Anker PowerDrive+ 4 Ports USB-C Review

I just got an Anker PowerDrive+ 4 Ports USB-C ( model A2240 ) and I figured I would do a quick blog review with some pictures.  I have used many multi-port adapters before, they are very useful if you have multiple devices.  These days everyone has a phone or tablet they want to charge plus other devices (like dash cams) typically use USB power.

Side view

This adapter didn't come with any cables, just the adapter itself.  It has a neat little red ring around it that glows when plugged in, this might just seem like an extra feature with no value but it is very handy to ensure you are getting power - I have had other adapters "back out" of the cigarette lighter port and you really don't notice until your phone dies.

Red ring ( the switch is from my power supply )

4 ports  (green = QC 3.0)

The adapter itself has 4 ports:

- Two USB PowerIQ ports for your USB devices
- One Quick Charge (QC) 3.0 port for faster charging on compatible devices
- One USB-C port for USB-C devices

 To test the charger out, I used my home made power supply ( old ATX computer power supply with an on/off switch and cigarette lighter port) to power it up.  I then connected two large battery packs (one USB, one USB-C) and a Samsung S7 Edge on the QC port.  After about an hour, I checked the adapter and it didn't even feel warm to the touch.  All my devices were charging just fine, and the S7 Edge was showing quick charge mode.

Charging up multiple devices
( S7 Edge not connected since I used it for the picture )

Bottom line: This seems like a solid car charger, even if you don't have a USB-C phone today you can still use the other ports and be ready when you or someone else has a USB-C device to charge.

Anker Product Page: https://www.anker.com/products/variant/PowerDrive%2B-4-Ports-USB-C/A2240011
Amazon Product Page: https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charge-Charger-PowerDrive-PowerIQ/dp/B01G5B069C

NOCO Genius G750 and G1100 Charger and Maintainer

I have looked into NOCO chargers in the past but never purchased one until recently.  I recently saw some good prices ( Amazon lightning deals ) and ended up buying two units - the G750 and the G1100.

Here is a quick rundown of the features/specs (not a full list of course):

- Both units can charge 6V and 12V lead acid batteries and use a multiple step charging approach
- The G1100 can also support 12V Lithium-ion batteries
- The G750 is IP60 rated and the G1100 is IP65 rated.  So they have the same solid protection (1st digit, 6 which is basically dust tight) but different liquid protection (2nd digit).  The G750 (rating of 0) has no protection, and the G1100 (rating of 5) protects against "powerful water jets" so basically rain shouldn't be an issue but don't put it under water.
- Both units come with clamp connectors w/ integrated eyelets, and they have a range of adapter/cables that you can purchase.
- Both units come with a 5-year warranty which is impressive.  Assuming you keep the receipt and register the unit, 0-2.5 years is no charge and 2.5-5 years is 35% of MSRP.

G1100

G750

You can remove the screw and they end up being eyelets
that you can mount to your car battery terminals if you want

Cover on the connector, in case you decide to leave this connected to your car battery

If you aren't familiar with the NOCO units, read up on them they have some neat features ( battery recovery, diagnostics etc ).  Product info links: G750 and G1100

Once I got the units, I tried them on a 6V battery that I had from one of those kid ride on cars.  The G750 wouldn't even get started, so I put the original charger on it for a while.  I put the G750 on it again, and after a while it would given me an error light.  I figured maybe the G750 didn't have enough power to bring the dead battery back so I tried the G1100 and it also gave me an error indication.  Ultimately, the battery itself was just beyond repair - it had been sitting in the garage for a while and I didn't keep it charged (I should have gotten a NOCO unit a long time ago).

Trying to charge the 6V battery

I also tested the G1100 against a few car batteries.  Since these were cars that were used often/recently none of the batteries were dead or near dead, but as far as I could tell the charger was working.

Topping off a Optima car battery

Once I purchased a replacement 6V battery, I used the G750 to fully charge it.  One of the nice features about these units is that they work as battery maintainers.  You don't have to disconnect the charger just leave it plugged up - it will monitor the battery and top it off as needed.  For situations where you don't use the battery often, this is a great capability.

