Easy Ways To Save A Lot Of Cash

Do you feel like you are always strapped for cash? It seems that a lot of people feel that very same way in today's world. There are just so many bills to keep up with and ways to spend our hard-earned money that it becomes easy to fall a little short on extra cash. Everyone wants to know what some simple ways to save more money are so that they can bank some extra cash.

Check Out Coupon Sites

The Internet provides plenty of ways to spend your money, but from time to time it also produces ways to save some of that cash as well. Coupon websites are plentiful and often feature some of your very favorite products at a discount. If they have a coupon for something that you already plan to purchase anyway, why not take advantage of that opportunity?

Even if you do not go directly to a coupon website, at least check to see if there are any coupons for what you plan to buy in that moment. Places like pizza restaurants and the like frequently have coupons available for the taking for those who are ordering delivery.

File Your Tax Return

The vast majority of us are required to file a tax return every year by law. For some reason some people like to drag it out. This might make sense if you are one of the unfortunate ones who has to pay money into the government. However, if you someone who is expecting a tax refund, why would you wait even another minute to file? As soon as the new year rolls around you can file your taxes and start having that refund processed. The sooner you file, the sooner that money can get to you.

Buy In Bulk

A lot of retail and grocery stores count on you buying items in just the quantity that you need at that very moment. If you indulge them in doing this, then they are the ones who really benefit. Stores can mark up smaller quantity items a lot more than what they would sell the same item to you for in bulk.

Bulk purchases means fewer trips to the store (less temptations to buy more things!), and you get a better price per unit when you shop this way. Check out the price comparisons by either doing the math on the per unit price for yourself, or check the price tags to see this broken down for you on many items in many stores. The difference can be truly astounding.

How do you Value a Sports Team?

I’ve always found it interesting how economists assign value to sports teams. What dictates one sports team being worth $4 billion while another is worth $2 billion?  You’d think it would be the abilities of the players, right? How many games they’ve won? Feats they’ve accomplished? While I’m interested in the economy of sports, I take a bit of nuanced view on the subject because it find it pretty arbitrary how an economist decides how much a team is worth, to an extend sealing the team’s fate. Because there is some kind of system they follow though, and I’m interested in both finance and sports, I thought I’d try to shed some light on the subject.

Let’s take a look at the most valuable sports team from 2016: the Dallas Cowboys. Now wait a minute, you may be thinking. The Broncos won the Super Bowl in 2016, and the Patriots in 2015 and 2017...what makes the Dallas Cowboys so valuable? At $4 billion, the Dallas Cowboys are the world’s most valuable sports team, even though they haven’t won an NFL championship in 20 years. Instead, we should consider the team’s $1.2 billion home stadium built in 2009, which they sold the naming rights to AT&T in 2013.

According to financial firm Mercer Capital, “Sports business mandates constitute an amalgam of traditional valuation approaches applied to a specialized industry niche possessing its own distinct value drivers and considerations.” Various factors, both internal and external value drivers, play into the value of a sports team. For the sake of time and space, I’ll explain it in simple terms. A sports franchise’s value is often determined from its future benefits, and sentimental value often plays a larger role in determining a team’s value than factors that would seem to be of more importance, such as the win-loss record of the team and the skills of individual players.

The valuation of sports teams is complicated and has its own set of rules, with there often being significant differences between fair market value and price. Sometimes a team’s worth is influenced by a wealthy investor who has some kind of sentimental connection to the team, and in that case the team’s ability has nothing to do with their value. A sports team’s value can also be incredibly difficult to define, because it is derived mostly from future benefits looking at projected factors such as the management team, trademarks, brands and logos, customer “fan base” relations, player relations and contracts, customer contracts, broadcasting contracts, arena ownership and lease agreements, and local demographics.

In short, the economy of sports is complicated and often arbitrary. It follows its own set of rules. From the words of economists at Mercer Capital, “...sports properties encompass a highly specialized segment of our profession that is subject to its own distinct challenges.”

