Jason Butler, Author at Dinks Finance

About Jason Butler

Jason Butler is an Atlanta native, as well as businessman, blogger and teacher. Not only is Jason a prolific flipper, marketer, writer and side hustler his number of years in higher education and student support have given him expert knowledge in understanding the economics of the student loan industry.

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Reasons Why It May Be Better to Rent

Posted on April 1, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 3

renting vs buying a home, renting advice, why it's better to rent

Hello, Dinks. I know we’ve all had to think about whether we wanted to rent or buy when it came to our living arrangements before. Some people believe that it’s better to buy while others believe that it’s better to rent. I’m currently renting, but I understand both sides of the spectrum. In today’s post, I will go over a few reasons why it may be better for you to rent.

You don’t want a mortgage

In 2016, everyone doesn’t want to deal with a mortgage. Mortgages usually come in terms of 10, 15, and 30 years. 30-year mortgages are the most popular. A lot of folks don’t want to be tied up with a loan for that long.

Like to travel

When you buy a house, you may not be able to travel as much due to your mortgage and other expenses. For that very reason, some people are renting apartments or houses longer. Many people enjoy traveling so much that they don’t want to sacrifice it. The chance to spend your money and travel without much restriction outweighs the opportunity of buying a home.

Don’t want to deal with the stress

Home ownership can be stressful. Depending on the type of mortgage you have, the interest rates could change. They could go down as well as go up every year. Something else that could be stressful is that whenever something breaks or goes wrong with your house, you have to spend your money to get it fixed. Everyone doesn’t have or want to spend the funds to get those things fixed.

Nomad

Earlier, I said that people love to travel. Some people are nomads. The like to move from place to place every few years at the drop of a dime. I personally know a couple who has moved three times within the last seven years. They are living life and moving wherever either of their jobs decide to send them. If they had a mortgage, they would not be able to continue to move around the country like that.

Using money for other things

Many people don’t want to have their money tied up in mortgage payments. They are using their money for something else. People are saving for retirement and investing. Others are using their cash to eliminate debt. Finally, some are bootstrapping a business. Having a mortgage would make those things a little bit harder.

No property taxes

Some people rent because they don’t want to pay property taxes. Property taxes are different in every city and state. For example, the median property tax in Connecticut is $5244 on a home valued at $239,400, while the median property tax in Georgia is $1417 for a home valued at $148,000 according to Wallet Hub. Whatever the amount is, some people just don’t want to pay it.

Renting is easier for some

The final reason some people rent is because it’s just easier for some folks. They don’t have to worry about paying property taxes or homeowner fees. If something breaks, maintenance will come and fix it. The process for renting usually takes less time to happen as well.

Do you rent or buy?

8 Spring Date Ideas

Posted on March 30, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler

spring date ideas, frugal date ideas, dating ideas

Hello, Dinks. It is officially spring! It’s my second favorite season of the year after summer. The days are getting longer, and the temperature is warming up. Today, I will be going over 8 spring date ideas.

Picnic

The 1st spring date idea is to have a picnic at the park. Picnics are fun and inexpensive. All you need is a blanket, some food, and something to put it in. One piece of advice, if you have allergies make sure you plan your picnic after the trees and flowers are in bloom. You don’t want to have your picnic experience ruined due to you sneezing because of pollen being everywhere.

Festivals

The next thing on the list is to attend a festival together. The size of your city may limit the amount of festivals that you can attend. Larger areas tend to have more festivals to choose from. The city that I live in has numerous art, food, and music festivals. Some cost to attend while others don’t.

Baseball Game

“Take me out to the ballgame, take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks. I don’t care if I ever get back.” Attending a baseball game is the third spring date idea. Baseball is one of my favorite sports. There is nothing like experiencing it live. There are 30 major league teams and hundreds more minor league teams. I’m sure there is a team that plays near you.

Hike

For my couples who enjoy outdoor things, taking a hike together is another good idea. Walking a trail together will give you some time to bond with your significant other.

