Kathryn Vercillo

What’s Open/Closed on 4th of July 2020?

July 3, 2020 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

Happy Independence Day! The 4th of July is a federal holiday. Therefore, many things are closed. In fact, some things will be closed July 3rd, too, in observance of the holiday. That said, a number of places do remain open in 4th of July. You can even find some big sales at retail stores on this holiday.

Here’s your complete guide to what’s open/closed on 4th of July 2020:

Quick Glance: What’s Open/Closed on 4th of July 2020?

Generally speaking, retail stores and restaurants will be open on Saturday, 4th of July, 2020.

Generally speaking, government offices and services will be closed on 4th of July 2020. Additionally, some of these services are closed July 3, 2020 as well, in observance of the holiday.

In-Depth: What’s Closed on 4th of July 2020?

As mentioned, this is a federal holiday. Most government offices and services are going to be closed. Additionally, some of these are closed on Friday, July 3rd. That’s because the holiday falls on a Saturday this year. When federal holidays fall on a Saturday, government offices observe them on Friday (since they are already closed on Saturdays anyway.)

Banks are Closed on 4th of July

Banks and credit unions will be closed on 4th of July. Some credit unions may also be closed, or have shorter hours, on Friday, July 3rd.

Costco Warehouses are Closed on 4th of July

Although many retailers are open for 4th of July, Costco opts to close for about half a dozen holidays each year. 4th of July is one of them.

Garbage Services May or May Not Be Open on 4th of July

Garbage services may or may not be closed on 4th of July, depending on your area. In most cases, when a holiday falls on a weekend, garbage service is not impacted. Therefore, in most places, if you typically get garbage pickup on Saturdays, you should still have regular service. However, check with your local sanitation department for specifics relevant to your location.

Government Offices Are Closed on 3rd and 4th of July

Government offices are closed on Friday July 3rd in observance of Independence Day. They will re-open as usual on Monday, July 6th, 2020. Government offices include courthouses, the DMV, and social security offices. Therefore, if you need to take care of this type of business, you should do so before the end of the day on Thursday, July 2nd.

Libraries are Closed on 4th of July

Libraries are closed on July 4th, 2020 in observance of Independence Day.

Some libraries are closed on July 3rd this year as well. Check with your local library before heading over there on Friday.

The Post Office is Closed on 4th of July

The US Post Office is closed on 4th of July. There will also be no mail service on this day. There will be regular mail service on Friday, July 3 and USPS locations will be open regular hours that day.

Other mail services will also be closed in observance of 4th of July. FedEx and UPS are both closed for the holidays.

Schools are Closed on 4th of July

This seems like a moot point this year. Most schools are closed for the summer. Many schools are closed because of COVID-19 restrictions. And the holiday falls on a Saturday. Therefore, obviously, schools aren’t going to be open on 4th of July this year.

That said, if your child attends a weekend daycare program or something similar, you should check with them to see if they’ll be open or closed on 4th of July. Most likely, they will be closed.

Stock Market is Closed on 3rd and 4th of July

The stock market (NYSE and NASDAQ) will close on July 3rd in observance of the holiday. The markets will re-open as usual on Monday, July 6th.

The bond market (SIFMA) will close on July 2 at 2pm ET and will also be closed on July 3rd.

In-Depth: What’s Open on 4th of July 2020?

Retail stores and restaurants are typically open on 4th of July 2020. In fact, they often have big sales and deals in recognition of the holiday. Many people enjoy shopping on Independence Day for that reason. Here are some of the stores that will be open on 4th of July 2020:

Drugstores

Major drugstores including Walgreens and CVS are open regular hours on 4th of July.

Gas Stations are Open on 4th of July

Many people travel for 4th of July weekend. If you’re getting in your car, you’ll want to know where you can get gas. Don’t worry; most gas stations are open regular hours on 4th of July 2020.

Grocery Stores are Open on 4th of July

Major grocery stores are all open on 4th of July. Most of them have regular hours. However, some grocery stores do have shorter hours for the holiday. Check with your local store to be sure or head over midday to catch them while they’re open.