Originally published on nicholasfainlight.net

Take the Work Out of Working Out

Let’s be honest. Does anyone actually enjoy working out? Sure, you may be a gym rat who claims to enjoy working up a sweat and building muscle, but given the choice, I’m sure you’d much rather be sprawled out on your couch watching your favorite tv show. That’s because working out is work. It’s not meant to be fun or easy, because it takes time and oftentimes, some pain. That phrase feel the burn isn’t for nothing.

If you want to get the most out of your workout, then there will always be some degree of work involved. However, it doesn’t have to feel like work and it can actually be fun if you go about it the right way. I was an active sports player in high school and I always enjoyed the camaraderie that came with being part of a team more than the solo workouts I had to keep up with to stay in shape. In college, when I was busy with mountains of schoolwork, working out became even more of a chore. So I found ways to make it less so and it actually worked! I really do enjoy making fitness a part of my regular routine when I implement tactics to make it more fun. 

For some ideas to make working out more fun, check out the full blog here. 

Christian Pulisic: The Michael Phelps of Soccer?

Christian Pulisic is an American (henceforth called football) professional soccer player. He plays for Borussia Dortmund, a German football team. This is highly unusual. While it's not uncommon for European football teams to have players from all over the world, it is uncommon for an American football player to be among them. When it comes to men's football, America has a pretty bad track history. This is to say nothing of the levels of excellence that the women's soccer team has delivered again and again. But our male players often can't compete with the likes of European and South American clubs.

Christian Pulisic is changing this. At the age of 17, he became the youngest foreigner to score a goal in the German football league Bundesliga (in which Borussia Dortmund contends). He also holds the record for the youngest player in the modern era of football to score a goal for the United States and for the Youngest American player to score a goal in World Cup Qualifying History...

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.org

3 Awesome Finance Podcasts

If you’re going to be in finance, you’re going to have to read. A lot. As a student, I am inundated in fundamental texts on a daily basis, but textbooks set aside, there is just a lot of reading that goes into the job—pouring over reports, staring at data to identify trends, drafting up proposals and strategies—the works. That’s why I appreciate being able to approach learning from a different tac. The tac of podcasts. Here are four of my current favorite finance podcasts. If you have recommendations others than the one’s I’ve listed, I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

Planet Money

If you’re going to write a blog about finance podcasts to listen to, you would be remiss to not include Planet Money. It’s an NPR production, so you can bet that it dives in deep, while also still being approachable.

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.net

VIDEO: Four of the Best Chelsea FC Managers in History

Since the club was founded in 1905, Chelsea FC has witnessed some truly inspiring talent on its field. Yes, I’m talking about the players but I’m also talking about the managers. Antonio Conte seems to be the most recent example of excellence in Chelsea FC management, but he is only one of a long line of superb managers. In my previous blog post I thoroughly outline the history of managers on the team. Based off of that post, I’ve created a little presentation. Hope you enjoy!

Please let me know if you agree with my preference or if you don’t!

Nicholas Fainlight

For more sports info, visit NicholasFainlight.org

Black Friday Mirror: 5 Investing Nightmares for the 21st Century

It’s Halloween, which means its the time of the year where (people dressed as) ghouls and goblins emerge from their creepy, crawly places to spook us out. Depending, on what information you have access to, that isn’t the only spooky thing happening. Tensions are high for individuals aligned with both political parties in the US. The polar icecaps are getting smaller and smaller. And at any given moment there are a handful of financial nightmares that threaten to keep people up at night. Here’s a look at five:

Hyper-Connectivity

More people have more access to more information than ever before. Every day more and more devices are connected via the CLOUD. According to an interview Gordon Dee Smith, manager of the private intelligence agency Strategic Insight, there are more cellphones in the world than toothbrushes and that is pretty concerning. As opposed to being structured vertically, individuals can now organize around an idea vertically across the world. This may be great for finding something in common with a number of people across the world, but it also means that the authority of legitimate “vertical” leaders is undermined. As Smith puts it: “You can’t tell who’s who and what’s what anymore.”

