These Financial Ages

When you go out for shopping, usually the receipts you get at the end of your purchases go straight to the garbage, never to be seen again. Even if you keep them to return an item to the store they're more of a hassle to keep in your purse than a useful item. What if I told you that those pesky receipts could actually earn you money just by taking a picture of them? With these two free and simple apps, you'll put those old receipts to work in no time. Receipt Hog One of my personal favorite apps for receipt earning, Receipt Hog gives you points back just by uploading a picture of any shopping receipt you have and answering between one to three simple easy questions. The points you earn can be used to cash out on Paypal gift cards, Amazon gift cards, and even magazine subscriptions. Each receipt you upload also gives you an entry in their monthly sweepstakes where you can win a lot of cool prizes. Ibotta Getting cash back on purchases at the store is a great way to

As college students, we are constantly worried about our studies from homework to finals exams and our social life, hanging out with friends and going to parties. Some of us even have part-time jobs and have a small stream of income to keep ourselves afloat in college. However, amidst this whirlwind, it may be hard to find time to check your spending habits or even think how you are going to set yourself up for financial success once you are out of college. Here are some pointers to help get you started on the road to financial success: 1. Reduce Debt A big portion of your financial success will depend on getting your total debt as low as possible, whether it be student loans or credit card debt. Not paying on time will cause you to incur interest charges which will eventually eat up your income if not carefully managed. In particular, credit card interest rates are set exorbitantly high for the companies to make a profit, so missing even one payment can start affecting yo

It seems like the credit card is a ubiquitous symbol of freedom to teenagers, allowing them to spend their (or their parents’) money on whatever they want, from late night snacks at the local mini mart to a night out at the local bar. With it comes great responsibility, and many college students aren't ready for the often unseen pressures of maintaining a credit card. Here are some of the reasons to delay getting a credit card in college: Overspending Credit cards can magnify bad spending habits and put students in significant financial risk. According to the 2008 paper Monopoly money: The effect of payment coupling and form on spending behavior , researchers determined that using credit cards instead of cash to pay for purchases encourages people to overspend by mitigating the "pain of paying" and increasing the psychological gap between the consumer and their money. Although students may not realize it at first, the extra charges on their card will add up and o

What if I told you that with only a few clicks of your mouse, you could earn money online that can be used for a nice gift or even to pay for expenses? The idea of earning money online from the comforts of your couch (or bed) is tempting to college students such as myself. With these simple yet effective methods, you'll be earning money in no time. 1. Surveys Companies are always looking for valuable input on their products and marketing, so marketing researchers set up online surveys to gather this information. This means you can go online and make money just by giving your opinions on products and brands you already use and like. One of the best programs to do surveys is through Swagbucks. They have a variety of surveys for you to take and get rewarded through their swagbucks currency which can be used to redeem gift cards and other cool rewards. You can also complete new and exciting offers to get rewarded. They'll even give you $3 if you sign up through this link

Student debt: two words that frighten any college student  the most as he or she  heads into the future. It is a problem that many, including myself, have to grapple with. As the cost of tuition is rising rapidly at many of the nation's high institutions of learning, individuals are having to contend more and more with the burgeoning prices by taking out loans that make take years if not decades to repay, all in order to just attend college. It almost seems like students must sacrifice an arm an a leg to receive an education, just to remain perpetually indebted to these institutions for the majority of their working years. In 2014, the  New York Times  reported that students amassed over $1.3 trillion in debt, making up a tenth of all household debt in America. This figure is over double of the total amount owed in 2005 and rising tuition rates will keep students tackling this problem for the foreseeable future. N ew laws are being passed to alleviate future graduates debt, bu