Money Management

Many employees are restless right now. Here’s why and what to do if you’re one of them. 

A recent survey conducted by BambooHR gathered employee satisfaction metrics from 57,000 unique individuals across 1,600 companies — and the results paint a pretty dim picture of employee morale.

The data shows that employee satisfaction has declined at a rate 10 times faster than in the previous three years, and employees are more unhappy in their jobs than at any time since the beginning of the pandemic.

The reasons behind employee unhappiness vary, and some of them are industry-specific. For example, technology workers are reportedly more unhappy because return-to-office mandates have ramped up in the sector. Restaurant and service industry workers are unhappy in part because of a lack of staff. Meanwhile, educators are dissatisfied because they feel overworked and underpaid, according to the survey.

Unsurprisingly, employee pay is often a factor in how happy an employee is. A separate Pew Research study found that only 34% of employees were extremely or very satisfied with how much they’re paid. More workers may be unhappy with their pay, as inflation has wreaked havoc on people’s personal finances over the past few years.

Based on all this research, there’s a good chance you’re feeling dissatisfied with your job right now. If so, here are a few tips to help you jump-start your job search.

Tips for finding a new job

Not all of these suggestions may apply to you specifically, but there are some general steps you can take to make the most of your job hunting.

Build your network: I’m purposefully not using the word “networking” here because it sends shivers down most people’s spines (including mine!). Thankfully, attending networking events isn’t a prerequisite for finding a new job. Instead, try reconnecting with former colleagues on LinkedIn to expand your network and telling friends and people you’ve worked with that you’re looking for a job. The more people who know that you’re job searching, the better your chances of finding someone who might be hiring.Talk to recruiters: Applying for jobs is time-intensive. Why not let someone else help? The job-posting platform Indeed says many companies use talent agencies to fill positions, so working with a recruiter can be a great way to accelerate your job search.Be specific with your resume and cover letter: Another suggestion from Indeed is to tailor your resume and cover letter to the job you’re applying for. Some experts have suggested the cover letter is dead, but for companies that still request one, describe how your skills fit into the role and why you’re excited to be a part of their team.

There’s also one piece of advice I’ve used personally in previous job searches that often gets overlooked: Take inventory of why you’re looking for a new job.

Many people look for a new position, thinking that having any job other than the one they have will be better. But without reflecting on why you’re unhappy in your current position, you may trade one lousy experience for another.

Instead, list what makes you unhappy in your current job and what would make you happier in a new position. It may be more pay, a better collaborative environment, a shorter commute, or something else. You might not get everything you want from a new job, but knowing what you’re after will help you avoid pursuing some jobs that may not be the right fit.

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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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Don’t spend more to heat your home than you have to. Read on for ways to save. 

As a homeowner, you have to grapple with a host of expenses — things like mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance. Plus, there’s the cost of utility bills.

Sometimes, as a renter, you can get your landlord to cover that expense. But when you own a home, the money has to come out of your own bank account. So it’s important to do what you can to keep those bills to a minimum.

Meanwhile, depending on the size and layout of your home and where you live, you may find that your heating bill is growing more and more exorbitant by the year. Part of that could be due to an uptick in energy costs on a macro level. But part of it might be that you’re not managing your usage or system as efficiently as you could be.

With that in mind, here are a few reasons you may be paying more to heat your home these days — and what to do about them.

1. You’re not changing your filters often enough

If you have a newer heating system, changing your filter on it once at the start of winter may be enough to keep it running smoothly. But for an older system, or a system that constantly has to pump heat from mid-October through April, a single filter swap may not suffice.

If you’re not sure whether your heating system’s filter needs to be replaced midway through the season, there’s an easy way to find out — pull it out and take a look at it. If it’s loaded with gunk, it’s time for a new one. From there, you’re looking at somewhere in the ballpark of $20 to potentially get your system to run more efficiently, thereby lowering your costs.

2. You’re running the heat at times when you’re not home

It’s one thing to crank up the heat when you’re home for the evening and don’t want to spend hours walking around in a wearable blanket (though there are worse things than that). But it’s another thing to run the heat at full power when you’re not in the house.