Home Depot is Open on 4th of July

If you want to get some shopping taken care of on the holiday, Home Depot is one place that you can do that. The store will be open on 4th of July.

Public Transportation is Usually Open on 4th of July

If you take buses or other public transportation, then you might want to know if those services are running on 4th of July. Typically, public transportation is open on 4th of July. However, they might run on a Sunday/holiday schedule. Check the local transit schedule and plan accordingly for 4th of July.

Restaurants are Open on 4th of July

Most major restaurant chains are open for 4th of July. Many local restaurants are also open on Independence Day. If you have a favorite spot, check with them to see if they’re open before you head over there. Since it’s a holiday, you might also need a reservation for those places that are open.

Target is Open Regular Hours on 4th of July

Target is open regular hours on 4th of July. If you are having a small get-together, or just want to get some shopping done, the Target near you should be open.

Walmart Is Open Regular Hours on 4th of July

Walmart is open on 4th of July. The store will stay open regular hours the entire week of the Independence Day holiday. In fact, Walmart has a big 4th of July sale that you can take advantage of if you choose to spend the holiday shopping.

However, there are other services inside of some Walmart stores, such as banks and pharmacies, that might be closed in observance of 4th of July.

Other Retail Stores

We can’t list every single retail store in the country, of course. That said, most of them are open on 4th of July, at least as far as major retail chains go. Costco (see above) is the big exception. Small businesses vary in terms of whether or not they will be open for the holiday. Check with your local stores for specifics.

COVID-19 Restricted Hours

Note: COVID-19 restrictions may limit store hours in certain areas. Therefore, even though a store is open on 4th of July, they may have different hours right now.

Each part of the country has different rules right now in regards to shelter-in-place restrictions during the pandemic. Therefore, it’s important that you check with the stores nearest you to see what rules they are following during COVID-19.

Do not just ask a store, “are you open on 4th of July this year?” Instead, be sure to follow-up by asking what their current Saturday store hours are. Make sure that those hours are the same for the holiday.

Is the Stock Market Open on 4th of July 2020?

July 2, 2020 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

Independence Day, or 4th of July, is a federal holiday. The stock market often, but doesn’t always, follow federal holiday closures. So, is the stock market open on 4th of July 2020 or not? And is the bond market any different?

Stock Market vs. Bond Market

First of all, it’s important to understand that there are two different US stock markets: NYSE and NASDAQ. There is also the US bond market: SIFMA.

NYSE and NASDAQ follow identical holiday schedules as one another. However, SIMFA uses a slightly different schedule. That does come into play for 4th of July 2020.

Is the Stock Market Open on 4th of July 2020?

The short answer is no. 4th of July 2020 falls on a Saturday. The stock market is not open on Saturdays. Therefore, it’s not even a question.

Is the Stock Market Open on 3rd of July?

It’s important to understand that when a federal holiday falls on a weekend, many places choose to observe that holiday on either the Friday before or the Monday after the holiday. That is the case with 4th of July and the stock market.

So, no, the stock market is not open on July 3, 2020. Both NYSE and NASDAQ will be closed July 3rd. Normal trading hours will resume on Monday, July 6th.

Therefore, if you need to do work related to stock market trading, then you need to complete it by the end of the business day on July 2nd, 2020. Then you can take a few days off to enjoy the holiday!

Is the Bond Market Open on 3rd of July?

Similar to NYSE and NASDAQ, the bond market is not open on July 3, 2020. It is closed in observance of Independence Day. In fact, the bond market recognizes the holiday with a short-day schedule the day before the observed holiday. Since they are observing Independence Day on July 3rd, they will also close early on July 2nd. SIFMA closes at 2 pm ET on July 2, 2020.

Therefore, if you need to do work related to the bond market, you’ll need to complete it by 2 pm ET on July 2nd.