Theme Park

Going to a theme park is the next date idea. Most theme parks usually open in late March or early April. This date could be very fun. Y’all get the chance to find out what type of rides you like and dislike. If you’re competitive, you can also have a good time and play some of the games that are throughout the theme park.

Brewery Tours

Brewery tours are lots of fun. If you both enjoy beer, you have to tour one this spring. A lot of brewery tours are free. They also give out multiple samples of different brews. Some brewery tours are actually open year round, but a few of them release new flavors of beer just for the spring time.

Zoo

Going to the zoo can be a very fun date. It gives you quality time with your mate. You also get the chance to see wonderful exhibits and learn more about animals.

Botanical Gardens

The final spring date on the list is to visit a botanical garden. You can take a romantic stroll through the garden in beautiful weather. You also get to see the nice flowers that have just bloomed.

Spring is a wonderful time of the year. If you’ve been stuck in your house all winter, you have to get out and enjoy it. Hopefully, these 8 ideas can help you and your significant other have a great time.

Do you have any other spring date ideas?

Passive and Semi-Passive Income Ideas

Posted on March 28, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 6

passive income, semi-passive ideas, income ideas

Passive income is money that you are making even though you’re not actively working. The dream for a lot of entrepreneurs is to find a way to consistently earn that type of income. In this post, I will go over a few ways that you can make passive and semi-passive income.

Write an eBook

Writing an eBook is a passive income idea that anyone can do. The thing is that a good eBook takes time, effort and dedication. Your eBook has to be interesting so that people will buy it. You also have to make sure that you have an audience to sell it to.

Vending Machines

Operating vending machines will fall into the semi-passive income group. While you don’t have to check the vending machines every day, you will have to make sure that it is stocked weekly. You also need to collect your earnings once a week as well.

Online Store

Another semi-passive income idea is to open an online store. There are ways where you can set up your store where you will never need to have physical inventory. You customers could order your product from your site; then another company could ship it out.

YouTube Channel

Many people are making money from their YouTube channels. You do have to do some work from time to time such as recording videos, but it can be worth it. Once you have a big enough following, you can add Google Adsense to your channel and start earning money from it. The more views you get typically means the more money that you can make.

Laundromat

Another semi-passive income idea is to buy a laundromat. People will always need a place to wash their clothes. Laundromats can be very lucrative depending on their location. You also can hire part-time workers to open and close the laundromat for you.

Rental Property

Owning rental property is the next passive income idea on the list. Finding the right property may take some initial work up front, but it is worth it. People will always need a place to live. Why not let them rent from you? You can also list the property on websites such as HomeAway and Air BnB.

Create an app

Almost everyone has a smartphone these days. People tend to have several apps on their phones. If you create a good app, you can potentially make a lot of money with it. If you’re creative, you can learn how to build one yourself, or you hire someone to help you with it.

Sell T-Shirts Online

Selling t-shirts online via websites such as Teespring is another good passive income idea. It is free for you to sell items on their site. Making designs on Teespring is easy. If you’re not good with designing, you can find someone to create a design for you on Fiverr or Upwork.

Create a website

The final way that you can make passive or semi-passive income is to build a website. It takes time to make real money. You will have to start a site that creates value. Also, you will need to have lots traffic coming to it. Too many people think you can just make a site and automatically start making hundreds of dollars from it. It doesn’t work like that. When you do start making money from your site, the opportunities can be endless.

My Thoughts on the Minimum Wage Debate

Posted on March 25, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 2

minimum wage debate, minimum wage discussion, minimum wage talk

A few months ago there was a lot of hoopla about the minimum wage possibly being raised to $15 per hour. I listened to people who had valid points on both sides of the argument. While I agree that minimum wage should be raised a bit, there is no way that I believe it should be raised to $15 per hour. Below I will share with you a few reasons why.

Minimum for a reason

It’s called minimum wage for a reason. Most minimum wage jobs aren’t difficult. You’re not supposed to stay in that position forever. Most minimum wage jobs are not meant to be full-time careers. With these jobs, you should either try to get promoted to a higher position in a few months or stay there until you can find something that pays better. There are always options.

