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How To Win the Albertsons Monopoly Game in 2019

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Albertsons Monopoly Game

Attention, shoppers: It’s not impossible to win the Albertsons Monopoly game in 2019, though the odds are against you. However, there were a number of high-dollar winners in 2018. A few of them gave their tips on how to win the Albertsons Monopoly game this year.

2018 Albertsons Monopoly Winners

As you may know, Albertsons is under an umbrella of a number of retail stores such as Safeway, Jewel Osco, and others. Each of these stores is offering game pieces to customers. And, in 2018, they also gave those customers HUGE prizes. Here is a list of big-ticket winners from 2018 and where they got their winning pieces.

ACME Safeway Monopoly

The following winners collected their winning ticket from ACME stores.

  • Jeffrey B. (New Jersey) $40,000 car of choice
  • Karen C. (Pennsylvania) $7,500 Fan Pack and Red Carpet
  • Thomas D. (New Jersey) $5,000 Cash
  • Lori J. (Pennsylvania) $5,000 Groceries
  • Erin M. (New Jersey) $10,000 Cash
  • Leslie M. (New Jersey) $20,000 College Tuition
  • Christian P. (New Jersey) $5,000 Instant Win Cash
  • Lori P. (New Jersey) $10,000 iHeart Country Festival
  • Krystene R. (Pennsylvania) $5,000 Cash
  • Frances S. (Pennsylvania) $5,000 Cash

Albertsons Monopoly Winners

Each of the winners below scored their big prize shopping at Albertsons stores.

  • Erin D. (Washington) $40,000 Car of Choice
  • Helen E. (Arizona) $20,000 College Tuition
  • Susan G. (California) $27,673 Progressive Jackpot
  • Patricia K. (Nevada) $20,000 College Tuition
  • Billy M. (Colorado) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • Janet M. (California) $11,623 Progressive Jackpot
  • Aaron R. (Texas) $24,975 Progressive Jackpot
  • Kristin S. (Arizona) $25,000 Kitchen Makeover
  • Cheryl V. (Washington) $10,000 Cash
  • Vicki W. (Washington) $32,459 Progressive Jackpot

It should also be noted that the $1 million jackpot was collected at an Albertsons last year as well. The Albertsons was located in Eastern Idaho.

Winners at Albertsons Market

Albertsons Market shoppers were able to get lucky in 2018 as well. Here’s what their customers raked in during the game last year.

  • Ruth E. (New Mexico) $300 Spa Day
  • Shane G. (New Mexico) $5,000 Cash
  • Hermelinda H. (New Mexico) $300 Spa Day
  • June K. (New Mexico) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Roberta L. (New Mexico) $1,000 Grocery Gift Card
  • Amy M. (Texas) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Ande M. (New Mexico) $6,606 Progressive Jackpot
  • Frances M. (New Mexico) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Melanie R. (New Mexico) $40,000 Car of Choice
  • Barbara S. (New Mexico) $1,000 Cash

Jewel-Osco Winners

The following individuals won Albertsons Monopoly by shopping at Jewel-Osco last year.

  • Larry A. (Illinois) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • Suzanne D. (Illinois) $10,000 Cash
  • Mark G. (Illinois) $5,913 Progressive Jackpot
  • Richard K. (Illinois) $20,000 College Tuition
  • Antionette S. (Illinois) $25,000 Kitchen Makeover
  • Maisha S. (Illinois) $5,000 Groceries
  • Ruth S. (Illinois) $5,000 Groceries
  • Cathy T. (Illinois) $5,000 Groceries
  • Holly U. (Illinois) $10,000 Cash
  • Wendy V. (Illinois) $5,000 Instant Win Cash

Winners at Market Street

Market Street shoppers weren’t left out of the fun either. However, no $40,000 prizes were given out to these customers.

  • Ryan B. (Texas) $5,000 Groceries
  • Krysten G. (Texas) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Jennifer M. (Texas) $300 Spa Day
  • Jonathon O. (Texas) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Cassidy S. (Texas) $20,000 College Tuition

Pavilions Monopoly Game Winners

Pavilions is yet another store you can pick up Monopoly game pieces. Here are last year’s winners.