Stock Market Holidays 2020

Here are the remaining 2020 stock market holidays after 4th of July:

Closed 9/7/20 for Labor Day
Closed 11/26/20 for Thanksgiving Day
Closes at 1pm ET 11/27/20 for the day after Thanksgiving Day
Closes at 1pm ET 12/24/20 for Christmas Eve
Closed 12/25/20 for Christmas

NYSE and NASDAQ are also closed for these 2020 holidays that have already passed:

New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Washington’s Birthday
Good Friday
Memorial Day

Bond Market Holidays 2020

SIFMA will be closed for these 2020 holidays after 4th of July:

Closed 9/7/20 for Labor Day
Closed 10/12/20 for Columbus Day
Closed 11/11/20 for Veterans Day
Closed 11/26/20 for Thanksgiving Day
Closes at 2pm ET 11/27/20 for the day after Thanksgiving Day
Closes at 2pm ET 12/24/20 for Christmas Eve
Closed 12/25/20 for Christmas
Closes at 2pm ET 12/31/20 for New Year’s Eve

Are International Markets Open on 4th of July?

International stock markets each observe their own holiday schedule. Since Independence Day is an American holiday, most international markets do not close for this day. That said, since it falls on a Saturday this year, many will be closed simply because of the natural calendar.

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Is the Post Office Open on 4th of July 2020?

July 1, 2020 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

The 4th of July falls on a Saturday in 2020. Some post offices are open on Saturdays. Therefore, it’s natural that you might ask, “is the post office open on 4th of July this year?” This gets especially confusing in 2020 because some places observe the day on the 3rd this year, since that is the closest weekday to the holiday.

Is the Post Office Open on 4th of July?

The short answer is no. The post office is not open on the 4th of July, in 2020 or any other year. This holiday, also called Independence Day, is one of the federal holidays. Government institutions, including the post office, are not open on this holidays.

Is the Post Office Open on July 3rd, 2020?

4th of July falls on a Saturday which makes things extra confusing this year. Because it falls on a weekend, some organizations will observe Independence Day on July 3rd this year. For example, government offices and libraries will be closed on Friday, July 3rd. Those that are typically open on July 4th, such as some libraries, will also close on July 4th.

That said, post offices have opted to observe the federal holiday only on the actual day this year. They will be closed on 4th of July. However, they will be open regular hours on July 3rd, 2020.

As we explained in our Memorial Day post, it’s atypical for the post office holiday schedule to differ from that of the federal holiday calendar. However, the fact that the post office typically operates on Saturdays, while the other government offices do not, means that it differs this year. Instead of closing on the 3rd like those business, the post office opted to remain open and observe only the official date.

Is the Post Office Open on July 5th, 2020?

Sometimes people wonder if the post office will be open the day after a major holiday. The Post Office usually does open the following day. For example, when 4th of July fell on a Thursday, the post office was closed on that day but reopened for business as usual on Friday, July 5th.

However, that’s different this year only because 4th of July 2020 falls on a Saturday. Therefore, July 5th is obviously a Sunday. The post office is not open on Sundays. Therefore, due to the natural calendar year, the post office will be closed both July 4th and July 5th, 2020.

Will the Post Office Deliver My Mail on 4th of July?

The post office and all of its services are closed on 4th of July 2020 to observe the federal holiday. This includes closing mail delivery. So, no, your mail person will not deliver mail to you on 4th of July. Mail that would have been delivered on 4th of July will be delivered on Monday, July 6th, 2020.

Are Other Mail Delivery Services Open on 4th of July?

Neither FedEx nor UPS will be open for 4th of July. These alternatives to the post office also recognize the federal holiday.

Most FedEx services will be closed July 4th and 5th, although they have modified hours for their FedEx Office service and they are open for their CustomCritical services. You can see details here. That said, unless you utilize special services, you can assume that FedEx is closed to your needs for the entire Independence Day weekend.

UPS will be open on July 3rd and closed on July 4th. The only exception is their UPS Freight service, which will also be closed on July 3rd in observance of Independence Day.

Post Office Normal Business Hours

Each post office location has its own hours, so you have to check with yours to find out what those typically are. However, many of them follow a common weekday schedule.

Post offices usually open at 8 or 8:30 am on weekdays. They usually close between 5 and 6 pm on weekdays.

Some post offices are open those same hours on Saturdays. Other post offices are completely closed on Saturdays. Still others are open only half days. Therefore, particularly on Saturdays, you would need to check with the location nearest you to find out whether or not they are open.

