a poor job success score equals career death on the platform, and a difficult client often leads to a subpar score – even if you did your best to do everything right.

On Upwork, a client cannot rate you if they haven’t paid you.

So sometimes, even if the money is good, it’s better to end the contract and refund them early on than waste your time on a client who’s going to give you a poor rating no matter what you do.

5. Get Better at Managing Your Time

As a freelancer, time is your biggest commodity and it’s important to think about how you spend it because even though Upwork saves you a lot of trouble in terms of finding clients and handling payments, it still takes up a lot of time.

After you’ve landed your first gig and more start rolling in, it can feel like one grand old adventure as you traverse the field and work with people from many different places and backgrounds.

It’s easy to get swept up in that sense of accomplishment when landing another client, but then the dreaded deadline steps in and you realize that you’ve made a grave mistake.

Suddenly there’s pressure from all sides and you find yourself scrambling; working around the clock just to keep all of the promises you’ve made – a freelancer is only as good as their reputation after all and you can’t afford to burn any bridges.

Time management is a valuable skill in every freelancer’s pocket and it’s a hard beast to master.

So don’t apply indiscriminately to every Upwork job that teases your fancy (because that takes up a lot of time too) and don’t accept every client invitation.

It’s extremely tempting, but you have to prioritize.

Otherwise, you’ll end up burning yourself out on lowball jobs that take up more time than they’re worth, while you could have been spending that time finding and building up relationships with quality clients.

The Funny Thing About Eggs and Baskets

While I’ve been using Upwork for a few years now, there’s no denying that the platform has its faults and I’ve been tempted to seek greener pastures plenty of times.

Certainly, there has been no shortage of people echoing that whole eggs and basket analogy – which shouldn’t be ignored.

But the funny thing is, I probably wouldn’t have found the same success on the site had I not put as much time and effort into building myself up on Upwork.

At the end of the day, you need to do what’s right for you.

Maybe Upwork will just be one source of income for you as a freelancer and that’s completely fine too.

40 Small Business Grants to Check Out

Written By:
Published On:

Small business grants allow entrepreneurs to get additional money to be put back into the business without getting a loan.

Anyone who owns a business knows it isn’t all peachy.

Setting it up is one thing, but expanding your business often requires additional investment, more employees, extra money for advertising, and other unplanned expenses.

If you launched a business with very minimal capital, such as blogging for business, affiliate marketing or other online businesses, then you’re lucky.

But for the thousands of other business owners, looking for funding often leads to getting loans, which doesn’t always end up as a ladder for improvement. Getting business loans has a 50% chance that it could lead to a revolving door of debt.

So if you’re a business owner with an impressive product, innovative idea, or one-of-a-kind service, discover if you have a chance to win a business grant.

3 Important Things to Know about Small Business Grants

Before I give you a list of legitimate business grants to apply to, there are 3 things you must understand:

1. Small Business Grants Are NOT Easy to Obtain

You shouldn’t consider small business grants as handouts because they’re actually super-hard to obtain.

Grants generally do not need to be repaid, which is why the competition for small business grants will be tough and requirements are plenty.

You’d have to provide a comprehensive business plan (for start-ups) and proof of finances, operations, expansion or other detailed plans (for existing businesses).

2. Small Business Grants Are NOT Transferred Overnight

Note that most grants only accept applications once a year.

Let’s say you prepared a highly impressive plan and applied for a business grant.

It’s realistic to assume that you’re going to be competing with thousands of people for any specific grant, so the government agency or other organizations may take months to a year to go through all applications.

If you won the grant, you will be notified either via e-mail, a call, or snail mail, and will include details about transfer of funds.

Just don’t expect a business grant as a short-term solution for a funding shortage of your business.

3. Small Business Grants Are Mostly Awarded to Existing Businesses

Does your business already need to exist when applying for small business grants? Or are they available to people with an idea that are looking to start a business?

It is rare to be chosen, especially if you haven’t started your business yet. However, this isn’t a rule. In fact, many startups in the tech and research industries are awarded grants, especially if the business idea is ground-breaking or one of a kind.

No one can deny that majority of businesses given grants are existing businesses, which is why experts would recommend looking for a loan if you’re just starting out.

40 Business Grants You Can Apply for

Now that you know how to manage your expectations, I hand-picked 40 of the most popular small business grants.

