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Kathryn Vercillo

Can You Drive for Uber With a DUI?

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Can You Drive for Uber with a DUI?

You don’t have to have a perfect driving record to drive for Uber. However, you do have to have a relatively clean driving record. In other words, if you have a couple of speeding tickets then most likely you’re still going to meet their minimum driver requirements. However, can you drive for Uber if you have a DUI? The short answer is no, but there is a little bit more to it than that.

Uber Checks Your Driving Record

To drive for Uber, you and your car both have to meet some minimum requirements. For example, you need to have a 4-door vehicle, rather than a 2-door car. Additionally, you need to have a minimum of one year of driving experience. Once you’ve met all of the minimum requirements, Uber will do a final background check on you. There are two parts to this background check: your criminal record and your driving record.

A DUI might show up on your criminal record or your driving record. Therefore, there are two potential chances for Uber to screen you out as a driver based on having a DUI. This is important to know because some people wonder if they can drive with Uber if they get their DUI expunged from their record. Doing so isn’t a bad idea, but it will only erase the DUI from your criminal record. The DUI will still show up on your driving record. Therefore, Uber will still see that DUI when they screen you as a potential driver.

If Your DUI Was More Than 7 Years Ago, You Should Be Okay

According to Uber’s official policy, they look at the past seven years of your driving record. Therefore, if you had a DUI 8 or more years ago, then it shouldn’t affect your ability to drive for Uber. Similarly, Uber checks your driving record for fatal accidents and a history of reckless driving. Sometimes people make mistakes when they are young, so if you have a very old DUI but haven’t had any issues since that time, then you should be fine.

That said, it’s unclear whether Uber strictly follows that “7-year rule” in every state. Some states clear your record after seven years. In other words, if Uber pulls your driving record in certain states, then all they will see is information for the past seven years. However, each state’s rules are different for how long a DUI remains on the record. In many states, including California, a DUI stays on the record for 10 years. Uber reportedly only checks the last seven years, but if they pull your California driving history, they’ll see a DUI on there anytime in the past decade. At least one Reddit user reports that they were able to drive for Uber in California with a DUI that was older than seven years but hadn’t expired off of the 10-year record, yet.

Some states have even stricter rules when it comes to DUI records. For example, in Florida, a DUI stays on your record for 75 years, which is effectively your entire driving lifetime. Similarly, DUIs never go off of your record in Alaska. That said, Uber probably isn’t going to reject a driver who had a DUI 20 years ago and has had a clean driving record ever since. After all, the reason they look at your driving record is simply that they want to make sure that their drivers are safe to be on the road.

A Criminal DUI May Never Go Away

There is one more important thing to understand about that time frame for getting a DUI off of your record. The laws are about how long the DUI stays on your driving record. However, they aren’t the same as for your criminal record. If you got convicted of a felony DUI, then you are legally considered a convicted felon. Uber has a policy against hiring convicted felons of any kind. Therefore, if you have a felony DUI on your criminal record, then you can’t drive for Uber, even if that DUI happened decades ago. If you have an old DUI like that and you want to drive for Uber, then it might be to your benefit to try to get that DUI expunged from your criminal record.

What if I Get A DUI While Driving for Uber?

If you are already an Uber driver and you get a DUI, then the chances are that you’re not going to be able to continue driving with Uber. They periodically check the driving records of current drivers. Therefore, they’ll see that DUI. It isn’t safe for their drivers to drive around drunk (whether or not they’re on the clock at the time) so they won’t allow you to keep driving for them if you get a DUI.

Of course, you may get a DUI then go to court and have the charges dropped. If that happens, then you can contact Uber. If you can prove that you never actually got convicted of a DUI, then it’s the same thing as never having had one, and Uber will likely allow you to resume driving for them. Therefore, it may be worth it to go to court if you get a DUI.

Uber Got In Legal Trouble For Allowing Drivers with DUIs

In the past, Uber has gotten into legal trouble for their failure to carefully screen their drivers for DUIs and other violations. For example, in 2017, they lost a nearly $9 million lawsuit in Colorado. State officials there found that the company had at least 50 drivers who violated the minimum rules including felony convictions, driving without a license and DUIs. This is just one example of a state where Uber has gotten in trouble for this. Therefore, they’ve cracked down more in recent years. They’re more careful with the initial background check. Furthermore, they check their driver’s current records more frequently than they did in the past.