  • Stephanie D. (California) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Lori F. (California) $1,000 Grocery Gift Card
  • Tammy-Anne F. (California) $300 Spa Day
  • Faith G. (California) $300 Spa Day
  • Ruben O. (California) $1,000 Weekend Getaway

Randalls Monopoly Winners 2018

Another Safeway brand, Randalls, had a number of small-dollar winners last year.

  • Liz B. (Texas) $3,600 Special Event
  • Deborah C. (Texas) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Rogr F. (Texas) $1,000 Grocery Gift Card
  • Martie H. (Texas) $1,000 Cash
  • Nancy N. (Texas) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Carole P. (Texas) $1,000 Weekend Getaway
  • Daniel R. (Texas) $2,600 Movies for a Year
  • Alan W. (Texas) $1,000 Grocery Gift Card

Safeway Monopoly 2018 Winners

Safeway is the second largest store to offer the Monopoly game (other than Albertsons). Unsurprisingly, its shoppers were some of the biggest winners.

  • Julie C. (Arizona)$40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • Eileen G. (California) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • Blake Joseph H. (Washington) $40,000 Car of Choice
  • Greta H. (Colorado) $51,228 Progressive Jackpot
  • Michelle L. (California) $44,324 Progressive Jackpot
  • Anita M. (Montana) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • Diana P. (Maryland) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • CJ S. (Washington) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • Patricia T. (California) $28,408 Progressive Jackpot
  • Audra Z. (Virginia) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice

Shaw’s Monopoly Winners

Shaw’s had a number of high-dollar winners as well.

  • Matthew A. (Maine) $5,000 Groceries
  • Kathleen D. (Massachusetts) $20,771 Progressive Jackpot
  • Darlene J. (Rhode Island)$10,000 Cash
  • Chelsea M. (New Hampshire) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • Suzanne M. (Massachusetts) $16,095 Progressive Jackpot
  • Libby S. (New Hampshire) $20,000 College Tuition
  • Pamela U. Massachusetts) $7,500 Family Vacation
  • Caroline W. (Massachusetts) $10,000 Cash
  • Jeanine W. (Massachusetts) $20,000 College Tuition

Shoppers Who Won Tom Thumb Monopoly

Tom Thumb, another Safeway company, also had a number of winners in 2018.

  • Cynthia A. (Texas) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Cheryl B. (Texas) $21,719 Progressive Jackpot
  • Rachel Renee B. (Texas) $1,500 Gas Grill & Groceries
  • Angela F. (Texas) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • Laura K. (Texas) $1,500 Gas Grill & Groceries
  • Laura K. (Texas) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Alison S. (Texas) $20,000 College Tuition
  • Mary S. (Texas) $7,500 Family Vacation
  • Rachid S. (Texas) $10,000 Cash
  • Veronica S. (Texas) $500 Grocery Gift Card

United Grocery Store Monopoly Winners

You can also collect Monopoly pieces at United stores, where there were a few winners in 2018 as well.

  • Terry A. (Texas)$500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Kenneth B. (Texas)$1,000 Grocery Gift Card
  • Allison H. (Texas)$500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Trista K. (Texas) $300 Spa Day
  • Jacqueline M. (Alaska) $500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Joan M. (Texas) $3,600 Special Event
  • Jovita M. (Texas)$500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Ryan M. (Texas)$500 Grocery Gift Card
  • Amy P. (Texas) $2,600 Movies For A Year
  • Katelynn W. (Texas) $500 Grocery Gift Card

Vons Gave Away One of the Largest Prizes

Albertsons Monopoly game

Outside of the $1 million GRAND PRIZE given away at Albertsons last year, Vons gave away another huge prize. Karen T. from California won a $100,000 cash prize (or luxury vehicle). The store also awarded the following prizes last year.

  • Stephen C. (California)$7,500 Family Vacation
  • Rosa F. (Nevada)$10,000 Fiesta Latina
  • Bradley J. (California) $40,000 Vehicle of Choice
  • Kim K. (California) $25,000 Kitchen Makeover
  • Jorge M. (California) $5,812 Progressive Jackpot
  • Elizabeth R. (Texas) $20,000 College Tuition
  • Tammara S. (California) $10,000 Cash
  • Teressa U. (California) $40,000 Car of Choice
  • Deborah W. (California) $67,782 Progressive Jackpot

How a Previous Year’s Winner Did It

The story of a previous year’s Grand Prize winner provides further insights on how people are able to win the game. In 2012, an El Paso Community College student named Melissa Varela swooped up the $1 million cash prize of the “Collect and Win” game by shopping at the 9111 Dyer Albertsons Market in El Paso.

