Whether you want to work from home or start a new career, online trading can be an interesting and profitable way to do it. An online trader places buy and sell orders for day trading stocks, Forex, futures trading and stock options, you guessed it, over the Internet. Since the trading is done online, many brokerage houses are able to cut costs for clients because there is no need for paper-based documents that need to be copied, filed and digitally recorded. Transactions can be executed faster, which means more transactions can be done in a day. Before jumping in, you may want to look at online trading schools such as Online Trading Academy reviews to get an idea of what you need to learn.

Financial Education

The best way to learn how to trade financial products is from a professional trader. With coaching sessions from the pros, you can learn how to trade consistently and profitably. Whether you are starting from the beginning or are already trading, you can learn about different trading styles such as short-term trading, position trading, exchange-traded funds, options, futures, currencies and commodities. After you learn the mechanics of trading, you may want to specialize in your chosen style of trading. In some cases, online training schools offer CDs that help you study at home. When you are ready, you may get an instructor who will help you make live trades.

Stocks

Stocks include certificates of ownership of a company. The certificate is called a share, and if you own shares in a company, you are a shareholder. There are two types of stocks, common and preferred. Common stock shareholders have voting rights connected with the policies of the company. Preferred stock shareholders do not have voting rights, but they get dividends before they are given to other shareholders. You will learn skills and strategies for buying and selling stocks to make money from buying low and selling high or reaping high dividends.

Forex

Forex stands for foreign exchange. If you trade forex, you are swimming with the big fish. If you study forex trading, you will see that there are many advantages to trading forex online, one being that the market is open 24-hour per day. Forex is the biggest market in the world with $4 trillion in daily transactions.

Futures

Futures allow you to speculate into the future. When you are well trained in buying and selling futures you can speculate what a specific asset will be worth at a specific time in the future. There are futures in all the principal categories such as equity index futures, energy and metal futures, treasury futures, forex futures, commodity futures.

Options Trading

It is worth your time learning about options trading. You can earn big rewards with little capital if you learn options trading strategies. Options allow you to control a stock for a very small percentage of its share price without actually owning it. It is a powerful tool for making profits without worrying about what is happing in the overall market.

Before you start your journey towards extra cash, take some time to find the best education plan. For example, you can check out Online Trading Academy Reviews and other testimonials to see what people are saying about online trading education.

James Hendrickson

James Hendrickson is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.

Earth Day is on Saturday, April 22, which means now is as good a time as ever to brush up on your earth-friendly ways. Going green isn’t always easy, but there are little things you can do over time to continuously help our planet, including shopping. But, when it comes to your regular purchases, it can be difficult to know what is actually eco-friendly and what is a sales attempt. Making smart purchases does not need to be difficult or take a lot of time. Here is how you can easily shop for eco-friendly products:

How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Products

Shopping green is not the same as shopping smarter. Some products do not live up to the title and cost you more. Here’s what to look out for:

1. Biodegradable is not always the way to go. Just because an item is described as biodegradable does not mean it will work. They actually need to be composted and do not work in landfills. So, unless you live near a compost or have one, you should not purchase biodegradable products. Instead, look for reusable items.
2. Research “natural” and “organic” products. Labels and companies can be deceiving, and some will go as far to completely lie, as was the case with this company in Atlanta, Georgia. Items that are truly organic will include the official seal from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Natural Products Association, or the BDIH stamp. These marks indicate that the products have met the criteria to be considered natural or organic. While natural is not the same as organic, natural products are still minimally processed and better for our Earth than many other substances we produce. Anything that claims to be but is not is not worth spending the extra money on.
3. Hybrid cars can be our best friend. for the most part, nature loves hybrid vehicles. Plus, the government gives you a tax break for having a hybrid; that is, depending on the car battery size along with make, model, and year. However, don’t just go out and buy a hybrid for the tax credit. What you could do, though, is purchase a used hybrid or put the money toward your current car. Tune-ups do wonders for your gas mileage, which, in turn, helps the environment. Not to mention, when it comes to car shopping in general, look for the smaller vehicles with the best gas mileage. Mother nature likes these the best.
4. Reuse plastic and paper bags. As great as the reusable cloth bags are, you should also try to remember to reuse your plastic and paper bags as well. This not only saves you money but is a great way recycle as well.
5. BPA-free plastics may not be what they’re cracked up to be. Don’t waste your time with BPA-free plastics. You won’t know for sure if the plastic products contain the chemicals. Skip them all together. Use glass or lead-free ceramic containers instead.

