Blog

From laptops to smart phones to wearable trackers, we’re always connected. In fact, one-fifth of Americans reported being online constantly – from scrolling through social media on their commute, to using the internet all day at work to ordering delivery from an app. We’ve shared some of our favorite connected devices below.

Home: Wired security systems are a thing of the past. Nest has three products that make any home a smart home: a thermostat that adapts life and changing seasons, a smoke alarm that you can you can silence and diagnose from your phone, and a security camera you can access from your phone that tracks both motion and sound alerts.

Car: You don’t have to have a fancy car to have a smart car. Metromile’s smart driving app, available to pay-per-mile customers, unlocks driving data and gives drivers information about their trips, trends, fuel levels, car location and more. It has even helped recover stolen cars! The Metromile app can also diagnose check engine lights. Find more information about Metromile’s pay-per-mile insurance offering or get a free quote here.

Eats: From getting groceries delivered through Instacart, meal prep delivered via Blue Apron, or your favorite restaurant through Postmates, getting food fast at home is simple. Eatsa, available in San Francisco and L.A., is connecting you to a simple healthy meal when you want to go out! You can order via their mobile app, or via iPad in their restaurant.

Exercise: No time to hit the yoga studio? Many studios offer online classes, like yogisanonymous.com. With a laptop and a yoga mat, you could be on your way to a sweet savasana. And if you haven’t joined the wearables crowd, try a Fitbit fitness tracker! Not only can you count your steps and stairs climbed, you can challenge your friends to see who can walk more in a week!

For more on how technology makes our life our life easier, check out this blog post.

The following guest post is written by Erin Lowry, a personal finance expert and founder of well-known blog Broke Millennial. Erin created her blog to increase financial literacy and is known for her smart yet attainable advice to thousands of broke millennials.

You might be familiar with the common tips to automate your savings. It’s actionable advice that sounds great, in theory, but you probably feel like it’s just not possible. Looking at your bank account towards the end of each month makes you think there isn’t possibly a spare penny or two that can be stashed away into savings. Spoiler alert: you’re probably wrong.

You can’t trim the fat without understanding your cash flow

Oh, the joys of budgeting. It’s such a commonly reviled word and practice, and yet, it’s the surest way to reduce your financial stress and get on the right track to building wealth. After all, if you don’t understand the cash flow of how much you have coming in and going out – then how will you ever be able to trim the fat in your budget?

Take 15 minutes to sit down and write out all your fixed monthly bills like housing, cell phone, Netflix, and student loan payments. Add all these charges up and subtract that number from your monthly, post-tax, income. The remainder is the amount you have to work with in terms of both spending and saving. Ultimately, the money you’re saving should be routed directly into savings before it hits your checking account. Hence the delightful expression, “pay yourself first.” Plus, if you aren’t already contributing to an employer-matched retirement program before your money hits your checking account, then that’s a simple way you can start to save a little extra and take advantage of free money!

Do you really need those reoccurring charges?

After establishing the basics of your monthly cash flow, it’s time to comb over your credit card and bank statements to see if there are any reoccurring charges that you don’t use anymore or didn’t even realize were there. It’s so easy to hand over your credit card information in exchange for a free two-week trial of a product and then forget to unsubscribe.

Costs millennials can reconsider

Once cash flow is established and credit cards free of unnecessary reoccurring charges, then it’s time to take a look back at those fixed monthly expenses and decide where to slash in order to free up more room in your budget.

