<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="1673725" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Acura-NSX">Acura NSX</keyword> is a supercar, yet part of its design traps dirt and other debris after driving.</li><li>You can clean it either by taking part of the car apart or with compressed air.</li><li>This is not an NSX-specific issue. It happens to a lot of other <keyword id="575565" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="supercars">supercars</keyword>.</li></ul>Some of the most prominent features of the new <keyword id="371058" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Acura">Acura</keyword> NSX - or indeed, any mid-engined supercar - are the rear airflow intake vents, located just behind the doors. They're large, eye-catching, and most importantly, functional.But they do present a bit of a problem sometimes: They get dirty and they're not always easy to clean.Airflow is necessary for all internal combustion engines, no matter where they're located - in the front of the car, the rear, or like the NSX, in the middle. An air intake system lets air reach the engine, and part of that system includes vents in the front of the car so the air can get channeled to the engine more easily. <div type="image" title="2017 Acura NSX 161 source" height="1080" width="1920" msid="81333793" hostid="261"></div>Because the NSX has a mid-mounted engine - meaning that it's found between the car's axles - it has two giant intake vents in its sides. Air that flows over the hood gets fed directly into the engine via these vents. Cool stuff all around.Here's a diagram of the NSX without its body panels so you can see. The two radiators are placed behind where the car's doors would be and right in front of the rear wheels. The engine is behind the driver.<div type="image" title="2017 Acura NSX 140 source" height="1406" width="2500" msid="81333795" hostid="261"></div>While I was out with the car, I happened to look down into the NSX's intake vent and saw some debris chilling in there. Not big debris, mind you - just what appeared to be some dust, small pebbles, and pine needles. Undoubtedly, the honeycomb mesh grille protecting the vents kept the bigger stuff out.But how would one clean such an area? The grille that keeps bigger rocks out also prevents you from wiping away the accumulated grit. I couldn't see an easy way to remove the grille, either.<div type="image" title="Acura NSX._KL_48" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81333798" hostid="261"></div>As it turned out, my instinct for removing the grilles was correct. Daniel, a professional car detailer from <a href="https://cleardetail.us/">Clear Detail LLC</a> in Richmond, Virginia, told me via email that when detailing cars like this, he also tries for the best access by removing the grille.This isn't always possible, though."The new NSX grilles can only be accessed [by] removing the wheels, wheel wells, and radiators," Daniel said.Since that isn't an option for most people, Daniel recommended that owners first try blowing out the area with compressed air, a pressure washer, or even a vacuum, spraying it with a paint-safe citrus cleaner, letting it soak, pressure washing it out, and finishing with blowing it out again with compressed air - or a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/INTRODUCED-Master-Blaster-Revolution-MB-3CDSWB-30/dp/B00UVUTP2S">Master Blaster</a>, if you've got one. An Acura spokesperson declined to confirm whether or not this is the recommended way of cleaning out an NSX's intake vents.<div type="image" title="Acura NSX._KL_14" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81333801" hostid="261"></div>I'm not dogging on the NSX for this issue, as it seems fairly innocuous. I just know that if I owned the car, the buildup of dirt in the vents would bug the hell out of me, and I wanted to see how someone would go about finding a solution.In the case of my loaner, it had been driven 15,000 miles by journalists who, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/audi-rs-6-rs6-avant-wagon-camping-cars-travel-winter-2021-2">like me</a>, can sometimes enjoy <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mclaren-gt-supercar-grand-tourer-costco-it-went-shockingly-well-2020-11">making a car do things it wasn't designed to do</a>. Because of the life it's lived, it is very possible that this NSX merely accumulated more dirt than others that haven't been tracked or parked, outside, under trees. And it's also not an NSX-specific issue!"With a lot of supercars, the intakes are fantastic leaf, pebble, dirt, pine needle, and sand traps," Daniel said. In his experience, this is a problem that has plagued many supercars, not just the NSX. It's just what happens when you combine sticky, performance tires that have a habit of flinging debris around with an intake vent that's behind those tires.The issue is addressed more easily in some other cars, though. All Daniel has to do in a Lamborghini, for example, is remove three screws and then the grille comes right out.But if you're an NSX owner who's been frustrated by a small collection of dirt riding around with you, here's your solution.

The $200,000 Acura NSX supercar comes with a tricky chore: cleaning out the massive air vents down its sides

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Lowe's is unveiling its <keyword id="20983" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Holiday">holiday</keyword> deals earlier than ever and launching a <keyword id="86203" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="christmas-tree">Christmas tree</keyword> delivery service.</li><li>The home improvement retailer has seen much <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/home-depot-and-lowes-benefit-bored-shoppers-hammer-away-home-2020-8">success</a> in 2020 as consumers double down on spending on the home.</li><li>"We want to make the holiday experience even more accessible this year by offering competitive deals earlier than ever on top-rated, unique gifts for the home," Executive Vice President of Merchandising Bill Boltz said in a statement.</li></ul>Lowe's is kicking off the holiday season with early deals, a slew of unexpected products, and even a <keyword id="8206" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Christmas">Christmas</keyword> tree delivery service.The move comes as Lowe's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/home-depot-and-lowes-benefit-bored-shoppers-hammer-away-home-2020-8">sales continue to soar</a> in 2020, as consumers nix vacation plans and scramble to spruce up their living spaces during the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Brand and Marketing Officer Marisa Thalberg and Executive Vice President of Merchandising Bill Boltz announced the company's holiday strategy during a conference call last week.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-stretching-black-friday-throughout-november-2020-10">Walmart announces three new sales events, as it looks to stretch Black Friday through November and hedge against an uncertain holiday season</a>Lowe's will launch its "season of savings" on Thursday, with deals lasting until the end of December. Discounted items include deals on generators, pressure washers, patio sets, lighting, electronics, major appliances, and DeWalt and Craftsman tools.Lowe's will also add new, unexpected products like exercise bikes, record players, and air hockey tables to entice early holiday shoppers. The home improvement retailer notably touted new partnerships with brands like Crayola, Westpoint Home, Melissa &amp; Doug, ProSource Fitness, Lionel Trains, and Rocky Brands."We want to make the holiday experience even more accessible this year by offering competitive deals earlier than ever on top-rated, unique gifts for the home, as well as on the most sought-after brands, that will help our customers gift home for the holidays this season," Boltz said in a press release."Our homes have never been more meaningful to our lives than they have been in 2020," Thalberg added. "Over the past few months, we've seen our homes rise, if imperfectly, to meet all that we've needed from them. As we approach the holidays, the idea of gifting the home feels especially right."In a bid to continue its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lowes-ecommerce-revamp-home-improvement-spending-blew-up-2020-9">e-commerce expansion</a>, Lowe's will roll out buy-online and pickup-in-store or curbside offerings, contactless pickup lockers, and delivery options for consumers. The company is additionally introducing local Christmas tree delivery services beginning on October 30. "We've got all the decorations and the wreaths and everything else to go with it, so you can pull the whole package together," Boltz said on the call last week.Tree purchases over $45 will come with free delivery, according to Lowe's."We know that people aren't necessarily having the same types of experiences that they could have prior to the pandemic, but we hope that you can find a fun little holiday moment just walking our tree lot," Thalburg added.

