Running Your Home
Publix App
This app is very easy to use and create your shopping list. Your completed list shows you which aisle each item is on. It also has digital coupons and shows you the current ad as well as BOGO. My general rule of thumb is only buy it if it’s BOGO which is a great way to save 50% on groceries. You can also create an account on publix.com and do your shopping from a computer as well. There’s no card to carry around and you just need to enter your phone number at check out.
Aldi
My shopping started at Publix, then moved to Walmart to save a little money. When I started shopping at Aldi, I discovered that in general, I was saving 30% a month versus Publix and probably about 20% vs Walmart. They mostly have their own brands of products which are all very good quality. If you don’t like one of their products, they’ll double your money back. I can’t say enough good stuff about this place.
Ibotta App
Ibotta is a great little app that allows you to earn additional cash back on purchases you’d make a wide variety of stores. You choose your store through the app and then select the items you want to buy and earn cash back on. You can link some of your store cards directly with the app or you can upload a receipt to earn the credit. I linked my Publix account with the app and now when I go shopping, I hit the Ibotta app up first. There is usually a simple option to earn $.10 to $.20 just for uploading your receipt. They will also have cash back on a variety of generic items such as “buy any brand banana and get $.20 cash back”. You’re not going to get rich using this but it’s free money.
GetUpside
GetUpside is a simple little app that gives you cash back on purchases you make every day. It started focusing on gas rebates. Rebates are anywhere from $.01 to $.37 per gallon of gas. You can also earn cash back at restaurants with some giving 30+%. You simply go to the app, select the gas station or restaurant and then select the offer. Once your purchase is made, you can upload your receipt and a few days later, the cash back will show in your GetUpside account. Some gas stations allow for Check In if you register your credit card with the app. You select the Check In option and it automatically finds the purchase and processes your cash back. Once you’ve accumulated enough cash back, you can request the money back in a variety of forms, including PayPal.
PI Recommendations
Southern Professional Investigations – Atlanta, GA area
I used these guys to investigate my situation. Very professional, down to earth and easy to work with. I was a nervous wreck during the process and they helped me set up a tracker and provided me with video and a report of their observations.
https://www.privateinvestigatorga.net/
Lawyer Recommendations
Nathaniel Smith – McDonough, GA area
I had a great experience with Nate. My first lawyer had me back pedaling, wouldn’t respond to me and what little work he did was unprofessional. After blowing $3,500 on the first lawyer, I met with Nate who did not like what I told him I had been doing and went on the aggressive.
Advise Against
Stickr
After losing my job, I was looking for some simple ways to make money on the side. Stickr offers vehicle decals and a piece of the revenue for your market area each month. After you accept the offer, they try to upcharge you for a variety of other “perks” such as double the cash back, etc. What I missed when I signed up that besides the up front cost for joining, there is also a $9.99/mo charge for being in the program. It’s easy enough to apply the decal to your car but each month, you have to take a picture to verify. That’s the extent of the work. I averaged about $15/mo which isn’t too bad. However, it took me a couple months to catch they were charging me the $9.99/mo as well and for me, $5/mo in net profit isn’t worth it to drive around with a decal on your car.
Amazon FBA Businesses
There are a good number of people that have done well starting up their Amazon FBA business. If you’re not familiar with it, you can become a seller with Amazon and they will store and distribute your product for a fee of about 30-40% of your product sales price. Different folks are offering you their programs to help walk you through how to do it from $1,000 to $10,000. Initially, I thought it would be good as I looked at the research and saw the huge markup on products. However, finding a product to sell has proven quite difficult and I now regret the sizable investment I made in the business. I’m still going to work the program in my spare time but for now, I’m 3 months into it and only have debt from it with no profit in sight.