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EPISODE 52 ~ MAKE MORE: How Lawn Care Apps Can Make You More Money!

How did you get the idea to mow lawns and do other landscaping work through GreenPal?
I did maintenance work for 17 or 18 years. I did lawn care when I was younger and then I started doing it on the side Worked first few years through Craigslist and word of mouth.. I wanted to be outside and honestly I was getting tired of punching a clock. I decided I wanted to do it full time.
Bryan – the founder of GreenPal was with Peachtree lawn care, which I knew of. I didn’t know him personally but he was all around. His company was very large. Just this year I found GreenPal and when I found out he started it I knew he was successful.

Explain what GreenPal is.
The days of knocking on doors are gone. People want a simple app and to have it done. I jumped on board. I thought if you don’t you will get left behind. It has been blossoming ever since.

You were already mowing lawns. What did it take to get started on GreenPal?
Was harder at first. I bid what I charge and I wasn’t getting anything but I didn’t have any reviews or ratings. I had to underbid in the beginning to get started. I started doing that and now I have 30 to 35 5 star reviews. One person said doesn’t give 5 stars but mostly I have all 5 star reviews which really helps. Now I can bid my normal price. A lot of them I bid on jobs and won the bids. Some of them just contact me through the app though by account.

One of the biggest benefits is introductions to clients, right? At this point, how many direct clients do you have and how many do you have through GreenPal?
My direct clients are 40-50. And through Greenpal, last time I checked was about 121 clients.

You also do some landscaping through Greenpal. Is that a nice change of pace?
Hedge trimming, cutting small trees down, mulch jobs, planting plants..

Did you quit your regular job? Is this your entire living now?
In the off season I help my father in law flip houses.

What’s your favorite part about mowing lawns and doing landscaping through GreenPal?
I enjoy being outside. I have the best office you can find out there! Outside! I love that I can get up in the morning and I can have a cup of coffee before I start but I know what I want to get done. I am so much happier! I am happy just to be outside.

You also have more freedom and flexibility for your family, right?
I am able to spend time with my kids. If I want to go have lunch with kids at the school or spend time with them, I know what I have to do. I may try to get everything done so I can spend all day Friday with them. It is very meaningful. When you are punching a clock you can’t leave and you miss out on a lot. I have 2 step kids and 2 of my own – one is 2 and oldest is 22. We have a granddaughter born in December.

And now, the question people have been waiting for me to ask: What kind of money can you make doing yard work through GreenPal?
They could make as much money as their heart desires as long as they get out and go for it. You can make a living at it. You can make 6 figures. Easily! A hundred grand! 200 grand!

Has the money made a difference in your life?
Lots of things. You can start saving for things. A lot of families want to go on vacations but sometimes it’s hard when you get strapped down with bills. I am able to go out. We are taking the kids to Disney for a surprise this year. They have no clue. We knew what we needed so I went out and made it from mowing. We are leaving in 3 weeks – end of June. We will be there for 4th of July. My 2 year old will be so shocked. He loves Mickey Mouse.

You’ve got some tips for other people who might want to try this. I’m going to name the tip and you explain it, OK? First, you say invest in a commercial mower. Why?
You can start off with anything but if you are doing several lawns a day, get a commercial lawn mower. They are built better to withstand things. This is my 3rd season with mine. I bought mid-grade commercial – not even top of the line. You can spend $20,000 on mowers and there are times I wonder what that would be like. But that is where the wife steps in and says, let’s think about this. Take care of your equipment. I clean it once a month and keep the blades sharp.

What about pricing your services. How can people be strategic?
I have made some mistakes as far as learning the whole bidding process. Sometimes I bid too low and have to learn from that. I have done work for people and they say this looks amazing are you sure this is what I owe you. Some offer to pay extra but I just charge what I charge. Pricing jobs can be tricky. In the beginning I undercut my normal prices to get business and good reviews. That helped me get started.

There are lots of people doing lawncare. What do you suggest people do to stand out?
I pay attention to detail. One of the lawns I take care of. I saw a bigger company mowing a yard and the guy went around the soccer ball and kept mowing. I would have picked up the ball and taken it and put it on the porch but that guy just mowed around it. I wouldn’t do that and my customers know that. I pick up trash if it is in the yard. I pay attention to detail and do the best I can.

And finally, what would you say to those who would love to make a change like you did, but have to overcome their fear of change?
It is very scary when you step outside a job you are used to and not knowing if you will make it and can support your family. But stick with it. You think how can there be that much grass out there but there is.