Lowe's kicks off holiday deals in October and launches Christmas tree delivery program

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. <a href="https://www.insider-inc.com/commerce-on-insider-inc/">Learn more.</a><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://homedepot.sjv.io/c/196318/456723/8154?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fb%2FFeatured-Products-Labor-Day-2020%2FN-5yc1vZ2fkoyxe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">The Labor Day sale</a> includes (but isn't limited to) tool brands like <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fb%2FFeatured-Products-Labor-Day-2020%2FDEWALT%2FN-5yc1vZ2fkoyxeZ4j2%3FexperienceName%3DdefaultDdefault" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">DeWalt</a>, <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fb%2FFeatured-Products-Labor-Day-2020%2FRYOBI%2FN-5yc1vZ2fkoyxeZm5d%3FexperienceName%3DdefaultDdefault" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">Ryobi</a>, and <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fb%2FFeatured-Products-Labor-Day-2020%2FMilwaukee%2FN-5yc1vZ2fkoyxeZzv%3FexperienceName%3DdefaultDdefault" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Milwaukee</a>; appliance brands like <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fb%2FFeatured-Products-Labor-Day-2020%2FSamsung%2FN-5yc1vZ2fkoyxeZa0f%3FexperienceName%3DdefaultDdefault" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">Samsung</a>, <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fb%2FFeatured-Products-Labor-Day-2020%2FGE%2FN-5yc1vZ2fkoyxeZlo%3FexperienceName%3DdefaultDdefault" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">GE</a>, and <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fb%2FFeatured-Products-Labor-Day-2020%2FLG-Electronics%2FN-5yc1vZ2fkoyxeZ21j%3FexperienceName%3DdefaultDdefault" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">LG Electronics</a> are featured as well.</li><li><keyword id="6363870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="home">Home</keyword> and garden essentials from power <keyword id="47094" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tools">tools</keyword> to small appliances are discounted until September 16, so act fast.</li><li>To help you shop, we rounded up five of the very best <keyword id="6391790" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="deals">deals</keyword> from the sale, or find more <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/labor-day-sales" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Labor Day deals here</a>.</li><li>For more savings across the internet, <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">visit Insider Coupons</a> and our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/deals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deals homepage</a>.</li></ul>If you've been looking for an excuse to start your next home improvement project or upgrade to a new appliance, <a href="https://homedepot.sjv.io/c/196318/456723/8154?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fb%2FFeatured-Products-Labor-Day-2020%2FN-5yc1vZ2fkoyxe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Home Depot's Labor Day sale</a> covers everything you could need. Most of the discounts last through September 16.<h2>The best Labor Day deals from Home Depot</h2><ol><li><a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FRYOBI-1-600-PSI-1-2-GPM-Electric-Pressure-Washer-RY141612%2F30100446201004462" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">Ryobi 1,600 PSI Electric Pressure Washer</a>, $100 (originally $120) [You save $20]</li><li><a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FSun-Joe-2030-MAX-PSI-1-76-GPM-14-5-Amp-Electric-Pressure-Washer-SPX3000%2F20420285004202850" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">Sun Joe SPX 2030 Max</a>, $130 (originally $150) [You save $20]</li><li><a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FHDX-55-Gal-Tough-Storage-Bin-in-Black-HDX55GONLINE-4%2F20559736505597365" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">HDX 55 Gallon Tough Storage Bin</a>, $20 (originally $25) [You save $5]</li><li><a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FGE-1-7-cu-ft-Over-the-Range-Microwave-with-Sensor-Cooking-in-Stainless-Steel-JVM6175SKSS%2F20702573807025738" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">GE JVM6175SKSS Over the Range Microwave</a>, $260 (originally $350) [You save $90]</li><li><a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FGenie-SilentMax-750-3-4-HPc-Ultra-Quiet-Belt-Drive-Garage-Door-Opener-with-Wireless-Keypad-3055-TKSV%2F20693406806934068" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Genie SilentMax 750</a>, $160 (originally $185) [You save $25]</li></ol>For discounts on more than just home improvement, check out <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-day-sale-2020-best-deals" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">our list of the best sales this Labor Day</a>.

The best Labor Day deals from Home Depot — includes tools, home appliances, furniture, and more

