Category Archives: Uncategorized

How to pay with multiple gift cards online

You know those third-party (Visa, MasterCard, etc.) gift cards that seem so convenient to give? They can be a pain to redeem online when your shopping cart total is higher than the amount on your gift card.

That’s because merchants like Target don’t allow you to combine these third party gift cards and they don’t let you combine a Visa gift card with a credit or debit card to cover any balance over the amount of the gift card.

This means either 1.) you don’t have enough on your gift card to cover your cart, or 2.) you have enough to pay your cart total but you’ll be left with a small balance that will never be enough to pay for pay for a shopping cart total in the future.

How to pay with multiple third-party gift cards (Visa, MasterCard)

The workaround is to use your third party Visa or MasterCard gift cards to purchase store gift cards. Most online stores (like Target) let you use multiple gift cards from their own store. So if you have three Target gift cards, you can apply all three to your one shopping cart.

Here’s a step by step example of how to pay with multiple gift cards online using Target as an example:

  1. Use your Visa or MasterCard gift card to purchase a Target gift card, sending the Target gift card to your own email.
  2. When Target sends your gift card to your email, click the link that says “Access my gift card.”
  3. Follow the online instructions to apply your gift card to your account
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 with all of your third party gift cards (or as many as you need to cover your purchases.)
  5. Load up your Target shopping cart and when it comes time to pay change your payment option to your Target gift cards and select each card you wish to use (see image below). Any remaining cart balance can be covered by a Target credit card if needed.

Restaurant marketing during covid pandemic

How to reach more customers when there’s no money for advertising

Traditional advertising is not your friend right now. You need to reduce costs while reaching more customers. Especially if your restaurant is closed to indoor dining during the covid pandemic. Turn instead to internet marketing which includes creating fresh content and engaging with people via social media.

The basic steps you need to take to market your restaurant during the pandemic are these:

  1. Create content. You need useful and interesting information on your website. This includes your full menu, high quality photos and possibly videos. Be sure to include up to date information on your covid policies and food pickup procedures.
  2. Connect with people. Notice I said “people” not “customers.” Use social media to talk to people not just force food ads and specials on them. Facebook is a great tool for restaurants because it’s highly accessible and shareable. Post photos of new menu items to get instant comments and feedback. When someone comments, respond right away. Every time a person comments is a chance for their friends to see your photo which is more exposure for your restaurant.

Should I let my kid listen to Spotify?

kid in headphones

Kids these days. With all the virtual learning they’ve been doing, they’re becoming so computer- and internet-savvy. My 8-year-old asked me to set up a Spotify account for him so he could listen to music while he reads at school. But is it appropriate for a kid to freely listen to Spotify?

At first I thought it was a great idea. I’ll add him as a user in our premium Spotify family account and set up an explicit filter. But then I realized this isn’t quite enough.

Here are 3 reasons why you shouldn’t let your kid use Spotify

First, even with an explicit content filter on, Spotify still shows songs and their titles although it doesn’t play them. The problem with this is some explicit songs contain bad words (like the F-word!) in the titles which my 8-year-old can read.

Spotify still shows bad words to kids 😬

Second, When a kid tries to play an explicit song Spotify tells them how to remove the filter and play it. 🙄

Finally, Spotify doesn’t filter out all bad words. The word A** is said repeatedly throughout the song “Be Like That” by Kane Brown, yet my 8-year-old can still play it on Spotify. This is because Spotify’s explicit content filter only blocks songs from playing if the song’s creators told Spotify that it’s explicit. Apparently Mr. Brown didn’t tell Spotify this song has a bad word in it so the song is not labeled as explicit. It’s not like Spotify has an actively listening editor that bleeps out bad words for kids.

So as a mom, I say no you probably shouldn’t let your kid listen to Spotify on his own even with an explicit content filter enabled. Spotify Kids App is probably a better choice, but it’s only available with a Premium Spotify membership.

So the next question is: What are some kid-friendly options for streaming music? Do you have an answer? Let us know!

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Do bacteriostatic cleaning wipes kill coronavirus?

allclear sanitizing wipes

These days, stores can’t seem to keep disinfecting wipes on the shelves. Clorox wipes and Lysol wipes are known and trusted wipes that kill virus and bacteria from surfaces so they fly off store shelves almost as soon as they are stocked. We’ve noticed some other wipes are in stock: Bacteriostatic wipes. What are they and do they work against coronavirus Covid-19?

