I love that the automated posts are now including the spot price & cashback calculation, but... The Costco Executive membership costs $120 and the Cashback limit for the membership year is limited to $1,000. If you somehow manage to get precisely $1,000 of cashback for the year, minus the $120, you're left with $880 in cashback.
($880 / $50,000 =. 0176) or 1.76%
Given the fact that it's going to be hard to hit precisely $50,000 in spend and then stop, it's probably easier to just round it down to 1.75%
Given the abundance of 2% cashback cards it makes sense to assume the total cashback would then be 3.75%
Thats the way I look at it. What do y'all think?

The demand for online education has skyrocketed in a society going more and more digital. This is an incredible opportunity for educators and content developers.
In the world of online education, websites like Udemy, LearnWorlds, and Kajabi are well-known.
Every platform has a distinct combination of features that it offers, from powerful tools for creating courses and analytics to marketing and community building capacities.
Whether you’re an academic institution, a creative worker, or an enterprise, the range of platforms caters to varied needs. It is crucial that instructors are knowledgeable about the advantages and disadvantages of each platform.

Best Place To Sell an Online Course

• Learnworlds – Best Place To Sell an Online Course, the default choice
• Udemy – Suitable for large companies
• Kajabi – Suitable for designers

This post seeks to give you a thorough overview of the most well-liked online course selling platforms, illuminating their features, costs, and course kinds that you may offer so that you can choose the best option for your needs and experience.

Learnworlds

LearnWorlds is a feature-rich online course platform that enables instructors to design, market, and sell their courses. The platform has many features out of the box, like customisable certificates, an integrated social network, and interactive video.
In addition, it has several third-party tool integrations, the capacity to generate assignments and quizzes, and the ability to engage students with interactive ebooks.
LearnWorlds provides distinctive features, such as integrated social networking and interactive video, for course developers who prioritize interactive and captivating content. Student happiness and engagement can be greatly increased in this way, which is important for course success.
Course producers may offer a more comprehensive and organized learning experience with its configurable assignments, quizzes, and certificates.
Flexibility in organizing and promoting courses is also made possible by the platform’s broad third-party interfaces.
Important features include tasks, integrations, certificates, interactive films, and quizzes.
Get today Learnworlds

Advantages include

• incredibly engaging course material
• an integrated social network for fostering community.

Cons

• Basic plans have a higher learning curve for new users.
• Monthly and transaction fees.

Selling points include business, technology, health, lifestyle, and education.

Cost

• $299 for the Learning Center,
• $299 for the Pro Trainer, and $29 for the Starter.
• A 30-day free trial is what a free demo trial offers.

In summary, LearnWorlds is a great platform for developers seeking community development and involvement.
Knowing something is not only powerful in the digital era, but it may also lead to profitable commercial ventures. People all across the world are ready to learn, and your knowledge could serve as a lighthouse for countless others. Never allow hesitancy to stop you.
Take the step to create a course and you and the many interested minds waiting for your insights will discover a world of possibilities.
It’s time to spread knowledge, educate, and thrive!
Simply said, you’re in good hands with LearnWorlds.
Get today Learnworlds

Udemy

Advantages of Udemy

• planned, prescriptive process for creating courses
• innate audience on Udemy
• Not much design or editing is required.

Drawbacks of Udemy

• steep revenue-sharing schedule
• Video is necessary.
• To provide paid courses, one must apply and be accepted.