<ul class="summary-list"><li>AW, 27, is a YouTuber who almost moved from Chicago to Texas in 2021.</li><li>She had signed a lease and packed up her old apartment when she suddenly had a change of heart.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with AW, a 27-year-old YouTuber who works in advertising and lives in Chicago. AW was hired by Facebook in 2021 and made plans to move to Texas for her new role. But at the last minute, she decided to skip the move and stay in Chicago — a decision she says she now regrets.After high school, I really didn't know what I wanted to do. I have a twin sister who I'm very close with, who said, "I'm going to Chicago," and I was like, "You know what? Me, too."We came to Chicago for undergrad, and I've been here ever since. I've been living here for about nine years now.I fell in love with it right away. Chicago was the city. There's so much to do, public transportation, people everywhere. It was the perfect city to get a career going.I thought it was going to be my forever home. But that changed.I graduated from college in December of 2019, and then March 2020 was the pandemic. There was really no pressure to get my career started during COVID.But once things started opening back up and the world started to become "normal" again, a lot of my friends left Chicago. My twin sister left, too.It just seemed like everyone started to have these new postgrad lives. I felt like I was really missing out on that.<h2>I was transitioning careers at the time.</h2>I got an offer from Facebook. I had previously worked in a contracted role for the company, and that's what helped me land my full-time role at Facebook.When they hired me, they said I could work from one of two locations: either <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-california-austin-texas-10-things-i-wish-i-knew-2021-1">Austin, Texas,</a> or Chicago.Knowing that all of my friends and my sister had left Chicago, I naturally wanted to go to Austin. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIDdzk42kgQ&amp;t=125s">So I chose Texas</a>. This was a company that would move me, so I wouldn't have to worry about the hassle of moving.The company sent me to Austin to look for apartments. But I got there and I realized Austin was not my vibe.I was like, "Where are the people?" There was no one driving around. It was not for me.I was so used to Chicago being a very multicultural city. I just didn't feel that way when I went to visit Austin. Everything was so spaced out.So I spoke to my new manager at the job and I said, "The offices are still closed, what if I move to Dallas instead?" I figured it was the next best thing. I felt like there was a bit more culture there.I had never visited Texas before I got this role, but I had a cousin in Dallas and she just seemed like she loved it.My manager said I could do that. However, once the offices opened, I would have to commute back and forth from Dallas to Austin.It sounds crazy now. It's about a two-and-a-half-hour drive. But I had faith that the offices weren't going to open anytime soon.<div type="image" title="side by side photos of Ayahna Wilbon on a bike and posing in front of a street sign" height="1080" width="1440" msid="105795242" hostid="261"></div>The company wouldn't move me to Dallas, but they would move me to Austin. So I decided to move to Austin, and from there, I would move to Dallas. It would be easier and cheaper to move my stuff within Texas.I went to Dallas for a couple weeks and looked at apartments and checked out the neighborhoods. I found an income-driven housing program and worked with an agent in Dallas. He had a loft available for me.I was going to rent the apartment for about $1,300 a month and have a pool, a washer and dryer, and a dishwasher.<h2>It seemed like the stars were aligning in Dallas.</h2>But in Chicago, I had a pretty sweet deal on the apartment I'm still in today. My rent was $925 at the time for a 700-square-foot studio.I knew my rent would go up if I moved to Texas. Plus there isn't good public transportation there. I could just see the dollar signs. I was starting to rethink it.But at that point, I still felt like I should go to Texas. I had my friends come help me pack up my house. The movers came, and I signed a lease in Austin. My landlord here in Chicago even started to show my apartment.I went to Dallas one last time to stay in what would have been my apartment and drove around to a bunch of different neighborhoods.But I just felt sad. It just felt off. I felt out of place. I didn't feel like I belonged.I felt like it wasn't my time to leave Chicago yet. I didn't want my rent to go up. I was going to have to pay for parking. There wasn't going to be public transportation.<h2>So, I canceled everything.</h2>My manager wasn't upset because the offices didn't end up opening until the following year, at which point it was my time to leave the company. The agent wasn't really upset either, and my landlord in Chicago was happy to let me keep my apartment so she didn't have to go through the hassle of finding someone new.I was lucky there wasn't much fallout other than a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si_kSZwwE58&amp;t=297s">YouTube video</a> I made talking about my decision. People gave me a lot of flack for that.In the comments, people said, "You were just scared," and, "You should have done it," and, "I'm glad you didn't come to Texas." It's been almost two years or so and people are still commenting, "Texas didn't want you anyway."<div type="image" title="A photo of Ayahna Wilbon next to a photo of the Dallas skyline" height="1500" width="3000" msid="105795243" hostid="261"></div>At the time, I was 25. I felt like I was around that "quarter-century crisis" time. A lot of people want to move but just don't have the guts. It was something I wanted to do, but I didn't have the guts!I made the YouTube video because I felt like it would be nice to say, "It's OK you didn't do it. It's OK, you got scared. It's OK, you tried to dip your toe in the water but didn't go all the way in."<h2>I was in denial that I was afraid.</h2>In hindsight, I now realize that I didn't make the move because of a fear of the unknown. It's something I definitely kind of regret today.I feel like I missed out on an opportunity to take that leap, especially when I had less risk. I had a company that was actually going to move me to Texas. That's hard.I haven't been back to Texas since I made my decision but I'm going in February for my cousin's birthday.I'm at the point today where I do still want to leave Chicago. I've been here so long and working remotely since the pandemic. I want to be forced into an uncomfortable environment and I can't do that here in Chicago.Dallas and Houston are still on my mind. I've started applying to jobs outside of Chicago. I'm hoping to make a move sometime in 2024.I feel like this experience made me realize that you shouldn't let fear drive your life.Editor's note, March 13, 2023: We anonymized the source in this story after publication. Business Insider has confirmed the source's identity. We made this decision to use the source's initials due to concerns about impacting the source's career.

I had the opportunity to move from Chicago to Texas on Facebook's dime. I got nervous and backed out &mdash; a decision I now regret.  

