Money Management

Looking for a new job is a lot of work. Here are three places that make the remote job search much easier. 

Some experts think the unemployment rate might increase from its current level of 3.9% up to 4.8% by the end of this year. If that happens, it could negatively impact many people’s personal finances.

With 51% of working professionals preferring remote work, it pays to know where to find these positions. Here are three great options for your next remote job search.

1. FlexJobs

Cost: $71 annually

FlexJobs says it weeds out spam, ads, and scams by evaluating each remote and hybrid job before it gets posted on its website. One of the best parts of FlexJobs is its size. The job site also has more than 58,000 jobs that span over 50 career categories.

The one downside to FlexJobs is that you have to pay for access. With so many sites offering free remote job listings, it may feel unnecessary to pay for this service. Still, I’ve come across many sites where the job listings are very old or come across as spammy, so having a company filter remote job openings to find legitimate ones is a good service.

An annual subscription costs just over $71, but you can also try the service for 14 days by paying just $2.95. If you aren’t satisfied with what FlexJobs offers within the first 14 days, you can request a refund.

2. WeWorkRemotely

Cost: Free to $8.99

WeWorkRemotely (WWR) lists about 1,000 new remote jobs every month, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for right away, keep checking.

WWR has a few great features for remote workers, including curated job email alerts, a daily digest email of the latest open positions, and a Slack channel specifically for remote workers.

It’s free to use the WWR website to find jobs, but the company also offers a paid version for $8.99 per month that includes a resume builder, custom job search alerts, webinars, and online events.

3. LinkedIn

Cost: Free

LinkedIn is a great place to search for remote work because so many jobs are posted on the platform. While it’s not exclusively for remote jobs, you can easily select remote-only job postings to filter out on-site jobs.

One advantage to starting your remote job search through LinkedIn is having an “Easy Apply” button that allows you to apply to specific jobs quickly. This feature will save you time compared to filling out a separate application.

And because almost any company you’re applying to has a LinkedIn presence, it’s easy to research organizations you’re interested in.

Finally, LinkedIn is free to use, and it costs nothing to apply for jobs. There are paid tiers on LinkedIn, but you don’t need them to search for jobs or apply for them.

One tip when applying to remote jobs

I’ve been a remote worker for more than 10 years and have had my share of conversations with remote employers. One thing I’ve noticed is that writing a cover letter still matters.

As much as I don’t like writing them, a cover letter is one way to stand out. So even if a company doesn’t require one, writing a short cover letter that explains why you’re perfect for the job could be a good way to get noticed.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Smart thermostats are good for your energy bills, but they’re expensive. Find out how your power company may be able to help. 

Upgrading to a smart thermostat can be a great financial move. It can make your energy use more efficient, cutting your energy bills year-round.

The downside? The cost. Smart thermostats aren’t cheap. Base-model units start at around $70, but the price can easily jump to nearly $200 for a top-of-the-line name-brand smart thermostat.

You may not be out-of-pocket for the full cost, however. Your power company may actually offer you some pretty sweet deals on a new smart thermostat.

Power company rebates and discount codes

How your discount works will vary depending on the power company. You may need to shop through their portal, or you may be able to use a discount code and shop at another retailer.

For example, National Grid, Duke, and PG&E all offer thermostat shopping portals where you can shop models, choose a product, and sign up for any associated rebates during checkout.

Finding power company discounts

Not sure if your power company will pay for your upgrade? A simple internet search for the name of your power supplier plus “smart thermostat discount” should turn up any useful promotions.

You could also contact the company directly for a quick answer. Your online account and/or mobile app may even include a section on rebate or incentive programs.

Ongoing incentives for energy saving programs

The potential power company pay off doesn’t end when you order your thermostat. Some energy companies also offer various smart energy programs to customers with connected thermostats.

Specifically, you can allow the power company to tweak your thermostat settings before and during high-demand energy events. For instance, the power company may pre-cool your house by a few degrees before a high-demand event, then increase your thermostat for a few hours during peak usage.

Most of these programs offer a modest bonus for signing up ($50 to $75 is typical), plus an annual rebate of $20 to $40 as long as you stay enrolled and active. You can opt out at any time, and you’ll still have control over your thermostat if you want to change your settings yourself.