Cost on Udemy

Udemy charges a revenue share of 63% on all other course sales and 3% on courses made through instructor coupons. It is free to publish free courses that include less than two hours of video. (Note: Mobile platform fees for sales of mobile courses, as well as processing costs from PayPal or Payoneer, are not included in revenue sharing.)
Why are you offering your first course on Udemy? due to the platform’s abundance of resources for developing and promoting courses.
For instance, if you’re not sure whether your video courses are up to par, you may send in a sample for evaluation.
You’ll receive comments on the audio and video, as well as equipment recommendations.
Additionally, Udemy offers a helpful Teaching Center with instructions on topics like organizing a course, shooting your first video, and other related subjects.
Udemy’s customized marketing courses can help if you’re having trouble closing your first few transactions.
Take advantage of site-wide discounts, have your course highlighted in their email blasts, or sign up for Udemy’s affiliate marketing program.
Udemy gets a cut of course sales; all of these programs are optional. The promotional channel you select will determine how much they take.
Because of the scale of the marketplace you’re competing with, it’s critical that you choose the ideal course topic and evaluate how it compares to other courses on the site using Udemy’s marketplace insights.
This function, which is akin to Google Analytics, provides information on a topic’s popularity on Udemy, search volume, and related keywords.
Additionally, you may view the quantity of courses that are currently available for a given subject, the category’s highest-earning courses, the monthly revenue earned, and the most effective channels for promotion (Udemy search, Udemy discovery, external sources, and paid ads).

Kajabi

Expert designers would benefit most from using Kajabi, one of the most upscale online course platforms.
Kajabi might not be for you if you are a novice or a small business owner.
On the other hand, this is the ideal location if you are an experienced designer looking to start an online academy. This platform even has Amy Porterfield’s endorsement!

Kajabi’s features

• Infinite landing sites
• Advertising emails without limit
• 1000 active members and 10,000 contacts
• One website Usable templates
• Automations
• Assessments (tests and questionnaires)

cost

• Basic, which costs $119
• Growth, which costs $159
• Procosts $319 per month (annual memberships are also an option)

The ability to build webinar pipelines is an intriguing feature shared by all of the options.
It also has fantastic marketing options, like expertly branded messaging, because it caters to huge edupreneurs.
The cost is somewhat more than that of the other platforms on this list, but for some users, the attentive, knowledgeable support staff can make up for it.
They could have made the digital offering more varied for the price they ask by including some possibilities, such as vFair’s event gamification tool, but they don’t.
The website may seem overly technical because it was designed with specialists in mind, which may discourage novice course developers from using it.
Overall, it is a costly and comprehensive LMS supplier, according to its reputation.

I believe $BNED is poised to become the next meme stock, and what DFV recently invested in (but can't disclose).
I'm frustrated that the powers-that-be are preventing discussions about BNED on WSB and other subreddits. This stock has a potential upside of 500% (IMO - not financial advice) and significant short squeeze potential.
What do you think about creating and sharing TikTok videos about it? We need a way to communicate and educate others without being censored.
What ideas do you have for recreating the old WSB group, before the censorship? WSB currently doesn't allow mentions of stocks with a market cap under $500M, and BNED has a $30M market cap. If I recall correctly, GME had a $100M market cap before it skyrocketed.
My wife's boyfriend always says, "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with a team."
BNED needs capital and is being squeezed financially, potentially making a deal with the devil. We can change that. It's a great company and one of the few retail stores I enjoy visiting. They could easily implement a membership/club model like Costco, Sam's Club, or Price Club to manage the environment. With a higher stock price, they could issue new shares and pay off their crushing debt.
I really like this stock. I think we should share all the reasons why we like BNED on TikTok, as it seems to be the last platform where we can communicate freely without censorship (for now).
Here's how to make videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkLTvvualis

Is there any Costco membership deal? There was a Groupon offer last year.

I plan to buy the Move 2. Is there any reason why I should buy it at some place other than Costco? It seems like the price is the same and I get the $79 Travel Bag Voucher and 30% off Sonos Accessories Coupon.

If you have a Costco Business Center nearby, check out this months Coupon Book before you shop...
Costco Business Center Coupon Book June 2024

Need some advice from the seasoned Costco shoppers: I just became a Costco member for the first time last week. I had been thinking about joining for awhile and just so happened to join during the time when costo was offering a promotion.
Apparently I got a $50 shop card for becoming an executive member. Online it says the deal is $40 for executive and $20 for Gold star though so I'm not sure if I got $50 because I also opened a Citi card to get 4% back on gas or because that was the promotion when I opened as to what is currently being offered.
Looking online they don't offer these deals often so this was a happy accident for sure. But also looking online, I'm realizing the executive membership probably is more than I need (I likely won't spend $3,000 at Costco to make it worth it.) I think the Gold star membership is all I need. My question is, if I drop down to gold at this point, would I lose the $50 shop card?