The Uber of Lawn and Garden care app:

greenpal.com

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EPISODE 52 ~ SAVE MORE: Save Money on Your Electric Bill By Switching Your Home to All LED Lights

Save more money with The Easy Money Show

At my own house, I kept thinking I would switch over completely once I had used up all of my old incandescent bulbs, but when I did the math, I was amazed to learn I would save more by ditching those old bulbs —or maybe donating them— than by using them up.
The federal government caught on to the high cost and energy consumption of lighting back in 2007 and passed a law decreeing that lightbulbs must be three times more efficient by the year 2020.
The average American house uses 40 lightbulbs. The average rate for electricity is 13 cents per kilowatt hour.
If all forty lightbulbs were 75 watt incandescent, which is pretty typical, you could convert to 11 watt LEDs to get the same amount of light. Let’s say you leave all forty lights on five hours a day. The annual cost of electricity to power 40 incandescent lightbulbs is an astounding $700. The cost to power 40 LED bulbs is just $100 dollars. Yes, switching to LEDs would save this imaginary household $600 bucks a year. It’s amazing to me that LIGHTING uses so much electricity!
But what about the cost of the bulbs themselves? When LEDs first came on the market, some of them cost as much as $100. Not any more, thank goodness! I was able to find them available for $5 apiece and you can often score LED bulbs for even less, thanks to rebates offered by power companies.
By contrast, old fashioned lightbulbs cost about a dollar a bulb, although, they will probably get more expensive as they become scarce, due to the government mandate. For math’s sake, let’s call the difference in cost between a basic LED and an incandescent bulb $4 bucks. Since a single LED saves you $1.25 a month, you can recoup the cost of the bulb in just over three months.
In addition to saving money, LEDs can save you time —with fewer trips to the store and up the ladder. They last for about 25 thousand hours. That’s more than 13 years, if you keep your lights on five hours a day, which is the number I’ve been using throughout.
Just know that not all LEDs are created equal. To know you are purchasing LEDs with the maximum benefits, look for the Energy Star label. This means they meet standards for brightness, color quality, efficiency, steadiness and lighting up immediately when switched on.
Always nice when you can do something nice for the planet AND you pocketbook all at once.

Rebates offered by power companies:

www.energystar.gov/rebate-finder?scrollTo=0&sort_by=utility&sort_direction=asc&page_number=0&lastpage=0&zip_code_filter=94949&find_rebates=Find+Rebates&search_text=light+bulbs+-+leds&product_clean_isopen=&product_types=Select+a+Product+Category

LED lights for the best price: www.homedepot.com/p/EcoSmart-75-Watt-Equivalent-A19-Dimmable-LED-Light-Bulb-Daylight-2-Pack-5bSA1100STQ1D03/206668064

Energy Star LEDs are the highest standard:
www.energystar.gov/products/lighting_fans/light_fixtures/why_choose_energy_star_qualified_led_lighting

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EPISODE 52~ FIND YOURS: Does Blue Cross Have Unclaimed Money in New York for You?

Find unclaimed money with The Easy Money Show

Excellus, parent company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New York, has put together a searchable website where you can see if any of the checks it is holding is for you.
I wouldn’t normally focus in on a single state like this, but New York has such a big population and so many people go there for just a year or two to work, that this seems worthwhile. Excellus says it is holding more than $2.1 million dollars for 10,400 individuals and businesses! This is money that was paid for claims or refunded premiums. It rightfully belongs to the company’s members and providers and I want to make sure you have a chance to claim it.
If citizens don’t claim by August, the money will be turned over to the Comptroller of New York. It will end up in the state’s unclaimed money pot, but you can avoid a lot of hassle by claiming your money before that happens.
I tried the Excellus search tool and all you have to enter is your last name and the county in New York where you lived or worked. If you get a hit, the system then tells you the address the check is associated with, so you can tell if the money is really for you. I didn’t find any money under “Leamy.” But there were 87 accounts for people with the last name Smith and 39 for the Joneses. You can also search by entering your company name.
If you find a listing for yourself or your firm, you simply email or call Excellus to start the claim process. I will provide all of the contact info you need to do a search and claim your money from EasyMoneySHow.com/52.

To Claim Abandoned checks from Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield of New York:
Via e-mail: contact Customer Services or Provider Services
By phone:
•If you are currently a health plan member, please call the phone number on your member card
•If you are no longer a health plan member, or if you are calling on behalf of the estate of a family member, call Excellus BlueCross BlueShield: 1-800-499-1275.
•To claim a check after September, contact the NYS Comptroller’s office directly at 1-800-221-9311

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EPISODE 51 ~ TOP TIP: How To Get The Manufacturer To Give You A Brand New Car

To most people, the term “lemon” refers to a crummy used car. However, to the government, a lemon is a crummy new car. YES! Each state’s lemon law is a little different but, generally, you must have purchased or leased the car brand new. Each state sets a time and mileage limit. For example, you may be required to make a lemon law claim within 15 months or 15,000 miles of buying the vehicle.
Each state also defines what counts as a lemon. For example, in one state if the dealer can’t correct critical brake or steering problems in one try, the car is considered a lemon. In another state, a car is defined as a lemon if the dealer has tried and failed three times to repair the same flaw. In a third state, the lemon law covers new cars that have been in the shop for a cumulative total of more than 30 days.
Here’s what great about lemon laws and why I wanted you to know: Once all the dealer’s repair attempts have been exhausted, the manufacturer is required to repair —or replace— your car. Fingers crossed for a replacement!