Of course, you don’t have to concern yourself with that on 4th of July weekend since you already know that the post office is going to be closed in observance of the holiday.

2020 Post Office Holidays

Here is the full holiday schedule for the rest of 2020 so that you can see when the post office is closed:

Labor Day – Monday, September 7
Columbus Day – Monday, October 12
Veterans Day – Wednesday, November 11
Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 26
Christmas Day – Friday, December 25

If you’re wondering what other holidays cause the post office to close down, here are the closures that already happened so far this year:

New Year’s Day – Wednesday, January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Monday, January 20
President’s Day (Washington’s Birthday) – Monday, February 17
Memorial Day – Monday, May 25

As you can see, we are about halfway through the year. There are another five post office holiday days left in 2020 after 4th of July is observed.

What Else is Open / Closed on 4th of July 2020?

As aforementioned, government offices and libraries are closed for 4th of July and will also close on July 3rd this year. Other things that you can expect to be closed on 4th of July include:

Banks and credit unions
Garbage service
Schools
Stock market

In other words, functional government services close in observance of this holiday. Public transit often uses a Sunday schedule or holiday schedule on 4th of July. Check with your local transit’s website for updates about their service.

That said, private businesses tend to stay open. Retailers and restaurants are often open on 4th of July. For example, Walmart is open on 4th of July. Many retailers even have big Independence Day sales.

Does COVID-19 Affect Post Office Hours?

Anytime that people want to know if a store is open for the holidays, they also have to take into consideration that these are not normal times. Just because a place is usually open, doesn’t mean that it necessarily will be during the COVID-19 pandemic. This doesn’t affect the post office on the holiday, since it is closed regardless.

It doesn’t affect the post office anyway, though. This is considered an essential business. Therefore, mail delivery has proceeded as normal through COVID-19. Most post offices have remained open their regular hours.

10 Creative Ways to Save Money on a Tight Budget

June 26, 2020 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

When I was making extra income, it seemed easy to save money. However, the pursestrings have tightened up lately. It’s not nearly as easy to save money on a tight budget. It feels like every penny that comes in is already budgeted to go pay for something. It feels challenging. But if you want to be smart about money then you need to be up for the challenge. There are creative ways to save money on a tight budget.

Of course, there are plenty of money saving tricks out there. What makes the ten items below unique is that they emphasize creativity. Therefore, not only are you saving money, you’re also exercising your creativity. Doing so helps us in myriad ways. If you’re feeling stressed about finances, turning your attention to your creativity can help relieve that stress. Think about that as you explore these creative ways to save money on a tight budget:

1. Use Every Food Item In Your Home Before Buying More Food

Many of the people that I know took on some version of this challenge when COVID-19 hit. Mostly, they didn’t wan to go to the store during the initial phases of shelter-in-place. Therefore, they decided to use only what was already in their refrigerators, freezers, and pantries.

As the weeks wore on, some of them gave in and went to buy essentials. However, one of my friends stuck to the goal of getting rid of absolutely every food item in her house before making something new. She had to come up with some extremely creative dishes in order to make that work. It was inspiring to watch her food journey on Instagram.

I am not typically this creative in the kitchen. But I do spend a lot of money on food. Taking on this challenge could be a great way to save money on a tight budget. People who enjoy playing in the kitchen might also find the creativity of this money-saving method quite relaxing.

2. Meditate / Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the act of paying attention to everything happening in the present moment, including your thoughts about what is happening, without judgment. Meditation is a more formal practice that can include mindfulness.

You might not think about mindfulness as a means to save money on a tight budget. However, stress and financial strain often lead to impulsiveness and reckless money decisions. When you practice mindfulness, you de-stress. This gives you the time and space and sense of tranquility you need to make smart financial decisions.

For example, imagine that you’re working extra hours trying to earn more money. Everything has gone wrong that day. You’re overwhelmed. You want to buy a bottle of wine a big pizza for comfort. However, a bottle of wine and pizza are not within your budget. Stressed, you don’t care. With a mindfulness practice, you may be able to recognize the craving for comfort for what it is and find a free way to soothe yourself instead.