Be mindful of adjusting your thermostat so you’re not warming your space at times when it doesn’t make sense to do so. You may also want to invest in a programmable thermostat (here’s an example), so you can have an easier time adjusting your heat. With one of these, you can, for example, lower the heat when you’re out for the day but set it to come back on from your phone when you’re about an hour from returning, so your home isn’t frigid when you first walk in.

3. Your windows are letting in too much cold air

Your heating system may be working its hardest to warm up your space. But if you have older windows that aren’t well-sealed, you may be letting that warm air out — and allowing cold air to seep in.

Luckily, there’s a simple solution, and it doesn’t involve the expense of having your windows replaced. Just buy some weatherstripping tape at your local hardware store (here’s an example) and run it along your windows to seal up cracks and prevent drafts. It’s not expensive, and you can do the same for things like sliding doors, where warm air may be escaping.

Another option is to put up plastic sheeting over windows — it’s not the most attractive fix, but if you don’t like a cold wind in your living room, it will definitely help. You can purchase a kit with pre-cut sheets of plastic and tape for just a few dollars at a hardware store.

The last thing you want to do is spend more than you have to on heating bills. These tips might lower your costs — and also help make your home more comfortable.

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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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We all make mistakes. But read on to see why these silly blunders are errors I hope I don’t repeat. 

I do my best to try to run a pretty tight ship, financially speaking. But as a busy working mom, sometimes, a lack of time gets the better of me. So does sheer carelessness.

With that in mind, here are three financial mistakes I fell victim to in 2023. Not repeating them is a basic matter of paying closer attention, which I hope to do better at in the new year.

1. Forgetting to cancel Subscribe & Save items from Amazon

The nice thing about Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program is that it allows you to set up shipments automatically so you don’t have to worry about running out of the items you use regularly. Plus, you can often free up some money for your savings account by using Subscribe & Save.

One of the items I’m signed up for is detangling spray for my daughters’ hair. We stocked up on extra bottles before camp began, but my daughters wound up using very little over the summer.

When my Subscribe & Save alert for September came through, I OK’d all of my items without taking inventory. The result? I wound up with a collection of six bottles of detangling spray — the original three-pack my daughters barely touched and a new three-pack.

At a price of under $20, I can’t say that this was a major blow to my credit card bill. But it was annoying, and I should’ve taken the five minutes to see whether I needed those extra bottles.

Subscribe & Save is a great way to save money on some of your household essentials and personal care products. But check your orders carefully every month so you don’t wind up with too many of the same item. And be especially careful if you have food items designated for auto-delivery. You don’t want to run into issues with expiration dates.

2. Not paying attention to the cancellation policy of a vacation rental

I thought it would be fun for my family to take a trip to Vermont over Memorial Day weekend, so I booked a private rental through Vrbo. But life got busy around that time, and my kids wound up getting invited to a number of parties over that weekend to the point where it made sense to cancel our trip.

When I went to do that, I realized the cancellation window had long passed. And so we were basically “stuck” going on vacation, even though it was no longer as desirable or convenient.

Now, the good news is that we wound up having a great time. But it was annoying to feel “forced” into going on vacation when we would’ve been happy staying home.

Any time you book a private rental, you’re generally going to have much less flexibility with cancellations than if you’re booking a hotel — so keep that in mind. Also, if you use a site like Airbnb or Vrbo, mark your final cancellation date on your calendar. And when it pops up, think about whether you really want to stick to your plans.

3. Failing to pay my homeowners insurance on time

I pay my homeowners insurance once a year, and the bill usually arrives in the mail in the late summer or early fall. This year, I somehow missed that bill. Maybe it accidentally got sorted into a pile of junk mail and tossed out.

All I know is that not so long ago, I received a note from my homeowners insurance provider threatening to cancel my policy due to not having been paid. I rectified the situation immediately by sending a check, and my policy was not canceled.