  • Most government grants are offered to everyone, regardless of age or gender.
  • Some grants offered by private companies are made exclusive only to a specific gender (only women), age group (only seniors), certain occupation (IT-related jobs), and so on.
  • Requirements vary between grants

15 Business Grants from the Government

Grants.gov is the most useful website for searching business grants from the government, but it is primarily for federal grant search. T

here are hundreds on this database, but these 15 stood out most:

1. SBA.gov (The Small Business Administration)

One of the most important websites for any small business in the country, SBA.gov should be your go-to resource if you’re interested in traditional funding (loans, etc.) and grant programs. Under the SBA, check out these main grants:

  • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) – Exclusively for research-based businesses. You can apply to this grant from 12 federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Science Foundation.
  • Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) – Like SBIR, the STTR grant is only awarded to businesses involved with research, but only available from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, Department of Health and Human Services, or National Science Foundation.
  • State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) – If your business is involved in exporting, check SBA’s STEP program if you’re qualified.

2. National Institutes of Health

For companies involved in the research and development of biomedical tech, the National Institutes of Health can help you fund your business.

3. Environmental Protection Agency

Is your business trying to develop sustainable tech? The EPA has programs that reward eco-friendly businesses.

4. Dept. of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture

Businesses supporting the agricultural field, whether it involves food science and nutrition, animal protection, forestry, or biofuel products and services can check out the National Institute of Food & Agriculture for applicable grants.

Rural Energy for America Program (renewable energy), VAPG program (agricultural production), and Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant (health services) are other Department of Agriculture grants that award cash from $50,000 to $500,000.

5. Department of Homeland Security

This agency awards grants to small businesses invested in cyber security, biological/chemical defense, and other security technologies. One notable program is the CyberTipline Grant, which helps businesses that are developing technology that can be used in preventing children exploitation and sex trafficking.

6. NASA

If your business is involved in renewable energy and similar technologies, NASA is interested in awarding you to collaborate with them.

7. National Science Foundation

Perfect for small businesses getting into the fields of medicine, science or engineering.

8. Recovery Challenge Grant

Launched by the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, this grant provides assistance (of up to $3 million) to small businesses involved in preventing wildlife endangerment.

9. National Institute of Standards & Technology

Check the NIST, which is under the Department of Commerce, if your business is involved with healthcare, energy, manufacturing, trade, cyber security, software, and other technology fields.

10. Department of Transportation’s Volpe

This small business innovation research program assists businesses in developing technologies that can be used for highways, railroads and aviation building.

11. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

At NOAA’s Technology Partnerships Office, grants are offered to businesses involved in climate adaptation/mitigation, healthy ocean monitoring, and r&d of coastline communities.

12. Department of Education

Visit the National Center for Education Research if you’re interested in assistance for your business if you’re involved with behavioral learning, language learning and STEM skills.

13. Department of Defense

If you’re producing a technology or product that could help the Air Force, Navy and Army, The Department of Defense can assist you in funding and commercializing these ideas.

14. Economic Development Administration (EDA)

Is your business involved in the improvement of your community’s infrastructure? Check back to EDA’s funding opportunities to check once its grants become available.

15. Department of the Interior’s Recovery Challenge

Businesses involved with preventing animal endangerment and promoting the reintroduction of species into their natural habitats can be awarded grants amounting to up to $3 million.

State Level Grants

State-level small business grants exist, so you should check with your state to learn about the funding available.

The easiest way is to visit your state’s commerce website, similar to Arizona Commerce Authority.

If it’s available, your state’s grants portal would list programs, such as Texas Young Farmer Grant or New York City Commute Enhancement Grant.

Aside from your state, your city or town may also have business grants.

Good examples of this include the Chicago IncentOvate or Detroit NEIdeas Grants.

Do note that federal grants have more budget than local grants, so depending on your business plans, find the most appropriate grant for your business needs.

10 Business Grants for Women

Some non-profit organizations and private companies award small business grants for women exclusively. If you have an innovative product or idea, check these 10 funding options:

16. SBA InnovateHER

This is a government grant run by the SBA. It is exclusive to women entrepreneurs with a total of $70,000 grant fund every year, which will be split between 3 winners.

17. Cartier Women’s Initiative Award

This annual grant is awarded to 18 female entrepreneurs from around the world with existing businesses.