DUI Rates Lower in Uber Cities

One of the things that Uber is quick to point out is that despite the legal problems with their drivers, Uber tends to reduce DUI rates overall. In 2014, they reported that DUI arrests were down 10% in Seattle since Uber came on the scene. The conclusion they draw, of course, is that if people can easily Uber home from the bar, then they won’t take the chance on drunk driving. Uber frequently offers deals, promotions, and collaborative opportunities to further reduce drunk driving on holidays including New Year’s Eve.

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How to Become an Uber Eats Driver

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how to become an uber eats driver

If you’re looking to make some extra money on the side, you might want to know how to become an Uber Eats driver. If you are already an Uber driver, then it’s easy to add Uber Eats to your route. However, you can deliver Uber Eats even if you don’t qualify as a regular Uber driver because there are much fewer restrictions.

How to Add Uber Eats if You’re Already an Uber Driver

First, we’ll cover the natural part: how to become an Uber Eats driver if you already drive for Uber. You might want to do this because it’s a way that you can earn even more money as you drive. After all, you can only fit so many people in your car, but you can fit in extra food for delivery.

Since you’re already an Uber Driver, you need to change the settings in your app to add Uber Eats to your route.

  • Open the Uber app.
  • Select “account.”
  • Select “vehicle options.”
  • Accept the “terms of agreement” to receive Uber Eats delivery requests.

That turns on Uber Eats. Congratulations, you’re an Uber Eats driver now. If you only want to deliver food sometimes, but not during every ride, then toggle the feature on and off accordingly in the “vehicle options” tab.

Sign up to become an Uber Eats driver today!

How to Become an Uber Eats Driver if You Aren’t Driving Uber Yet

If you don’t already have an Uber driver account, then you need to go through a little bit more of a process to sign up to deliver Uber Eats. You can deliver food for Uber by bicycle, scooter, or car (although this varies by city.) However, you have to meet certain Uber Eats driver requirements.

Do You Meet Uber Eats Driver Requirements?

You will need to check with the rules in your city to make sure that you meet the local requirements for delivering food with Uber. However, here are the general requirements:

You can deliver Uber Eats by bicycle if:

  • You’re at least 18 years old.
  • You have a government ID, but it doesn’t have to be a driver’s license.
  • You have a bicycle.

If you have a scooter, then you can deliver Uber Eats provided that:

  • You meet your state’s minimum age to drive a scooter, which is usually 19.
  • Additionally, you must have at least one year of past driving experience.
  • You have a scooter with a 50 cc or less motor that doesn’t go any faster than 30 mph.

You can deliver Uber Eats by car if:

  • Your 2-or-4-door vehicle is from 1998 or newer.
  • You meet the minimum driving age for your city, which is usually 19.
  • Plus you’ve been driving for at least one year.
  • Your driver’s license, insurance, and registration are all up to date.
  • There are no major moving violations (such as a DUI) on your record in the past seven years.
  • There are no more than three minor moving violations (such as a speeding ticket) on your record.

If you meet those requirements, then you’re ready to sign up to be an Uber Eats driver. Of course, you also have to have a working smartphone to use the app to receive orders.

Do You Have an Uber Eats Sign Up Referral Code?

If you’re looking into how to become an Uber Eats driver, you shouldn’t proceed any further until you’ve hunted down an Uber Eats sign up referral code. This is a code that allows you to maximize your early earnings when you first become a driver. The referral code also kicks back some money to the person who referred you, so try to get one from a friend or co-worker you’d like to support.

Enter that code on the sign-up page where it asks for an optional invitation code. Instead of an invitation code, you might receive a special link to follow. It will take you to the sign-up page using the referral code built into it. That link is your referral code link.

Make sure that you’ve read the terms of how to use your referral code. Usually, you’ll get a certain amount of money for signing up to drive, but you’ll have to meet a minimum number of deliveries in a certain amount of time. The details vary over time, but it’s always to your benefit to sign up with this type of link.

Sign Up to Become an Uber Eats Driver

Once you follow the referral code link, you’ll see that you have to follow a series of steps to apply to become an Uber Eats driver. It’s all pretty straightforward.

First, you’ll enter your name, email address, phone number, and city. Plus you will create a password to start your account.

Next, you will see a set of options for how you wish to make your deliveries. If your city offers delivery by scooter or bicycle, then that will show up here. If you only see “delivery by car” then your city doesn’t currently allow those other options for Uber Eats drivers. Select the one that you’re going to use.