High school & younger adults

Minimum wage jobs were meant to be for teenagers and college students. I think somewhere along the way some people forgot that. I know that society and the job market has changed and people of all ages are working minimum wage jobs, but people have to remember that they should just be temporary. I know that there are better paying opportunities out there. You just have to find them.

Educate yourself

Something that anyone who is working a minimum wage job can do is to educate themselves. There are several ways that they can do that. The first way that you can educate yourself is by going to school. You can go to a tech school and pick up a trade or you can go to a four-year university and get your bachelor’s degree. In most cases, the more education that you get, the better your chances of getting a higher paying job is.

Another way that you can educate yourself is to learn as much as can at your current job. Talk to the managers and see if they know of any opportunities for growth within the organization. Some companies have managerial programs that their employees can apply for. Kroger’s, Enterprise Rental Car and McDonalds are companies that I know promote their workers to better positions.

Create your own opportunity

If you are stuck in a minimum wage position you can try to create your own opportunities. I don’t suggest that you just up and quit your job. I do believe that you can start a side hustle. It can be done. People are doing it every day. You just have to have some drive and discipline.

If you are making minimum wage there are things that you can do instead of waiting for it to be increased to $15 per hour. Everything that I’ve discussed today can be down. It just depends on if you want to do it or not. I’d rather create a better opportunity for myself instead of just waiting for things to change on their own. This isn’t the old days. It’s 2016. You can’t afford to just let things happen.

What are your thoughts on minimum wage? Should it be increased to $15 or is it fine where it’s at?

Looking For Your 1st Apartment Together

Posted on March 23, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler

couple goals, apartment hunting, getting an apartment together

Hello Dinks, From what I hear, moving in with your significant other is something that takes some getting used to. You have to get comfortable being around them every day. It’s an adjustment period, but for most people it works out. Today, I want to go over some things that you should do when you’re looking for your first apartment together.

The 1st thing that couples have to agree on is the area that you want to live in. This can be an enormous challenge in itself if both people have their own apartments that they like. Compromising for the better of the relationship is the key. If you can’t decide on which apartment to move into you could always look for a new one.

Some other things that you want to consider are the amount that you will be paying for rent, the amenities, the neighborhood and the commute.

Rent

One of the first things that you should think about is how much you want to pay in rent. You should have a few options. Depending on how your relationship works you may be able to save money by splitting the rent. If that doesn’t work the bread winner in the relationship could pay it. Everyone’s situation is different.

Amenities

The type of amenities that you want or are accustomed to is something else that y’all should think about. A few amenities that you should consider are the amount of parking that you have access to, if the potential complex has laundry connections or an on-site laundromat, a swimming pool, and a fitness area.

The Neighborhood

Both of you should take a tour of the perspective neighborhoods that you want to move to. You want to check it out during the day and the nighttime. Some things that you want to check for is the amount of traffic in the area (foot and vehicle), types of people in the area, businesses in the area, and if there are many kids around. A lot of readers are DINKS, so I’m pretty sure you don’t want to be surrounded by too many kids.

Commute

Something else that couples will have to ask themselves is what type of work commute they like? Do you like living near your job? Do you mind possibly having to sit in traffic going to and from work each day? Those are questions that you need to consider when getting an apartment in a different area. If you use public transportation, you also want to make sure that there is a bus or train station near.

After you’ve gone over those things, you want to take a walk-thru in some of the apartments and see things for yourself. You should never trust online pictures. Always visit and see your potential apartment in person. Pictures will not show you everything. Since you and your significant other are moving in together, both of you need to be there. One person could like the place and the other could hate it.

What is one thing you did when you were looking for your 1st apartment?