Top 7 wins $100k and one-on-one business mentoring from a Cartier-chosen expert, while the other 14 winners get $30,000 each.

18. Womensnet.com’s Amber Grant

Launched in 1998 to honor the memory of female entrepreneur Amber who died too young to fulfill her dreams, the Womens Net grant awards $2,000 monthly to a woman business owner, who can get a chance to win a bigger $25,000 grant prize at the end of the year if voted by the online community.

19. Community Action Grants of the American Association of University Women

These grants award women who lead initiatives or non-profit organizations that help k-12 and community college girls, as well as women involved in the fields of math, engineering, science and technology.

Some grants are offered yearly, while others are available every 2 years.

20. Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program

This program has been awarding women entrepreneurs with grants since 2009.

Aside from the $5,000 grant, winners will also receive a yearlong fellowship, four days of workshops and network with Tory Burch’s industry, including a pitch day to influencers.

21. Open Meadows Foundation

Awards $2,000 to eligible, women-backed projects, but the organization only accepts businesses with less than $75,000 budget resources, so prepare to show financial documents aside from proof that your business promotes racial, gender or economic justice.

22. Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant Program

Chooses 10 women-owned businesses and awards up to $10,000 each.

The finalists need to have an existing businesses (3 years or longer).

They should also make positive environmental and social impact through their businesses.

23. The Girlboss Foundation Grant

Launched in 2014 by entrepreneur Sophia Amoruso (you probably remember her for the Netflix series “Girlboss.”), this biannual grant is awarded to women working in creative industries.

The small business grant winner not only receives $15,000, she also gets free online exposure via the Girlboss site.

24. The Halstead Grant

While the application for this one is comprehensive (they ask you to answer a ton of questions), if you’re the perfect fit and you own a business in the jewelry industry, you can receive a $7,500 grant, plus $1,000 toward Halstead jewelry supplies.

25. GrantsforWomen.org

This isn’t a company or org that awards business grants for women, but it is a comprehensive resource for funding opportunities for women regardless of industry.

15 Popular Small Business Grants

The following grants for small business owners come from the private sector, and have different eligibility requirements, so better check with them (links are provided) if you’re interested in sending an application:

26. FedEx

Annual, first place winners $25,000 grant money with $7,500 in FedEx print and business services, while second place receives $15k cash + $5k in FedEx services.

Eight 3rd placers get $7,500 grant money and $1k in FedEx services.

27. Lending Tree

Awards up to $50,000 to small business grant winners.

28. StreetShares Foundation

Supports veteran-owned small businesses by awarding $15k (1st place), $6,000 and $4,000 for second and third placers respectively.

29. Visa’s Everywhere Initiative

Visa announces different challenges for startups to meet (similar to SBIR/STTR programs) and awards up to $50,000 grant money and a chance to work with Visa.

30. Etsy Maker Cities Grant

Perfect for creative artists and makers of ceramics, crafts, art, furniture and everything in between, Etsy supports your business with up to $30,000 (for research grants) or up to $60,000 (for program grants).

31. Chase Mission Main Street Grants

JPMorgan Chase & Co divides $3 million each year to support 20 small businesses (that’s $150,000 each), but the application is more comprehensive than most.

Winners also receive workshops to Google, and other tools to help with their businesses.

32. Walmart Foundation Grants

Walmart has two types of grants – community grant program (awards $250 to up to $5,000 to local non-profits) and the national giving program (awards $250,000 and above to national nonprofits).

33. Wells Fargo Community Giving Grants

Wells Fargo grants are offered by state, but are awarded to non-profits and educational institutions year-round.

34. AT&T Aspire

There is no set grant money amount set, but these AT&T grants are awarded to small businesses that help improve education.

35. Coca-Cola Foundation

Exclusive to small businesses and non-profits that empower women, and promote community building with clean water and youth development.

The application guidelines can be vague, but there’s good news: there is no dollar limitation, so if your company can impress Coca-Cola’s community-giving branch, then you can receive a chunk of funding.

36. National Association of the Self-Employed (NASE)

Gives self-employed business owners $4,000 grant money monthly.

You’d have to be a member of NASE to apply, which requires membership fee, so think about it first.

37. Fundera’s Zach Grant

This grant is annual and awards $2,500 for the best video entry, which explains why you started your company.

Aside from the video, you just need to follow Fundera on social media and your application is good to go.

38. Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)

Exclusive to American minorities, the main MBDA grant is different because the winner gets to run one of MBDA’s Minority Business Centers.

MBDA hosts other grant competitions, but this vary from year to year.

39. Sam’s Club Grant Program

Sam’s Club grant program, which is also under Walmart Giving, is aimed at non-profit organizations that support small business owners.

Check the grantees list, so you can go directly to these non-profits instead.

40. ActivityHero Business Grant

This grant is co-sponsored by web hosting service GoDaddy and awards $15,000 grant money to businesses involved in children’s camp or activities.

7 semi-finalists are also awarded $500/each in services.

The Bottom Line

Grants are the closest “free government money” you can get to start a small business, but it isn’t the easiest to obtain. If you know your small business is innovative enough to win a grant, then apply to any or all of these 40 grants for small business.

And if you’ve had experiences with any of them, I’d love to hear about them below…

Beware of Google Money Tree.

Written By:
Last Updated:

Google Money Tree. God that name sounds awful, doesn’t it? If life has taught me one thing, money doesn’t grow on trees. It most certainly doesn’t grow on the Internet either. I think it’s safe to say that Google simply isn’t handing money out to individuals. Yes, Google is awesome, but not that awesome. So, why does Google Money Tree claim that you can become rich using Google? Let’s find out.

Google Money Tree boasts that yes, you too, can be making $107,389 in just six months by filling out forms and doing searches on Google and Yahoo. I’ve been filling in forms and searching Google and Yahoo for almost ten years now! By their calculations, I should have had over $2,000,000 sitting in my bank account right now!

Of course, the information on how to become a successful millionaire is going to cost you some money upfront first. It’s not too bad this time around, just $3.88 for shipping and handling. Something seems oddly fishy about this website though. There appears to be a lot of information lacking. I think I should check the Terms and Conditions I am agreeing to before I send away my credit card information.

The initial shipping and handling charge of three dollars and eighty eight cents, which includes the Google Money Tree Kit as well as seven days worth of access to the online directories and training. After seven days, if you choose not to cancel you will be billed your first monthly membership fee of seventy two dollars and twenty one cents for the membership fee for the googlemoneytree.com membership.

Google Money Tree’s Hidden Charges

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA. You’re going to bill me $72.21 in seven days if I don’t cancel these charges first? What the hell kind of shady business practices are you guys running? There’s absolutely no mention of these hidden charges on the presell page. You have to dig through the terms and conditions before you find these hidden charges. Other gems on that page include this lovely line: “No refunds of any kind will be issued after 7 days of any transaction date.” If you wait to receive a bank or credit card statement in the mail, you can forget about seeking a refund. You’ll have to dispute the charges with your credit card company and if you paid with a debit card, there’s a lovely phrase that goes something like: You’re shit out of luck.

I don’t have anything to say about the actual work at home kit you receive, but it would be safe to bet that it is probably garbage. Google Money Tree is just looking to scam you out of as much money as possible before you even realize it. Don’t do business with them and most certainly do not give them your private information.

Our good friend Paul over at the Work at Home Truth Blog has warned his readers about the Google Money Tree scam previously and recommends you file a complaint with the FTC at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ if you have received any fraudulent charges from Google Money Tree. Hopefully our combined efforts will end scams like these. Thanks Paul.

How to Start an Investment Club: What You Need to Know

Written By:
Published On:

Investment clubs are popping up all over the country and little wonder: Investing as a group is much more easy and fun than investing alone and this is leading to more and more people wanting to learn how to start an investment club.

Whether you’re just starting out as an investor or have been investing for years, investment clubs provide the following advantages:

  • Risk is spread throughout the group. By diversifying your investments, you minimize your risk of losing all your money on just one or two investment vehicles. By investing at regular intervals throughout the year (i.e., dollar cost averaging), you reduce your chance of buying an overpriced stock, property or other commodity.
  • Members are better informed. As evidenced in the past stock investment article series, sound investments take a long time to fully research. Having extra members to assess financial documents such as the income statement and balance sheet can save time and result in everyone having more information about a company, franchise, etc.
  • Emotional investing is minimized. You won’t be able to justify your investment choice to other club members      by simply stating “I have a good feeling about this one.” As a result, you’ll also minimize making impulsive investment decisions.
  • Investing discipline is maintained. Most investment clubs require that their members make a monthly contribution. This forces you to regularly set aside and save some money every month.