In a recent check at a Costco, two pallets of Clorox wipes sold out in less than an hour. But around the corner was a plentiful display of a new brand of wipes we’ve never seen before: Allclear Sanitizing wipes. We then checked a nearby Target store to find the same phenomenon. Clorox and Lysol wipes completely sold out yet several new brands of “sanitizing wipes” have popped up to fill their empty spaces on the shelves.

We found these new brands of wipes curious so we picked up a package to do some research.

Guess what? Bacteriostatic wipes do not kill coronavirus Covid 19 or any other virus. According to the Collins dictionary, if something is bacteriostatic, it inhibits the growth and reproduction of bacteria, not viruses. (As you know, Covid 19 is a virus.) According to the Collins definition something that is bacteriostatic doesn’t even kill bacteria, only keeps it from growing and reproducing. So it is surprising that the package we purchased claims the product “kills 99.99% of bacteria.” (By the way the package also says the word bacteriostatic is a noun but it is actually an adjective.)

So what good are bacteriostatic sanitizing wipes?

We asked two registered nurses who agreed that when it comes to fighting coronavirus Covid 19, bacteriostatic wipes are useless. But you can use them to wipe down your kitchen after you cook chicken to prevent the spread of salmonella or other bacteria.

How to start an online business

Here we will answer the basics of starting an online business, which includes simply putting out your online shingle. This article will evolve as we add in-depth analysis based on interviews with experts so check back often. In the meantime, post your questions in the comments below and we’ll include them in our research.

Step 1: Choose a niche

This means find a specific product or service that is unique and that people need or want. Specific means not just custom dog collars for example, but perhaps dog collars for Grateful Dead fans. Unique means nobody else is doing it or at the very least you are confident you can do it in a different way that is considerably better. Lastly, people must have a need or want for what you’re offering – in other words, there must be demand. (And enough demand to be profitable.)

There’s a lot more to choosing a niche so we’ll be sure to post more on this topic in the future.

Step 2: Register a domain name AND choose a business name

A business domain name (website) doesn’t have to be exactly the same as its official name but it is important for them to make sense together. So brainstorm business names and domain names (website addresses) at the same time. That way you can make adjustments to either name so they fit well together.

My favorite place to find out what domain names are available and to register (buy) one is name.com. They are reasonably priced, easy to use and have good customer service. Just type in a domain name on their website and they’ll tell you if it is available to buy. If it isn’t they give you other domain ideas which is very helpful. They also offer hosting, which we’ll discuss later.

Step 3: Create a website

Many companies large and small use the free web builder WordPress.org. It is powerful and SEO-friendly (which again, we’ll get into later). Find a simple theme and you’re pretty much good to go. It can be a bit intimidating to some, but check it out anyway. If it feels like too much for you, try Wix.com. I’ve not personally used it but I’ve seen many great looking websites built on it.

Clearly these are just the beginning steps to starting an online business. This post will evolve and more information will be posted soon as we interview experts. Post your questions in the comments below and we will incorporate them in our research.

If you’re an expert who knows something about how to start an online business, contact us to be included in our research.

Flying Delta Basic Economy and want to sit next to your kids? Read this!

delta toy plane

The Delta Airlines Basic Economy seat class doesn’t allow you to pick your seats. So if you’re traveling with children there are some things you should know before you book.

  1. You do have an option to select your seats but you have to pay a fee and you have to wait until 7 days before departure. If you’re on a flight full of other families in the same position (say, going to Disney World over spring break), you might have a lot of competition on that day to find a seat next to your child(ren).
  2. Are your kids 5 or under? Delta will assign you a seat next to your child for free. Just call Delta’s customer service number and talk to a representative (1-800-221-1212).
  3. If you don’t want to pay and your kids are older than 5, your only other opportunity to select your seats for free is to wait until Delta opens check-in which is 24 hours before your flight’s departure time.
  4. If you are unable to find seats next to each other at check-in you will have to rely on the kindness of strangers to switch seats with you. Good luck!

Pay attention to the seat class before you book airline tickets, whether you’re flying Delta or any other airline. Many airlines have similar seat classes that allow them to offer lower fares but with more restrictions such as seat assignment, no checked baggage, last in boarding, etc.

This may be especially important when browsing airline tickets on travel websites such as Expedia or Travelocity. These sites allow you to compare a lot of different flight options and sort by the lowest cost flight, but it may not be readily apparent that you’ll have to pay extra to choose your seat or check a bag.