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EPISODE 51 ~ MAKE MORE: How To Have A Career As A Digital Nomad

Let’s talk about living life —and succeeding in a career— as a digital nomad, somebody who travels around and works remotely from wherever they are.
Many thanks to Entrepreneur.com where I first saw this topic. One of my guests on Episode 46 was a digital nomad, Tara Smith, who works from the road as an interior designer with Modsy. So we know it can be done. But how?
First of all, if you want to do this, know that you are not alone. Data from Flex Jobs shows that 43 percent of Americans work remotely at least part of the time, so the trend is going in the right direction for digital nomads.

Here are the basics:
First, get out of debt if you’re in it. It’s hard to become a digital nomad if you’re weighed down by credit card debt.

You are not on vacation. You need to respond quickly to client requests, which means having WIFI access at all times.

Ideally you would work for yourself. Or, if you work for a company and like it, you will need to “train” your manager to accept you n to being in the office. TIm Ferris’s 4 Hour Work Week is the classic step-by-step guide on this.

Now, what sorts of jobs do other people do successfully as digital nomads? Here’s a list: Blogger, Coder, Copyeditor, Consultant, E-Book Author, Graphic designer, Social media manager, Online course creator, Translator, Transcriber, Affiliate Marketer (In other words, somebody who promotes products on their blog and gets money for click-throughs), Video Editor, Virtual Assistant, Writer, Resume Writer. (My guest on Episode 6 makes 6 figures as a resume writer and often takes her work on the road.) and one more: Tutor. What other job titles could you add? All of these have a common thread: they can be done on a computer over the internet. Easy peasy.
Still not sure you could take the leap? I’m happy to tell you that there are also now job sites devoted to digital nomads, including one called Working Nomad and also remote.co and Outsourcely. I will link you to these digital nomad resources from EasyMoneyShow.com/51.

Links:
Jobs sites for digital nomads:
Working Nomad
Remote.co
Outsourcely

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EPISODE 51 ~ SAVE MORE: Cut Your Prescription Costs In Half By Cutting Pills In Half —OR “Growing” Them

Save more money with The Easy Money Show

I want to tell you about all the money you can save through pill splitting —which you may have heard of— but also pill growing, which you probably haven’t because I made up that term!

I don’t know why, but many medications cost the same amount regardless of the number of milligrams in each tablet. It’s weird. The pharmaceutical company is giving you more –sometimes twice as much– of its prized compound, but doesn’t charge you much –if any– extra for it.

Take Lipitor, the popular cholesterol drug. A 30-day supply of 20-milligram pills costs $127. But a 30-day supply of 40-milligram pills also costs… $127. Let’s say your prescription is to take one tablet twice a day. Instead of buying twice as many 20-milligram tablets, you can buy the 40-milligram ones and cut them in half. In this example, you would save more than 15-hundred dollars a year!

It’s important to check with your doctor and pharmacist before splitting pills. Some medications, like extended release formulas, should not be split. An easy way to tell if a pill is safe to split is if it is scored along the top for this very purpose.

Now, let’s talk about pill growing! I coined the term “pill growing” to describe another practice taking one big pill instead of a bunch of little pills. Again, since many pills cost the same amount, regardless of the actual milligram strength, this concept works in reverse too.

Here’s how it works. Often, a doctor will start you on a low dose of a medicine and then ramp up the dosage as your needs become clear. At first, it might make sense to just take more of the tablets you already have, to use them up. But if you keep doing it that way, you are probably wasting money.
Say you are on the antidepressant, Celexa. A single ten milligram pills costs $3.30. A single 40-milligram pills costs $3.60. So if you take four of the ten milligram pills, you are paying nearly four times as much as if you take one 40 milligram pill! If you “grow” your Celexa pills, you will save more than 35-hundred dollars a year.

Believe it or not, many doctors don’t think of this idea. So ask if the medication you’re taking comes in a larger dose and then find out how much that larger dose costs and whether it will save you money.

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EPISODE 51 ~ FIND YOURS: Why You Might Want To Hire A Pro To Help You Find And Claim Your Unclaimed Money

Find unclaimed money with The Easy Money Show

Should you hire a professional to help you search for unclaimed money? That is our featured find yours segment of this podcast.
They’re called “finders” and I have often told you, my listeners, that you can find your own money without these pros. But guest Nick Anderson of Ironwood Recover impressed me with the in-depth treasure hunts he conducts for clients. Here are highlights of our interview.