How to Start an Investment Club

While this isn’t a comprehensive guide, these are the first basic steps you need to take:

1. Select your members.

Do you know several (online or other) friends or relatives who have mentioned investing and who are responsible with their money?

If yes, then these individuals could be valuable members in your investment club.

Try to pick individuals who would be willing to dedicate their time and their money to an investment-focused group and meet their commitments faithfully month-to-month.

Otherwise, your investment club will simply become a social club (and probably serve beverages of a refreshing nature, à la Homer’s Hunting Club).

2. Decide on your club’s size and geographic range.

Investment clubs can be small (fewer than 15 members) or large (more than 15 members) and local or online.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each club type. For example, a small local club can get business done quickly and easily and have lots of face-to-face contact.

The disadvantage of this approach is that every member may have the same, narrow investment viewpoint.

Alternately, a large online club offers its members many different investment viewpoints and a wide range of experiences.

The disadvantages with this type of club are that virtual meetings may seem impersonal and full member attendance will almost never occur.

3. Decide your club’s investment vehicles.

Your club could focus solely on stock investments or diversify with real estate, person-to-person loans, mutual funds or some other investment vehicle.

Deciding on your choice of investment now will determine if your club needs to open a brokerage or other account type later.

4. Name your investment club.

Giving your club a name should take some time and effort and be agreed upon by all its members.

The name of your investment club will also be used on its bank account, member statements and tax reports, so make sure it’s a name that you and your club members can all agree on.

5. Draft and sign a partnership agreement.

For business as well as federal taxation purposes, you will need to draft a partnership agreement and have all club members sign and date it.

The partnership agreement should contain the club’s formation date, fiscal year and profit/loss sharing structure.

Member initiation and termination rules should also be included here. A sample partnership agreement is located at iClub.com and can be used as a template when creating your own club partnership agreement.

6. Draft your club’s constitution and rules.

Your investment club’s constitution and rules need to be carefully considered and stated in order to protect it from being audited by the IRS or even sued by a disgruntled member.

Be sure to include the following items in your club’s constitution and rules and have all members sign and date the document:

  • Number of allowed members, including new member initiation procedures and requirements.
  • Number of officers, election rules and service terms.
  • Required monthly contributions from all members.
  • Bank account details such as the account’s purpose (e.g., to collect member dues and club income) and signatories (i.e., who can write and cash checks).
  • Brokerage account details such as the authorized investor/trader and investment/trading rules.
  • Member voting powers and expectations as well as what voting percentage constitutes passage of a motion.
  • Grounds for member expulsion.
  • Monetary procedures following member expulsion, resignation or death.
  • Tax collection and procedures.

A more complete guide to generating your club’s constitution and rules is located at TimetoTrade. You can also use this guide as a template for your own documents.

7. Elect club officers.

Decide who will fulfill the roles of president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and designated investor/broker.

Typically, the president or vice-president calls the club to order and makes announcements.

The treasurer is in charge of collecting member contributions and filing forms with the IRS.

The secretary records meeting minutes and attendees and later distributes this information to all members via mail or email.

The designated investor/broker holds the account in the club’s name and makes the actual investments/trades. 

Additionally, there may be a designated auditor who is not an officer and audits the club’s accounts.

Requirements to Running an Investment Club

These items exist because anytime you have a business entity that is making money, the law and (especially) the IRS will be very interested in your club’s dealings.

This is NOT a comprehensive list.

Please check with your local and state laws to make sure your investment club is in full compliance. This list is just an idea of some things you may need.

1. Investment Club Tax ID or EIN

Once you have named your investment club and its officers, you will need to obtain an employer identification number (EIN), which will be used when you file the club’s tax return.

The EIN is, in essence, like a social security number that identifies your club as a unique entity to the IRS. 

Despite its official sounding jargon, the EIN can be obtained in a matter of minutes by going to  the IRS website and filling out Form SS-4.

You can also call 1-800-tax-form (1-800-829-3676) for help.

2. Club Accounts

It is imperative that you open one or several bank accounts in the investment club’s name and use them solely for the purposes of club business.

Unless your investment club forms an LLC, you will first need to obtain a “doing business as” or DBA (i.e., Registration of Firm Names) document from your local city hall.