How These Presidential Candidates Obtained Their Wealth

Posted on March 21, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 1

2016 presidential candidates, presidential candidates' wealth, presidential candidates' money

The other week I wrote a post discussing the net worth of several of the 2016 presidential candidates. Today I dig a little deeper. In this post, I plan on explaining a bit more how five of those candidates obtained their wealth. The five people are Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich. As of March 19th, they are still in the presidential race.

Hilary Clinton

As most of you know, Hilary Clinton is married to former President Bill Clinton. In my previous post, I stated that her net worth was approximate $31 million. Most of her earnings came from paid speeches. She has spoken for companies such as Goldman Sachs, The National Council for Behavioral Healthcare, Cisco, and Deutsche Bank AG. Her average booking fee is $200,000. She has also written several books including Living History, which was released in 2003 and Hard Choices which came out in 2014.

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders net worth is estimated to be between $400,000 – $600,000. The majority of his net worth comes from his earnings in politics. Besides being a senator, he’s also held positions in the US House of Representatives. He was also the mayor of Burlington, Vermont as well. Sanders also has property in Vermont and Washington D.C. One of the reasons that I think Sanders could pass Hilary in the number of delegates is because he isn’t as wealthy as her and some of the other candidates. I think the common person can relate to him a little bit more for that very reason.

John Kasich

John Kasich’s net worth is $10 million. He currently is the Governor of Ohio. He makes over $144,000 per year. John Kasich has also been an investment banker. He was also a managing director at Lehman Brothers from 2001-2008. Kasich also hosted a television show on Fox News titled Heartland with John Kasich. He has authored three books. The titles of the books are Courage is Contagious, Stand for Something: The Battle of America’s Soul and Every Other Monday.

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz has a net worth of $3.5 million. He has attained most of his net worth from being an attorney and a politician. He also taught as an adjunct law professor at the University of Texas School of Law.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s net worth is estimated to be $4.5 billion. He believes that it is closer to $9 billion. He has made his money as a businessman and also by being a television personality. He hosted the reality TV show The Apprentice from 2004 until 2015. It is also estimated that he received an inheritance worth between $40 million and $200 million from his father’s estate. Fred (Trump’s father) and his mother Elizabeth (Trumps grandmother) founded a company which would go on to become The Trump Organization. Trump has been in control of the company since 1971. Some of the properties the organization owns are The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, The Trump Hollywood in Florida, The Trump Intl in Las Vegas, and The Trump SoHo in New York Trump also owned a football team in the now-defunct United States Football League. I can understand why Trump has a following. He’s brash, and he has no filter. Whether you like him or not, he is a major player in the presidential race. Do I think he will do a good job if he’s elected? Heck no. I honestly still think he’s trolling the country. For every success that he’s had, there have been almost as many failures. This list shows all of his business failures.

I find it interesting to see how the candidates obtained their worth. Some worked as attorneys and politicians while others were entertainers. It will be interesting to see which one of them will be the next president of the USA.

Did anything in this post surprise you?

Having a Hard Time Finding Full-Time Work

Posted on March 18, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler

Depending on where you live the economy could be doing splendid. People could be getting new job opportunities quickly even if they happen to lose their job somehow. Unfortunately, everywhere is not like that. Some people have a terrible time finding a decent job. Today, I want to go over a few tips that will help you if you ever lose your job and have a hard time finding a new one.

The first thing that you should do is lower your expenses. Since you don’t have a full-time job anymore, you need to make sure that you spend less money. Reviewing your expenses will allow you to do that. One expense that you can eliminate during this time is cable television. The money that you were spending on your cable should now go towards your necessities. If you go out to eat a lot, you should stay at home and cook. Cooking meals will save you money.

The next thing that you should do if you lose your full-time job is to get a part-time job. You want to generate some income as soon as possible. Getting a part-time job will do that for you. Some people look down on part-time jobs, but they shouldn’t. You never know what can happen in your life. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. The part-time job is not forever. It is only temporary.

Three unique side hustles

Next, I will be discussing three side hustles that you can do to help you bring some money in pretty quickly. All three of them vary in the amount of cash that you can bring in.