At the time, she was the only million-dollar winner since the contest began in 2009. Prior to Valera, the last grand prize was awarded in the promotion’s first year to a Los Lunas, NM couple who won a $500,000 mortgage payoff.

Varela increased her chances by accepting tickets and increasing the number of times she shopped each week. She may have only shopped at one Albertsons location, but others have seen much success in the form of free grocery goodies by shopping at multiple sites.

Commit Big to the Albertsons Monopoly Game

The moral of the story: If you’ve made the decision to play the 2019 Albertsons Monopoly game, you need to commit big. Making regular visits to the participating stores and collecting as many tickets as possible seems to be the best bet; at least, that is what worked for Melissa. Luck definitely plays a role but so does consistency.

Also, don’t forget you can also submit for a second-chance drawing. Winners have been able to collect the grand prize through the second-chance drawing by submitting their game pieces online. Don’t forget to register for your free game pieces too!

This is not to say this is a guaranteed way to win, but as the old saying goes, “Go big, or go home.”

Readers, if you’re looking for a place to safely trade Albertsons Monopoly pieces, head on over to the Saving Advice forums! 

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102 Ways to Make Some Extra Cash

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ways to make some extra cash

People often ask me if I know of any ways to make some extra cash. And, although there are tons of ways you can make more money, some of them might take a little longer than others. If you need some ideas for generating some extra money right now, here are 102 quick ideas – particularly if you pick more than one from the list. Below is my list of (relatively) fast and easy ways to come up with a little extra cash in your pocket.

1. Sell your old gold.

2. Collect aluminum and other metals and sell them to a metal recycler. A metal detector makes this easier if you have one. You can also collect cans from your employer if they don’t already have a recycler.

3. Consider driving for Uber or delivering food with UberEats.

4. Do what you do for a full-time job on a freelance basis.

5. Clean out the house and cars and put all the money you find aside. It might surprise you how much small change is lying in the back of drawers, in ashtrays, and between seat cushions.

6. Walk dogs or petsit.

7. Babysit

8. Have a yard sale or open a booth at the flea market.

9. Sell your junk on eBay, Craigslist, Amazon or any of the other good used marketplace websites.

10. Make crafts and sell them on Etsy or at local craft shows.

11. Clip coupons out of the paper and sell them on eBay (yes, people do this).

12. Take online surveys or join rewards programs.

13. If you must spend money, use a rewards credit card that pays cash back and cash out as soon as you’re eligible to do so.

14. Return items you bought but haven’t used for a refund.

15. Pawn something.

16. Rake leaves/shovel snow/cut grass/clean gutters for others.

17. Rent out a room in your house.

18. Start a blog and put ads on it using Google’s AdSense.

19. Become a freelance writer.

20. Become a temporary worker.

21. Become a medical guinea pig or sign up for clinical trials of drugs.

22. Donate plasma.

23. Sell your hair to a wig maker.

24. Sell your eggs to a fertility specialist.

25. Donate sperm at a sperm bank.

26. Start vegetable plants and sell the starter plants for a fraction of what nurseries charge.

27. Drop services you don’t need like cell service, cable, lawn/pool service, or Internet and free upwards of $100/month.

28. Conserve energy and water aggressively and lower those bills to free up extra cash.

29. Return cans and bottles for the deposit if it’s available where you live.

30. Teach something that you are good at to others, either through a community school or private lessons.

31. Sew/make alterations for others.

32. Help the elderly. Offer to do the shopping and take them to appointments, for a small fee.

33. Offer handyman services.

34. Collect ink cartridges from friends and coworkers (and your office if they don’t recycle) and give them to places like Office Depot or Staples for cash back.

35. Wash/detail cars.

36. Wash/detail pets.

37. Sell your stuff to a consignment shop. Here are some tips.

38. Sell food to workers at a construction site.

39. Sell your wedding china to Replacements Ltd.

40. Cash out any “points” you have lying around. Whether it’s from credit/debit card reward programs, store/product loyalty programs, gas rewards, or rewards sites, cash in everything you can and use the cash or gift cards to cover household expenses.