Charging the new 6V battery

Ultimately, I think the G750 is perfect for indoor / garage use to keep things like the kid ride on toys or other batteries charged and maintained.  However, if you plan to use it for cars that are outside of the garage I would recommend the G1100 due to the better IP65 rating.  Ultimately, I think the NOCO Genius chargers are very nice options and you just need to select the best one for your use.  Don't make my mistake and let a battery go bad before you decide to get a NOCO charger!

Otium adapter with 3-socket cigarette lighter and 4 USB ports - Review

My car has an "always-on" cigarette lighter, but I plan to plug a few things into it and wanted to have it turn on when the car does.  I know I could do a custom setup using a relay and some wiring, but I wanted a quick/easy setup for now.  After digging around online I narrowed in on an Otium adapter that had the following features:

• 3-Socket cigarette lighter: This was important because I am using a FM transmitter until I decide to replace the radio
• 4-port USB charger: This will allow my phone, passenger phone and two other devices (one being a dashcam probably)
• On/off switch: Of course this was the most important aspect
• Volt meter: This was more of a nifty way to see if the power was on or off, but also would allow me to monitor the voltage.

Once the unit arrived, I unpacked it and took a few pics.  Lately many of my blog posts have been apps/websites so I was looking forward to putting up a hardware post again.

Box

Device - Simple and clean design

3 sockets and 2 USB ports on the front
The red things are where the double sided tape is

Interesting design for the sockets

4 USB ports total (2 front, 2 side)

Next, I took it to the car to test it.  Everything seemed to work fine, and the cigarette lighter powered FM transmitter worked great. 

Installed

Close up, notice the voltage

I need to tidy up the cables at some point

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Plenty of ports: The 3 cigarette lighter ports allow you to use items that must plug in directly or have their own adapter, and the 4 USB ports should cover any other devices.

On/off switch: If you have an "always-on" cigarette lighter, then this is a must-have.

Volt meter: This is just a neat way to know the unit is working, and keep an eye on your battery voltage / charging system.

Bottom line: So far I am very happy with this little unit.  I need to see if I can hide the wires and tidy up the install a bit, but I don't plan to use the double sided tape to mount it to anything just because I want to avoid residue being left behind if I remove it.   I will update this post if needed as I continue to use this adapter.

Otium Product Page
Amazon Product Page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07169DMHM/

RushCard Free $30

NOTE: I no longer refer this card, so I don't know if my link even works or if the referral program terms have changed.

I have seen various posting about the RushCard, but I never got around to actually trying it myself.  Considering you can get free money ($30) for trying it, I figured why not.

NOTE: If you are ready to sign up and get $30 free, scroll to the bottom of this post for directions.

IMPORTANT NOTE: RushCard has changed the terms, you have to load $50 now.

My Thoughts on RushCard

There are other debit card options ( such as the ones I reviewed here http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/10/online-bank-prepaid-card-alternatives.html ) that seem to be better options, but $30 free is a great incentive to give this card a try.  From what I can tell, the RushCard has a wider range of options to load money than I have seen on other cards.  For someone who is dealing in cash often, this might be an advantage over the other options that are out there.

Sign-up / Setup

I signed up online (scroll to the bottom when you are ready to sign up), and it took just under two weeks to get the card.  The sticker on the card gave a few options to active the card (app, web and phone).  I decided to use the Android application.

Click on "Activate New Card"

Put in your card info

Once it is activated setup an account and enter the required information

Once you are done, your card is active and ready to go!

Activating the card was fairly easy, and once the card was activated I setup an account in the application.

Loading Funds

Now I was ready to load money.  There are multiple options listed, which might be one of the reasons people use this card.  Most of the options also have fees, but ACH/direct deposit does not.

Many load options

You can link apps like PayPal (or probably any other option that uses ACH) by using the routing/account number that is in the app, or on the paperwork that came with the card.  The details below explain PayPal steps, but the same approach will likely work with other apps.