Wash cars

The first side hustle that you can do is wash cars. With it being nearly spring, you should be able to find multiple people that need the pollen washed off their cars. If you live in the south, you’ve probably already seen how crazy the pollen is. You won’t get rich from doing this, but any amount of money coming in will help you.

Selling items on eBay

People will buy almost anything. If you have a lot of things in your house that you don’t need or that you aren’t using, you should try and sell some of it. It is very easy to set up an eBay account. Before you sell any items, make sure that you check eBay to see if something similar is already listed. If it is, you can look at that item and get an idea of how much you should sell it for.

Yard Sale

The final unique side hustle is to have a yard sale. If you’re weary on selling things on eBay, a yard sale may be just what the doctor ordered. Yard sales are easy to set up. You also don’t have to worry about paying for shipping items when you have a yard sale.

If you lose your job, it’s not the end of the world. You just have to focus on creating income and get your grind on. The three side hustles that are listed are just a few things that you can do to generate some income until you find a new full-time job.

How to Save Money on Groceries

Posted on March 16, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 4

save money on groceries, saving on groceries, grocery shopping

Good Morning people. It seems like groceries fluctuate in price depending on the store and the day that you purchase them. I’ve been trying to find ways to lower my grocery bill the last few months. I’ve found seven things that I can do to save on my grocery bill. I’m sure they will help you as well.

Have a list

The 1st thing that you can do to save money on your groceries is to have a shopping list. When shopping, you should only grab items that are on the list. It should keep you accountable. It will lessen the chance of impulse buying.

Don’t shop while you’re hungry

Speaking of impulse buying, the next way to save money on groceries is not to shop while you’re hungry. I know we’ve all made this mistake before. You’ve gone to the store while you’re hungry and had planned to grab only a couple items. Then ten minutes later you are at the register with about twenty things. It happens. Make sure that you eat something before you go the store so that it doesn’t happen again.

Coupons

The third way to save money on groceries is to use coupons. Saving money using coupons has been popular for a while, but within the last few years, people have been taking it to the next level. Some websites show you how to save the most money by using multiple coupons. There are several ways to get coupons these days. Two easy ways to get coupons are to get them out of your Sunday paper or go online and print them.

Shop in bulk

The fourth way to save money is to shop in bulk. It makes sense to buy certain items in bulk. Before you head to the store, you can check online to see which stores have the better prices and then you can go from there.

Sales

Grocery stores usually have sales at least once a month. They usually advertise them online or in the Sunday paper. Those sales usually last for a couple of days, so you should have time to get to the store and take advantage of them. Most of the time you can use your coupons for items on sale and save even more money.

Store card

The sixth way that you can save money on groceries is by using the stores shoppers card. Kroger is one of the stores that I usually shop at. Their store card allows me to save money on certain things. For example, they may have a deal on bread. By using your card, you may get a loaf for $1.50. Without the card, it could cost you $1.80. Kroger has this type of deal on a lot of the items in their stores.

Store brands

The final way to save money on groceries is to ditch the name brands and purchase store brands. Store brand items are cheaper than name brands. If its food, most (not all) store brand items taste the same anyway. I buy store brand stuff most of the time.

How do you save money on groceries?

2016 Presidential Candidates Net Worth

Posted on March 14, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler 3

2016 presidential candidates, presidential candidates net worth, net worth

We are in full election mode right now in the United States. The Republican and Democratic hopefuls have been ramping up their efforts by having rallies all over the country hoping that they get their respective parties nominations. Before the candidates decided to run for president, they had different types of jobs and brought in various amounts of money. Today I will be going over some of the candidate’s net worth.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump is an American businessman and television personality. He attended Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a real estate mogul. Some of the properties that he’s owned over the years are the Trump Tower, Trump Entertainment Resorts, the Trump World Tower and Trump Hotel Las Vegas. He also owns several golf courses in the United States. Donald Trump’s net worth is around $4.5 billion. That makes him the richest candidate.

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz is a junior United States Senator from the State of Texas. He is also an attorney. Ted Cruz attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School His net worth is $3.5 million.