Then the site asks you to enter your social security number. They do a background check on both your driving record and your criminal history to make sure that you qualify as a driver. This doesn’t affect your credit report. A screen will pop up with information about the background check. You can opt to receive a copy of the report if you wish. You have to accept this screen’s terms to move forward.

If you are going to deliver by scooter or car, then the site will prompt you to take a photo of your driver’s license. Once that’s accepted, you will receive a prompt to take a photo of your vehicle insurance. You’ll also have to upload proof of vehicle insurance.

Then you wait for Uber to approve or reject your application. You should receive notice of your acceptance in approximately 3-7 days. Once accepted, you can begin delivering food with Uber immediately.

Sign up to become an Uber Eats driver here!

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Beyond Lyft: IPOs to Watch for in 2019

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Beyond Lyft IPOs to Watch for in 2019

Watching the Lyft IPO and its effect on the market has been fascinating. It was the first ride-hailing app to go public, which it did in late March. Initially, everything looked great. The company had ambitiously priced its IPO at $72 per share. Right after the launch, shares soared to $87.24. This meant that the company’s valuation was nearly $30 billion, a surprisingly huge amount.

However, in just the short weeks since that launch, Lyft’s value has dropped considerably. In fact, the drop happened fast. Shares fell below IPO price by the second day of trading. By April 15th, they were down to just $56.57 per share. That’s a 27% decline from the close of the first day of trading. Moreover, it’s 35% below that opening price of $87.24. Watching this saga has everyone curious about what’s going to happen with all of the other big IPOs set to happen in 2019. In particular, market analysts can’t stop making predictions about Uber.

What Will Happen When Uber Goes Public?

Lyft beat competitor Uber to the public offering. However, Uber is poised for its launch. People everywhere are speculating on what will happen with Uber’s IPO. Moreover, there are diverse opinions about how Uber’s launch will affect Lyft’s value. Uber is a bigger company with about five times the revenue of Lyft. It’s expected to open to the public at about that same ratio, with a valuation of around $100 billion or about $95 per share.

Most market analysts seem to expect Uber to follow a similar trajectory, starting off really strong but then fading quickly in terms of value share. However, some analysts are already coming out to say that Uber isn’t worth nearly as much as that projected launch number. CNBC reports that valuation expert Aswath Damodaran values the company at somewhere between $58 and $62 billion or between $51 and $54 per share. Moreover, initial investors may be more cautious after seeing the early days of Lyft’s IPO.

Uber has a lot working against the company. They continue to face a variety of legal battles. Recently several women have come forward with frightening tales of sexual harassment/ assault from their drivers. Moreover, they’ve reported that the only help the rideshare has given them is a $5 credit for the “trouble.” Uber tried hard to turn its image around with its new CEO, but it’s just not working quite as expected. Moreover, in addition to the legal troubles, Uber still isn’t a profitable company.

What Will Happen to Lyft with Uber IPO?

Lyft is a smaller company. It tends to have a better reputation than Uber, although it’s had its problems over time. The company recently had to pull many of its electric bikes out of service after reports of potential brake problems. That said, it’ll be interesting to see the effect that Uber’s IPO has on Lyft shares. Some people say that Lyft’s stocks may improve once Uber launches.

It really depends on what Lyft does shortly and how the public perceives its changes. They’re expected to launch their version of Uber Eats, which could increase their value considerably. Likewise, they’re making headway with driverless cars, which may or may not lead to improved profitability in the future. It’s hard to say which company will dominate the industry in the years to come, even though Uber is the bigger company at this time. Therefore, if you have shares in Lyft, you just might want to hang on to them.

More IPOs to Watch for in 2019

Lyft and Uber drew a lot of attention for their public offerings this year. After all, they were in a race to go public first. They’re natural competitors in a market where no other similar competitors really exist, let alone have gone public. Therefore, all eyes have been on them. However, there are a lot of other big IPOs to watch for this year. Although, with Lyft’s IPO struggles, along with other changes in the marketplace, there has been a delay of many of the IPOs anticipated for the year.

Will Airbnb Go Public?

In the frenzy of news about big companies going public in 2019, Airbnb was on everyone’s radar. However, as we have gotten a little bit further into the year, it’s become increasingly unclear whether or not they’ll have a 2019 IPO after all. Recode points out that the company hasn’t gotten any investment money in more than two years, which is a long time for a Silicon Valley startup. Therefore, interested investors have to carefully eye everything they can find out about the company’s financials.