PayPal Linking

Option 1 "Bank Account": One of the papers that came with the card has a bank name, routing number and direct deposit ID number ( account number ) on it.  If you don't have that paper go into the app, choose direct deposit and select your card.  This will give you the same routing / deposit ID number.  Go to PayPal, and add the account using the routing/account number.  Within a few days, you should see two small credits and one debit on your RushCard.  Once you see that, go back to PayPal and confirm the account.  Once you are done you can transfer money from PayPal to your RushCard.

Option 2 "Debit or credit card": You can add the debit card number to PayPal, which allows you to transfer money quickly but there is a fee (for example I paid 25 cents to put $4.75 on the card).  You should only do this if you need the money on the card quickly and don't want to wait for the normal ACH method.  Update: This method works, two people tested it and they got their $30 within a few hours.

Adding funds via PayPal

Once you completed linking (above option 1 or option 2), you can put enough to cover the $3.95 card fee.  You should be able to go into your PayPal balance and choose "transfer to bank".  Option 1 will show up as "Metabank" and Option 2 should show up as a debit card.  Since there is a $0.25 fee, you will need to transfer $4.20 to cover the $3.95 and 25 cent fee.

Free Money?

So the bottom line you are probably wondering, did it work?  Yes it did!  Since you have to load $3.95 on the card to cover the card fee, you are basically getting $26.05 free!  You can get an additional $30 per person you refer ($600 max I think).

IMPORTANT NOTE: After 90 consecutive days of zero transactions or loads each month, you will be charged a $1.95 fee each month until you use the card again.

IMPORTANT NOTE: RushCard has changed the terms, you have to load $50 now.

Sign Up Steps

To sign up and get $30 free use my referral link below.  A few things to keep in mind:
- Pick a card design with a $3.95, do NOT pick "Sequin KLS" that has a $9.95 fee.
- Select the "I want to pay as I got for each purchase" option
- Make sure the "Enter Referral or Promo Code" field has my code ( VICTORJIMENEZ8 ), if not put that code in.

Sign up link: https://apply.rushcard.com/start?urid=VICTORJIMENEZ8

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Online Bank / Prepaid Card Alternatives ( Chime, Simple and Qapital )

I have run into many people online who either have no bank account or use prepaid cards, but many of the prepaid options have fees.  I decided to pull together a list of a few options I knew of that would be good online only banks / prepaid card alternatives.

I haven't tested all of these full yet, but here is a summary of the features.

NOTE: Update 12 Feb 2022 - Simple is gone, but SoFi Money is good alternative.

$25 from SoFi Money - You can save, spend, and earn interest—all in one account. Use my link to sign up and you’ll get a $25 bonus. Referral link: https://www.sofi.com/invite/money?gcp=baf027eb-93db-453b-a474-fe7aae805180

Common between all cards:
- Claim minimal/no fees ( Simple fee info / Chime fee info / Qapital fee info )
- Provide routing # and account # so you can get pay direct deposit and use other services that require the info
- Provides a physical debit card
- You can pay bills/people using mailed checked
- Can link to your bank

Common between at least two cards:
- Has a list of ATMs in the application (Simple and Chime)
- Can transfer money quickly to other users of the same service (Simple and Chime)

Setting aside Savings

Each of the options has a different way to help you save money.  Here are the options:

Saving with Chime - Chime has something they call "Automatic Savings" which can set aside some money when you spend money (round up and save the change) or get paid (save 10%).  However, it doesn't seem to include allocating the money to multiple goals like Simple and Qapital.  This seems to be a great "set and forget" without specific saving goals.

Saving with Simple -  Simple uses "Goals" for setting aside money using an easy approach of defining the amount of your goal, and when you need it so it can automatically set aside money.  This seems to be the easiest to setup if you want to use goals, but you can still manually allocate money if you want.  You can read more here ( https://www.simple.com/help/articles/goals/budgeting-with-goals )

Saving with Qapital - Qapital uses "Goals" but they are based on a wide set of rules that you can customize.  This seems to offer the most automated options, but you can also just manually control money moves if you prefer.  Here are the types of rules:

Round-Up Rule: Save the change every time you spend ( for example, if you spend $2.25 it rounds up to $3 but puts the 25 cents into your savings ).
Spend Less Rule: For example, you set aside $10 a week for McDonalds.  If you spend less than $10, the difference goes to savings.
Guilty Pleasure Rule: Ever time you spend money at a certain place (for example Starbucks) you can set aside a certain amount into savings.
Set and Forget Rule: Set aside a certain amount of money per day, week or month.
52 week Rule: Save $1 week 1, $2 week 2 and so on for 52 weeks.  When you are done, you will have $1378 set aside.
IFTTT Rule: This lets you customize a wide range of options using the service IFTTT.
Freelancer Rule: Set aside 30% for tax day every time you get paid.  You can adjust the percent.  This is helpful if you get paid but no taxes are taken out.

If you just want to set aside savings without thinking tying the money to specific goals, Chime is probably a good option.  If you want to set aside money for goals, Simple and Qapital are the best options.  Both work well to manually move money around, but if you want automatic options use Simple for an easy setup and use Qapital to tweak things how you want.

Unique features to just one of the options:
- Chime has a rewards program, but I only saw a few offers and none were interesting to me at the time but I believe they change.
- Chime can link to a debit card, so you can transfer money (limit 3 times per card, $25 minimum).
- Chime says you can receive your paycheck (via direct deposit) up to two days early
- Simple supports photo check deposits, Chime says this is coming soon

Referral Program:
- Simple: If you sign up using a referral link you can get $20, you do have to make a purchase (card swipe not online).  Also if you refer others you can get $20 per person.
- Chime: If you have a payroll direct deposit (of $200 or more) you can get $25 right now (not sure if that will change.  Also when you refer others, you and the person can both get $25 if they also have a payroll direct deposit of $200 or more.
- Qapital; When you sign up and make a deposit (even a few bucks) you get $5, then each person you refer who also does a deposit gets you and the person $5 each.

NOTE: The referral information above and at the end of the post are as of late October 2017 and are subject to change.

You can read the full feature information by clicking: Simple, Chime and Qapital.  Ultimately, the best card for you depends on how you plan to use it.  Luckily all of these options are free, so you can pick more than one to try out.

My referral links:

Qapital -Get $5 free when you sign up and make a deposit (even just a few bucks).
My link: https://get.qapital.com/bzAc/7i45bilM5G

Simple - Get $20 if you use a referral link.  You can earn more by referring friends.
My link: https://simple.com/friends/BRYN323

Chime - Get $25 when you open a Chime Account and set up payroll direct deposit of $200 or more. 

I closed my Chime account.  I never got my referral money when I signed up because they said the code didn't register (I know I used a valid link).  Contact support was pointless, no one would fix it - I was flat out told on the phone that even a supervisor would tell me they can't help.  I got real annoyed at that point and told them to close my account.  Feel free to try it for yourself, just find someones code if you want to try to earn the referral money.

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Investing in stocks - Get some free stocks to start

Once you get some extra money coming in, you might be looking for ways to invest some of it.  Investing in the stock market is an option, but like any investment it carries risks.  There are plenty of sources where you can learn information about the stock market, but when it comes to pulling the trigger you have to jump in and take risks.  So why not risk free stocks?

There are two services (Robinhood and Stockpile) that will give you a free stock when you use the referral links I provide.  This gives you a chance to try out both services, and get hands on experience with stocks.

Here are some of the key aspects/differences of each service:

Robinhood:

• No fees to open/maintain account, transfer funds or buy stock
• Minimal fees when you sell (company charges nothing but there are SEC/TAF regulatory fees)
• Free random stock ($2 - $200 value) if you use my link.  Mine was a stock in Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) worth $3.87 at the time, currently worth $4.30 but some people do get lucky and get high value stocks.
• No fractional shares
• No dividend reinvestment
• Referral program where you can earn more free stocks ( up to $500 worth )

Stockpile:

• No fees to open/maintain account
• 99 cents per trade to buy/sell stock
• Other fees if you are giving as a giftcard/e-gift, which this service is really good for in my opinion
• Free $5 of stock if you use my link, and you can pick the company you want
• Can purchase fractional shares
• Free dividend reinvestment
• Great educational resources
• UTMA (Uniform Transfer to Minors Act) account that is owned by a minor but managed by an adult (the custodian) but the custdian doesn't have to be a parent.