But there was still a problem. When my homeowners insurance company sent me a notice of pending cancellation, it copied my mortgage loan servicer. My mortgage company didn’t realize we’d settled the matter with our insurer, so it then sent us a letter stating that it would be purchasing homeowners insurance on our behalf and passing the cost on to us.

We were able to provide proof that we’d paid our original homeowners premium and had coverage in place. But the whole thing was a hassle.

So lesson learned — from now on, I’m going to mark due dates for bills I can’t put on autopay on my calendar. And if I see that I’m not in receipt of a given bill by the time I’d expect it to be due, I’ll know to follow up. You may want to do the same to avoid a needless headache.

And there you have it — three blunders of varying consequences I fell victim to in 2023. I hope to do better in 2024, but I’m also only human. So chances are, I won’t manage to make it through the new year without messing up just a little.

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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.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Maurie Backman has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Want to fly in a business class seat without spending a ridiculous amount of money? These secrets can help you score business class tickets for cheap. 

If you usually fly in economy class, you know how it feels to walk past the spacious, comfy seats at the front of the plane as you wander into the depths of the plane to your seat. Dear reader, I, too, know that feeling. Because most flights I’ve taken have had me sitting cramped in an economy seat. But I’ve had the privilege of flying business class a few times — without spending thousands. Let me share some tips with you so you can experience the perks of business class as well.

1. Book a business class deal to fly in style for less

Usually, when booking airfare, I buy an economy ticket. I like to stretch my vacation budget so I have more money to spend once I arrive at my destination. The standard ticket price for a business class flight isn’t cheap. But there are ways to get a deal on a premium ticket.

One way to do this is to pay for a flight deal subscription like Thrifty Traveler Premium. Earlier this year, I used this service to score a roundtrip business class ticket to London for less than $1,400. When I saw the deal alert in my inbox, I booked it immediately.

Check out flight deal services, as subscribing gives you access to incredible deals like the one I mentioned. Subscription prices vary by service and plan, but you can expect to pay around $100 to $200 yearly to access premium airfare deals.

2. Upgrade your seat after buying an economy class ticket

As I noted, I’m typically an economy flight traveler because it’s hard not to be when those are the most affordable tickets. But I recently upgraded the economy tickets I booked for my husband and I for an upcoming long-haul flight. We bought the initial tickets months ago.

As our departure date inches closer, I’ve been monitoring upgrade prices in our airline’s mobile app. When I saw the upgrade price go from over $1,500 per person to $655 per person, I immediately rushed to pay for our seat upgrades. This is just one example of an upgrade offer. You may be able to get an even better deal yourself.

These in-app upgrade offers can change. So, checking your airline’s mobile app in the weeks leading up to your trip is wise. You might see an outrageous upgrade price listed one day and an amazing one listed the next, making a business class seat more attainable. Airlines would rather sell those seats at a discount than offer them to travelers with elite status for free.

3. Redeem credit card rewards for business class flights

Another way to score a cheap business class ticket is by redeeming credit card rewards. If you’re a frequent traveler, you may want to consider getting a travel rewards credit card.

Many credit card issuers have attractive welcome offers, and if you meet the minimum spend within the allotted time, you can earn a big stack of points or miles. You can also earn rewards when you spend money with your card. Depending on the credit card in your wallet, you may be able to redeem your rewards for nearly free flights.

I use the term “nearly free” because you’re responsible for paying taxes and fees on award tickets. These fees can vary depending on the departure and arrival destination. The good news is you can find out what fees you’ll pay before booking by searching for an award flight.

But only paying taxes and fees to fly in business class is a heck of a deal and a lot better than paying thousands of dollars for a ticket. Consider this strategy if you have dreams of flying in a premium class seat without spending all the money in your bank account.

Your business class flight dreams could become reality

If it feels like a business class ticket is well out of your budget, you’re not alone. But there are ways to score a business class seat for cheap. Consider using the strategies above to improve your flying experience without overspending. Check out our personal finance resources for additional ways to save money on everyday expenses, including travel costs.

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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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