41. Tutor kids.

42. Take a part-time job.

43. Use equipment you already own to make money (power washing, snow blowing, etc.)

44. Help someone move.

45. Act as a driver for the schools. Some public and private schools take on private drivers to go where buses can’t or won’t go.

46. Turn a hobby into profit (photography, cake decorating, scrapbooking, etc.)

47. Use your skills to enter and win contests that pay cash (bake-offs, craft contests, state fairs, etc.)

48. Change people’s oil for them.

49. Use your van or truck to haul heavy things for people.

50. Take any overtime your regular job offers.

51. Clean houses

52. If you have a lot of land, open some up for RV or boat storage at cheap rates.

53. Quit smoking/drinking.

54. Go through drive-through lanes and parking lots after hours and pick up the spare change you find.

55. Use programs like CVS Extra Care and coupons to get toiletry and cleaning items for free. Sell them at your next yard sale.

56. Use coupons and add what you save to your cash stash.

57. Refinance your mortgage. If you can swing the closing costs and you can save a point or two on your interest rate, it may be worthwhile to lower that monthly payment (particularly if you’re carrying PMI and can get out of it by refinancing). Just don’t cash out the equity.

58. Collect old cell phones from friends. family and co-workers and sell them to recyclers such as Greephone.com.

59. Become a human or car billboard. Places will pay you to decorate your car with their logos or wear their logos to popular events.

60. Become a mystery shopper.

61. If there’s a big event coming to your area like a major sports tournament or convention, rent out your house.

62. Panhandle, if it’s legal, or wash windshields at a busy intersection.

63. If you have more than one vehicle, sell one.

64. Unload any tickets you’re holding. If you’ve got season sporting tickets or tickets to the upcoming concert, sell them (just don’t scalp them for more than face value).

65. Test drive for cash. Some car dealers will give you cash or gift cards to come in and test drive a vehicle with no obligation.

66. Drop unnecessary insurance coverage.

67. Drop any “double” services you find. For example, do you have AAA and an insurance policy that provides roadside assistance? Either don’t renew AAA or drop the roadside from your insurance coverage and save the money.

68. Check your state’s unclaimed property office to see if you are owed any money.

69. Cash in any savings bonds you have lying around. You’d be surprised how many people have them gathering dust in a drawer or safe deposit box.

70. Try to negotiate a lower interest rate on any credit card debt you have to lower the monthly payment.

71. Don’t renew magazines, gym memberships, club memberships or any other subscription/membership when it comes up. Let it go and pocket the cash.

72. Use your own ATM. Don’t pay transaction fees at another bank’s machine.

73. Sell any gift cards that you can’t/won’t use on eBay or swap them for ones you will use.

74. Write a book and sell it through LuLu or as a digital download.

75. Make music, art, computer themes, canned websites or clipart and sell them online.

76. Look into bundling the services you need to keep. It might lower the monthly bill.

77. Call all your service providers and ask if you can get a discount because you’re a good customer, always paid on time, or if you’re a member of a certain union or organization. Negotiate a discount if you can.

78. Brown bag your lunch instead of eating out.

79. Actually complete and send in those rebate forms you’ve been meaning to do.

80. Sell your double stuff. Have you digitized your music or video collection to the point where the discs never see the light of day anymore? Sell them.

81. Scrounge the local trash piles for good, intact items and sell them on Craigslist or eBay.

82. You can question the ethics of this one, but people do it all the time: Buy (or acquire for free) items from sites like Freecycle or Craigslist, or at the local thrift shop, and then resell them for a profit.

83. Be a plant/garden sitter. You water and tend to the plants while the owners are away.

84. Become a paid guide at a search website like ChaCha.com.

85. Get paid to submit video reviews of products at sites like ExpoTV.

86. Open a bank account that will pay you a cash bonus for opening the account.

87. Become a focus group participant. Look on Craigslist or in the want ads for postings in your area. Research companies are often listed in the Yellow Pages, as well.