What are fractional shares?

As of September 30 the stocks for Ford (F) costs $11.97/share and Apple (AAPL) costs $152.12/share.  With Robinhood you have to buy a full share at the cost, but with Stockpile you can buy fractional shares based on how much you want to invest.  As an example, I purchased exactly $5 with of Ford (F) at $11.95 per share so I ended up getting 0.41841 shares.

Read up more on fractional shares here

What is dividend reinvestment?

Some stocks pay dividends (basically a share of the profits the company makes).  With dividend reinvestment, the money you make is used to purchase more stocks.  Stockpile supports this (with no fee) but currently Robinhood does not.

Read up more on dividend reinvestment here

Other useful links:
The Complete Beginner's Guide to Investing in Stock ( the balance )
Getting Started in Stocks ( Investopedia )

So how do you get your free stocks?

You can read the reviews I wrote and use the referral links on my the posts (links below) or you can just skip that and use the referral links.

Blog Links to read my reviews: Stockpile and Robinhood

Disclosure: These are referral/affiliate links, which means that if you sign up using my link, I’ll receive compensation/free stocks.  However, all opinions are my own.

Referral Links: 
Stockpile: (No longer has a referral program, see note below)
Robinhood: https://share.robinhood.com/victorj95

Update (Feb 2022): Stockpile no longer has a referral program but you can try going to ( https://www.stockpile.com/affiliate?utm_source=stockpile&utm_medium=freestocksupport&utm_campaign=support ) and see if it will give you $5 free.

If you sign up, please post on the blog and let me know what stock you won from Robinhood and what you purchased from Stockpile.

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Stockpile Review and Free $5 of Stock

Updated: 15 Oct 2017

Lately I have been looking at stock related sites and applications, and I ran across Stockpile - it is a site that I have seen before but never really did a deep dive into it.  I had an offer for a free $5 of stock, so I decided to give it a try.

If you have no clue what a stock is, go here ( https://learn.stockpile.com/2017/06/24/what-is-stock/ ) and then come back.  If you are ready to get started with a free $5 of stock, scroll to the bottom if not keep reading.

The process for setting up the account was fairly easy, and instead of the Apple stock that the offer initially showed I decided to go with Ford (F) for two reasons 1) right now the dividend shows up as being almost 5% and 2) I like Ford.  One of the really neat things about Stockpile is that you can own part of a share - so if you can't afford a single Google stock (almost $1000 right now) you can still get a certain $ value worth of it.

The next day my order was executed, and I owned a partial share in Ford.  Specifically, the share was selling at $11.95 so my $5 got me 0.41841 shares.  Since Ford does pay dividends, I read up on the Stockpile support area and found out that they can reinvest the dividends into the same company without any extra fees.  Why does this matter?  Now every time Ford pays dividends, the money goes right back into getting more Ford stock.  This is a great "set it and forget it" approach that allows the stock to slowly increase in shares if the company pays dividends.

$5 of Ford stock

As I started to look around the Stockpile website, I started to realize how well the company has targeted a specific market.  Stockpile seems like the perfect option for someone that wants to provide a gift to a child (either a young child or a teenager) as an investment opportunity and a chance to learn about stocks.  Here are my reasons for coming to this conclusion:

1) Stockpile focuses on providing information for someone who is new to stocks and wants to learn.  They have an entire section on their website ( https://learn.stockpile.com/ ) and they have a "A Rookie's Guide to Investing in the Stock Market" mini-book that you can purchase.

2) Stockpile has an online gift store with many various options of cards that can be targeted to the person you are giving the gift to such as:

- Generic cards (For example "Your Favorite Stock" & "Your Favorite Index ETF")
- Company specific cards (For example Disney, Facebook, Apple & Tesla )
- Theme based cards (For example "Own a piece of your favorite..." and various options like "car company" or "gaming company")
- You can get bundles of cards with the "A Rookie's Guide to Investing in the Stock Market" mini-book that I mentioned earlier, making it a great little kit.

