Business
‘5 things I refuse to spend money on’
Published
9 months agoon
In 2018, I hit my first six-figure year as a freelance writer on Fiverr, earning nearly $300,000 in revenue writing blogs, press releases and website content for clients.
Now, at 29, I have six streams of income — from freelance writing, influencer sponsorships, eBook sales, course sales, ad revenue and affiliate revenue. Last year, I brought in a little over $400,000 in net income.
Like any member of the gig economy, I know I can’t count on making this much money forever. So while I sometimes splurge on food, entertainment and travel, I otherwise save and invest aggressively to boost my net worth. I also own three properties in my home state of Florida. Combined, they’re worth close to $1.2 million.
To live my dream life and still save most of what I earn, here are five things I refuse to spend money on:
1. New designer clothes and handbags
I do all my fashion shopping at thrift stores like Buffalo Exchange and Pavement. So instead of buying new designer clothes or handbags for thousands of dollars at a time, I’m spending much less.
My rule is to spend no more than $2,500 a year on shopping. Not only do I save money this way, but I’m also helping the environment by donating all of my unused clothes to Goodwill.
2. Unsubsidized flights
My Chase Sapphire Rewards credit card accrues travel points when I spend on food and travel, and since I spend the most on those two categories, my card almost always covers my flights and rental cars.
Even though the card has a $300 annual fee, it saves me about $2,000 in flight and travel costs every year. I also have the JetBlue credit card that racks up enough points to cover a few flights per year.
3. Rent
I purchased my first property, which I currently live in, in March 2021 — then bought an investment property in Miami in October 2021, and another in March 2022.
I have long-term tenants in my rental properties whose rent covers my mortgage and homeowners association (HOA) fees.
In the house that I live in now, the amount I pay on my mortgage is, in some cases, less than what I would pay to rent the same house — except I own it.
4. Drinks after 8 p.m.
I’m a morning person, so happy hour works perfectly with my schedule. I love to look up happy hour specials at local restaurants and bars, especially when I’m traveling.
Eating and drinking earlier in the day can cut the total cost of food and drinks down to one-third of what it would be if you dine at 8 p.m.
5. Uber trips that are less than three miles away
If a destination is within three miles, I will walk there for the exercise and to save on the $30 Uber rides there and back. When I travel, this rule lets me explore entire cities and towns on a budget.
I try to walk at least 12,000 steps per day, even when I’m home in Southwest Florida, so I plan my days around being able to walk to places. I check the map ahead of time to ensure there are sidewalks.
Walking easily saves me more than $300 per month on transportation when I am traveling without my Jeep Wrangler.
Alexandra Fasulo is an entrepreneur, freelance writer, and host of the podcast Freelance Fairytales, which covers everything freelancers need to know about navigating the gig economy. Follow her on Instagram @alexandrafasulo.
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Business
Fiji fires police commissioner and end security deal with China
Published
1 hour agoon
January 27, 2023
Police operate a security check point in the Fijian capital of Suva in December following general elections. The Pacific island nation has played an important regional role amid competition between China on the one side and Australia, New Zealand and the United States on the other.
Saeed Khan | Afp | Getty Images
Fiji’s president on Friday suspended the commissioner of police following a general election saw the first change in government in the Pacific island nation in 16 years, after the military earlier warned against “sweeping changes.”
President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere said Commissioner of Police Sitiveni Qiliho had been suspended on the advice of the Constitutional Offices Commission, “pending investigation and referral to and appointment of, a tribunal.”
The Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem was also suspended by the commission, the statement said.
Qiliho declined to comment to local media because he said he will face a tribunal over his conduct. He was seen as being close to former prime minister Frank Bainimarama, who led Fiji for 16 years before a coalition of parties narrowly won December’s election and installed Sitiveni Rabuka as leader of the strategically important Pacific nation.
The day before a coalition agreement was struck, Qiliho and Bainimarama called on the military to maintain law and order because they said the hung election result had sparked ethnic tensions, a claim disputed by the coalition parties.
The Pacific island nation, which has a history of military coups, has been pivotal to the region’s response to competition between China and the United States, and struck a deal with Australia in October for greater defence cooperation.
No more China policing deal
On Thursday, Fiji Times reported that Rabuka said his government would end a police training and exchange agreement with China.
“Our system of democracy and justice systems are different so we will go back to those that have similar systems with us,” the prime minister was quoted as saying, referring to Australia and New Zealand.
The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Major General Jone Kalouniwai earlier this month warned Rabuka’s government against making “sweeping changes,” and has insisted it abide by a 2013 constitution which gives the military a key role.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, with U.S. President Joe Biden (not pictured), announces the tech firm’s plan to build a $20 billion plant in Ohio, from the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, January 21, 2022.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Intel’s December earnings showed significant declines in the company’s sales, profit, gross margin, and outlook, both for the quarter and the full year.
Investors hated it, sending the stock over 9% lower in extended trading, despite the fact that Intel did not cut its dividend.
The earnings report, which was the eighth under CEO Pat Gelsinger’s leadership, shows a legendary technology company struggling with many factors outside of its control, including a deeply slumping PC market. It also highlights some of Intel’s current issues with weak demand for its current products and inefficient internal performance, and underscores how precarious the company’s financial health has become.