- May 30, 2024

The Good

• Strong Financial Performance:
  • Net income for Q3 2024 was $1.68 billion or $3.78 per diluted share, up from $1.3 billion and $2.93 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
  • Net sales increased by 9.1%, from $52.6 billion to $57.39 billion.
  • Gross margin rate improved by 52 basis points year-over-year.
  • E-commerce comp sales increased by 20.7%.
• Membership Metrics:
  • Membership fee income increased by 7.6% year-over-year.
  • U.S. and Canada renewal rate was 93%, up by 0.1% from Q2.
  • Worldwide renewal rate remained stable at 90.5%.
  • Increase in paid executive memberships by 661,000 since Q2.
• Warehouse Expansion:
  • Opened two new warehouses in Q3, with plans to open 12 more by the end of fiscal 2024.
  • Expansion included international markets, such as the seventh building in China.
• Innovations and Enhancements:
  • Introduction of new Kirkland Signature products.
  • Enhancements in digital experience, including app and website improvements.
  • Expansion of partnership with Uber Eats.
  • Positive reception of new bakery and food court items.
• Operational Efficiency:
  • SG&A rate improved by 15 basis points year-over-year.
  • Higher labor productivity and cost discipline contributed to improved SG&A results.

The Bad

• Gas Profitability:
  • Year-over-year gas profitability was down, creating a headwind in ancillary businesses.
• Fresh Foods Margin:
  • Fresh foods category continued to have slightly lower margins year-over-year due to deliberate strategy to deliver value to members.
• Interest Expense:
  • Increase in interest expense from $36 million last year to $41 million this year.

The Ugly

• Challenging Competitive Landscape:
  • Increased price investments by consumable retailers, potentially requiring Costco to make similar moves to remain competitive.
• Cannibalization:
  • Opening new warehouses, especially infill locations, led to cannibalization of existing locations, although managed strategically.
• Leadership Transition:
  • Although the leadership transition from Richard Galanti to Gary Millerchip and the CEO transition were described as smooth, any leadership change can introduce uncertainty.
• Core-on-Core Margin Pressure:
  • While the non-foods category showed improvement, fresh foods margins were slightly lower, which could be a concern if not managed effectively.
• Inflation and Economic Concerns:
  • Ongoing economic uncertainties, including inflation and recession fears, continue to be a consideration, impacting consumer behavior and potentially future performance.

Earnings Breakdown:

Financial Metrics

• Net Income:
  • Q3 2024: $1.68 billion or $3.78 per diluted share
  • Q3 2023: $1.3 billion or $2.93 per diluted share
• Net Sales:
  • Q3 2024: $57.39 billion, an increase of 9.1% from $52.6 billion in Q3 2023
• Gross Margin Rate:
  • Q3 2024: 10.84%, up by 52 basis points from 10.32% in Q3 2023
• SG&A Rate:
  • Q3 2024: 8.96%, lower by 15 basis points from 9.11% in Q3 2023
• Interest Expense:
  • Q3 2024: $41 million
  • Q3 2023: $36 million
• Membership Fee Income:
  • Q3 2024: $1,123 million, up 7.6% year-over-year
  • U.S. and Canada renewal rate: 93%, up 0.1% from Q2
  • Worldwide renewal rate: 90.5%, stable from Q2
• Paid Household Members:
  • Q3 2024: 74.5 million, up 7.8% year-over-year
• Card Holders:
  • Q3 2024: 133.9 million, up 7.4% year-over-year
• Paid Executive Memberships:
  • Q3 2024: 34.5 million, an increase of 661,000 since Q2 end
• Comparable Sales:
  • U.S.: 6.2% (6% adjusted for gas inflation and FX)
  • Canada: 7.7% (7.4% adjusted)
  • Other International: 7.7% (8.5% adjusted)
  • Total Company: 6.6% (6.5% adjusted)
  • E-commerce: 20.7% (both reported and adjusted)
• Traffic/Shopping Frequency:
  • Worldwide: 6.1% increase
  • U.S.: 5.5% increase
• Average Transaction/Ticket:
  • Worldwide: Up 0.5%
  • U.S.: Up 0.7%
• Foreign Currency Impact:
  • Negative impact of 20 basis points on sales
• Gasoline Price Inflation Impact:
  • Positive impact of 30 basis points on sales

