TessMore Finance Blog

If you’ve noticed yourself spending more at the grocery store or to fill up your gas tank lately, chances are it’s not because you’re purchasing more food or doing a lot of extra driving. Consumer prices rose 5.3% in August  compared to the year prior. It’s the greatest spike in inflation since 2008, although experts believe the jump in prices will only be temporary. If you’re looking to stabilize your rising costs, you’re going to have to think a bit differently about the way you shop. Here are a dozen savings tips to help you fight price inflation on everyday purchases. 12 Savvy Ways to Fight Price Inflation 1. Shop Your Pantry Before you go grocery shopping, make a habit of checking the shelves of your pantry first. Canned goods, pasta and other pantry staples have a tendency to get forgotten in dark corners. By taking inventory of what you already have at home, you’ll avoid mistakenly buying multiples of the same item. You might be able to shorten your grocery list (and sp

Where can you find antique Pez dispensers, hot vintage heels and ( finally! ) the perfect lamp to match your weirdly patterned bedspread — all on sale for just a few bucks? We’ll give you a hint: It’s not Walmart. At least, not our Walmart. (And if yours fits the bill… would you let us know where you live?) No, it’s your favorite online flea market. A New Way to Browse: Online Flea Markets Not only are regular flea markets wacky and wonderful, but their goods are usually pre-owned, pre-loved and dirt cheap. (Who wants to pay the full retail price?!) In short, they’re a Penny Hoarder’s dream. But everything is virtual these days. You turn to your laptop (or, let’s be real, your smartphone) for everything from takeout to taxi rides to a date for Friday night. So it’s no surprise there’s a whole world of online flea market shopping out there. And it’s just as quirky and addictive as the real thing — especially since you can see it all with just a few clicks. The Obvious Online Fle

When I started my current business in 2017, I wanted to design a business model that enabled me to  work and grow my business while also taking care of my school-age children. I knew from my previous company in the food services industry that I’d need to choose what services I offered based on whether I’d need to be physically be present. I wanted to work from home, set my own schedule, and have a thriving business so I could work from anywhere.   Here are the 10 best apps for small business, tools that have made my business model possible. As a bonus, they’ve made my work processes so efficient that I’ve grown my business without growing a large staff: 1. Mighty Networks: Great for Building Your Community I describe Mighty Networks as a mashup of Teachable, Facebook Groups, and Messenger. I host my for-fee group coaching program Peer to Peer on this platform; it has all the functionality we need to schedule weekly live group coaching events, post and share searchable content

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . Saying yes can feel really good. You can say yes to a new job, yes to a proposal, yes to more freshly grated parmesan on top of your pasta. But you know what feels even better sometimes? Saying no. Saying no is powerful. Saying no is a statement. And saying no can save you a ton of money. Just how much? It depends on how often you can say no to these situations: 1. Say No to Getting Ripped Off By Your Home Insurance Company and Save $690/Year You’re probably wasting money right now. And it’s probably on something you’d never expect — your homeowners insurance policy. This isn’t something you actively think about — you just know you’re required to have it. The problem is, you’re paying too much . Luckily, an insurance company called Smart Financial makes it easy to find out how much you’re overpaying.

It all starts with an idea. It’s a great idea, to be sure. But how are you going to get the idea to the people, your customers? How will you market your idea? Implement it? Schedule it? Pay for it? And deliver it on time? Poor management and inadequate cash flow are a few of the top reasons start-ups go under, according to a study by business analysis research firm CB Insights. Thankfully, it’s super easy to streamline these issues, thanks to the power of Web 2.0 and the advent of smartphone apps . But a good business can’t run on tools alone. Combine them with your awesome team and there’s no limit to what you will accomplish. Here is a batch of great small-business tools that will get your enterprise where it needs to be. Monitor Your Business’s Health, Organize Your Finances, And File Your Taxes All From The Same Place Join Today And Get The First 15 Days Free Social Media and Email Getting your business in front of the right eyes is more important than ever, especially in

Whether it’s hurricanes, wildfires, blizzards, tornadoes or flash floods, it seems no place is immune from a weather disaster — which means every pet owner should have an emergency plan for their fur friends. Unfortunately, many people in a rush to escape must leave behind pets. For those who do take their animals with them, it can be a struggle to arrange last-minute travel or find shelters that allow pets. Plus, last-minute care, boarding and supplies can be severely overpriced. It’s important to have an emergency preparedness plan for when disaster strikes — and it should include a pet emergency kit. Emergency Preparedness for Pets in 3 Steps It’s a good idea to begin preparing to keep yourself, your family and your pets safe at the start of your area’s emergency season. Here’s a disaster preparedness checklist for your pets. 1. Assemble a Pet Emergency Kit When you gather supplies for an emergency kit for yourself and your household, don’t forget to put a disaster kit toget

Want to become a mystery shopper? If so, we’ve for the four best mystery shopper companies to work for. Mystery shoppers go by a couple different names – evaluators, secret shoppers – but, regardless of the name, the job’s the same: mystery shoppers document their experiences to help businesses who deal with the public a lot. Workers can score everything from free food to extra money when they work for a mystery shopping company. Mystery shopping jobs are pretty plentiful, too. The mystery shopping industry has been around since the 1940s and is a nearly $2-billion-dollar-a-year industry . Ready to learn how to get paid to shop? This post includes information about the best mystery shopping firms around (and what makes a reputable company), average pay, how to avoid mystery shopping scams and more. What is Mystery Shopping? Mystery shopping is a job where a company pays you to pose like a regular customer. You’ll provide valuable feedback to the company — from how clean the stor