This allows the flexibility to target the gift to the person.  The card itself costs more than the face value ( for example a $50 card costs $56.95 ) but that means the gift giver is taking care of fees and the recipient gets stocks for the face value ($50 in my example) of the card.

3) You can get cards at local stores (seems to be Lowes and Target mainly) but that is just based on what the website says, I didn't personally check.

4) You can send the gift as an "e-gift" if you don't want to deal with an actual gift card.

5) No monthly fees or other maintenance costs, the only fee most people would run into is the 99 cents cost when they decide to sell the stock.

6) Stockpile allows a UTMA (Uniform Transfer to Minors Act) account that is owned by a minor but managed by an adult (the custodian) but the custdian doesn't have to be a parent.  More info: https://learn.stockpile.com/2017/07/21/what-is-an-utma-account/

I am very impressed with Stockpile.  Like any product or company they have a target audience, and I think they are a great option for giving stocks as a gift either for novelty or educational purposes.

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you sign up using my link, I’ll receive compensation.  However, all opinions are my own and I actually tried Stockpile and wrote this review before joining the affiliate program to get my readers the unique offer below.

Update (Feb 2022): Stockpile no longer has a referral program, but I think you can still go to ( https://www.stockpile.com/affiliate?utm_source=stockpile&utm_medium=freestocksupport&utm_campaign=support ) and get $5 free worth of stock.

If you want another option to try and more free stock, check out my review of Robinhood:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/09/robinhood-free-or-near-free-stock.html

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Drop Review

Update on Drop.  It has officially launched in the US.  To celebrate the launch, everyone in the US gets $5 worth of points per referral this week (10.10-10.17) - that's 5X the normal amount! So sign up using my link ( https://b.ewd.io/code?c=pkbs3 ) or code ( pkbs3 ) and start to save money shopping and earn points by referring others.

I recently ran across an application called Drop.  It allows you to save money shopping at places you normally would, without submitting receipts or anything like that.  It seems very similar to another application called Dosh ( Do$h ) that I recently tried out.

When you go to the Drop website, it says it will be officially launching in October 2017 but I was able to sign up late September ( I think it was a special link ).  The sign up was fairly simple, I put my phone number into the web page and I was sent a text with a link.  Once I entered the normal basic info (email etc) I was presented a screen to select my bank.

I attempted to link two cards, but they both said some error about having delays with the institution I selected.  Unfortunately there was no "skip" button, so I had to force the application to close.  Once I started it again, I was able to get into the application.  Keep in mind, I am using it before it is officially released so issues are expected.

During the sign up, I had to select 5 brands and the app made it clear that once I select the brand I can't change your mind.  I just picked the 5 that I would most likely use.

5,000 points just for signing up

Just from signing up, I had 5000 points.  I looked around in the application, and saw another screen that showed options to earn more points.  For example, Target would earn 10pts per $1 spent.  Doing the quick math, you would have to spend $500 to get 5000 points.  These are ongoing offers that seem to be aligned with the 5 brand I picked earlier so basically points for shopping where I normally would shop.

My "Ongoing Offers" seem to match the brands I chose

Additionally, you can earn points doing other special things in the application ( check them out on Facebook and Twitter for example ).  I ended up with a total of 7,150 points without spending a dime.

Next, I wanted to see what my points would get me.  I ran across a few offers for example:

- 5,000 points for a $5 gift card at Starbucks
- 10,000 points for a $10 gift card at Amazon

I ended up getting the $5 for Starbucks, it only took a few minutes to arrive in my email.

Screen showing where I redeemed point

Email with eGift Card

So basically every $500 you spend gets you 5000 points which are worth $5, about a 1% "cash back" value which isn't bad considering these are free points for shopping places you already do.  The application also has special offers like 2000 points for spending $20 at Amazon (this seems to be a one-time offer) which would give you a return of 10% instead of 1%.

Bottom line, this gives you a chance to get some free stuff by redeeming points for spending money that you already spend.  Why not give it a try?  My referral link ( below ) will start you off with 2000 points!