88. Enter contests that give out physical prizes and sell any prizes you win.

89. Send in your FSA or HSA claims. Don’t wait until the end of the year, go ahead and get your money back.

90. Check your health insurance plan for any rebates you’re entitled to. Some reimburse wellness materials like gym memberships or weight loss programs. If you’re paying out of pocket, check and see if you can get the money back.

91. Use a site like Ebates or another rewards program to get cash back on online shopping. Pocket the difference.

92. Ask for a raise at your regular job. It might happen and it never hurts to ask. Even in this economy, you might get it if you’re a valuable employee.

93. If you have a vacant office, room, or garage in your home, rent it out as studio space to artists or musicians whose only alternative is to pay for expensive time in a “real” studio.

94. If you are popular on a message board, ask about a moderator gig. Some are paid a tiny bit each month.

95. Get free samples from sites like StartSampling.com, WalMart.com or many others. It’s not outright cash, but every sample you get and can use or sell reduces the amount of money you have to spend on products.

96. Add affiliate links to your website or blog and get paid when people buy products through your links.

97. Get back anything you’re entitled to. If you replace your car battery yourself, be sure to take the old one back and get the core charge refunded. Get price adjustments on items that go on sale within the store’s specified time frame. Get your security and utility deposits back when you move. Don’t leave any money on the table.

98. Deliver newspapers.

99. Rent out parking spaces. If you live in an area with little parking or near a big event center/arena and you have a little extra space, rent it out for parking.

100. Sign up with Mechanical Turk (Mturk.com) from Amazon.com and take on tasks that interest you.

101. If you have old electronics that won’t sell, try trading them in. There are several stores/websites that offer trade-ins or take backs for cash or gift cards.

102. Stop spending on stuff you don’t need. Seriously. This is the best way to free up cash.

Note that none of these tips require incurring additional debt or cashing out any savings like home equity or raiding a retirement plan. Those are courses of last resort. Try generating extra cash first. If you really want to make some extra money, try turning something you like into a home-based business. There are a lot of ways to generate extra cash if you’re willing to put forth the effort. Use your imagination and draw on your expertise and you can find several ways to bring in some extra money.

1000 ways to make $1000

Finally, if you are serious about finding ways to make extra cash get and read a copy of One Thousand Ways to Make $1,000. This book is reputed by Warren Buffett’s biographers to be one of the major influences on the legendary investor’s business acumen. After pulling a copy of One Thousand Ways off a shelf at age eleven and devouring F.C. Minaker’s practical advice, Buffett declared that he would be a millionaire by the time he was in his 30s. Written in a plain and conversational style this book is full of inventive ideas on how to make money through hard work, excellent salesmanship, and resourcefulness. Get it from Amazon.com here.

Do you have any ideas for making extra cash? Share with us in the comments below!

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How Much Money Do I Need to Start a Business?

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Everyone knows you have to spend money before you can make it – but just how much do you need? When asking other entrepreneurs how they got their start, their dollar amounts likely varied. You’ll want to consider multiple factors to get the correct dollar amount for your business startup.

Don’t Let Lack of Money Stop You

Before diving into some of the basic costs you’ll likely encounter as you start a business, it’s important first to establish that a lack of money shouldn’t prevent you from starting your business. There’s too much at stake to let your passions fall by the wayside.

“[Starting a business is] an opportunity to create unique products and services, bring your ideas to life and create something truly valuable for your customers, employees, suppliers and peers,” says an article from IncFile. “A lack of money doesn’t stop you doing any of those things. It might mean you have to manage operations more carefully, pay closer attention to finances, drive your product to market sooner and slow down your expansion plans, but none of those areas alone will kill your business.”

The article continues by pointing out that practicing discipline from financial control will improve your ability to make decisions, fight through the hard times, express more creativity, and achieve greater and more fulfilling success.

Determining Startup Costs Through a Series of Questions

With your passion in hand, you’re ready to make a few estimations regarding startup costs. This will help prevent you from mismanaging your money, which is one of the primary reasons that startups fail within the first five years.

Your unique needs must be carefully evaluated. Consider creating a spreadsheet to record numbers as you answer the following questions:

  • Can you project your cashflow?

Cashflow projections help you determine whether or not you can keep your doors open. Try to be realistic rather than optimistic to get more accurate numbers. Consider all sources of revenue, including sales profits, crowdfunding campaigns, your own cash, and investments.