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.net

How the Olympic International Committee Gives Kids a Chance

There are a number of stories out there of exceptionally talented and strong-willed kids who dreamed of greatness and were able to achieve it because of the support of others. I’m talking about the untold story of the Maui Sugar Ditch Kids, Disney’s most recent film Queen of Katwe, and even Friday Night Lights.  Behind any great athlete, there is a network of people who make that athlete’s dream possible. They provide training, guidance, emotional support, and more.

This year, the Olympic International Committee created a grant program for organizations that run effective “sport for all” programs in their communities, i.e. programs that inspire people to live active, healthy lifestyles. Each of the four winners of the grant are to receive a whopping 20,000 USD to put to their respective projects. It’s an amazing way of helping out those who want to excel by giving them the resources they need to do so.

Below’s a look at this year’s winners of the Sport and Active Society grants:

BoxGirls International uses boxing as a catalyst for social change...

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.org 

How Presidents Affect Stocks: From the Whole to the Particular

Over this past election season, the press has been riddled with headlines proclaiming “6 Stocks to Buy If Donald Trump Is Elected“, “Trump-friendly stocks fall as candidate comes unshackled“, “Best Stocks for a Hillary Clinton Presidency“. When it comes to the stock market, candidates have an ostensible sway over how the chips will fall. But the nuances of particular candidates set aside, it’s an observable pattern that election cycles have an effect on the stock market.

General Trends

Looking toward the Stock Trader’s Almanac, Kiplinger reports that the first two years of a new president’s term are often marked by bearish markets and recession, whereas the last two years of a presidents term are marked by bullish markets and general prosperity. Along those same lines, it seems that the Down Jones Industrial has a history of increasing around 10% points in the year before a presidential election and 6% the year of an election.

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.net. 

Nicholas Fainlight Presents: The Holy Trinity Of Stock Trading Apps

Today, anyone with a smart phone and an internet connection can be a trader. All it takes is the right selection of apps and proper knowhow. Here's a video presentation that takes a look at several apps that any mobile trader shouldn't be without.

 

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.net.

The Holy Trinity of Stock Trading Apps

Ten years ago, no one would have imagined that it would be possible to manage you stocks from nearly anywhere with the help of your phone. Today, mobile trading is a very convenient way to constantly keep an eye on market prices, and even buy and trade. Although there are a lot of great apps out there, I've yet to encounter one app the encompasses everything it takes to be a successful mobile trader. However there are several apps that when combined together make for a mobile trading force of Megazord proportions. And all of them are 100% free.

Robinhood

Robinhood removes the barriers of entry that would make young traders like myself unable to participate. It's the Venmo of the trading world...

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.net.

3 Aweseome Sports Unique to the Paralympics

The Olympics may be over, but the Paralympics are still going strong over in Brazil. Even though the US isn’t doing as well in the Paralympics as they did in the regular Olympics (I’m sure a lack of Phelps isn’t helping), it’s still worth your time to check out what these awesome athletes are up to. The Paralympics grew out of a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948. Since then it has grown to be one of the largest athletic events in the world.

Boccia

Often referred to as “bocce ball” in the United States, boccia is a sport of strategy and precision. Think, shuffleboard or the summer equivalent of curling. Even though boccia is often thought of as warm weather beach time activity, it was originally designed for those with cerebral palsy.

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.org.

Why Michael Phelps Is Awesome (to me)

It’s no secret that I like Michael Phelps. In fact, I think he’s awesome. It’s not just that he’s a good swimmer (he is a good swimmer). It’s not just that he’s a good guy (he is a good guy). It’s a confluence of factors both objective and personal. Here’s what they are:

The Medals

I might as well come right out and say it, otherwise you’ll be reading through the rest of the post thinking “yeah, yeah, yeah, but what about the medals”. Yes, with 23 gold medals and 28 overall, Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian ever.

