Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners.
Warren Buffett is notoriously a good investor. Sure, heâs made some mistakes along the way (who hasnât?), but whatever move he makes, you can bet heâs thought it through, and it will pay off â big time.
Which is why when Mr. Buffett made his biggest stock purchase of the year into Apple, we thought, âIsnât it too late to do that?â Apple is already trading at the highest price it ever has. It feels out of reach for us non-billionaires.
But it turns out, thatâs not the case. While we donât have the ability to own $111 billion (yes, billion with a B) in AAPL shares, we can still get our hands on some â and reap the rewards as the market goes up.
One of our favorite ways to get into the stock market and be a part of infamous big-tech returns, without risking billions is through a free app called Stash.
It lets you be a part of something thatâs normally exclusive to the richest of the rich â on Stash you can buy pieces of other companies â including Buffettâs choices â for as little as $1.
Thatâs right â you can invest in pieces of well-known companies, such as Amazon, Google, Apple and more for as little as $1. The best part? If these companies profit, so can you. Some companies even send you a check every quarter for your share of the profits, called dividends.1
It takes two minutes to sign up, and itâs totally secure. With Stash, all your investments are protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) â thatâs industry talk for, âYour moneyâs safe.â2
Plus, when you use the link above, Stash will give you a $5 sign-up bonus once you deposit $5 into your account.*
Kari Faber is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
1Not all stocks pay out dividends, and there is no guarantee that dividends will be paid each year.
2To note, SIPC coverage does not insure against the potential loss of market value.
For Securities priced over $1,000, purchase of fractional shares starts at $0.05.
*Offer is subject to Promotion Terms and Conditions. To be eligible to participate in this Promotion and receive the bonus, you must successfully open an individual brokerage account in good standing, link a funding account to your Invest account AND deposit $5.00 into your Invest account.
The Penny Hoarder is a Paid Affiliate/partner of Stash.Â
Investment advisory services offered by Stash Investments LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser. This material has been distributed for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended as investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice. Investing involves risk.Â
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
Your effective tax rate is the TOTAL you pay in taxes as a percentage of your income. But who has the highest effective tax rates? The rich or the poor?
Those ubiquitous checklists of âdorm room essentialsâ for college freshmen are filled with items that will be ditched by the end of first semester.
Some parents âgo to the store and grab a list like they did when their kids were in elementary and high school and just go straight down the list,â says Lisa Heffernan, mother of three sons and a college-shopping veteran. Or they buy things they only wish their students will use (looking at you, cleaning products).
You can safely skip about 70% of things on those lists, estimates Asha Dornfest, the author of Parent Hacks and mother of a rising college sophomore whoâs home for the summer.
What Not to Buy or Bring
Freshmen really need just two things, says Heffernan, co-founder of the blog Grown and Flown: a good mattress topper and a laptop.
Here are seven items you can skip:
Printer. Donât waste desk space or, worse, store it under the bed; printers are plentiful on campus.
TV. Students may watch on laptops or on TVs in common areas or in someone elseâs room. Bonus: Your teen gets out and meets others.
Speakers. Small spaces donât require powerful speakers; earphones may be a good idea and respectful of roommates.
Car. Some colleges bar freshmen from having cars on campus or limit their parking. You also may save on insurance by keeping the car at home.
Luggage. If you bring it, you must store it. Heffernan suggests collapsible blue Ikea storage bags with zippers.
Toiletries to last until May. Bulk buying may save money, but you need storage space.
Duplicates of anything provided by the college, such as a lamp, wastebasket, desk chair or dresser.
Items left behind when students pack for the summer are telling. Luke Jones, director of housing and residence life at Boise State University, sees unopened food â a lot of ramen and candy â and stuffed animals and mirrors.
Jones says many students regret bringing high school T-shirts and memorabilia and some of their clothes (dorm closets typically are tiny).
What Can You Buy, Then?
Before you shop, find out what the college forbids (candles, space heaters, electric blankets and halogen lights are common). Have your student check with assigned roommates about appliances (whoâs bringing a fridge or microwave?) and color scheme if they want to set one. Know the dimensions of the room and the size of the bed. And most of all, know your budget. Not everything has to be brand new.