3. Re-Evaluate Your Values

Oftentimes we waste money on things that aren’t aligned with our deeper values. Take the time to examine your deepest values. Make your financial decisions from that place. I value creativity, which is one reason I’m focusing on creative ways to save money on a tight budget, rather than typical money-saving tips. Sure, I think it’s good to save money, but what I value is doing it creatively. Focusing on the creativity part helps me stick to the plan.

Let’s say that one of your values is connecting with your partner. You have date night when you spend a lot of money getting food to eat or going out somewhere. However, when you emphasize the value (connecting), you can make choices that don’t cost so much money without feeling like you’ve sacrificed anything.

Take some time to journal about your values. Ask yourself repeatedly, “and what is underneath that?” Make sure that you’re listing your true, authentic values, not values that someone else thinks you should have. Then, brainstorm a list of ways to focus on those values while saving money.

4. Use Music as Timers to Reduce Waste at Home

Susan Paige recently wrote an article here on How to Save Money, No Matter How Long the Recession Lasts. She discussed lowering energy and water bills, which is something I always do when trying to cut costs. But she added a tip that I’d never considered: play a favorite song while showering and get out when the song ends. The idea is that you save water, and therefore money, by keeping your showers as short as a favorite song.

I love this idea. And I think you could apply it to so many different areas of the home. For example, get the house vacuumed during the duration of one song. If you’re desperately hot and must use a fan, try using it for the length of only one album then turning it off. These little tricks could help you save money on a tight budget. Plus, adding that music to your daily life is going to make your little rituals and routines so much more enjoyable.

5. Take Up a Creative, Free Hobby

Spend your time doing something you love that doesn’t cost anything. The more time you spend doing that, the richer your life will feel. Sure, you need to save money on a tight budget so that you can pay bills. But if you feel like you’re suffering in the meantime then you’re never going to want to stick with your savings. If you fill your days with joyous activities like making music, reading, and creating collages then you’re going to feel more fulfilled. Here’s a list of free and inexpensive hobbies to get you started.

6. Cancel All Paid Entertainment

Once you start engaging with hobbies that you love, you won’t even have time for Netflix, cable TV, and whatever other entertainment subscriptions you pay for. Get bold. Cancel them all. Reduce your data plan and limit your screen time. Use that time creatively instead.

7. Barter

While not the most innovative suggestion, bartering can be one of the most creative ways to save money on a tight budget. It’s tempting to just buy whatever you need (or want). If you can’t persuade yourself not to make the purchase, at least try to get creative with bartering. Think about ways that you can swap or trade with others. Get rid of something you don’t want in order to get what you do. Or offer a creative service that you enjoy providing for a product or service that you need. Apply your creativity in this area and you might find that it’s actually fun to see how many things you can get for “free” just through bartering.

8. Emulate a Money-Saving Mentor

Do a little bit of research to find someone from history or contemporary times that can be your money-saving mentor. Then take some time to really dive deep into learning more about them. Don’t spend money on this activity, of course. Use free online resources (such as podcasts or your library) to access information about them. Imagine that you are writing their biography and must learn as much as possible about them. Find ways to emulate them in your own life. This will give you fresh ideas and inspiration for how to save money on a tight budget. Invoke your mentor in mind when you have a tough money decision to make.

9. Cut Your Own Hair

COVID-19 shutdown a lot of hair salons so many people were forced to do this anyway. Perhaps you’re relieved if your salon has opened back up. But is that where you need to spend your money? Get creative learning how to cut your own hair. Have fun with it. This can be a great way to save money on a tight budget. And, if you decide you really like it, maybe you can even earn some extra money cutting other people’s hair for them.

10. Have Others Support Your Creativity on Patreon

I have a Patreon account. People subscribe for $1 – $50 per month. They are patrons of my art. In exchange, they get certain rewards. At the $1 level, they get a creative newsletter put out just for subscribers. At the $15 they get handmade cards that I have collaged for them. At the $25 they get a box of ephemera and art supplies. What do you enjoy doing creatively that other people might want to support? After all, earning money is as good as – or better than – trying to save money on a tight budget.