There’s no two ways about it Michael Phelps is a swimmer of legendary proportions. Time and time again he’s been able to break world records and then eventually his own records. In a sport where many participants push the boundaries of the human body in water, he manages to push the boundaries even more. Yes. He’s had a lot of medals. Yes he’s a great swimmer. But he’s also so much more…

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.org.

The Six Biggest Gold Medal Years for the US Olympics Swimming Team

Team USA is off to a great start at the Rio Games. On the women’s team, Katie Ledecky managed a record-breaking time in the 400-meter freestyle final, netting her the gold, and Leah Smith came in third, earning a bronze. Meanwhile on the men’s team, Adam Peaty took the gold in the 100-meter breaststroke, while Cody Miller netted the bronze in the same event.

But what about the man himself, Michael Phelps? Well, Mr. Phelps and the rest of the men’s 4×100 relay team managed to score a gold. Although Phelp’s performance was jaw-dropping, Nathan Adrian, Caeleb Dressel, and Ryan Held also gave an admirable performance.

Here’s a look at the final results for the top three teams:

United States – 3:09.92

France – 3:10.53

Australia – 3:11.37

That relay made for Michael Phelps 23rd olympic medal and his 19th gold. Both of which are world records.

Michael Phelps >CNN.com

In honor of this fortuitous start to the olympics, here’s a look at the US Swimming Team’s 5 Biggest Gold Medal Years. I pulled the below information by poring over the info available on theUS Swimming Team’s Official Site…

For the full blog, go to NicholaFainlight.org

How to Save Money as a College Student: Food

As a college student, it’s dawned on me that as much as I knew about finance before coming to school, there were so much about managing finances in school that I learned along the way. This column is devised to help college students like myself get an edge on the financial challenges of school.

Another one of the biggest costs in college life is food. The other side of the coin is that this is also one of the easiest ways that you can cut back on expenses.

If You Go for a Meal Plan, Go for the Block

Different colleges offer different sorts of meal plans. More and more schools are giving students the option to purchase a block (lump sum) of meals, a certain amount of meals per a week, or an unlimited amount of meals (either for a week or a semester). Unless you plan on eating 95% of your caloric energy from dining halls, I highly recommend picking up a block plan. It gives you the restraints of a finite number of meals, while also giving you the flexibility you need to make meals work around you. Both restraints and flexibility are important, especially when it comes to…

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.net

Also, if you’re looking for a simple cheap recipe, check out this simple mashed sweet potato recipe by 3375.

3 Ways to Capitalize on Fitness Opportunities in College While You Still Can

 

If you’re a student like myself, you are extremely lucky. Not only do you have access to amazing higher education opportunities, but you also have access to out of this world fitness facilities, equipment and classes. If you find yourself stalling or not getting the amount of activity you want (and trust me, you’re not alone in either of those), here’s a list of resources at your disposal to help you to get the most fitness bang for your college buck.

The Student Recreation Center/Gym/Exercise Place

Alright, so these gym facilities have a lot of funky different names depending on which school you go to, but the bottom line is that these are facilities where you can go work out…

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.org

How to Save Money as a College Student: Books

Once you look back on your college expenditures, one of the greatest costs you will find will be books. Books are expensive. Nearly every course you take will require you to buy books in some sort of capacity, and left unchecked, you will find these expenses eating into your savings/food/beer money real quick. Here’s a look at several ways on how to cut back on the cost of books.

Use Your Library

Your campus library is an amazing resource. Make the most of it. Although it might be tough to find a required course reading at the library, you might have some luck. There are a number of times where a professor has recommended extra reading and I’ve been able to find just that book in the library….

For the full post, go to NicholasFainlight.net.

Nicholas Fainlight Presents: Chelsea Arming Itself for the 2016 17 Season

With Antonio Conte assuming the role of team manager next season, Chelsea FC is set for one very exciting year. But who will be playing under Conte's leadership? Nicholas Fainlight has dug up some prospective all stars for the Chelsea's 2016-17 season.

Nicholas Fainlight