Ten things â besides the all-important mattress topper and laptop â that many students consider dorm room essentials include:
One or two fitted sheets in the correct bed size, plus pillowcases. Heffernan says most students donât use top sheets.
Comforter or duvet with washable cover.
Towels in a distinctive pattern or light enough for labeling with laundry marker, plus shower sandals.
Power cord with surge protector and USB ports.
Basic first aid kit.
Easy-to-use storage. If itâs a lot of work to get something out, your student wonât, Heffernan says.
Cleaning wipes. Students might not touch products that require multiple steps, but they might use wipes, according to Heffernan.
Reading pillow with back support for studying in bed.
Area rug. Floors are often hard and cold.
Comfort items. Dornfest says it could be a blanket or a picture of the dog â something from home that will make the space a bit more personal.
Afraid youâll forget something important? You might, Heffernan says. But chances are, you or your student can order it online and get it delivered. Consider doing this with some items simply to avoid the hassle of bringing them yourself, and remember that âdorm necessitiesâ often go on sale once school starts.
Do a Reality Check
If you or your student still want to replicate the rooms youâve seen on Instagram and Pinterest, think about how the room will actually be used.
Once your son or daughter moves in, the room will never look like that again. Opt for sturdy items and be realistic. Will throw pillows make the place look more homey and inviting, or will they be tossed on the floor until parentsâ weekend?
Dornfest, a co-host of the Edit Your Life podcast, offers a compelling reason not to make things too comfortable. âA freshman needs to be encouraged to get out of the dorm room,â she says. âAnything that pulls you into campus life can be good.â
Sheâs not advocating a monk-like environment, but rather one that encourages breaking out of routines. College should be a time to try new things and meet people from different backgrounds. Dornfest advises making the bed as comfortable as possible and keeping a few reminders of home. The ideal dorm room is more launch pad than cocoon.
More from Nerdwallet
Budgeting for College Students
How to Build Credit at 18
How to Choose a Student Credit Card
The article 7 Things College Freshmen Donât Need â and 10 They Do originally appeared on NerdWallet.
Where you work matters as much as where you work out. Like the home office, the home gym has moved from afterthought to forethought in the COVID era. Affluent homeowners are now creating workout spaces loaded with personal style. Whether itâs designing around Peloton bikes and Mirror systems or creating complete wellness suites for relaxation, the new home gym is all about you.
The post The Home Gym Gets a Makeover first appeared on Century 21®.
Year in and year out, we know the holidays are almost upon us when TV networks start airing Home Alone, the iconic family movie that has by now become synonymous with Christmas cheer. And while the first two Home Alone movies starring Macaulay Culkin are the clear fan favorites, the third one (written and produced by the same John Hughes that gave us the first two festive flicks) was deemed the least successful in the series — by far — and failed to make a lasting impression.
And that’s not because of the plot, cast, or setting, but rather the result of the ultra-high expectations created by the first two Home Alone movies, and the fondness audiences had for Macaulay Culkin (which refused to return for a role in the third one, despite popular demand). In fact, the plot of the third Home Alone was quite an elaborate — and downright frightening — one, seeing Alex Pruitt, an 8-year-old boy living in Chicago, fending off international spies who were seeking a top-secret computer chip that was hidden in his toy car.
The poster for Home Alone 3, featuring the house in the background. Image credit: IMDB
Unlike a normal cat burglar situation â the first two movies featured petty thieves just trying to score a hit during the holidays, eyeing million-dollar-homes left unattended while the owners were celebrating elsewhere â Home Alone 3 is actually a matter of national security. With four thieves (said to be working for a North Korean terrorist organization) looking to retrieve the toy car/computer chip gifted to Alex by his unknowing neighbor, Mrs. Hess, the movie’s plot tackles a far more dangerous situation that the first two, despite the light way in which it is presented.
But there are two major things that all the Home Alone movies have in common: a clever, brave 8-year-old that will stop at nothing to protect himself and a beautiful Chicago-area home that acts as the ‘battleground’ of sorts where the bad guys get what’s coming to them. And since we’ve already covered the house in the first Home Alone movies, we thought I’d be the perfect time to do some scouting and find the one in the third movie too, especially since it’s no less beautiful.