“Clearly, the financials aren’t what we would hoped,” Gelsinger told analysts.
In short: Intel had a difficult 2022, and 2023 is shaping up to be tough as well.
Here are some of the most concerning bits from Intel’s earnings report and analyst call:
Weak and uncertain guidance
Intel didn’t give full-year guidance for 2023, citing economic uncertainty.
But the data points for the current quarter suggest tough times. Intel guided for about $11 billion in sales in the March quarter, which would be a 40% year-over-year decline. Gross margin will be 34.1%, a huge decrease from the 55.2% in the same quarter in 2021, Gelsinger’s first at the helm.
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But the biggest issue for investors is that Intel guided to a 15 cent non-GAAP loss per share, a big decline for a company that a year ago was reporting $1.13 in profit per share. It would be the first loss per share since last summer, which was the first loss for the company in decades.
An inventory glut
Management gave several reasons for the tough upcoming quarter, but one theme that came through was that its customers simply have too many chips and need to work through inventory, so they won’t be buying many new chips.
Both the PC and server markets have slowed after a two-year boom spurred by remote work and school during the pandemic. Now, PC sales have slowed and the computer makers have too many chips. Gelsinger is predicting PC sales during the year to be around 270 million to 295 million — a far cry from the “million units-a-day” he predicted in 2021.
Now, Intel’s customers have to “digest” the chips they already have, or “correct” their inventories, and the company doesn’t know when this dynamic will shift back.
“While we know this dynamic will reverse, predicting when is difficult,” Gelsinger told analysts.
Dropoff in gross margin
Underpinning all of this is that Intel’s gross margin continues to decline, hurting the company’s profitability. One issue is “factory load,” or how efficiently factories run around the clock. Intel said that its gross margin would be hit by 400 basis points, or 4 percentage points, because of factories running under load because of soft demand.
Ultimately, Intel forecasts a 34.1% gross margin in the current quarter — a far cry from the 51% to 53% goal the company set at last year’s investor day. The company says it’s working on it, and the margin could get back to Intel’s goal “in the medium-term” if demand recovers.
“We have a number of initiatives under way to improve gross margins and we’re well under way. When you look at the $3 billion reduction [in costs] that we talked about for 2023, 1 billion of that is in cost of sales and we’re well on our way to getting that billion dollars,” Gelsinger said.
The not-so-bad news: Dividend and self-driving
Long-term investors have always closely watched how the company balances the near-term need to placate shareholders with the massive capital spending needed to stay competitive in the semiconductor manufacturing business.
If Intel is cutting costs and still needing to invest in chip factories to power its turnaround, analysts say it may want to reconsider its dividend. Intel spent $6 billion on dividends in 2022, but did not cut its dividend on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the company said it wants to cut $3 billion in costs for 2023 and analysts believe it wants to spend around $20 billion in capital expenditures to build out its factories.
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Gelsinger was asked about this dynamic on Thursday.
“I’d just say the board, management, we take a very disciplined approach to the capital allocation strategy and we’re going to remain committed to being very prudent around how we allocate capital for the owners and we are committed to maintaining a competitive dividend,” Gelsinger replied.
There was at least one bright spot for Intel on Thursday.
Mobileye, its self-driving subsidiary that went public during the December quarter, reported earlier in the day, showing adjusted earnings per share of 27 cents and revenue growth of 59%, to $656 million. It also forecast strong 2023 revenue of between $2.19 billion and $2.28 billion. Shares rose nearly 6% during regular trading hours Thursday.
Business
China’s reopening will boost these retail names, Wells Fargo says
Published
17 hours agoon
January 26, 2023
Chinese shoppers are likely poised to hit the streets again during the country’s reopening, a positive tailwind for certain retail stocks, according to Wells Fargo. “With the Lunar New Year kicking off on January 21, we believe reopening against multiple quarters of easier regional compares will benefit companies with the largest exposure,” wrote analyst Ike Boruchow in a report Thursday. He added that most companies in the firm’s retail space saw sales decline between 20% and 40% in the last nine months. The companies with the largest exposure to China’s reopening are Nike , Farfetch , Canada Goose , Kate Spade-parent Tapestry and Michael Kors-owner Capri Holdings . All these retailers have estimated exposure to China ranging from 12% to nearly 20%. Of these names, two – Canada Goose and Farfetch – are trading at deep discounts versus historic multiples, meaning now may be a good time to snap up shares. Wells Fargo has overweight ratings on both. The firm is favorable on Canada Goose’s highly profitable direct-to-consumer channel, which it thinks can benefit this year after a period of slow productivity. “While our [near-term] expectations are tempered, we see the brand as well positioned for an earnings snapback as it leverages its greater Chinese infrastructure,” Boruchow said, adding that Canada Goose has at least tripled its China store count in the last few years. For Farfetch, Wells Fargo sees a few tough quarters ahead but several positive catalysts as well, including the China reopening. “The negative sentiment is more than baked into the stock and [we] continue to see significant upside from here,” said Boruchow.
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