Airbnb recently sold common stock at a price that would value the company at about $35 billion. However, the share value is unclear if they go public. Forbes reports that Wealthfront CEO Andy Rachleff accepts a current market valuation of $31 billion for Airbnb. Nasdaq reports that Airbnb has made some key acquisitions in the buildup to their IPO. Nevertheless, the company says that while they may go public before year’s end, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will do so. Therefore, this remains one to keep an eye on.

Slack Will Go Public with a Direct Listing of Shares

If you work in the Bay Area, you’ve almost certainly used Slack to communicate with coworkers. Of course, people use it elsewhere as well, but it’s become particularly popular in the Bay Area. Email is out. Slack is in. So it’s no surprise that the company plans to go public.

Slack isn’t planning the usual IPO though. Instead, they plan to directly list their shares on the New York Stock Exchange. It’s not a common approach for startups going public. However, Spotify successfully used this approach when they went public. Most likely, Slack will go public this summer.

Bloomberg reports that in advance of that, investors are betting big on Slack’s value. During the company’s last fundraising round in August, the company had a value of approximately $7 billion. Investors are currently paying between $24 and $27 per share, which places valuation closer to $16 billion. Notably, high prices like that don’t always translate to a high value when the company goes public. Again, this will be an interesting one to watch.

Pinterest Manages IPO Expectations

Pinterest is a popular company. In certain niches, if you don’t have a Pinterest account, then you can’t effectively market your business. However, The New York Times reports that the company is working to manage expectations in advance of going public. Pinterest conservatively priced shares at $15 – $17. This gives the company a valuation of around $11 billion.

High Hopes for Palantir IPO

Peter Thiel is no stranger to making money from startups. His data mining company Palantir is no exception. Although it’s not as flashy as Airbnb or Uber in the public’s mind, it just might be the best IPO to invest in this year. For one thing, the company just won one of its biggest contracts ever, beating out Raytheon for an $800 million military contract. The company works with at least 12 differentl government agencies, which bodes well for its continuing value.

Palantir is frequently listed with a valuation of $20 billion. However, that amount is from a 2015 funding round. It’s no small valuation, but Bloomberg reports that it could be less than half of the company’s actual valuation. That $41 billion valuation came even before the news about that huge military contract.

Other IPOs to Keep an Eye on in 2019

Uber, Airbnb, Slack, Pinterest, and Palantir are the companies you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on as they go public. However, you might also want to follow IPO news about:

  • PagerDuty and Zoom are both going public before Easter.
  • Stock-trading app Robinhood is looking good for a 2019 IPO.
  • Postmates has increased marketing efforts in advance of a likely IPO.
  • Beyond Meat is likely to be the first plant-based “meat” maker to go public.
  • Dating app Bumble hopes to get an edge up on competitor Tinder by going public but has not set an IPO date.
  • Cloudfire was expected to go public this year, but a new round of funding may push that back.
  • WeWork was a highly anticipated 2019 IPO, but a big drop in value may delay them from going public.

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Does CVS Sell Stamps?

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does cvs sell stamps?

If you are out running errands then you might ask yourself, “does CVS sell stamps?” After all, if you don’t have to make a special trip to the post office to pick up stamps, then why would you? Save the time and gas or commute money and pick up the stamps where you already have to be for another errand.

Even if you don’t have to go to CVS, there might be one on your route or near where you live. If that’s the case, then it’s helpful to know if CVS sells stamps. That way, when you need them, you know where you can easily get them. So, does CVS sell stamps?

Learn About CVS

You probably already know what CVS is. It’s one of the largest, most popular pharmacy chains in the nation. There are stores all over the United States. In fact, in many cities, it can seem like there is a CVS on every corner.

People obviously go to CVS to buy medication, since it is a pharmacy. However, CVS also sells all variety of other items that you might purchase at any modern drugstore. If you’re looking for toothpaste, lip balm, toilet paper, or snacks, you can probably get them at CVS.

Does CVS Sell Stamps?

Yes, CVS does sell stamps. However, they do not sell single, loose stamps. They only sell books of stamps. Therefore, if you only need to get one stamp, then you probably want to make the extra trip to the post office for that. However, if you mail items frequently, then you can go ahead and easily pick up a book of stamps at CVS.