Use my link to sign up ( https://b.ewd.io/code?c=pkbs3 ) and if you are asked for a code make sure you put in my code: pkbs3

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Dosh Review - Get cash back on offers and $5 free

I recently ran across another online money saving option called Dosh.  As always, I did some research on how it worked to make sure it was something that I wanted to try out.

NOTE: If you are ready to sign up and don't need to see any more details use my link: https://link.dosh.cash/YCLI/wD86NGeHlI

I decided to go ahead and sign up, and took screenshots of the first 5 screens so you can see the same information since it is pretty useful:

Once you have decided to sign up, it takes you through registration where you put in your mobile number which is verified by sending a code ( Google Voice numbers do work ).  After that you put in your name, email and password.

Once you have setup your account, you get to the main screen ( see above).  I blanked out the restaurant names/logos, but two of the three on my list are places I go to from time to time for dinner.  I didn't see any big chain stores ( Applebees, Outback etc).  There is also a large list of online offers from many different companies.  The "Unlock" only shows up because I had not added a card at this point.

Make sure you verify your e-mail address!  You should see a reminder to do this if you click on the "Home" tab of the app.

At the bottom you will see the other tabs "Travel", "Home", "Social" and "Cards".

Once you click on "Cards" you will see where you can get $5 bonus for connecting your 1st card.  Adding the card was pretty simple, just enter the information it asks for.  The minimum cashout is $15, and it can go to PayPal or a bank account.

At this point you can get more money two ways:

1) Use the application to get cash back.
2) Get $5 when you refer a friend and they connect a card and redeem a cash back offer.

Update: October 13, 2017 - I finally had a chance to use the card at one of the 7% restaurants, shortly after (same day) I got the 7% cash back in the Dosh app.  Even better there was some little offer that let me get 2x the cash back so I ended up getting 14% just for getting food from a place I would have anyways!  I also cashed out a few bucks to PayPal!

Was up to $18.98 then I cashed out (left $15 in it)

Proof of transfer to PayPal

I hope this information was useful.  If you are ready to sign up, please use my link:

https://link.dosh.cash/YCLI/wD86NGeHlI

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Saving for Goals with Rize

I recently signed up for Rize to give it a try and wanted to share a few details about it.  Basically, Rize helps you save towards goals by pulling money from your account and putting it into a separate account (with assigned goals so you can track progress).  This could be a specific goal ( a vacation, a laptop ) or a general one ( emergency fund ).

The benefits of Rize ( Visit https://rizemoney.com/ to read more )

Safe and Secure: Money in your Rize account is insured up to $250,000 and Rize uses 256-bit encryption end-to-end.
0.90% APY: Cash in your Rize account earns interest at 15x the national average.
Unlimited Goals: Save for 1 goal or for 100. Whatever you want to save for, you can do it with your Rize account.
Unlimited Transfers: Move money in and out of your Rize account anytime you want for free. Transfers typically take 2-3 business days.
No Minimums: It doesn’t matter if you save $5 each month or $5,000. Saving for the future you want, that’s what counts.
Pay What You Want: You choose what you pay to use Rize. 100% transparent with no hidden fees. We’re not kidding.

Disclosure: This post contains a referral link, which means that if you sign up using my link, I’ll receive compensation.  However, all opinions are my own.

Sign up using this link https://goo.gl/oRYNam to get $5.

When you sign up, it will walk you through a few steps - setting a goal, monthly saving amount and connecting your bank.  If you aren't sure you want to actually start moving money around yet, I would check the following settings:

1) Go into the goal you created, and edit it so the monthly commitment is $0.
2) Go into your settings > Profile Settings and under "Scheduled Savings" make sure it say "Recurring deposits are paused" if it doesn't go ahead and pause them
3) Turn off the "Savings Power Ups" until you have a chance to read about them
4) For the Monthly Rize Contribution, change it to $0.  This is ONLY while you get familiar with it, if you try Rize for a few months and it provides value then you should consider contributing to the service.

You can play around with the interface a bit more, and then start setting some actual goals.

Your $5 free will take a few weeks to show up, but it has to stay in your account for 90 days before you can withdraw.  Remember this is a savings account so really that $5 is just $5 towards one of your goals.

Referral bonus!