Once you have these projections, consider emergency situations that might occur. For example, a natural disaster might shut you down for a few weeks. Do you have enough money to make payroll and cover other business expenses until you can open the doors again?

  • Can you pay your own personal expenses alongside your business expenses?

“Because running your own small business isn’t just a business decision, but a lifestyle decision, it’s important that you measure all aspects of your lifestyle to understand how your lifestyle could financially commingle with your business ventures,” explains Mike Kappel of Allbusiness.com. “Consider your lifestyle now. Who depends on you to make an income, and what will happen if you need to cut back? What are you willing to sacrifice?”

It might be a while before you get a paycheck. You have to eat and have a roof over your head, so some quick calculations will determine that you have enough funds before you begin.

  • Can you cover professional expenses?

Even if you’re the sole owner, employee, and financier of your startup, you’ll still have to hire a few professionals, even if they only operate on a freelance basis. You’ll need an accountant to monitor your books, an attorney to draft contracts, an insurance broker to protect your business, etc.

At some point, you’ll likely need a marketing manager, a janitor, sales reps, and a variety of other employees to keep things running smoothly. These expenses won’t all come up at once, but you can and should expect them at some point during your journey.

  • Do you have additional financing coming down the pipeline?

Most business owners don’t finance their startups straight from their pockets. They borrow money, work with an investor, or run crowdfunding campaigns. There are often several rounds of funding, so if you have additional rounds coming up, this can instill confidence towards success.

Mortgage loan officer Herndon Davis points out a few more options for your finances: “Additional funding can come through establishing business credit and different lines of credit through piggybacking scenarios,” he told BusinessNewsDaily. “There’s also small business loans and angel investors willing to step in at certain stages…At this point, your startup should show…a clear business plan on how to grow with additional funding.”

No matter where you plan to get your funding, don’t count your chickens before they hatch. You can’t guarantee a certain dollar amount, so don’t spend any money until you have it in your hand.

These questions should help you form a more accurate estimation of your startup costs than any approximations found online. Apply your unique situation to these questions and manage your money intelligently to see profits.

House Flipping Tips for Big Returns

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house flipping tips

House flipping is a type of investment that involves buying houses and quickly reselling them for a profit. The investor can either buy a property and makes some repairs then sell it, or buy a property in a market where home values are rising rapidly and resell it after some time without making any repairs. A lot of people make money from house flipping, and you’ve probably seen some on TV shows. They may make it seem easy, but house flipping is not as simple as it looks. It can either be a dream or a disaster. However, if you do it the right way, house flipping can be another way to make money.

Therefore, if you want to get into this business and make some extra bucks, check out these tips on how to get started flipping houses.

Understand Your Market

It’s very important to research and understand your real estate market. You need to know where people want to live at that time, the kind of houses they want to buy, the value of houses in that area, and so on. This will help you to identify the property with the highest potential. Also, consider all the factors that could affect the price of the property and how quickly you can resell it. It would also be great to work with a real estate agent who has experience in your neighborhood. A good agent can help you target your property search based on your budget and desired profit.

Read About House Flipping

Before you dive into the business, it’s good to have some basics first and understand the nature of the business – and what better way to get this information than to read books on flipping houses? Such books contain invaluable information and will give you the knowledge you need to start networking and flipping houses.

Follow the 70% Rule

The 70% rule helps you to determine if a property is worth investing in or not.  It is a way to determine the price to pay for a fix and flip property. The rule states that an investor should not pay more than 70% of the ARV (After Repair Value) of any property minus the cost of the repairs required.

Suppose a home’s ARV is $150,000, and it requires $20,000 in repairs, the rule says you should not pay more than $85,000 for the home.

$150,000 (ARV) X 0.70 = $105,000 – $20,000 (repairs) = $85,000

Research Listings and Foreclosures

You can find foreclosure listings on various websites such as Foreclosure.com, Zillow and Auction.com. The law is very clear on how many missed payments before foreclosure hence when a homeowner is not able to make the payments, their lender can take back the house and put it up for auction. Legitimate auctioneers put notices in local newspapers and list the property on their websites. Therefore, you can buy such property at a cheap price and resell it to make a profit.