The real-life house from Home Alone 3
While the movie’s storyline places it in Chicago, the house used in the third Home Alone is located in Evanston — a city 12 miles north of Downtown Chicago. According to ItsFilmedThere.com, the exact address is 3026 Normandy Place, Evanston, and a quick Google Maps search confirms that, showing us the exact same Pruitt family house we see in the movie.
House in Home Alone 3 – Google Maps
According to real estate website Zillow.com, the Pruitt family home is worth a little over $1,000,000, with neighboring properties all selling for about the same amount — though admittedly, none of the other houses that line the street had a high profile movie credit in their property history. Nor did they have Hollywood A-listers on their grounds (just in case you forgot, the most famous cast member in Home Alone 3 was none other than Avengers star Scarlett Johansson, who played Alex Pruitt’s sister in the 1997 movie).
Screen grab from Home Alone 3, featuring a young Scarlett Johansson as the older sister.
Just in case you were wondering, the house where Alex Pruitt’s neighbor — Mrs. Hess — supposedly lived is actually located next door, at 3025 Normandy Place.
More famous TV homes
Richie Richâs House is Actually the Biltmore Estate, Americaâs Largest Home The âFresh Prince of Bel-Airâ House Isnât Even in Bel-Air The Real-Life Homes from Modern Family â and Where to Find Them The Simpsons House Gets a Modern Day Makeover
The post Where’s the House from ‘Home Alone 3’? appeared first on Fancy Pants Homes.
What makes Travis Scott’s house so unique? The 17,000-sq-ft futuristic mansion is perched high atop the Los Angeles hills; and that’s just the beginning.
The record-breaking 2020 fire season has seen huge wildfires tear across California. In fact, five of the six largest fires ever recorded in the state have occurred this year, endangering residents, prompting evacuations and leading to thousands of lost buildings.
Unfortunately, researchers are forecasting even longer, more extreme wildfire seasons in the years to come — which means fire safety is now fast becoming a feature more treasured than even the most extravagant of amenities. And home builders are starting to cater to that need, coming up with ingenious ways to ‘fire-proof’ their projects.
One stunning example of that is this newly-built $5 million home in Marin County, Calif. that prioritizes fire safety — something that’s likely to become a new standard for million dollar homes throughout the Golden State.
Newly-built home in Marin County, CA. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne
The builder picked all of the outdoor finishes with fire safety in mind, using only steel, glass and concrete. Even the decks are made from Fibergrate (a type of molded fire-resistant fiberglass and stone).
In fact, the only wood you’ll find in this home is the wide-plank engineered oak floors. As expected, there is also a fire suppression system throughout the home.
Newly-built home in Marin County, CA. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne
Yet fire safety is not the only area in which this home excels. With its dramatic walls of glass, soaring steel beamed ceilings, and high-end designer finishes, the property is a stunning example of modern 21st century architecture.
Set in the coveted Country Club neighborhood of San Rafael — roughly 11 miles north of San Francisco — the house boasts a modern industrial design, with its walls of glass opening up the indoor areas to the outdoor greenery and flooding the home with sunlight and captivating views. The space is anchored by a stunning ultra-modern kitchen and features wide-plank oak flooring and a modern fireplace.
The house boasts a modern industrial design with soaring steel beamed ceilings. Image credit: Thomas HenthorneWalls of glass open up to beautiful nature views and flood the home with light. Image credit: Thomas HenthorneWalls of glass open up to beautiful nature views and flood the home with light. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne
The fire-resistant home comes with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and quite a few ultra-modern features. It has its own solar system (powered by 28 solar panels) and battery back up systems for when the power is out, and has been outfitted with smart home technology like a Doorbird Entry System, Nest thermostats, smart lighting, automatic blinds and more.
Adding to that wow factor is a dramatic, Instagram-worthy foyer at the entrance, which has ‘living walls’ of exotic plants on both sides. Same goes for the outdoor pool, which comes with a built-in spa, automatic safety cover and gas heater.