The go-to common offenders are often:

• Cable: Just cut the cord already. You know you’re primarily using Netflix anyway. Price out how much it would cost just to have Internet because no one needs a landline + cable bundle anymore.
• Cell phone plan: Shop around and compare costs for your cell phone plan. The biggest financial gains usually come when you’re willing to part ways with the fanciest of phones. Just something to keep in mind if you’re really dedicated to doubling down on saving.
• Living alone: Surprisingly enough, there are millennials who no longer living with mom and dad. Some are even living alone! Getting a roommate is an easy way to cut bills in half and free up some of your cash flow if you’re struggling to figure out how to save a little extra.
• Eating out regularly: “I can’t cook” isn’t an excuse. Learn how to make a few dishes well (it’s part of adulthood) and a few dishes that are passable enough to eat. Start brown bagging it to work at least three days a week and eat dinner at home most days. You’ll see a whole bunch of money get added back into your bank account. Brownie points if you cook in bulk during the weekend and stockpile some frozen meals.
• Insurance: Reducing insurance costs immediately pads your bottom line. Switching your car insurance over to Metromile and paying per mile, instead of a fixed rate for times you aren’t even in the car, could mean finding an extra student loan payment in your budget. Get a free quote here to see just how much you could save.

So, you think you saved your money

Congratulations, you’ve found some extra money month-to-month by slashing expenses and negotiating on existing bills. But are you actually saving your money? The money you’ve freed up needs to be proactively moved to savings. Leaving this spare cash in your checking account just means it will be used for some other non-necessity and not put towards meeting your financial goals. Add this newly found cash to the amount of money you have automatically routed out of your paycheck and into savings before it hits your checking account, because obviously you’ve already set that up in the process of becoming a financial boss.

Graduation season is here, and a new group of millennials have traded in their backpacks for briefcases. With these new jobs comes a wave of financial freedom…and adult costs, like rent, groceries and car insurance.

If you are a new grad and wondering where to start shopping for car insurance, consider this when purchasing:

Look around: Don’t feel stuck to the insurance company your parents use. You can save a ton of money by making the switch to another company. Shop around using a site like Compare.com. See more on making the switch to a new insurance company here.

Consider your coverage: Do you need comprehensive and collision, or just liability? Are we speaking gibberish to you? Comprehensive coverage covers all incidents that aren’t considered “accidents” like weather or vandalism damage. Collision coverages covers your vehicle in the event of damage due to an accident. Liability insurance doesn’t cover your car, but covers damage to another person resulting in an accident you cause. Learn more about making the right coverage decision for you and your car here.

Consider per-mile insurance: If you have just moved to the big city and are primarily using your car for weekend trips or when you’re running late to work, consider pay-per-mile insurance. It will put you in control of how much you pay for car insurance. You’ll also turn you car into a smart car with our driving app – where you can check your bill, learn about your trips and driving trends, and even diagnose check engine lights. Interested? Get a free quote here.

Understand your purchase: Speak up if you have questions. Be sure to read your policy before signing up to understand how and what is covered, when your coverage begins, what your premium and deductibles are, and how to file a claim.

Congratulations to the class of 2016!

The following is a guest blog from Neil Richardson, an advisor for The Zebra, the nation’s largest car insurance comparison marketplace.

When you are purchasing car insurance, you’re sure to come across many documents containing all sorts of information. No, they’re not actually written in Greek, but sometimes it may seem they are. Do you need to do anything with these pages? Which documents are important? Will you need to print any of them? We’re here to clear up the details of your car policy contract and let you know which documents are most important.

We’ll start with the most commonly recognized document in your policy packet which is your insurance ID card. This is your legal, state-required* proof of insurance document and it’s normally what you show a police officer if you happen to be pulled over. Each insurance company’s ID card looks slightly different and may vary in certain details but they all contain:

• Name of the insurance company
• Policy period (start and end date of your coverage)
• Policy number
• Policy holder’s name
• Vehicle(s) covered on the policy

*Currently all states allow their residents to use digital proof of insurance except Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

Another document in your policy packet is the declarations page. You’ll want to hold onto this and store it as a record of your coverage. This document is essentially the invoice of your policy and contains several crucial pieces of information: …

Your car is missing, now what? To help you tackle this tough situation, familiarize yourself with these important tips to recovering your car.

Think through all of the possibilities. Did you accidentally park in a fire zone? Did you park on the street last night instead of in your normal garage spot? Could your car have been towed for any reason?