A book of stamps holds 20 stamps. These are First Class stamps, which are the stamps that you would use to send a regular envelope through the mail. These stamps are often called Forever stamps, meaning that you can always use them to send First Class mail, even if postage rates increase over time. Therefore, you may decide to buy a book of stamps even if you don’t send mail very frequently. After all, the stamps don’t go bad.

CVS Only Sells Certain Stamps

If you need a variety of stamps in different denominations, then you will want to go to a regular post office to get those. CVS only sells the First Class Forever stamps. For example, if you want to send out a bunch of postcards, then it would be better to get postcard stamps, which cost less than First Class stamps. CVS doesn’t sell postcard stamps.

Similarly, if you want to get postage stamps with different designs on them, then CVS won’t be much help. The post office sells a variety of different First Class stamps with designs that change out seasonally. You can always choose from different styles at the post office. However, CVS generally only carries the basic Forever stamp, which is usually a US flag or a similar generic symbol. If you want stamps designed with flowers, famous people, or other inspiring images, you’ll have to get those at the post office instead of at CVS.

Where Are Stamps Sold at CVS?

There you are at the CVS store. You’ve picked your medication up at the pharmacy. You’ve browsed through all of the aisles to pick up the everyday items that you need. Now you just need to get that book of stamps. Where are they?

You’ll need to go up to the cashier to get your stamps at CVS. When you get to the checkout counter, just ask the clerk working there for a book of stamps. They should have them at the ready. Most CVS stores keep their stamps in the cash register drawer so that cashiers can just open the drawer and pull out what you need.

How to Find a CVS that Sells Stamps

If you don’t regularly shop at CVS, then you might not know exactly where there’s one closest to you. Likewise, you could be traveling in an unfamiliar area and need to find a CVS nearby. Of course, you could always use Google Maps or another GPS to locate the CVS nearest to you. However, you might have better results if you use the Store Locator on the CVS website.

Alternatively, you can go to the Find Locations tool on the USPS website. Once there:

  • Select Post Offices and Approved Postal Providers under “location types.”
  • Press “refine search” to open a second drop-down menu.
  • Select “alternate location to buy stamps” in that drop down box.
  • Enter your city or zip code in the specified box.
  • Choose the radius to search; for example, select “within 20 miles” of your city.

This will give you a list of places to buy stamps, in order of their distance. Scan the list to find the CVS closest to you. It will actually tell you there that the store sells “stamp booklets only.” This list will also give you other nearby locations where you can buy stamps. For example, a quick search within 20 miles of zip code 94115 pulls up Walgreens, Whole Foods Market, Staples, and Safeway in addition to the CVS locations that sell stamps.

What to Do if Your CVS Doesn’t Have Stamps

You can almost always buy stamps at any CVS store. However, there’s always the chance that for some reason your local store won’t have them. They may have run out and not restocked yet. Alternatively, they may not carry them regularly. If you get to a CVS store that doesn’t have stamps, ask to speak to a manager or customer service representative. They can let you know about their policies for selling stamps. If they restock, they can tell you when that will happen. If they don’t carry them, they can tell you the closest store that might. You can always call your local CVS in advance to ask if they sell stamps so that you don’t waste a trip to a store that doesn’t have them in stock. That said, this is rarely a problem.

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Here’s the Cost of Easter Spending and How You Can Save

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When you think about costly holidays, you probably think about the winter holidays. Many of us spend a big chunk of change between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. However, Easter is a surprisingly pricy holiday.

Average Easter Spending in America and the UK

Retail Gazette reports that UK shoppers are expected to spend £1.1 billion on Easter in 2019. That is certainly a lot of money. However, it’s not even close to what Americans plan to spend.

How much do Americans spend on Easter candy? A lot. In fact, Candy Industry reports that Americans will spend more than twice that amount on Easter candy alone. In total, Americans will spend $18.11 billion on Easter. That’s an unbelievable amount of money, but it’s actually down slightly from last year’s Easter spending.

Interestingly, while Americans collectively are spending less on Easter this year than last, shoppers in the UK are spending more. More Brits plan to splurge on Easter shopping this year than in 2018. Each person will also likely spend more.