Dramatic entrance has walls of greenery on both sides. Image credit: Thomas HenthorneThe fire-resistant house features plenty spaces to entertain guests. Image credit: Thomas HenthorneWalls of glass open up to beautiful nature views and flood the home with light. Image credit: Thomas HenthorneNewly-built home in Marin County, CA. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne
The home is currently on the market with a $4,995,000 price tag. Thomas Henthorne with Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty is exclusively representing the property.
More striking homes
See Inside a Modern, Art-Filled Compound â with a Custom Outdoor Piece by French Artist Invader Morgan Brown Re-Lists Stunning West Hollywood Home Amid Split from Actor Gerard Butler Join the Ranks of the Hollywood Celebs Renting This House in Malibu Mitch and Camâs Duplex from the âModern Familyâ Pilot is On the Market & Itâs Absolutely Lovely
The post This Stunning Modern House Was Built With Fire Safety in Mind appeared first on Fancy Pants Homes.
Fall is one of the most exciting seasons of the year. The trees, the smells, the comfy sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes; itâs a cozy, wonderful time and who wouldn’t want to enjoy that warm vibe all year long? And since this is the season that prompts us all to spend a little more time inside, homeowners and renters alike tend to step up their interior decor game and invite the fall into their homes, adding notes of warmth and pops of color that are typical for the fall season. If youâre one of the many people that love fall
Many lines have been written on the importance of cleanliness and household chores (remember that iconic speech by U.S. Admiral McRaven, urging us all to make our beds in the morning?) and the role they play in maintaining our mental and physical health.
And since we now see ourselves in a position to spend far more time in our homes (whether we want to or not), we can think of no better time to circle back on this subject, and focus on what’s arguably the first room of the house to get messy: the kitchen.
Naturally, with more of our family members inside, our kitchens are bound to become dirtier and more cluttered. And while there’s no way we’ll reach that perfect, Mr. Clean sparkling kitchen anytime soon (and you definitely shouldn’t feel the pressure to take it to that extreme), keeping your kitchen tidy and clean can have positive effects on your state of mind, especially during these troubling times.
According to a 2010 study published in The Personality and Social Psychology bulletin, higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol were observed in women who felt that their homes are cluttered and who had lots of unfinished projects around the house.
That’s why it’s vital to keep your house clean to reduce stress levels and help you feel more relaxed and comfortable at home. In addition to reducing stress, maintaining a healthy cleaning regimen for the home also makes you more productive, helps you sleep better, and protects your family from illness-causing bacteria and pathogens.
However, maintaining a clean home is easier said than done. This is especially true when it comes to the kitchen. And that’s because the kitchen requires more attention than any other room in your house, especially if you have more family members and young children. After every meal, there are spills that need to be cleaned, dishes and utensils to be washed, and lots of tidying up to do. Not to mention that if any dirt or spills are left unattended, there may be a buildup of bacteria that poses a significant health risk for your family. After all, this is the room where we keep all of our food.
Maintaining a clean kitchen requires a systematic approach, and that’s why it is vital to create a kitchen cleaning checklist. Taking a structured approach to your kitchen cleaning will ensure no cleaning task skips your mind and your kitchen is spotless at all times — without making you feel overburdened by all the chores that comes with kitchen maintenance.
Read on to find out what to include in your kitchen cleaning checklist and the tasks that you should schedule on daily, weekly, and monthly basis — so that you don’t feel all the tasks weighting on you without having a clear plan to address them.
#1 Tasks to include in your daily kitchen cleaning list
To ensure that food is not contaminated during preparation, and that your family enjoys meals in a clean and safe environment, there are a few cleaning tasks that must be carried out daily. Don’t worry, they’re not the type that take hours to get out of the way, but they’re crucial to keeping a clean kitchen. Here are the things you should watch for on a daily basis:
Cleaning spills on counters, tables, floors, and appliances as soon as they occur
Washing dirty dishes immediately after meals
Emptying the dishwasher and dish drainer as needed
Putting everything back in their rightful place after usage (think condiments, cooking ingredients, pans and pots, and utensils)
Checking fridge and kitchen counters for expired/spoiled food and throwing them out if you suspect they might have gotten bad
Sweeping the floor whenever something gets spilled
Cleaning the sink with a multi-purpose cleaner so that bacteria doesn’t get a chance to form
Removing items that don’t belong in the kitchen (like the kids’ toys)
Taking out the garbage
Making a habit out of these tasks will ensure that your kitchen is always tidy and will make your weekly and monthly cleaning easier.