Call the police. If your car is missing, you’ll need to file a police report. Make sure to have a description of your car on hand, including make/model/color, VIN, license plate number and any distinctive marks or dents that may help identify the car.

Notify your insurance company. This will help protect you should there be any damage to the car that occurred during the theft. If your car is leased, be sure to notify the lender from whom you purchased the vehicle.

If your car is recovered, notify your insurance company immediately to avoid any delays in resolving the claim.

If you are a pay-per-mile car insurance customer, the Metromile Pulse device can track your car’s location and you can view it on the Metromile app. The Pulse has been used to recover stolen cars in the past! If your car has been stolen, be sure to still follow the steps above and give that tracking information to the police – don’t go tracking your car down on your own. For information on preventing theft, read our tips here.

If you are interested in the location tracking the Metromile Pulse has, you’ll love the other features it offers, such as street sweeping alerts and check engine light diagnostics! For more information and to get a free quote, visit metromile.com/insurance.

Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, but if you don’t have plans yet, it’s not too late to plan a getaway. Thanks to technology, hopping in the car for a last minute road trip is no big deal. We’ve gathered a list of the apps you must download before you drive off.

Use Airbnb to find accommodations along your route. You can book directly from your phone and find something in your budget. Whether you are looking to couch surf or rent a beach house, all the options are available for you.

Make your car a smart car with Metromile. With the Metromile app, you can decode check engine lights on the road. If something comes up, you’ll know if you need to hurry in or if you just left your gas cap off.

Find unique roadside stops with Roadtrippers app. You can set a distance off the road you are willing to explore, and the app does the rest. You can also use this to map to your destination or try Waze to keep you alert of traffic, accidents and other roadblocks.

Ear candy: Download the Podcasts app to tune into your favorite podcast on the road. We’ve suggested some of our favorite podcasts here.

Cut costs by finding the cheapest gas through Gas Buddy, which locates gas stations near you and syncs their current gas prices.

If you don’t drive very often during the week, but love to road trip on the weekends, you could save a ton of money on pay-per-mile insurance with Metromile. You won’t be charged for miles you drive over 250/day (150 in certain states), so if you go on a long trip, you’ll actually save big. Get a free quote here.

Summer is quickly approaching, and while the sunshine is much anticipated, it’s important to get your car ready for the warmer weather. The heat, stop and go traffic and dusty roads all can take a toll on the reliability and performance of your vehicle. Here are a few simple tips to get your vehicle ready for the summer.

Cooling System
The most common cause of summer breakdowns is overheating. Cars have small but efficient radiators and cooling systems and only work properly if they are completely full of coolant. If there are small leaks that go undetected, you can bet that the cooling system will fail when it’s hot outside. Have the system checked thoroughly and change the fluid as per the manufacturer’s recommended service table. You should also keep your eye out for any leaks, and if you notice something is off, have your car checked out. If you decide to check the coolant level yourself, be careful and do not open the system when it is hot. Let it cool down overnight before you open the cap. If it’s low, make sure that you top it off with the correct fluid. There are several different types of coolant these days and some of them are not compatible with each other and can ruin your entire cooling system. In a pinch, clean water is always safe. It is never a bad idea to keep a gallon of fresh water in your trunk just in case you or your car gets thirsty.

Tires
Tires are one of the most overlooked service items. An under-inflated, over-inflated, worn down or misaligned tire can be extremely dangerous, particularly in hot summer weather. An under-inflated tire bulges outward and puts pressure on the sidewalls of the tire. With enough heat and pressure, that tire eventually can blow. An over-inflated tire, on the other hand, makes less contact with the road and can lead to hydroplaning in wet conditions.