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US stocks wavered cautiously Wednesday after surging bond yields triggered a sell-off on Wall Street.</li><li>The 10-year US Treasury yield last traded at 1.89%, its highest in two years. </li><li><keyword id="11894140" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="inflation" source="Orion">Inflation</keyword> in the UK surged to a 30-year high of 5.4% in December, up from November's 5.1%. </li></ul>US stocks trod water Wednesday, while rising US Treasury yields created a challenging backdrop for bond investors as <keyword id="11893875" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="markets" source="Orion">markets</keyword> positioned for a swifter pace of monetary policy tightening by the <keyword id="11895523" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="federal-reserve" source="Orion">Federal Reserve</keyword>.Futures on the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones">Dow Jones</a> lost 0.1% as of 4:15 a.m. ET, while those on the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500">S&amp;P 500</a> fell 0.08%, and the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_100">Nasdaq</a> fell 0.04%, suggesting a cautious start to trading later in the day.The <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/rates/u-s--rates-10-years">10-year Treasury yield</a> rose 3 basis points to 1.897% on Wednesday, while <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/rates/u-s--rates-2-years">two-year Treasury yields</a> rose 2 basis points to 1.067%, holding near two-year highs. The 10-year has climbed above 1.8% for the first time since COVID-19 began to impact markets in early 2020.UBS predicts 10-year yields will climb modestly higher to around 2% by June, and to 2.1% by the end of the year, as investors trim their expectations for more aggressive near-term rate rises, which could see a slower rise in 2-year yields - known as a "steepening" of the yield curve."The 2-year Treasury, meanwhile, has moved too aggressively in pricing in Fed tightening, in our view, and we expect the yield curve to steepen," said Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management. "This steepening should further improve the positive backdrop for financial services companies."Market participants are positioned for a more hawkish Federal Reserve meeting next week. Most assume there will be a first interest rate increase, in an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-reserve-tapering-interest-rates-inflation-fomc-december-asset-purchases-2021-12?r=US&amp;IR=T">effort to cool surging inflation</a>, according to Jens Magnusson, chief economist at SEB Research.Rising yields have been undermining growth stocks, such as tech, which typically suffer most from higher borrowing costs, since the present value of future profits declines as rates rise. Overall, the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-news-nasdaq-tech-stocks-interest-rates-fed-us-2022-1">tech sector fell 2.6%</a> on Tuesday.The latest sell-off was accentuated after disappointing <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/goldman-sachs-4q-2001-earnings-gs-stock-investment-banking-trading-2022-1">fourth-quarter results from Goldman Sachs</a>, which posted lower-than-expected earnings due to weaker trading activity.Elsewhere in Europe, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/uk-inflation-december-cpi-energy-food-prices-bank-of-england-2022-1">UK inflation soared to a 30-year high</a> of 5.4% in December. That's up from November's 5.1% reading and its highest since March 1992."These are dreadful figures, higher than forecasts and will undoubtedly increase pressure on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee to raise interest rates at their next meeting," said Sandra Holdsworth, head of rates at Aegon Asset Management.The UK central bank will next meet on February 3. Analysts say that with supply chains still in crisis and economists warning that inflation may not peak until spring, multiple interest rate rises may be necessary in the year ahead.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/ftse_100">London's FTSE 100</a> was about flat, while the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/stoxx_europe_600">Euro Stoxx 600</a> and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dax">Frankfurt's DAX</a> fell 0.1%.Asian indices mostly lost ground after the sell-off on Wall Street. The <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/shanghai_composite">Shanghai Composite</a> fell 0.3% and Tokyo's <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nikkei_225">Nikkei</a> lost 2.8%. Hong Kong's <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/hang_seng">Hang Seng</a> rose slightly by 0.06%.Oil prices are trading at seven-year highs, with growing g<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/oil-price-hits-highest-level-since-2014-on-middle-east-supply-fears-12519044">eopolitical tensions in the Middle East</a> being one reason for the latest upswing. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=brent">Brent crude futures</a> rose 0.3% to $87.81 a barrel and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=wti">West Texas Intermediate</a> rose 0.5% to $85.28 a barrel.Read More: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-sell-nfts-artist-earned-millions-explains-process-2022-1">A 31-year-old whose NFTs earned over $3 million went from being a high-rise window washer to one of the highest-selling female artists. She breaks down the inspiration behind her work, her journey, and the tools she used to design her pieces.</a>

US stocks set for cautious open as bond yields surge to pre-pandemic highs, while UK inflation soars to a 30-year high

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> is developing a furniture-assembly and installation service, Bloomberg reported.</li><li>The service would compete with what <keyword id="2442393" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Wayfair">Wayfair</keyword> and others have already been offering.</li><li>Delivery drivers would be tasked with assembling and installing <keyword id="6354386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="furniture">furniture</keyword> and appliances, per the report.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-jeff-bezos-final-letter-to-shareholders-as-ceo-2021-4">Amazon</a> is creating a new furniture-assembly service that would task delivery drivers with unpacking and building items for customers, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-16/amazon-is-working-on-furniture-assembly-service-to-catch-wayfair?sref=BWbpWjRm">Bloomberg reported</a>, citing people familiar with the matter.The premium service will help avoid customers being disappointed if they didn't realize their purchase requires construction, Bloomberg said. The service is likely to be introduced in Virginia along with two other areas, one source told the publication.With the new service, Amazon drivers would unpack boxes, assemble items, such as couches and beds, install appliances, like washers and dryers, and then remove the items if the customer is dissatisfied, Bloomberg reported. Details on any potential pricing or launch date for the service are not available. Amazon did not immediately reply to Insider's request for comment on the matter. Currently, some customers have the option to schedule another person to assemble the product later on, but the new Amazon service would now <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-wayfair-furniture-shopping-2019-1">compete with online-furniture store Wayfair</a> and other large retailers like <keyword id="201254" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Home-Depot">Home Depot</keyword> and Lowe's, which offer similar assembly and installation services of their own. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/w-stock">Shares of Wayfair</a>, the online furniture store, sunk after the <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> hit, as shares of <keyword id="161142" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Best-Buy">Best Buy</keyword>, Home Depot, and Lowe's rose. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wayfair-supply-chain-furniture-order-delays-2021-2">Wayfair's cofounder explains why furniture delivery is still so slow - and when it will return to normal</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ecommerce-helped-retail-2020-consumers-adopted-online-shopping-2021-2">E-commerce skyrocketed</a> during the pandemic, and with it, online sales of big-ticket items like furniture also jumped as people stayed in and worked on <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/home-depot-lowes-stock-renovation-boom-record-growth-bofa-pandemic-2020-8-1029510298">home improvement projects</a>. In 2020, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wayfair-sales-soar-as-shoppers-online-furniture-2020-8">online furniture</a> and home supplies sales rose 41%, Bloomberg reported, citing Coresight Research. That rise is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/third-stimulus-check-boost-retailers-kohls-wayfair-clothes-dining-home-2021-3">expected to continue</a> as people spend their stimulus checks and the pandemic begins to wind down with the vaccine rollout. Delivery truck drivers have been under increasing pressure amid the rise in e-commerce during the COVID-19 outbreak. Even before the pandemic, though, Amazon delivery drives have cited working conditions in which they've had to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-drivers-say-pooped-in-bags-changed-pads-pee-bottles-2021-3">pee in bottles</a>.Are you an Amazon delivery driver? We'd love to hear what you think of Amazon's latest idea. Reach out to the reporter of this article at ndailey@businessinsider.com.