Update: After playing around with Rize and getting a better understanding of the service, I came up with how I can use it.  I was working on a monthly budget, but there were certain items that were quarterly, yearly, or twice a year.  For example my trash is about $54 every 3 months.  It is hard to budget for those type of expenses on a monthly basis, since two months there is no expensive then one month it goes up to $54.

If you take the $54 across 3 months that is $18 per month.  I am using Rize to pull $18 per month from my account, and set it aside against a specific goal for my trash bill.  I do the same thing for other items that aren't monthly.  This way on a monthly basis, a consistent amount is set aside for the items that happen quarterly, twice a year or yearly.  When I need to pay those bills, I can just move the money out of Rize.

If you take this approach, keep in mind the timing of your bills will impact how things work first time around.  For example, lets assume the trash was paid in August and is due again in November.  Since I am starting this now in October, I will have Oct/Nov ($36 total) set aside.  However, once that bill is paid the next time it is due I should have the full $54 available.  Check out the screen shots below.

$18 a month for trash company

Other quarterly, twice a year and yearly set asides

Disclosure: This post contains a referral link, which means that if you sign up using my link, I’ll receive compensation.  However, all opinions are my own.

Sign up using this link https://goo.gl/oRYNam to get $5.

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Robinhood - Free (or near free) Stock Trading

I recently ran across a page online that provided information on how to get a free stock via Robinhood (see details at the end of my post).  I was familiar with Robinhood, and have played around with stocks in the past ( most recently via Scottrade but it has been a while since I did any trading ).  I had my eye on Robinhood in the past, but didn't signed up until just recently - the key aspect of Robinhood is that there are no fees to purchase stocks.  Make sure you read up on other fees before diving in, so there are no surprises.

If you are ready to sign up, use my referral link ( https://share.robinhood.com/victorj95 )  Make sure you confirm your email.

Keep on reading..

Signing up for Robinhood is pretty simple, but keep in mind this is a financial site/app so you will need to share information like your social security number.  Overall the process wasn't difficult, if additional information is needed they will let you know.

NOTE: If you have your credit frozen, make sure you unfreeze it before signing up for Robinhood since it will likely help you avoid extra steps to confirm your account.

Once my account was verified, the first thing I did was claim my free stock.  It didn't take long to show up, I figured I wouldn't get one of the high value ones like Apple and I was right - I got Chesapeake Energy (CHK).  It was a free stock, and more importantly it put something in my account so I could start to become familiar with the application features.

My free Chesapeake Energy (CHK) Stock

Next, I linked my account to my bank and pulled in a few bucks.  The money showed up as instantly being available in Robinhood which was very cool.  It didn't take me long to play around with the various options to purchase shares, and I ended up buying a stock in Ford (F).  It wasn't a well researched decision, I just like Ford.  So now I have two stocks, one free and one purchased without a fee.  More importantly, I think Robinhood may have gotten me interested into playing around on the stock market again.

Portfolio view

Portfolio View ...continued
Positions = Stocks you own
Watchlist = Stocks you are tracking

For someone trying out the stock market without racking up fees, this seems like a good area to get started.   If I remember correctly Scottrade has some neat reporting and tracking features, and their trades were cheap compared to other offerings at the time but it is hard to argue with free stock purchases and a simple interface even if you miss out on some of the bells and whistles that other options may have.

Bottom line, I think Robinhood is a great way to start getting familiar with buying and selling stocks since you can try things out for free (or minimal fee) to see if you want to dive into stocks further.

If I run into any other cool features, or problems, I will update this post.

Free Stock Details

As of 9/9/2017 here are the key points of the "Free Stock" offer from Robinhood but make sure you read to see what has changed if you sign up later:

- You and the person who refers you will get a free stock certificate
- The stocks are chosen randomly, and will be in the $2.50 to $200 range but that depends on the market.
- You can refer others and get up to $500 in stocks

If you are ready to sign up, use my referral link ( https://share.robinhood.com/victorj95 )  Make sure you confirm your email.

If you want another option to try and more free stock, check out my review of Stockpile:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/09/stockpile-review-and-free-5-stock.html

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html