Average Easter Spending Per Person

Sixty-nine percent of the UK population plans to shop for Easter this year. Each person will likely spend about £30.41. People aged 45-54 will likely spend the most at about £32.25 each. In contrast, UK Easter shoppers aged 18-24 will only spend about £25.28 each. Of course, this makes a lot of sense, since older consumers are probably shopping for their children this Easter.

There is also a geographical spending difference in the UK. People living in the West Midlands will spend the least at about £25.57. In contrast, those living in the Northeast of England will spend the most, averaging £44.97 each.

Obviously, people in America will be spending more on average than people in the UK. There will also be more shoppers. Whereas not quite 70% of the UK population will celebrate Easter, approximately 80% of Americans will choose to celebrate. Each of them will spend about $151.25 this year.

Although Americans collectively are spending a bit less than last year, they’re individually spending about $1 more each. There are just slightly fewer shoppers this year, so the total spending projection is a tad lower. This year is the record low for the number of Americans celebrating Easter since this annual spending survey began about ten years ago.

What Americans Spend Easter Money On

Of the people who are shopping for Easter this year, nearly 90% will buy candy. In total, Americans will likely spend nearly $2.5 billion on Easter candy. However, that’s less than half what they plan to spend on food.

Many people enjoy Easter meals with their families and friends, so they’ll be spending about $5.74 billion on food. More than half will cook their holiday meal — however, about 16% plan to purchase an Easter meal from a restaurant.

Here are some of the other projected expenses:

  • Easter clothing: $3.27 billion
  • Gifts that aren’t flowers or candy: $2.87 billion
  • Flowers: $1.29 billion
  • Easter decorations: $1 billion
  • Easter greeting cards: $780 million

Of course, the majority of people will spend their money on or before Easter. However, a surprisingly large percentage of people don’t plan to spend money until after the holiday. More than 20% of shoppers don’t intend to celebrate Easter but do intend to shop the post-Easter sales. They will likely spend $19 per person on average to take advantage of sales on candy and other Easter items.

You Don’t Have to Spend to Enjoy Easter

Many people think of Easter as a time to spend money on candy, chocolate, photos with the Easter bunny, brunches, and more. However, you don’t have to pay money to celebrate the holiday. You certainly don’t have to spend a lot of money. According to the UK survey, 9% of the population intends to celebrate Easter but not to spend any additional money to do so.

How to Save Money on Easter

Americans could take a hint from people in the UK about how to save money on Easter. After all, many of them are shopping, but they aren’t spending as much on average as Americans do. Americans could cut their individual Easter spending in half and still have a bigger budget than what those in the UK will spend. All Americans need to do is embrace moderation when it comes to their Easter shopping.

Of course, there are also many other ways to save money on Easter.

Wear What’s In Your Closet

Americans will spend more than $3 billion on Easter clothing this year. People like to dress up to go to church, brunches, and egg hunts. They also enjoy doing springtime family photos. That’s all great, but it’s completely unnecessary to spend a lot of money on brand new clothing for this day.

Shop your closet first. If you truly don’t have anything to wear, then consider doing a pre-Easter clothing swap with friends. You might find the perfect new-to-you Easter dress in a friend’s closet. This is a particularly great way to get new clothes for children to wear on Easter.

DIY Decorations

Americans will spend $1 billion on Easter decorations in 2019. They’ll also spend more than 1/4 billion dollars on greeting cards. If you take the time to make those items yourself, you can save a lot of money. Handmade greeting cards – or even just a short letter – will be more personal anyway. As for decorations, you can easily find a tutorial to upcycle items you already own to create a beautiful Easter display without spending any money at all.

Use Coupons for Food Shopping

Americans will spend nearly $6 billion on food, not including candy, this Easter. Therefore, if you can cut your food costs, then you can significantly cut your Easter spending. If you’re planning to use a restaurant for your Easter meal, then you might want to think twice. At the very least, look for a place offering a good deal on Easter.

If you’re making your food at home, then make sure to do meal planning in advance. Consider a potluck approach if you plan to have a large gathering. Shop with coupons at the grocery store. Switch from a meat-heavy meal to a more affordable plant-based meal. There are many ways to cut costs on food, and it won’t compromise the quality of your Easter experience at all.

Generally speaking, focus more on spending quality time with people for Easter. Enjoy the spring weather together. Connect with nature. Participate in spiritual activities if you wish. Take the spending out of the equation and really connect with what Easter means for you.