Amazon is reportedly creating a furniture-assembly service that would task delivery drivers with building items for customers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Millennial New Yorkers are piling into luxury <keyword id="47359" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="apartments">apartments</keyword> amid plunging rents and concessions.</li><li>They're upgrading their living situation in pursuit of more amenities, space, and the solo life.</li><li>As of January, rents were down 15.5% in Manhattan and 8.6% in both Brooklyn and Queens, <a href="https://streeteasy.com/blog/nyc-real-estate-prices-continue-to-drop/">per StreetEasy</a>. </li></ul>$3,200. $3,000. $2,900.Over the past several months, Brett Vergara had been watching rent fall like dominoes for apartments at The Brooklyner, a residential skyscraper that briefly had the title of <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/sky-high-named-home-turf-brooklyner-tallest-building-borough-article-1.204528">Brooklyn's tallest building</a> around a decade ago.Replete with a rooftop deck, floor-to-ceiling views of The Empire State Building, and an in-building fitness center, The Brooklyner was a far cry from the Park Slope basement he lived in when he first moved to New York, where bars blocked the view out of his lone window. "I was playing chicken with the fallen rent prices," Vergara told Insider. Vergara, a 28-year-old who works as a UX program manager, said he shared his last Brooklyn apartment with three roommates, with his share of rent coming to $825 a month. He had been flirting with the idea of solo living for the past two years. "Part of me was torn between riding out really low rent for as long as I could and trying to figure out when was the right time to make the jump," Vergara said.The pandemic just so happened to be that time.When a corner one-bedroom, which he said was priced around $4,000 when last listed in October 2019, hit $2,650 in February, Vergara said he decided to "strike while the iron was hot" and signed a lease for 66% off its pre-pandemic price.In a city notorious for its unaffordability, the pandemic era has sent once sky-high rents plummeting, making luxury living by <keyword id="72226" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="New-York-City">New York City</keyword> standards attainable for those once priced out of such a lifestyle. Millennial New Yorkers like Vergara are jumping on deals they know won't last indefinitely, upgrading to luxury apartments that suddenly fit with their budgets. <h2><div type="image" title="Breet Vergara.JPG" height="768" width="1025" msid="81378899" hostid="261"></div>Rents have plunged amid a surplus of supply</h2>When the city that never sleeps finally got some shut-eye, many wrote off the slumber as a city dying and traded in fast-racing taxis and towering apartments for sedans and picket fences. But for some of the young urban professionals who stayed, it was the beginning of a whole new life."The pressures COVID placed on the marketplace created a unique opportunity to secure leases in prime locations and great buildings for significant discounts," agent Ryan Kaplan, of Douglas Elliman, told Insider. New Yorkers fleeing for the suburbs sent rental vacancies climbing, prompting landlords to lower rents in an attempt to attract new residents and propel revenue.Rents in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens all had the largest year-over-year declines on record, dropping a whopping 15.5% in Manhattan and 8.6% in both Brooklyn and Queens, per StreetEasy's <a href="https://streeteasy.com/blog/nyc-real-estate-prices-continue-to-drop/">January Rental Report</a>. The median asking rent in Manhattan was $2,750 - the lowest it's been since March 2010, when rents dropped during The Great Recession. Insider's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-cheap-rents-have-prices-hit-bottom-pandemic-2021-3">Libertina Brandt reported</a> that rents are likely to continue falling throughout 2021.While "luxury" can mean many things to different people, StreetEasy defines it as the top 20% of the market. Luxury rental prices dropped the most in Manhattan, falling by 11.9% to $5,642 from the second quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2020, according to data StreetEasy provided Insider. Prices fell by 9.7% to $2,935 in Queens during the same period and 7.5% to $3,937 in Brooklyn.<div type="image" title="brooklyn waterfront" height="1380" width="1842" msid="81378900" hostid="261"></div>In NYC, a golden standard of climbing up the apartment ladder is snagging an apartment in a doorman building. In January 2020, the average rent for Manhattan one-bedrooms in doorman buildings were $4,514, data from <a href="http://www.mns.com/manhattan_rental_market_report">real estate agency MNS</a> revealed. By January 2021, they had dropped to $3,718. Iliana Acevedo, senior vice president of new development at MNS, told Insider that they've been seeing millennials "not only upgrading to more amenitized buildings but also upgrading in unit size and neighborhoods that they were priced out of pre-COVID."Compass has done about 900 rental deals, the majority of which have been with millennials, since last March, Compass agent Ori Goldman told Insider. But he said he wouldn't classify it as "millennials going luxury for the first time as much as just an extreme market drop, which means anyone who used to afford Manhattan can now afford the luxury." <h2>A building with amenities provides a much-needed community</h2>On top, or sometimes instead of, lower rents, many luxury buildings are offering concessions of two or three months free. Consider Vergara, who negotiated an 18-month lease with two-and-a-half months free, putting his net rent at $2,250 a month."Increased concessions and suppressed pricing allows somebody to rent out a nicer, more luxurious building, with more amenities and a better location," said Joshua Young, vice president of market-rate operations at the Douglaston Companies. His firm owns luxury buildings The Ohm In Chelsea as well as Level BK and 1N4th on the Williamsburg waterfront, where rents range from <a href="https://streeteasy.com/building/1n4th-1-north-4-place-brooklyn#tab_building_detail=3">$2,500 for a studio to $8,300 for a one-bedroom</a> and amenities include an outdoor pool with skyline views of Manhattan.<div type="image" title="Brett Vergara2.JPG" height="843" width="1125" msid="81378902" hostid="261"></div>Many of the experts Insider spoke with said the millennials who are upgrading covet amenities like an in-unit laundry, 24-hour doormen, pools, and gyms. Air quality is also high on the list."The younger demographic is looking for service," Young told Insider. "It's really about the whole amenity package."That's something millennials may have traded previously for location in a walk-up building, said Chris Schmidt, senior vice president of Related Companies, which owns luxurious rentals at buildings including The Strathmore on the Upper East Side, which has its own squash court, and One Hudson Yards, which features a penthouse longe and bowling alley. At the latter, one bedrooms can go for as much as <a href="https://www.relatedrentals.com/search?city=46&amp;property=46864686">$7,453 a month</a>. In February, he said, Related's rents were trending down about 15% to 25% depending on the unit type. Now, he said, a building filled with amenities provides a sense of community millennials feel has been missing in New York's partially shut-down neighborhoods.It's what lured Vergara to The Brooklyner, but he said he hasn't yet taken full advantage of the amenities because he's staying cautious indoors, even with masked strangers, until he's vaccinated. "It's funny because those things aren't even really revealing their hands yet," he said.