Tire pressure changes with the rising temperatures — approximately one to two PSI (pounds per square inch) for every 10-degree increase in outside air temperature. Keep a tire pressure gauge in your car to ensure they are set to the correct pressure (usually, there is a sticker on the driver’s door jamb that specifies the level). Make sure you check the spare as well! Lastly, ensure that your tires have adequate tread. It helps to turn the steering wheel all the way to one side and look at the tread depth. There are wear indicators built into every tire, which are small rubber lines that run across the tread section and are located between the tread blocks. When the tread is at the same depth as the wear indicators, the tires will need to be replaced.

Air Conditioning
Just like anything else in your car, the A/C system requires routine service and a marginally operating system will fail in hot weather. The condition and level of the refrigerant are the leading factors in determining your A/C’s ability to cool. As the A/C refrigerant deteriorates, or leaks out, the system is less efficient.

One trick in determining if your A/C system is low on refrigerant is to start your vehicle, put the A/C on “High” and listen for the compressor clutch to come on. The compressor clutch will make one loud click sound as it engages, and stay on steadily. If the compressor clutch is cycling or clicking every few seconds, then your system is low on charge and should be serviced. Most automotive repair shops have the ability to recharge the system — the service will usually cost less than $200 and can save you thousands of dollars in the long run. When you bring your car in, make sure the repair shop puts a tracer dye in the system when they perform the re-charge. This will ensure an accurate diagnostic of any potential leak if the system begins to deteriorate. The typical interval for most vehicles to have the A/C serviced is every 4 to 5 years, and if you keep it serviced, your A/C system will provide you with consistently cool performance.

These are just a few simple things you can do to get your vehicle ready for the summer.

The following guest post is written by Erin Lowry, a personal finance blogger for Broke Millennial. Erin created her blog to increase financial literacy and is known for her smart yet attainable advice to thousands of broke millennials.

Starting off your life as an adult means getting your financial house in order. Simply put: you’re going to be your own financial boss. Sure, you might be working a traditional job – but no one is handling your money decisions. It’s on you to pay bills without missing due dates, to chip away at debt, to build your credit history and start to saving for the future. Before you panic, take a deep breath, you can step up your financial boss-ness in just three steps.

Step 1: Adulting 101 means you need a budget

The idea of a budget sounds so restricting, except it should be considered empowering. A simple budget can take stress out of handling your money because you know exactly how much is coming in and how much is going out. Sure, you may be wishing the in-flow drastically outpaced the out-flow, but at least it means you understand your balance sheet. Mindlessly spending and just hoping you have enough to cover all your bills is how you’ll end up in trouble. A budget can redirect your focus to prioritize your true money values. You can start saving for a trip, or put more money towards paying off debt or maybe it encourages you to work for a promotion or pick up a side gig.

Start your budget journey by writing down all your fixed monthly expenses + put a percentage towards savings + a buffer of $100 (things happen) and subtract it from your monthly income. The remainder is what you can use to spend. This is the most basic of budgeting styles that will at least put you on a track towards being a financial boss.

Step 2: Credit cards for beginners

Credit cards often strike fear into the hearts of fledgling adults. You hear horror stories about people getting tens-of-thousands of dollars in debt and unable to dig out. Your parents may have warned you about the evils of credit cards. Or maybe you got access to one in college and didn’t quite use it properly.

Truthfully, credit cards can be a valuable financial resource if you understand three basic principles.

1. Never charge more than you can afford to pay off in a month: ideally you want to spend no more than 30 percent of your total available credit limit.
2. Always pay your credit card bill on time: missing your payment can not only crush your credit score, but also result in fees and hiked interest rates.
3. Always pay the balance in full: there is never a need to carry a balance on your credit card (I don’t care what anyone tells you). As soon as that bill comes in, you pay off the entire amount due – not the minimum due. Paying the full amount means you don’t owe the bank any interest.

By adhering to those simple rules, you can build a healthy credit history and score, which makes the rest of your financial life much easier. Your credit history and score can impact whether or not you can rent an apartment, the rates on loans and, in some cases, even employers do a credit check.

You should also look for a card with no annual fee and don’t focus on rewards early on. The rewards program may lead you down the rabbit hole of overspending, so proceed with caution.