Something else that might help, but that might need some advance planning, is choosing an easy to clean and maintain countertop material, which will also reduce your workload. Quartz is not only easy to clean, but is also visually stimulating. Read more information on kitchen countertops to understand why quartz may be a good choice for your kitchen and to find good alternatives that are easy to keep clean.
#2 Tasks for your weekly kitchen cleaning list
Depending on your weekly schedule, pick a day to schedule your weekly kitchen cleaning. Setting a specific day is the first step to ensure you do not bail on your weekly kitchen cleaning checklist — and it really doesn’t have to be in the same day you clean up the rest of your house. Having a separate schedule for the kitchen makes sense, and will allow you to spend more time on this crucial room of the house.
For your weekly kitchen cleaning, you’ll want to go a bit deeper into it than you do on your regular daily cleaning routine. Tasks to include in your weekly kitchen cleaning checklist are:
Mopping the floor (if you have small children or pets — or just a clumsy husband, like me — you may need to do this more often)
Cleaning the exterior of appliances thoroughly
Sorting out leftovers in the fridge and throwing away those that have stayed too long
Cleaning off smudges and fingerprints from drawers and cabinets
Cleaning your dishcloths and towels
Cleaning and disinfecting the sink and faucets
Cleaning the interior of your microwave
#3 Tasks for your monthly kitchen cleaning list
If you are thorough with your daily and weekly kitchen cleaning, you’ll breeze through your monthly cleaning. Monthly cleaning should be set for the first or last week of the month to make it harder for you to skip it, and should cover some essentials that don’t need to be checked on as regularly as the other items on our list.
Monthly kitchen cleaning tasks can include, depending on your home setup:
Checking your pantry to see what needs to be tossed out and which items should be restocked
Checking the freezer to see if there are any items that should be eaten soon, and those that need to be thrown or restocked
Cleaning the oven and stove
Cleaning your refrigerator and disinfecting the drip pan
Targeting the dirt and crumbs that hide between cabinets and floors during your daily and weekly cleaning
Dusting light fixtures as well as cabinets and the refrigerator
Cleaning the dishwasher and dish drainer drip pan
Spot-cleaning grout
General tips to make kitchen cleaning easier
Thereâs nothing more daunting than cleaning a kitchen that’s been neglected for some time. So that you’ll never have to face this challenge, follow the following tips:
Create visual checklists with your daily, weekly, and monthly kitchen cleaning tasks — use our suggestions above to create your own, personalized list with areas that require more attention in your household
Post your checklists in a visible place and encourage other members of the family to take cue on the things that have to be done on a daily basis
In fact, you could take things a step further and assign minor tasks to different family members
Make a habit of dealing with spills immediately and sweeping the floors each meal
Keeping your kitchen clean and safe for your family begins with healthy cleaning habits and a good tidying up regimen. Create a system that works for you and put it in a checklist so that you can keep your mind off all the things that need to be done, and instead, enjoy your time at home with your family.
Keep reading
These Luxury Bar Stools will Take Your Kitchen to the Next Level The Importance of Housekeeping for a Comfortable Home 5 Types Of Home Improvement Permits You Should Know About Pergolas â A Pleasing Addition to Your Outdoor Living Space
The post Kitchen Cleanup Checklist: A Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Breakdown of Tasks appeared first on Fancy Pants Homes.
![This article originally appeared on NerdWallet](https://www.getrichslowly.org/wp-content/uploads/nerdwallet.jpg" "This article originally appeared on NerdWallet")
Those ubiquitous checklists of âdorm room essentialsâ for college freshmen are filled with items that will be ditched by the end of first semester.