Sell Quickly

The quicker you can sell a house the better. Once you’ve purchased a house and made the necessary repairs, don’t hold on for too long as it will cost you more money. Therefore, do everything you can to give buyers a great first impression to sell the property as quickly as possible.

Flipping houses is a risky business but very profitable if you make smart decisions. Note that in most cases, spending a lot of money remodeling a flip will not make you more money. Therefore, it’s better to make economical repairs and simpler remodels. An experienced real estate agent can provide the knowledge and guidance you need to make smart decisions.

Have you tried flipping houses? Share your experience below!

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Am I Eligible for the Uber Sign Up Bonus?

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Am I Eligible for the Uber Sign Up Bonus

Today, Uber does not need to entice people to drive for them as they did in the beginning. As a result, they do not offer the same sign-up bonuses as they once did. However, that does not mean you can’t get some extra cash in your pocket by taking the proper steps; namely, by taking advantage of the referral program’s sign-up guarantee.

How to Become Eligible for the Uber Sign-Up Bonus

Many companies compensate people for referring their friends, and Uber is no different. Drivers can share their referral codes with friends, family, or even strangers, giving both themselves and the new driver a chance to earn some extra money.

One way to become eligible for the Uber sign-up bonus is to use a referral code. This means you would need to connect with someone who already drives for the company or conduct a quick internet search to find a code.

Luckily, whose code you use doesn’t matter. They do not have to be in your city, and you do not have to know them personally. The important part is to find a code. Once you have a referral code, you need to complete the Uber driver application. Make sure to input the referral code in the right blank.

It is important to note that, if you use a referral code, that person earns a bonus off of your driving. Since that is the case, you may want to track down one from a person you like, as you are essentially putting free money in their pocket.

However, a referral code is not your only option. If you want to sign up without a code and get the guaranteed earnings offer, you can. Just head over to the Uber New Driver Guarantees Page, and you can get started.

How the Uber Sign-Up Bonus Works

The Uber sign-up guarantee isn’t a traditional bonus. They do not just hand over a specific amount of cash to thank you for joining as a driver. Instead, you gain access to a program that can make your start with Uber more lucrative.

As you sign up, you will see an offer. Usually, it says you can earn X amount of money for completing Y number of trips in Z days.

For example, yours might say, “Earn $300 guaranteed for completing your first 30 trips,” followed by, “Trips must be completed within 90 days of sign up.”

Exactly what your offer looks like may depend on a number of factors, though your location is the biggest one. The sign-on guarantees vary by city, so new drivers in Seattle will see something different than a new driver in Miami.

Now, what the verbiage means is universal. You are not getting an “extra” amount of money (like the $300 mentioned above). Instead, the total amount you make from your first trips will be at least that amount.

Continuing with the example above, that $300 would mean that you would earn at least $10 for each of your first 30 trips ($300 / 30 trips = $10 per trip) as long as you finish them all in 90 days. If you do not finish them in 90 days, the $10 per trip guarantee only applies to those you drive during those 90 days.

Essentially, no matter how much the trip would normally make you, you will earn at least $10.

Maximize Your Uber Sign-Up Guarantee

If you are eligible for a sign-up guarantee, then you want to make the most of it. Just how do you do that? By driving the cheapest (usually, the shortest) rides possible, that’s how.

The goal is to find trips where you would earn less than $10, allowing you to bank more for less work. For example, with the guarantee in place, a $5.60 trip lands you $10, so you get an extra $4.40 thanks to the guarantee. In contrast, a $10.50 trip is already over $10, so you lose out on the benefit of the guarantee for that trip (but it still counts as one of your first trips, meaning it is a missed opportunity).

Now, Uber drivers do not get full control over the rides they land. Once you are signed on and ready to drive, you often have to take what is available.

However, by adjusting when and where you drive, you can increase your odds of getting shorter trips. For example, avoiding early mornings (when people are commuting to work or more commonly heading to the airport), you might avoid long trips.

Instead, by driving later at night, when the bar scene is hopping, you might find people moving between bars or around their own neighborhood, which are typically shorter jaunts. Midday can also work, especially if you connect with people heading to lunch near their workplaces or running errands close to home.