Other ways to save on a new thermostat

If your power company doesn’t offer any good deals — or if you want to save even more on top of those deals — try these tips.

Use a rewards credit card

My rewards credit cards are how I save on pretty much anything I buy, especially since it’ll stack with any other kind of discount you can find (provided you can, you know, pay with your credit card).

Choose your credit card based on where you’re buying your thermostat so you can maximize your rewards. Or choose a 2% flat-rate cash back rewards card to ensure you’re earning rewards no matter where you shop.

Shop a wholesale store

You won’t get a huge array of options at Costco or Sam’s Club, but what you do find will likely be going for a good price. In particular, if you’re interested in extras, such as additional sensors, you can often get bundles from Costco with lots of accessories for the same price most retailers charge for just the unit.

Go refurbished

Provided you purchase from a reliable source, a professionally refurbished model can be a great deal. They’re often quite a bit cheaper than new models, and good refurbished units should look and operate like new. Make sure your unit comes with a good warranty, just in case.

A smart upgrade

I’m usually one of the last people to jump on the “smart” product bandwagon. But I have to admit, I’m sold on our smart thermostat. Not only has it had a positive effect on our power bill, but being able to adjust the thermostat from the car is a definite quality-of-life improvement.

Are smart thermostats for everyone? No, probably not. If you already make good use of a programmable thermostat, you may not see as much of a boost from upgrading to a smart unit.

But if you’re already thinking of upgrading, definitely check out your power company’s offerings first. Doing so could save you a ton of money.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Brittney Myers has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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It’s a new year. Read on to see how you and your spouse can start it off on the right foot. 

The start of a new year is a popular time to focus on personal finances. And if you’re married, that’s something you’ll want to do jointly with your spouse. Here are a few specific financial conversations you may want to have this January so you can set yourselves up for a successful 2024.

1. What’s our top financial priority this year?

Maybe you and your spouse realize you’re not adequately prepared for a financial emergency. Seeing as how 63% of Americans don’t have enough savings to cover an unplanned $500 expense, according to SecureSave, that wouldn’t be shocking. In that case, you may decide that boosting your savings account balance is your top goal.

Or perhaps you have a decent emergency fund, but your retirement savings needs work. In that case, you may want to explore your options for finding the right retirement plan and figure out together how much you can afford to contribute this year.

2. What are we going to do about all of our debt?

If you feel like you’re drowning in debt, you’re no doubt in good company. As of the third quarter of 2023, Americans had a collective $17.29 trillion in debt, according to Ascent research. Of that, total credit card debt came to $1.08 trillion, with an average balance of $6,365 per household.

If you’re uncomfortable with the amount of debt you have, or if your monthly payments are putting a huge strain on your finances, then it’s time to make a plan together to shed that debt over time. This doesn’t mean you need to commit to being debt-free in 2024. That may not be possible, especially if you have larger debts, like a car loan or mortgage to pay off.

But if you have high-interest debt, like a credit card balance, to work off, then it’s a good idea to sit down and come up with a payoff plan this month. That could mean consolidating your various balances onto a single credit card or into a personal loan, and then taking turns working side hustles to drum up the cash to pay that debt off.

3. What changes to our spending do we need to make?

Maybe you and your spouse feel that you’re doing fine financially — you have adequate emergency savings, you don’t carry credit card balances month after month, and you’ve already started building a retirement nest egg. Or maybe you and your spouse agree that your finances aren’t optimal.

Either way, the start of the year is a good time to examine your spending — because whether you’re in a good place financially or not, there’s no sense in paying for things that don’t add a lot of value to your life. Take a look at your existing bills and evaluate each one.

You might be paying for a streaming service you hardly use anymore. Even if that only saves you $15 a month, why not keep that money in the bank or use it for other things? Similarly, if you audit your spending and realize you’re spending $500 a month at restaurants, that may be a wake-up call to do more cooking at home — especially if you have goals you’re trying to save for, like building an emergency fund or buying a house.

Talking about finances at the start of the year is a great way to kick things off on the right foot. You may want to have these three conversations with your spouse this month so you can work together to make 2024 your best financial year to date.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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