What do you do to save money on a tight budget? Share thoughts in the comment section.

Best Pizza Coupons And Deals Right Now

June 24, 2020 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

Pizza is a comfort food. Right now, a lot of people are seeking comfort. Of course, people are also seeking to save money. And therefore, a lot of people are seeking the best pizza coupons and deals. Well, you’re in luck. Restaurants have been hit hard by the ramifications of COVID-19, so they’re offering a lot of coupons as incentive to get you shopping. Here’s where you can get the best pizza coupons and deals right now.

Check Honey for Pizza Coupons and Deals

If you don’t use Honey when shopping online then you’re missing out. This site helps you immediately find the best coupons for anything that you’re buying online. Yes, that includes pizza coupons and deals. A quick search of pizza over on Honey brings up:

25 verified coupon codes for pizza deals at Pizza Hut
12 verified coupon codes for Papa John’s Pizza
21 verified coupon codes for Round Table Pizza
18 verified coupon codes for Donato’s

Honey says that there are 76 popular pizza coupons and deals right now on the site. One top offer is 30% off entire purchase at menu price at Pizza Hut. Another good options is 25% off regular menu priced order at Papa John’s Pizza.

If you order pizza online, use the Honey tool to make sure that you get the best pizza coupons and deals before you checkout.

Pizza Website Coupons

If you want a company’s best coupons, often the best choice is to head directly to their website. If you have a specific place that you love to get your pizza from, then this is definitely what you should do. It’s often easier than trying to find the best deal using promo codes from other parts of the web.

Pizza Hut Deals

Pizza Hut currently has nine deals listed on their website. Some of these are day-specific. For example, they offer a discount on wings on Wednesdays. If you’re just looking for regular pizza coupons and deals then you might like their offer of $9.99 for a large three-topping pizza.

Domino’s Pizza Deals

Domino’s coupon page lists three national deals:

$19.99 for The Perfect Combo Deal: 2 medium 1-topping pizzas, 16-piece Parmesan bread bites, 8-piece Cinna Stix, and 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola
$7.99 for any three-topping pizza; choose from any of five crust types
Order two or more items off of the “mix and match” menu and get them for $5.99 each.

Domino’s also offers specific local deals. Ask your store what they have on sale right now before you order.

Round Table Pizza Deals

Round Table Pizza currently advertises only one major deal on its website. It’s a large Double Play Pepperoni Pizza for $19.99. If you love Round Table, and you love pepperoni, then this might be worth it for you. But if you like all pizza brand then the large three-topping pizza from Pizza Hut is $10 cheaper. Or for the same price as the Double Play you could get all of those extras that are in the Domino’s Perfect Combo Deal. This is an example of how it pays to do some quick comparison shopping online before deciding on the best pizza for the night.

Sign Up for Loyalty Pizza Coupons and Deals

In addition to the pizza coupons and deals offered on websites, many companies offer special deals to their loyal fans and followers. You can get access to those deals in a number of ways. For example:

Follow your favorite pizza places on social media.
Sign up for text alerts and email notices from your favorite pizza place.
Subscribe to their newsletters.
Download their apps.
Join any loyalty programs that they offer.

For example, Papa John’s doesn’t advertise specific national pizza deals and coupons on their website. However, they do offer local deals. You can sign up for text or email alerts to get weekly deal notices. Their app has special promos. Plus they offer Papa Rewards, a loyalty program through which you can earn points to pay for your pizza.

If you really love pizza and want to get deals regularly, there are a variety of newsletters that you can sign up for. EatDrinkDeals and PizzaNeed are just two of many examples. They’ll send you the latest pizza coupons and deals on a regular basis.

Check Groupon for Pizza Deals

Personally, I prefer to get pizza from my amazing local restaurants than from the national chains. Most of those offer deals right now. Usually I’ll just call them up or check their websites to find out what the deals are. However, it’s always wise to check Groupon, too.