Now that you have an idea of how to shop for eco-friendly products, you can test it out for yourself. Just remember to look for the seal of approval for natural and organic, reuse items as much as possible, and resist buying items just because of their “eco-friendly” claim.

What would you add to the list? 

Jenn Clark

Jenn Clark is a writer, PR specialist, entrepreneur, blogger and coffee enthusiast. A lover of laughter, traveling and cheese, she’s written about her life experiences here at suburbanfinance while at the same time growing other young professionals. You can find more of her work at Jennblogs.co.

Thanksgiving is this week to officially kick-off the holiday season. This means time with family, overeating, and, if you’re similar to my family, watching movie marathons like The Wizard of Oz together. While you’ve been waiting for this day for quite some time, you may not have everything you need yet. But, don’t worry; there are quite a few last minute ways to save on Thanksgiving dinner.

If you feel behind on your Thanksgiving grocery list, don’t. Many first-time turkey-day hosts are in your same shoes, still deciding what will be on the menu. If you’re also concerned with the costs of this holiday, you’ll find comfort in knowing that grocery prices are actually lower and still falling this year. In fact, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost of Thanksgiving day meal for 10 is $49.87 this year, a decrease from $50.11 in 2015.

However, we all know how we can get carried away when we have family and friends over. Hopefully, this list of last minute ways to save on Thanksgiving dinner will keep you on track.

Take no shame in using coupons

Check around your local grocery stores for coupons. With the holidays on everyone’s minds, stores are also sending out direct mailers filled with deals and savings. Use this route to compare and contrast store deals too. Even if they aren’t coming directly to your doorstep, the internet is a great resource for you to find coupons, particularly for those side dishes that can add up. Try Coupons.com, where you can save on a variety of products, even dish detergent for all those dishes accumulated during the family feast.

Don’t overdo it

One of the more difficult parts of hosting a large dinner is getting those serving sizes right. It’s easier to plan for having a bunch of food rather than just doing a little math. More often than no, we usually always overeat, right? And even after distributing leftovers, it still can amount to too much. You’ll end up wasting not just food but money as well. So, unless you plan on donating to a food bank, why not save everyone a little heartache and cut back on some dishes this year.

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)

Sorry, I am not really calling you stupid. I know you are very intelligent! But, I find the K.I.S.S. method to be very effective in my life both professionally and personally. Instead of going all out and buying new Thanksgiving decor, save money by finding some DIY decoration tips online. It’s amazing what you can do with paper and scissors. You could even check to your online dollar store for simple items that will spruce up your home on a dime. Plus, your loved ones aren’t going to mind the lack of decor anyway. They care more about seeing you and hearing how your life is going.

Make it a potluck

One of the most effective last minute ways to save on Thanksgiving dinner is to turn part of it into a potluck. Ask everyone to bring one side dish and let them know you’ll cover the rest. You could turn this into a fun way to learn everyone’s cooking style or make sure that everyone is getting something they like to eat. Another option would be to ask guests to bring their own alcohol. Alcohol can really add up, especially when providing drinks for everyone in attendance. Box wine is a cheaper option, but it might be better to just let family know to BYOB. It can be another way to ensure everyone is enjoying the beverage of their choice as well.

Skip the paper plates

It might seem counter-intuitive, but purchasing paper plates and plasticware can add costs that may not be necessary. Although a time saver, they create an unneeded expense instead of just spending more time washing dishes instead. In my family, we help one another out with dishes so that cleanup takes up less time. Perhaps you can recruit a couple family members to help alleviate this chore by turning it into a game. Having fun together while cleaning at the same time? Sounds like a win-win to me.

These last minute ways to save on Thanksgiving dinner will hopefully relieve some stress off your shoulders (and keep your budget intact).

What would you add to the list? 

Jenn Clark

Jenn Clark is a writer, PR specialist, entrepreneur, blogger and coffee enthusiast. A lover of laughter, traveling and cheese, she’s written about her life experiences here at suburbanfinance while at the same time growing other young professionals. You can find more of her work at Jennblogs.co.