If your club starts investing in equities (e.g., stocks), you will also need to open one or more brokerage accounts also in the club’s name.

Some brokerages may charge significant fees to facilitate equity transactions like stock purchases.

To this end, you and your club partners may want to look into becoming members of the National Association of Investors Corporation (a.k.a. Better Investing), a non-profit organization which provides its members with discounts on stock trades.

The NAIC also offers a wealth of educational materials, accounting software and legal forms.

And now for the not-so-fun stuff…

3. Filing Tax Returns as a Club

Filing club taxes is usually the duty of the club’s treasurer and can be a stressful task for him or her; however, by following these guidelines, the process should become simpler with time (and more rewarding if followed by several gifts of beer from other club members).

To begin with, the investment club, if formed as a “pass-through entity” (e.g., partnership), is not required to pay federal or state taxes.

Instead, all club partners are expected to report their investment profits (or losses) on their personal tax returns.

Still, just because the club itself is exempt from paying taxes doesn’t mean it gets off scot-free; investment club treasurers must file an information return, called Form 1065 (U.S. Return of Partnership Income), each year by the April 15th deadline.

Furthermore, if even one of the club’s partners resides in a state other than that of the investment club, the treasurer should contact that state to find out if it requires its own return (e.g., IL-1065 for Illinois) as well.

Keep in mind that Form 1065 is applicable to all kinds of partnerships and not just investment clubs.

In fact, the majority of Form 1065 has nothing to do with investment clubs. Thus, especially if this is your first year gathering partner data and filing out the form, it may be better to utilize the services of a tax professional or accountant.

Alternately, the NAIC provides tax software that can easily track club investments, profits and forms for each partner.

Each club partner must be provided with a Schedule K-1 which details that partner’s investment profits, costs and transactions.

As such, the K-1 is akin to Form 1099 which brokerages and other financial institutions send to their clients each year. Unlike the Form 1099, though, which has a “send-by” deadline of February 15th, the K-1’s “send-by” deadline is actually April 15th- yes, April 15th.

This is because the IRS realizes that investment clubs may need extra time to gather up investment materials as well as all the 1099 forms from their brokers (at which point they can file for an extension).

However, if you, as the club treasurer, decide to wait until the morning of April 15th to notify fellow club members about how much they owe the IRS on their personal returns, you may end up with several of those members never speaking to you again. So, DON’T wait until April 15th.

Ideally, given that all the 1099 forms should be received by February 15th, your investment club should shoot for a K-1 “send-by” deadline of late February.

4. Club Partner Expectations

Once all the legal and tax obligations are settled, your investment club’s success will depend on each partner fulfilling his or her obligations to the club.

In most cases, those obligations are as follows:

1. Attend all club meetings.
2. Pay club dues.
3. Research current and pending club investments.

Each club partner should understand that the investment club is a business and, like any business, will probably not see a profit in its first few years of operation.

Thus, any partner who decides to “cash out” of the club cannot expect to get back all the money that he or she originally invested. 

There is also the matter of trust in the formation of an investment club:

Since you are going into business with 15 or so other individuals, you should be able to trust those individuals (and vice versa).

Hopefully, you will also like your partners and enjoy their company as you consider your mutual investments and learn from one another. After all, these are the end purposes of forming an investment club.

The Investment Club Bottom Line

Starting an investment club is a little more complicated than just asking a few friends to pool some money. You are taking risks with your money, and more importantly, other people’s money.

Take the proper steps in making sure your investment club is legally compliant and talk with a local accountant to make sure everything is being done above board.

How to Avoid a Binary Option Scam

Written By:
Last Updated:

After today, we will no longer be publishing reviews on Binary Option Scam programs.

We have extensively covered HUNDREDS of these programs over the last 14 months. We’ve said just about everything we possibly could have on these scams.

We also seemed to have made quite a few “review” sites angry by not actively promoting ANY binary option programs.

It’s hard to promote something you willingly know will be robbing people of their hard earned money. The people affected by these programs are the ones who usually have it all on the line and stand to lose the most. I could never comfortably live with myself knowing I was making money in that way.

These fake review sites like to point fingers and claim we’re lying to deceive folks. They essentially accuse us of the exact tactics they are using. It’s definition insanity.

Why I Don’t Deposit Money into Binary Option Brokers

A new binary option program pops up daily, sometimes 2 or 3 open shop, each and every single day.