I did a quick search for Groupon pizza coupons and deals in San Francisco and found dozens of them. Some are for local sites of national chains. For example, there’s a Groupon for Two Large Specialty Takeout pizzas at Papa John’s for $30 which is a $15 savings. Groupon also offers quite a few “cash back” pizza coupons in my area including 20% at Pizza Zone ‘n Grill, 20% at Abe’s Pizza, and 25% at Golden State Pizza & Grill.

I thought I’d see what kind of Groupon pizza coupons and deals are available in other areas, so I did a search in my hometown of Tucson, Arizona. They didn’t have nearly as much to offer, but I still found a few good deals there. For example, ZPizza offers one large pizza and 24 ounces of beer for $18. (They also have additional coupons for more beer at slightly higher prices.) And remember, they also offer coupons for some of the big chains. For example, they offer 25% off menu-priced items at Pizza Hut.

Consider Buying Pizza at the Grocery Store

If you’re looking into pizza coupons and deals, don’t just limit yourself to what restaurants are selling. Remember that you can get pizza at grocery stores, too. Many people love the pizza slices at Costco. If you’re going shopping there anyway, plan on that for a meal. Trader Joe’s doesn’t offer coupons but has good prices on their take-home pizza dough. Depending on the type of pizza you want and how much effort you’re willing to put in, you should be able to get a decent price to satisfy your pizza craving.

What’s your favorite pizza place? What are your favorite pizza toppings? Share in the comments!

Books about Money I’m Most Excited to Get When the Library Re-opens

June 19, 2020 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

The library is one of the things that I’ve missed most during California’s shelter-in-place. Our libraries have been closed since March. The San Francisco Public Library offers a number of wonderful things. There are a ton of great online resources during this time. However, I really love to read print books. I miss going to the library and picking up a big stack of them. I can’t wait until I can do that again.

Since our library’s workers have been moved over to other essential work during this time, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to. But when I do, there are some relatively new books about money that I’m looking forward to picking up. Here is what’s on my list:

Invisible Americans: The Tragic Cost of Child Poverty

I like to read a wide variety of books about money. Oftentimes I read self-help or how-to guides that assist me with personal finance. But I also enjoy reading memoirs, biographies, and non-fiction books about money that give me insight into economics at a grander level. I’m very intrigued by this book by Jeff Madrick. It explores how poverty, even when experienced relatively briefly, negatively impacts children.

It reminds me a bit of The Deepest Well in which Nadine Burke Harris explores the long-term impacts of childhood trauma. We need to remedy the financial problem of poverty for children if we want them to have better outcomes as adults. This is an important topic. So, while it may not be on a traditional list of books about money, it’s right at the top of my own list.

Rogue Money and the Underground Economy: An Encyclopedia of Alternative and Cryptocurrencies

This book by John C. Edmunds purports to give a strong overview of cryptocurrency from its history to its current role in the marketplace. This is a part of personal finance that I’m always seeking to understand better. Therefore, this is definitely one of the books about money that I’m eager to pick up when my library re-opens.

More Money Now: Use your Existing Skills, Connections and Technology to Start Earning Cash Today

This book by Michael Zechmann was published in 2018. However, my own library only got its copy recently. Therefore, I’ve never had the chance to read it. I’m curious to see what it says about how students, retirees, and others can make some extra money right now. I’d love to compare how the advice in it relates to the current situation given that COVID-19 has changed the landscape in some ways. Plus, I always like books about money that give me ideas for making extra cash. I don’t always use the ideas but sometimes they get me thinking about earning money in new ways.

Wealth Unbroken: Growing Wealth Uninterrupted by Market Crashes, Taxes and Even Death

Similarly, Rebecca Walser’s book was published in 2018 but only came to my library recently. This one is about long-term investing. Again, since it was published before the pandemic, some advice in it may not apply. However, its subtitle suggests that it’s actually all about how to weather storms, even an unprecedented one such as this. So, I think that bodes well and makes it worth at least checking out.

Hustle and Gig: Struggling and Surviving in the Sharing Economy

I’m very fascinated in the pros and cons of the gig economy. I’ve worked in the gig economy myself for a long time in various ways. I’ve watched the landscape change significantly over the past decade. I’m curious to see what this book by Alexandrea Ravenelle has to say about it all.

What books about money do you most hope to read soon?