<h2>Space: the most important amenity in a WFH <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword></h2>Both Kaplan and Schmidt said the search for an upgrade has seduced some millennial Brooklynites back to Manhattan, where they're now finding the space and affordability they once left the island in pursuit of. Schmidt noted that Related's buildings in Chelsea and Hudson Yards have been the most popular.But Brooklyn isn't losing its luster. Young said he's seeing the trend the most in Douglaston's two Williamsburg buildings, where there's a feeling of more space by the water and nearby parks.<div type="image" title="Juliana Goldman_Olivia Kenney" height="2010" width="2680" msid="81378904" hostid="261"></div>Last June, Juliana Goldman decided to prioritize her living space. She was living in a large railroad-style studio in lower Manhattan "with zero light and super thin walls," she told Insider. It was time to hightail it to Brooklyn, where she always envisioned herself for its community feel.Her non-negotiables: an in-unit washer dryer and floor-to-ceiling windows with lots of natural light. "I'm a plant parent," the 34-year-old founder of lifestyle and beauty public relations agency <a href="http://www.thegoldmannetwork.com/">TGN</a> explained.<div type="image" title="Juliana Goldman.JPG" height="3992" width="2994" msid="81378906" hostid="261"></div>She found it all at Level BK, Douglaston's 41-story glass tower that shimmers over Williamsburg and the East River, complete with an outdoor space, steam room, and direct ferry service to Manhattan. At the time, apartment deals were just starting to come in, she said. While she declined to share monthly rent, she said she signed a two-year-lease with two months free. Trading up to a larger one-bedroom and brighter space was a game-changer, Goldman said: "It's really helped having extra space and being able to create that <keyword id="889044" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="working-from-home">working from home</keyword> environment where it doesn't feel like I'm literally working out of my bedroom."Space has always been a rare commodity in NYC, but the work-from-home economy has cast it in a whole new light. Many millennials like Goldman have been seeking an office space or a large living room that can accommodate a work zone, broker Isaiah Dunn of Compass told Insider. Common outdoor space, like a sun deck, also tops the list."People want to be able to have friends over when they want and not feel confined when at home all hours of the day, compared to pre-COVID, when you could just meet friends at a local spot," he added.Goldman said her space has become an oasis, as she spends her downtime vintage furniture shopping and decorating. "The energy here is better," she said. "I just wake up exponentially happier every day because of my living environment."<h2>Entry into adulthood</h2>Some millennials are opting for two-bedrooms with a roommate to further cut the cost of luxury, and some millennial couples are upgrading from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom for an office space.But three experts noted a big push toward entry-level studios and one-bedrooms. Schmidt of Related said most millennials upgrading, like Vergara, are doing so to have their own apartment for the first time.Take Lauren Mennen, a 31-year-old news writer, who was living on the Upper West Side with three roommates before the pandemic. "I've never actually lived alone," she told Insider. "I took the dropping rent prices as an opportunity to start looking."In October, she found the studio of her "dreams" in a luxury doorman building in the Financial District with an "amazing view" of 1 World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, and the Hudson River. The building itself has a gym and a sun deck.<div type="image" title="Lauren Mennen roof deck" height="931" width="1241" msid="81378908" hostid="261"></div>She was previously paying $1,500 a month for a four-bedroom flex unit (meaning the unit was originally two bedrooms with walls added later on to create four). Now she's paying $1,700 - a big drop from the typical $2,800 monthly rent the place normally goes for. Even millennials already living by themselves are getting upgrades. For some, it's the first time they've had a wall between their bed and their couch.Both Goldman and Ai Nguyen, a 30-year-old behavioral specialist, fall into that category. In February, Nguyen moved from a 300-square-foot studio on the north side of the Upper West Side to a 500-square-foot one-bedroom farther south in the neighborhood in a newly renovated 14-story doorman building called the Parc Coliseum.It was the new hardwood floors, in-unit laundry, and price that sealed the deal for her.She told Insider her rent increased from $1,730 to $2,043 for the bigger place, but she scored a deal with two months free. That puts her net rent at $1,700 - less than her studio. <a href="https://streeteasy.com/building/parc-coliseum/12k">A StreetEasy listing</a> of a one-bedroom of similar size in the same building came to $3,704 in September 2019.<h2>A rebounding market</h2>Developers and <keyword id="6354553" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="real-estate">real estate</keyword> agents alike agreed that winter, typically slow in NYC real estate, has been millennial primetime."We've seen a particular spike in absorption since Thanksgiving, and millennials are a large percentage of renters rushing back to the city looking to snag a good deal before the spring rush," MNS' Acevedo said.But just how long millennials will be able to cash in on an upgraded NYC lifestyle remains to be seen. Schmidt said it'll be contingent upon when the city fully reopens, and he anticipates more real-estate momentum as vaccinations continue. "That's going to force a lot of people seeing these steeper discounts to make a quicker decision," he said, adding that as soon as there's a better indication of when the workforce will return to offices, rents will start to go back up to pre-pandemic levels.<div type="image" title="Ai Ngyuen" height="1512" width="2016" msid="81378910" hostid="261"></div>NYC is the only major US city that still saw price drops in the last month, <a href="https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/national-rent-data">according to Apartment List</a>. But it's slowing down - rent only declined 0.1% compared to the average 2.4% over the last nine months.Young said he's already seeing strength in the market, and has begun pulling back on offering "month-free" discounts last week. There's also the cyclical nature of leases, he explained: Since many jumped on deals in the middle of winter, fewer people will be vacating at the end of March. Less supply gives buildings an opportunity to pull back on prices and incentives.Some of those who nabbed a deal at what appears to be the bottom of the market said they're also concerned about what their rent will look like after their lease is up. Nguyen, the Upper West Sider, said she'd likely stay if it only goes up by $200 a month. Any more than that, she said, and she'd be okay with leaving the city. Regardless, they all said they feel extremely lucky to have been able to move during the pandemic. "There's a sense of guilty gratitude," Vergara said. "I feel like I got away with something."