Let’s get the contentious question out of the way first: Why should people hire a company like yours to help them find their unclaimed money, when it’s pretty easy to search on your own?
I know you and I could search our names and see if we have any money out there but what I enjoy is researching the tough accounts and diving into decades of genealogy to find that one distant relative who is owed a fortune.

You specialize in tricky cases. What are some of the difficulties you take on when finding people’s unclaimed money and why do you enjoy the challenge?
I enjoy mostly finding individuals who are owed money they never knew they were entitled to. What I enjoy is researching the tough accounts and diving into decades of genealogy to find that one distant relative who is owed a fortune. There are complexities…when you are finding/claiming money for a deceased owner. Having been in the business of asset recovery for almost a decade you can imagine that I have some rather interesting recovery stories.

Tell me a couple of stories, Nick. First, about the woman whose husband died in a freak car accident. How did she connect with you, what did you find and how did you find it?
I helped a woman whose husband died in a freak car accident and apparently left her nothing. But I discovered he had over $500k in old savings bonds and got them to this woman and her two children who really needed the money. It transformed their lives.

You also had a case where you reunited lost family members. How did they lose track of each other and what brought them back together?
I reunited lost family members who were all owed a portion of their great grandfather’s estate. They were scattered in a few different states and Canada and now they keep in touch.

Links:
Nick Anderson founded Ironwood Recovery, a professional unclaimed money search firm that specializes in tricky cases.
IronwoodRecovery.com

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EPISODE 51 ~ GUEST BLOG: Introducing a New App That Helps You Find and Claim Your Missing Money

By Nick Anderson, Ironwood Recovery

Unclaimed property has many different names and likewise has many different meanings. The most common way to understand unclaimed property is to simply think of it as “lost or forgotten money”. This can happen a number of different ways. Usually it is because you switch houses and you do not fully update your new contact information with the “holder” of the money. If the holder of your money can’t locate you or you do not engage in any activity with your account, the holder sends it to the state government for safekeeping.

Another reason why the state is holding on to money is because the owner of it has passed away. Individuals should be encouraged not only to search their own name but for relatives as well. This money will sit in perpetuity until it is claimed. Please make sure your financial records are kept up to date so this does not happen to you. And leave a list of your accounts somewhere safe so that your heirs will know what you have in case you die.

I have been helping people discover and recover their unclaimed money for years and estimate I have reunited people with more than $25 million of unclaimed money. Now I want to help you help yourself with a new app that makes it quick and easy to find your unclaimed money. My new app is called iRecovery and it will be available in the iTunes store and Google Play store in June of 2018. The iRecovery app is a free download and search tool to see if you or someone you know has money out there that has gone unclaimed.

Once you discover your lost funds, you answer simple questions to prove ownership of the money. Once you have provided this basic information, the app will process the necessary claim documents for your review and e-signature. You will be able to easily identify what documents are necessary to submit your claim and upload them straight into the app. If you are unable to provide certain documentation to prove ownership of the funds, iRecovery will locate them and attach them to your claim at no cost.

iRecovery is the only app that allows you to search, file and track your unclaimed property claims all in one place. Identify unclaimed assets owned by your family and friends and share your findings with them so they can claim what’s theirs. Search deceased relatives to make a claim as their next of kin with the proper death claim documents that are generated by the app.

iRecovery was designed for the individual to get their money back with ease and simplicity all from your mobile device. Just download the app and start your search to see how helpful we can be. iRecovery was made by unclaimed property experts and designed for an easy, user friendly experience. Search as much as you like. There’s no wrong way to use it and nothing to lose to get started.

Check back to your client portal for updates and notifications on when your claim is approved and your money is sent. iRecovery will automatically update you with any new progress on your claim. You will always know where you stand.

Check the app store soon for the iRecovery app and see what money you may be missing out on!

Guest Bio:
Nick Anderson is a genealogist, heir hunter and skip tracer who is the Founder and CEO of Ironwood Asset Recovery. He founded Ironwood Asset Recovery as a response to the billions of dollars in money and other assets that go unclaimed by Americans each year. Nick has dedicated his career to reuniting private citizens and companies with their rightful property. Over the last decade, he has reunited clients with millions of dollars in lost assets and does not plan on stopping any time soon.

Guest Contact: Nick Anderson, Ironwood Recovery
Website: IronwoodRecovery.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ironwoodrecovery
Google+: plus.google.com/108171121525414996579
Instagram: www.instagram.com/irecoveryusa/?hl=en
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ironwoodrecovery/
Twitter: twitter.com/iRecoveryUSA

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