Product Metrics

• Gross Margin Performance:
  • Core-on-core margins: Higher by 10 basis points
  • Ancillary businesses (excluding gas): Lower by 5 basis points
  • 2% reward: Lower by 1 basis point
  • LIFO credit: $11 million in Q3 2024 (compared to no credit in Q3 2023)
• E-commerce Sales Growth:
  • 20.7% increase, led by Gold and Silver bullion, gift cards, and appliances
• Warehouse Openings:
  • Q3 2024: 2 new warehouses in the U.S.
  • Post Q3: 2 more openings (Loomis, California and Nanjing, China)
  • Planned for Fiscal 2024: 12 more locations (9 in the U.S., 2 in Japan, 1 in Korea)
• Capital Expenditures:
  • Q3 2024: Approximately $1.06 billion
  • Estimated Full Year 2024: Between $4.3 billion and $4.5 billion
• New Products and Innovations:
  • Introduction of Kirkland Signature Lemon Blueberry loaf and Morning Buns
  • New Kirkland Signature men's walking shoe and facial wipes
  • Lowered prices on Kirkland Signature pine nuts and frozen shrimp SKUs
• Digital Enhancements:
  • Increased app downloads by 32% year-over-year
  • Site traffic up 16%
  • Average order value up 8%
  • Expanded partnership with Uber Eats across Canada and 17 U.S. states
• Fresh Foods:
  • Close to zero inflation in Q3
  • Notable new items: Kirkland Signature Lemon Blueberry loaf and Morning Buns
• Ancillary Businesses:
  • Food court sales strong, with the chocolate chip cookie performing well
• Inflation Impact:
  • Core merchandise inflation essentially flat
  • Slight inflation in food and sundries offset by deflation in non-foods

Source: Decode Investing AI Assistant

I woke up 5 months ago and understood that I am 27 and have nothing. No home, no flat, no car, and no parent flat, so I have nothing and if I lose my job for some reason I will be homeless. So, I expect to have around £25k in 4-5 years for the first 10% deposit. To achieve it in 5 years I need to save £5k per year / £417 per month. I hope I will have more.
Here's what I've been doing for 3 months now to achieve this:

1. Save £300 a month from my salary = £3600 a year.
2. Drop cigs = £70 a month = £840 a year.
3. Drop my daily coffee = £4/day (only work day) = £84 a month = £1008 a year.
4. Canceled my subscriptions (amazon prime + netflix) = £9 + £7 = £16 a month = £192 a year.
5. Canceled my Gym membership = £45 a month = £540.
6. Start using only discount supermarkets with coupons and so on. ~ £40 a month = £480 a year.

Total savings: £555 a month = £6.660 a year.
Tracking Expenses: I use some simple and full free MoneyBee app on my iPhone to track expenses right after the purchase to not forget and Excel spreadsheets (I found on the internet some good and pretty templates and adapted them for my needs, so I could recommend doing it).
Future Goals: While my goal is to save enough within 4-5 years, I’m aware that unexpected expenses might arise, and I might need to dip into my savings occasionally.
Protecting Savings from Inflation: What is the best way to save it against inflation? I use some accounts in my banks with ~2.8% interest rate but it is not enough because in 2023 inflation was about ~5%. However, I’m unsure about the best approach. Any advice on how to effectively save against inflation would be greatly appreciated. Should I probably use some investments or cryptocurrency🥴?