Millennial New Yorkers are ditching basements and roommates for luxury apartments at $1,000-plus discounts

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="BII" title_caption="The Internet of Things Will Encompass Tens Of Millions Of Connected Gadgets" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5260631d6bb3f7bd5862774b-960/morganstanleyiot.png"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5260631d6bb3f7bd5862774b-1200-924/morganstanleyiot.png?maxX=400" border="0" alt="MorganStanleyIOT" width="400" style="float: right;" /></a>BIIThe Internet of Things Will Encompass Tens Of Millions Of Connected Gadgets</div></div>The Internet of Things has the potential to be the catalyst for a new era of growth in consumer electronics. 
Billions of <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=M-IoT-ORG-7-10-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">once-inert everyday and enterprise devices are already connected to the internet - including smart appliances and home devices like refrigerators and alarm clocks - and the number is exploding. By 2020 that number of internet-connected devices will top 50 billion</a>, according to estimates from Morgan Stanley and Cisco. 
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=M-IoT-ORG-7-10-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Access The Full Report And Data By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today &gt;&gt;</a>
Examples Of Consumer IoT Devices And Applications: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=IOT-Oldie-2014-9-8&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Consumer electronics products spanning alarm clocks, digital video cameras, home audio systems, and speakers</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=IOT-Oldie-2014-9-8&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Kitchen and home appliances such as refrigerators. washers and dryers, and coffee makers</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=IOT-Oldie-2014-9-8&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Lighting and heating products, including bulbs, thermostats, and air conditioners</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=IOT-Oldie-2014-9-8&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Safety and security monitoring devices such as baby and assisted living monitoring systems</a>, smoke detectors, fire hydrants, cameras, sensor-equipped drawers and safes, and home alarm systems. Machina and the GSM Association believe that there will be $270 billion in savings by 2020 thanks to sensors and devices that enable the elderly to live independently as opposed to care homes.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=IOT-Oldie-2014-9-8&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Musical instruments</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=IOT-Oldie-2014-9-8&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Robots</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=IOT-Oldie-2014-9-8&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Toys ranging from desk-friendly remote-controlled mini-cars to hovering quadricopters</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=IOT-Oldie-2014-9-8&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Health and fitness products that measure exercise, steps, sleep, weight, blood pressure, and other statistics</a>.</li>
</ul>
As uptake among consumers and businesses ticks up, <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=M-IoT-ORG-7-10-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence finds that the IoT means a new set of challenges and opportunities, particularly for the consumer electronics market</a>. 
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=M-IoT-ORG-7-10-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Many products and services have already crossed over into the IoT</a>, and there are already clear signs that the biggest tech companies - and even smaller players - are trying to get out front of the race to dominate the IoT. Google has acquired Nest. Apple has unveiled its HomeKit platform. Even Staples and Honeywell - not typically companies thought of as tech leaders - are putting out new IoT -related products. 
In the world of business-to-business and government, IoT use cases begin to proliferate even more.
To access BI Intelligence's full report, <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=M-IoT-ORG-7-10-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Here Comes The Internet Of Things</a>, sign up for <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=M-IoT-ORG-7-10-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">a free trial subscription here</a>. Subscribers also gain access to over 100 in-depth reports on social and mobile, and <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-things-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=M-IoT-ORG-7-10-14&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">hundreds of charts and datasets</a>.

The Internet Of Things Is Creating A New Growth Opportunity For The Consumer Tech And Electronics Industries