Step 3: How pick the best financial products

Suddenly making all your financial decisions can feel daunting, so it’s common to turn to your parents or friends for advice. Listen respectfully, but be sure to do your own due diligence. What is ideal for your parents, or was ideal when they were your age, may not be the right fit for you.

For example, Metromile is the perfect solution for you city-dwelling-often-public-transit-riding millennials. Instead of opting into traditional auto insurance, you can instead pay according to how much you drive with pay-per-mile insurance. This saves the average customer over $500 annually – that’s easily an extra student loan payment or way to boost your emergency fund.

If you find yourself on public transit more often then behind the wheel, you could benefit from pay-per-mile car insurance. Get a free quote here. For more financial advice, check out brokemillennial.com.

From new pop-up stores and great nightlife to job opportunities and historical landmarks, city living is exciting and exhilarating on a day-to-day basis. However, it can also be very expensive. Here are some easy ways you can save money, so you can enjoy city living without breaking the bank!

Create a budget. This may seem obvious, but take some time to look at your take-home pay and monthly expenses. By using a software like Mint, you can create savings goals, categorize expenses, and receive custom alerts when you are close to overspending.

Take public transportation, or opt into a bike-share service. The less you drive your car, the more you’ll save money on gas and car maintenance. If you switch to pay-per-mile insurance, you could save even more money because your bill is based on how much you drive. Read more here.

Walk to your local farmers’ market. Since farmers have more stock of in-season fruits and vegetables, they are able to sell them at a lower price. Bonus tip: if you prefer to buy organic, it’s often cheaper at a farmers’ market than at a grocery store.

Eat in (sometimes). Okay, okay. We know it’s fun to try the trendy new restaurants. You can still budget for a weekly dinner splurge, but spend more time in your kitchen. Plus, leftovers make a great lunch the next day!

Automate savings. Have your bank automatically move cash into your savings on payday. You won’t know it’s not there, so you won’t miss it!

Side hustle. With so many new modern conveniences and resource sharing services, you can side hustle on your time with ridesharing, dog walking, house cleaning and more. Or if you’re crafty, try your hand at selling your art on Etsy.

If you are interesting in saving on car insurance, Metromile could save you $500/year! Try getting a quote to see how much you could save.

May is National Bike Month, and what better time to try your hand at a new commute? More than half of Americans live within five miles of their office, which is about a 30 minute bike ride. Biking to work offers many benefits: it saves time and money and is good for the environment. Plus, you’ll getting a workout in!

If you’re thinking about biking to work, but don’t know what you need or where to get started, we’ve gathered some best practices and good habits for your bike commute:

Bike to Work 101

Get your gear: You don’t need to have a full bicycle kit to ride to work. However, we do recommend wearing a sturdy helmet and finding a reliable bike lock. Many urban offices have a bike room you can store your bike in during the day, so be sure to utilize that if it’s an option.

Test ride: Google Maps offers routes for an optimized bike commute on streets with bike paths. Test your ride in off-commute hours or on a non-work day to get a hang of your route.

Follow the rules of the road: Always bike in the same direction of traffic, and keep a pulse on the cars, bikes and pedestrians around you. Read more bicycle safety tips here.

Good Habits

Keep the phone out of sight: You’ll want to keep your eyes on the road and your ears out for honking, approaching cars and ambulances.

Use clear hand signals: Using your left hand to signal while biking helps communicate your route clearly with the drivers around you.

Dress for the ride: Make sure the drivers around you are aware you are there, and on two wheels. Wear bright colors during the day and reflective gear at night.

National Bike to Work Week is May 16-20, 2016. Bike to Work Day is May 20, 2016.

Don’t have a bike? Many urban areas have bike share programs, which allow riders an allotted time for transportation for a small annual fee. If you find yourself on two wheels more often than four, pay-per-mile car insurance could be a great option for you. Find out more here.