My sister and I share a Costco membership. However, can I order contact lenses for my wife on Costco.com and upload her prescription?

Is a membership really worth it??
Give me the pros and cons! I've been thinking about it for some time!

I'm looking for recommendations for my wife's minivan -- 235/55 R19. All season, but snow doesn't really matter much - we only get a few days and she doesn't drive in it. I have a costco membership, but I'm looking to see if there are some better deals out there. thanks!

CREDIT PROFILE
Current credit cards you are the primary account holder of:
· Amex Business Gold, opened 10/2023 · Amex Gold, opened 05/2023 · Capital One Venture X $10,000 Limit, opened 04/2023 · Amex BCE $18,000 limit, opened 12/2022 · Amex Platinum (authorized user) since 09/2018

• FICO 8 Scores: Experian 778, Transunion 775, Equifax 771
  
• Oldest credit card account age with you as primary name on the account: 1 year 5 months
  
• Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 6 months: 0
  
• Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 12 months: 0
  
• Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 24 months: 3
  
• Annual income: $58,000
  

CATEGORIES

• OK with category-specific cards?: Yes
  
• OK with rotating category cards?: Yes
  
• Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below.
  
• Dining: $250
  
• Groceries: $250 + Target $50 + Costco $75
  
• Gas: $0 - no car
  
• Travel:
  

· Flights: $500-$750 per year • Hotels: $1,250 per year · Lyft/Uber: maybe $80 month

• Do you plan on using this card abroad for a significant length of time (study abroad, digital nomad, expat, extended travel)?: No
  
• Any other categories (examples: phone/internet, insurance) or stores (example: Amazon) with significant, regular credit card spend (the more you specify, the better): Electric Bill, Amazon, Misc Golf purchases
  
• Any other significant, regular credit card spend you didn't include above?: No
  
• Can you pay rent by credit card? Yes, rent is $1,280. Credit card fee 2.99% (No Amex). $0 if using ACH.
  

MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS

• Current member of Costco or Sam's Club? Costco
  
• Currently paying $13.99/month or more for Disney Bundle (Disney+ / Hulu / EPSN+) or other Hulu services? Yes
  
• Current member of Chase, US Bank or any other big bank?: Citi, US Bank
  
• Active US military?: No
  
• Are you open to Business Cards?: Yes, but not right now
  

PURPOSE

• What's the purpose of your next card (choose ONE)?: SUB
  
• Do you have any cards you've been looking at? Applied for US Bank Altitude Reserve last week but was denied even after manual recon. Gave it a shot even though my profile is not exactly thick enough for that card.
  

I’m looking for a SUB that I can cash out at 1 cpp. I don’t plan on traveling a lot over the next 12 months and still have a bunch of AMEX and C1 points to cover travel if needed. I would get a Chase Ink for the high SUB but want to get a personal card for now. I’m tempted to get a CSP but I have received 80k mail offers a few months back so I may hold out until I get one of those again. I’ve also looked at the Bilt card but feel like paying rent with cards to get multiple SUBs is a better use of my spend.

CREDIT PROFILE

• Chase freedom unlimited (12k limit, opened Feb 2020 as Chase Freedom Student. Converted in mid 2021)
• Apple Card (6k limit, opened December 2021)
• Citi Custom Cash (22k limit, opened July 2023)
• * FICO Scores with source (see note on FICO score sources below):
  • Experian 790
  • Transunion 9 785
  • Equifax 795 (not up to date)
• * Oldest credit card account age with you as primary name on the account: Student loan from 2018 but that's paid off, so oldest active thing is Freedom unlimited
• * Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 6 months: 0
• * Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 12 months: 1
• * Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 24 months: 1
• * Annual income $: 120k