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d8537872e22af18b63d4dc8-2000/elizabeth aldrich.jpg" border="0" alt="Elizabeth Aldrich" data-mce-source="Courtesy of Elizabeth Aldrich" /></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Four years ago, I <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-my-job-for-side-hustle-best-decision-2019-7">quit my job to travel</a> for as long as my meager savings would last me. </li><li>I now live in Costa Rica nearly full-time and am on track to make $85,000 from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-baby-boomers-retirees-freelancing-2019-9">freelance</a> writing this year.</li><li>I'm able to save 50% of my income because I control my three biggest expenses: housing, transportation, and food. I spend the most money on travel, which adds up to over $12,000 a year.</li><li>My life is unconventional, but I wouldn't have it any other way. By keeping major costs low, I'm able to spend more on the things that matter to me.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Four years ago, I quit my job to travel for as long as my meager savings would last me. I had vague plans of traveling for six months and then returning to the US to look for a new job, until I found myself in the middle of a cheesy romance plot I never asked for.To give you the condensed version: I fell in love with Costa Rica ... and with the chef at an eco-lodge where I was taking Spanish lessons.By the time I ran low on money, I'd realized I didn't want to go back to the US or a desk job. Going back would mean breaking up with my partner, who can't even get approved for a tourist visa to the US because of where he was born. It would also mean leaving a country I'd grown deeply attached to and applying for jobs I wasn't excited about. So instead, I set out to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-my-job-for-side-hustle-best-decision-2019-7">build my own freelancing business online</a> so that I could work from anywhere. I decided to make a living doing something I'd dreamt of doing every since I was a kid: writing.<h2>Nearing six figures as a freelancer and increasing my savings rate</h2>My first year as a freelance writer was very difficult, and the second year wasn't much better. But by the third year, I had what felt like a reasonably stable income. Now, in my fourth year, I make more than double what I made in my previous career. I'm on track to make $85,000 in 2019. My goal for 2020 is to make six figures.My income fluctuates a lot because <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-nomad-wealthier-than-ever-2019-7">I take time off to travel</a>. My highest-grossing months this year were months in which I didn't travel and worked 40 to 50 hours per week - in February, I made $9,598, and in July, I made $10,478. My lowest grossing months were the three months that I traveled and worked more like 10 hours per week - in March I made $4,315, in April I made $4,522, and in May I made $2,201.In 2018, I made <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/paying-off-debt">paying off all of my debt</a> a priority. After I did that, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-yield-savings-emergency-fund-2019-8">building an emergency savings fund</a> became my focus. For 2019, my goal was to save $3,000 per month to round out my emergency savings fund and start saving for retirement and potential mid-term savings goals like purchasing land or going back to school.I managed to meet that goal most months. While my savings rate dipped lower during travel months, it skyrocketed during the months I spent at home.<h2>I spend less on rent, transportation, and food</h2>I don't believe that depriving yourself of the occasional latte is an effective way to save money. For one, that $3.50 doesn't add up very quickly, and it's hard to build sustainable habits when you feel deprived.Instead, I've always believed that the best way to cut expenses and boost your savings rate is by cutting down on your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-save-more-money-2017-8">three biggest costs</a>: rent, transportation, and food.While my monthly income and spending fluctuate pretty drastically - for example, I took most of April off to travel around Japan and went from having a $9,000 month in February to a $2,000 month in May - here's what a typical month looks like:<h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d8e505d2e22af21023044e4-1667/elizabeth aldrich monthly spending chart.png" border="0" alt="elizabeth aldrich monthly spending chart" data-mce-source="Shayanne Gal/Business Insider" /></div></div></div></h2><h3>Rent</h3>My rent is where I cut costs the most. It's common for Americans who move here to rent or buy big American-style homes in gated communities with air conditioning, pools, and other amenities. Instead, I rent a typical Costa Rican home, a small two-bedroom house in a rainforest town. I pay $180 per month, so I save a lot of money, and I get to be part of the community there.<h3>Transportation</h3>For my first three years in Costa Rica, I was car-free. This isn't an easy feat when you live somewhere rural with limited bus service, but I made it work, and my boyfriend had his motorcycle for short trips. Last year, my boyfriend's motorcycle broke down, and I finally decided to get a car.Cars are more expensive in Costa Rica, and I didn't want to eat into my savings, so I bought a 1995 Geo Tracker for $3,500 in cash. Most people wouldn't be comfortable in such an old car, but I don't mind it. I also still walk and use the bus whenever feasible, so we aren't putting too many miles on the car.<h3>Food</h3>For food, I do a lot of meal prep and try to buy lots of low-cost, high-nutrition foods like beans, bananas, oatmeal, and eggs. I also eat out at least a few times per week when I don't have any meals prepared. A plate of food at a typical restaurant is around $6, and the time I save not cooking or doing the dishes can be spent working and making more money. Food is one area where I'm only willing to sacrifice so much - which you can tell from the fact that I spend $300 per month on groceries that are mostly for me. I still buy fancy nut and seed mixes for my oatmeal and coconut milk for my coffee, and I always keep a bottle of quality rum on hand for visitors. However, I've got some wiggle room here and will try to lower my food costs next year, both groceries and dining out, by doing more meal prep.<h2>Most of my money goes toward luxuries and purchases that save me time</h2>While I spend relatively little on necessities, I spend what many people would consider to be too much on things like travel and personal care. For example, I spend more than $12,000 per year on travel. This includes travel for both me and my boyfriend. We don't have a strict method for splitting up our finances, but since I have the privilege of being able to make US dollars and thus a higher income, I usually pay all of our bills and major travel expenses like flights and hotels.We also travel pretty heavily on this. By the end of 2019, I'll have traveled to over a dozen countries on four different continents this year. The two of us manage to travel on a low budget by collecting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/credit-card-points-free-luxury-trips-2019-5">credit-card rewards</a> to pay for flights and hotels or staying in budget accommodations like hostels and Airbnb or with friends.I also get my hair done three times per year, and it costs me $300 each time. Every two to three weeks, I get my nails done for $20 to $30. These are expenses most <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/super-savers-work-with-financial-advisors-2019-9">super savers</a> would advise against, but they're worth it to me.Outsourcing tasks that are time-consuming might seem more expensive than DIY, but because I'm self-employed, I can make more money in the time I've freed up than I spend on outsourcing. For example, I still haven't purchased a washer for the house because I'd rather spend $30 per month to have laundry done at the corner store. I have a housekeeper come twice per month, which costs $40. I also outsource some of my business tasks to a Virtual Assistant and usually spend about $300 per month on that. All of this time saved is time I can spend building my business.Despite "extravagant" costs like getting my hair or laundry done, my savings rate hovers around 50% and is creeping upward. That's because I've driven my big three costs as close to zero as possible. People might think it's odd that I make $85,000 per year and spend $12,000 of it on travel. But they probably also think it's odd that I make $85,000 per year and drive a car that's 24 years old. My priorities are simply different than what's considered the "norm."Living abroad also makes it easier to align my expenses with my priorities. In the US, even when I'm only visiting, I feel an almost instant pressure upon arriving to constantly spend money on things I don't need and upgrade my lifestyle, and that pressure just isn't as strong in many other places. I check in with myself frequently to make sure that my spending is still aligned with what I truly want and not what society says I should want. This helps me live a rich life on a limited budget.<h2>On my way to financial independence</h2>My goal is to continue <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-yield-savings-accounts-help-spend-less-save-more-2019-8">saving</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wish-i-listened-to-dads-money-investing-advice">investing</a> my money at an extremely high rate until I achieve some level of financial independence. This is an important goal for me in part because I worry that there won't be demand for my work one day, and I'll have to find a new way to make money. But it's also important because I want to have the financial freedom to pursue personal projects and focus on doing good in the world.I want to cut down on travel next year so I can focus on working more consistent hours. I plan to increase my savings rate by cutting costs on travel and eating out. At the same time, I plan to invest more in myself by taking courses that teach me valuable skills and attending conferences to network with people in my industry.With this plan, my income should increase, and I should also have more time to work on projects that will <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-have-multiple-income-streams-2017-10">diversify my income sources</a>. Right now, most of my income comes from freelance writing, so I'm working on creating products, writing a book, and building up a consulting business so that I don't have to rely on one stream of income. This will increase my financial stability.My life is unconventional, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Some people fear self-employment because there's no guarantee your job will be there next year, and that's true - but there's no guarantee that a traditional job will be there for you next year, either. If I lose my main income sources, I've learned two very valuable skills through my first few years of hustling as a freelancer that would help me out: how to live off of very little, and how to market myself. I'm confident that I could pivot if I needed to and still earn a decent wage, and this lifestyle gives me the control over my time that I need to do that.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>More <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/savings">savings and retirement</a> coverage</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-retire-early-steps-for-early-retirement">How to retire early</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-save-more-money-2017-8">How to save more money</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/are-cds-a-good-investment">Are CDs a good investment?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-to-save-money-in-high-yield-savings">When to save money in high-yield savings</a></li></ul>

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