Along the way, you also want to keep your expenses as low as possible. The cost of gas and impact of mileage on your vehicle cut into your profits, so you do not want to drive around a lot between rides looking for short ones or drive a long way to get to a place where there are short rides. If you did, you would burn through fuel and increase wear and tear during times you were not making anything, which is not cost-effective.

Find Out About Your City’s Sign-Up Guarantee

The Uber sign-up guarantee for any city can change frequently. If you want to find out about the current offer, you will need to head over to Uber’s site and see what is available.

Luckily, you can check out the guarantee in advance by heading to the guarantee page and inputting your city. You can also review the terms that go along with the guarantee, giving you a chance to plan ahead to make sure you can make the most of the opportunity.

What About Uber Eats?

If you prefer working for Uber’s food delivery service, Uber Eats and still hope to get a sign on bonus, well you’re in luck.  You can use an invite (referral code) from another driver to get signed up and receive a bonus. Just remember, you must complete a certain number of rides in order to receive the bonus. Read the invite information prior to signing up and happy driving!

Do you drive for Uber? Did you get a sign-up bonus? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

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The Odds of Winning the Albertsons Monopoly Game 2019

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Albertsons Monopoly Odds

Albertsons Monopoly is back for its 11th year. The contest, which involves collecting Monopoly game pieces from various Albertsons-owned stores, has been something that has created a bit of a stir in recent years. You collect game pieces and, if you are lucky, you will get the right pieces and win the grand prize of $1 million.

Until May 7, you will have the option to gain Monopoly game pieces when you shop at an Albertsons-owned store. The overall goal of the game is to match a set of properties on a Monopoly game board to win a specific prize. Prizes range from free groceries or merchandise to $1 million.

Practically 2,300 stores across the United States will be offering game pieces to its customers. This year is the first year Safeway shoppers will be eligible to play. ACME, United Supermarkets, Star Market, Safeway, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Pavilions, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, and several smaller, local stores are all offering the Monopoly game pieces and a chance to win $1 million to its customers.

The contest in which people win millions of dollars has been a highly-anticipated event each year since it started 11 years ago. Since Albertsons is continually growing, the contest is continually growing as well. This year, the prizes are bigger as last year and the probability of winning is much higher than in previous years.

Albertsons Monopoly Odds of Winning

Now that you’ve read a bit about the contest, you may be thinking about trying your hand at winning. What are the odds of winning Albertsons Monopoly and taking home one of the $1 million grand prizes?

To win the grand prize of $1 million you need to find two of the hardest to find game pieces. Chances of finding one of these rare game pieces are now 1 in 404 million. So, that means (on the first try) your odds of getting both of the pieces necessary to win $1 million are more than two trillion to one, which aren’t greats odds.

However, it isn’t impossible to win. Additionally, like last year, Albertsons is offering six prizes valued at $1 million. Of course, there are the three $1 million cash prizes but the grocer is also offering three $1 million vacation home prizes as well. If these prizes go unclaimed, Albertsons then performs a second chance drawing for a shopper to get their $1 million.

Increasing Your Odds of Winning Albertsons Monopoly

As stated above, you’ll need to collect rare game pieces to win the grand prize. It isn’t very likely you’ll find one yourself. You are more likely to encounter “rare” games pieces through online trading. Some people trade game pieces to give themselves a better chance of winning one of the prizes (even if it is not the grand prize). It isn’t usually very hard to find someone willing to get rid of a “semi-rare” pieces that may complete a winning set for someone else.

That is only to win the $1 million cash prize or vacation home though. If you are okay claiming a smaller cash price, there are plenty of other rewards to be had. However, there are fewer of these opportunities this year. There will only be 67 million tickets available for free grocery products with values between $0.59 and $14.99 (compared to 112 million tickets last year).

In all reality, if you win anything from the Albertsons Monopoly game, it will likely be one of their smaller prizes, like gift cards, free grocery items, and other small cash prizes. You don’t pay to play though, so you’ve really got nothing to lose. Aside from buying your regular groceries, Albertsons Monopoly costs absolutely nothing for those who play. From now until May 7, when you purchase your groceries at an Albertsons grocer, you will get game pieces.

If you’re looking for a place to safely trade Albertsons Monopoly game pieces, head on over to the Saving Advice forums. 

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