CATEGORIES

• * OK with category-specific cards?: YES
• * OK with rotating category cards?: YES
• * Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below. Only include what you can pay by credit card.
  • * Dining $: 100
  • * Groceries $: 100 - Yes, it's low. Weird circumstance. Just roll with it.
  • * Gas $: 250
  • * Travel $: Rarely travel. Not considering it for cards at this point.
  • * Do you plan on using this card abroad for a significant length of time (study abroad, digital nomad, expat, extended travel)?: No FTF preferred
  • * Any other categories (examples: phone/internet, insurance) or stores (example: Amazon) with significant, regular credit card spend (the more you specify, the better): $ Most spending I want to improve my rewards with is random stuff. Random purchase at Nordstrom or Target, random grocery spend.
  • * Any other significant, regular credit card spend you didn't include above?: $ 100 per month on pets. Usually online purchases. 50ish per month on alcohol. in person purchases, usually tap for 2% with Apple Pay.
  • I usually spend $1500 on credit cards per month.

MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS (delete lines that don't apply)

• * Current member of Amazon Prime?: YES
• * Current Verizon postpaid customer?: YES
• * Current member of Costco or Sam's Club?: YES
• * Current member of Chase, US Bank or any other big bank?: YES (Chase)

PURPOSE

• * What's the purpose of your next card (choose ONE)?: (first credit card, balance transfer, saving money, travel rewards)
  • Primary reason I want a new card is this situation: recently had to spend 5k on a card over the phone on a fairly random purchase and the best I could do was 1.5% on my Freedom Unlimited. I know I can do better than 1.5% on every purchase. I don't really care what kind of rewards I'd be getting as long as it's an improvement.
  • * If you answered "travel rewards", do you have a preferred airline and/or hotel chain?: International flights are usually star alliance or Hainan airlines. Very rarely. traveling these days. No preferred hotel chain
• * Do you have any cards you've been looking at?: Amex BCE. Chase AF cards if they can be justified, but I don't see the rationale yet. Fidelity 2% with the $150 SUB. I basically just want a new card and can't decide :/
• Most of my cash back I just dump into a HYSA and let it ferment. Or wait for a good gift card sale to pop up.

• Costco (NASDAQ:COST) : Q3 GAAP EPS of $3.78 beats by $0.10.
• Revenue of $58.52B (+9.1% Y/Y) beats by $520M.
• Net sales were positively impacted by approximately 0.5 to 1.0 percent for the quarter from the shift of the fiscal calendar, as a result of the fifty-third week last year.
• Adjusted Comparable sales: U.S. 6.0%; Canada 7.4%; Other International 8.5%; Total Company 6.5%; E-commerce 20.7%.

Costco Wholesale Corporation dipped slightly in postmarket trading on Thursday after disclosing its FQ3 earnings report.
Comparable sales were up +6.6% during the quarter. The big box retailer said comparable sales were 6.2% higher in the U.S., rose 7.7% in Canada, and were 7.7% higher for international markets. E-commerce sales rose 20.7% during the quarter. After backing out gas prices and F/X swings, comparable sales were up 6.0% in the U.S. vs. +5.5% consensus and were 6.5% higher overall vs. +5.9% consensus.
Costco topped estimates on the EPS line by $0.10 per share to mark its fourth profit beat in a row.
Membership fee income was $1.12 billion vs $1.04 billion a year ago.
Net income for the quarter was $1.68 billion, vs. $1.30 billion a year ago.
Merchandise inventory at the end of the quarter was $17.43 billion, vs. $16.65 billion on September 3, 2023.
At the end of the quarter, Costco operated a total of 878 warehouses, including 605 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 108 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 33 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, four in Spain, two in France, and one in Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia.
Costco did not announce a membership fee increase with its earnings release. The retailer last increased membership fees in 2017 when Gold Star membership went to $60 from 55 and executive membership went to $120 from $110. Costco also fired off membership fee hikes in 2006 and 2011.
Shares of Costco edged 0.15% higher in after-hours trading after hitting a 52-week high of $819.50 during the regular session. The stock is up more than 25% on a year-to-date basis