These programs are designed for one purpose: to get you to deposit money into a foreign brokerage account that is not regulated by any U.S. law.

Meaning, you have little to no recourse at ever getting any of your money back, filing a complaint, or sometimes even withdrawing the money on the off-chance you win one of your bets.

These programs typically have a $500 minimum deposit.

With two popping up per day, I would have to spend $1,000 of my own hard earned money, every single day just to test their claims.

Listen, I don’t need to punch myself in the face to know it’s going to hurt.

And I also don’t need to send $1,000 per day overseas to know I’m not going to become a millionaire just by pushing a button or by following some secret algorithm.

Here’s the Million Dollar Reveal…

There’s a program being touted as a guaranteed winner right now.

Numerous fake review sites are popping up promoting it. It’s called Fast Cash Biz and they 100% guarantee you’ll earn $10,000 per day on average JUST BY PUSHING A BUTTON.

I am not personally exaggerating this. These are the exact claims made by Fast Cash Biz, taken DIRECTLY from their website.

Here is a screenshot directly from their page…

Let’s think about this rationally for just a second.

If it were that simple to make $3,650,000 per year, why on Earth would I ever advise against joining?

We could all be millionaires overnight!

There is literally no reason for me to ever say a bad word about this program.

Unfortunately, reality falls far from their claims.

Here’s the Binary Options Fraud:

Did you know that Fast Cash Biz pays out $250 in affiliate commissions?

That means, any of those fake review sites are paid $250 every time a new user follows one of their recommendations.

Last time I checked, my Fast Cash Biz review was averaging over 100 views per day.

If I were to review it positively and recommend that people join it, I suspect I could convert on average 10 people per day.

This means, I would make $2,500 per day in affiliate commissions from Fast Cash Biz ALONE. This is close to A MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR just for one article.

Hey… are you starting to see why so many of these fake review sites are popping up?

And this is just ONE PROGRAM.

We have HUNDREDS of these reviews in our database. I am comfortably sitting on millions of dollars worth of commissions if I were to give these scams a positive recommendation.

Why on Earth would I ever advise against joining a Binary Option program?

You already know the answer to that…

Because what they claim isn’t possible.

The only people making money here are the scammers suggesting you deposit money into these shady brokers.

Not you.

That’s all there is to it.

How to Avoid Getting Scammed by Binary Options

1. Ask yourself “is this too good to be true?”

And really, this list needs to just be one item long.

Most of the time, these scams are advertising guaranteed wins on binary option betting.

If you’re unfamiliar with binary options to begin with, you’re betting on whether or not a stock will go up or down within an incredibly short time span.

You are basically betting on a coin flip.

Would you trust me if I told you I could predict heads or tails with 99.9% accuracy?

Dear lord I hope not.

Now what if I told you that I could turn you into a millionaire overnight just by guessing heads or tails.

You’d think I went crazy and you’d immediately stop talking to me.

Apply that level of sense to your online interactions.

2. Check to see if the Exchange is registered with the SEC

You can view a list of all approved SEC exchanges here.

If the advertised exchange isn’t on there. Don’t do any business with them.

And really, this is all there is to it.

Use common sense, and research where you are sending thousands of your own dollars.

The Good News

The FTC is currently on to these scams.

I suspect we’ll start seeing some of these fake review sites shut down in the coming months. Expect to see headlines where they issue millions of dollars in fines and possibly even jail time.

It’s happened before with scams we’ve covered previously. It’s only a matter of time at this point.

The claims being made by these programs are also getting increasingly outlandish.

Their marketing methods are becoming ineffective and these are last ditch efforts to attract new victims. This is a cycle we’ve seen time and time again. And I will continue to work behind the scenes to make sure these scams are properly persecuted.

On our side, I’ve Tried That has been around since 2007 and has become one of the most trusted voices on the web.

We’ve celebrated our 12th anniversary this year and we are happy to continue to work tirelessly for all of you for years to come.

What’s Next?

We’re going to be bringing the site’s focus back around to the reason we started this site in the first place. We’re going to keep providing you with high-quality internet marketing information, legitimate work from home jobs, and in-depth looks and the testing of claims made by credible products.

At this point, I’ve said all I can about Binary Options scams.

Starting tomorrow, we’ll no longer be covering them.

Stick around. I think you’ll quite like the direction we’re heading.