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio is an attorney and also a junior U.S. Senator from the state of Florida. He attended several schools including the University of Florida and the University of Miami. Marco Rubio’s net worth is between $100,000 – $400,000 depending on the source.

John Kasich

John Kasich is the Governor of Ohio. He attended Ohio State University. John has worked as an investment banker. He was also a commentator on the Fox News Channel from 2001 to 2007. He hosted the show titled Heartland with John Kasich. His net worth is $10 million.

Carly Fiorina

Carly Fiorina is a former technology business executive. She attended several schools such as Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was the CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 – 2005. Her net worth is $59 million. She suspended her campaign for the Republican nomination in early February.

Ben Carson

Ben Carson is a retired neurosurgeon. He attended Yale University and the University of Michigan Medical School. He is also an author and philanthropist. His net worth is $10 million. He suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination in early March.

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders is a junior United States Senator from Vermont. Bernie attended Brooklyn College and the University of Chicago. Bernie’s net worth is between $400,000 – $600,000.

Hilary Clinton

Hilary Clinton is the former 1st lady of the United States of America. She attended Wellesley College and Yale Law School. Hilary was also the 67th United States Secretary of State. She served that post from 2009 to 2013. Her net worth is approximately $31 million.

Martin O’Malley

Martin O’Malley was the 61st Governor of Maryland. He served from 2007 to 2015. Martin attended The Catholic University of America and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He was also the Mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. His net worth is an estimated $250,000.

It’s interesting to see the individual net worth for the candidates. As you can see, they have made money in several different ways. You have your attorneys. You have your businessmen and women. Then you also have your lifelong politicians.

Did any of the candidates net worth surprise you?

Going to College Later in Life

Posted on March 11, 2016 - 6:30 am by Jason Butler

going to college, college tips, college advice

Do you know anyone who has or have thought about going to college for the first time a little later in life? Everyone doesn’t go immediately after high school. Some people join the military while others head straight into the workforce. In today’s day and age non-traditional students are pretty standard. Depending on the university there could be an even number of regular and non-traditional students. At the first college that I worked at, the average age of a student was 28 years old. If you have been out of high school for a while and you’re thinking of going to college for the first time, then this post is for you. I want to share with you some basic tips that will help you.

If you have a full-time job but is looking to go to college, the 1st thing that you need to do is check to see if your company offers tuition assistance. Tuition assistance is benefits that help you pay certain tuition expenses. Some of the businesses that offer it are AT&T, Bank of America, Chevron, Starbucks, & Procter and Gamble. If you’re not sure if your company offers tuition assistance, check with your manager or someone in human resources. If they don’t offer tuition assistance, you still have other options for getting aid.

The next thing that you should do is fill out the FAFSA. The FAFSA is the free application for federal student aid. The FAFSA lets you know what type of financial aid you may qualify for. The types of financial aid that you can qualify for is the Pell Grant, Stafford loans, Perkins loans and the Federal Work-Study Program. Once you complete the FAFSA, your school will send you an award letter letting you know what financial aid you can accept.

Something else that you should do is also apply for scholarships. There are many scholarships out there for you even if you are a non-traditional student. Two websites that you can start your scholarship search at are Fast Web and Scholarships.com. Since scholarships are free money, there are thousands of students applying for them. From my experiences working in financial aid, I see that the students who get the scholarships are the ones that apply to several of them.

If you work a 9-5 job, you may be wondering how your class schedule will be. Many universities understand that some of their students are non-traditional these days. Over the years, schools have updated their class schedule options for that reason. Non-traditional students now have the chance to take night classes, weekend classes and online classes. Those three options have allowed more non-traditional students to continue their education.

The final tip that I want to give you is to make sure that you check with your professor before you purchase your textbooks. Each year books are getting more and more expensive. Some professors will let you use the previous semester’s edition, which is cheaper than the new one. You should also purchase your books online because they are usually much cheaper than getting them from your school bookstore.