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2019 Average Tax Refund and What You Can Expect

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If you haven’t done your taxes yet, you may be a bit worried about how much money you’re going to get back in your refund this year. There were a lot of new tax changes that affected the average 2019 tax refund. Moreover, there are a lot of tax myths related to those changes. As a result, it’s easy to feel confused or overwhelmed by this year’s taxes, unsure of what kind of return you’re likely to see.

2018 Tax Changes

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (also known as the Tax Reform Bill) went into effect with 2018’s taxes. There are quite a few changes. However, overall, they tend to have the effect of financially benefitting lower-income and middle-income individuals and families. Thanks to changes in standard deductions, as well as various changes to tax credits, these individuals should be able to keep more of their money than ever before.

Are Tax Refunds Smaller This Year?

Many people are concerned that their tax refund will be a lot smaller this year despite the financial benefit of those reforms. That’s because much of the benefit comes throughout the year, rather than at tax time. People get the chance to take home more of their paycheck rather than paying as much in to taxes. Therefore, they get to keep more money, but it’s spread out throughout those paychecks, which means that the lump sum refund at tax time may be smaller than it was in year’s previous.

Some people don’t like this. Even though they get more money, they like the chance to get a big refund. They count on that to pay off debts that accrued since last year or have enough cash for a nice summer vacation. Of course, if you save regularly throughout the year, then you still have that money. However, if you are in the habit of relying on that annual refund, you might have some anxiety that it could be a lot smaller refund this year.

Don’t worry. Even though many sites have reported that refunds will be smaller than usual, the newest data suggests that is not the case. People who have already received their refunds tend to report that they receive the same, or even more than years previous. This has been a surprise to many filers. Of course, you won’t know what your own return will be until you run the numbers to file your taxes. Every situation is unique.

Average Historical Tax Refunds

Credit Sesame recently published data showing the average tax refund for each year from 2010 – 2019. (Of course, the 2019 data is for 2018’s taxes, filed this year.) They drew the data using a survey from IRS.gov taken in the first few months of 2019. They surveyed 1500 people to get the average for this year. Naturally, the average for the year may change as more and more people finish filing their 2018 taxes.

According to this date, the lowest average amount over the past years has been $2651 in 2013. The highest average return is $3068, which is the average tax refund for 2019. In other words, despite all of the rumors, and the changes in tax laws, the average 2019 tax return is the highest amount it has been since at least 2010.

This is a small increase over last year. The 2018 average tax refund was $3046. So, on average, people are getting back over$20 more this year than last year when they get their tax refund. In all of the previous years, except back in 2010, the average tax refund was under $3000. Therefore, most people have found that they’re getting back more than they expected and more than they are used to.

Average 2019 Tax Refund Across Five Generations

Of course, people’s incomes vary widely. Therefore, tax refunds are also very different. Just because the average refund for 2019 is $3068 doesn’t mean that’s what you personally are going to get back. Only you can find out exactly what that number is. However, you can get a more accurate sense of your likely tax return this year by looking at the average tax return for your generation.

The Silent Generation will get the least back this year. On average, they will receive a 2019 tax refund of $1648. This makes sense because the people in this older generation who are still working may only be working part-time. If you don’t earn a lot, then you don’t owe a lot, but you also don’t get a lot back come refund time.

The next-oldest generation is the Baby Boomer generation. They are getting the most back this year. Their average 2019 tax refund is $5403. Those Baby Boomers who are still working are probably in fairly high-paying jobs, having worked their way up throughout their whole lives. Additionally, they may have a number of dependents, including children as well as their own aging parents. As a result, they get back significantly more than the other generations do.

Of the younger three generations, Generation X is getting the least back this year. With an average tax refund of just $2021, they aren’t getting back much more than the Silent Generation is. Millennials fare a little bit better with an average tax refund of $2565. Generation Z is getting the most back besides the Baby Boomers; they have a 2019 average tax refund of $3703.

More People Are Saving Tax Refund Money

One of the most interesting things to come out of this tax refund survey is about how people are choosing to use those tax refunds. More people are choosing to put their tax refund into their savings accounts. In 2018, about 41% went to savings. In contrast, 50% is going to savings this year. More and more people are recognizing that they need to plan for their financial future. In fact, other than savings, the biggest chunk of tax refund money is going to pay down debt. People are spending a little bit less on everyday expenses and other random things than before and slightly more on home improvement, which can improve the financial value of the home. People understand that they should put their tax refunds to work for them.

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