• Nola Caribbean Experience in New Orleans

    Nola Caribbean Experience: What To Know Before You Go

    2 Min Read

    The Nola Caribbean Experience is coming back to New Orleans this fall. The festive event is again expecting throngs of people throughout the 12-day event.

    If you’ve never been to carnival in Brazil, this is the closest to that experience in the Southeast. And with a little New Orleans flavor, you’ll love it even more.

    Everything You Need To Know About The Nola Caribbean Experience: 2022

    As always, you can expect a party atmosphere, delicious food, great entertainment and live music. It’s also one of New Orleans’ top festivals.

    When Is The Nola Caribbean 2022 Taking Place?

    This year’s Nola Caribbean Experience is set to take place October12-23, 2022. This year, the event will feature Kevin Hart, Nikki Minaj and more.

    As is the tradition, there will be a carnival parade among the festivities. In fact, the NOLA Caribbean Experience consists of 21 official events, including brass bands, and Mardi Gras Indians.

    Final Word

    New Orleans is one of the most fun places to visit in the warmer months. Truthfully, there’s always something to do and someplace to go.

    New Orleans is not only a world-class city, but a cultural centerpiece of the Southeast, from restaurants to its parks, the city stands out as a place to visit and live.

    Looking for something to do in the city? What To See And Do In New Orleans

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  • cheapest gas prices in New Orleans

    Cheapest Gas Prices In New Orleans: Gas Station, Address, Info

    3 Min Read

    Gas prices have dipped a bit after increasing over the last month in Louisiana and across the nation. In New Orleans, you can find some good gas prices if you know where to look.

    We’ve compiled a list of some of the cheapest gas prices you’ll currently find in the New Orleans area.

    How Much Is A Gallon Of Gas In New Orleans, Louisiana Right Now?

    Here in New Orleans, gas prices are averaging around $3 and 53 cents a gallon right now. according to data from Gas Buddy. The lowest we’ve seen is $3.45 a gallon in the Gramercy area as well as around Belle Chasse.

    Could gas prices go up further? Yes. That’s why now is the time to fuel up at the tank.

    If you have a vehicle, especially a huge gas guzzler, you should go to the gas station and fuel up. You’re going to save a lot of money.

    Map: Where Is Cheap Gas Near You?

    The cheapest gas I’ve seen is at these New Orleans gas stations:

    Gas StationLocationPrice Per Gallon
    Costco3900 Dublin St. New Orleans, La.$3.45
    Sam's Club3900 Airline Dr. New Orleans, La.$3.45
    Sam's Club1527 Manhattan Blvd, Harvey, La.$3.50
    Walmart2500 Archbishop Hannan Blvd
    Meraux, LA
    $3.55
    Murphy8001 W Judge Perez Dr
    Chalmette, LA
    $3.57
    Speed Racer8020 Downman Rd
    New Orleans, LA
    $3.59
    Marathon101 Bayou Rd
    Poydras, LA
    $3.59
    Sam's Club455 31st St
    Kenner, LA
    $3.59
    RaceTrac8130 W Judge Perez Dr
    Chalmette, LA
    $3.59

    To save time, you can use Google to find cheap gas. Visit this link to find cheap gas near you.

    3 Ways To Save Money On Gas

    If you’re wondering what it takes to save money on gas, here are three suggestions you can put to good use.

    Use a Gas App

    There are several apps on Android and in the Apple Store. Here are the best apps to use:

    Pay With Cash

    You might not know it, but it’s cheaper to buy gasoline when you pay with cash. When you use a credit card, you will be hit with a credit surcharge.

    Many gas station operators tack on a fee to process your credit card, which is why the fuel costs will be higher. To get a gas station’s advertised price, pay for gas with cash money!

    Join A Rewards Program

    Another say to save on gas money is to join the rewards program of a gas station near you. Some of the top gas station reward programs include BP, RaceTrac and Shell, which gives you points you can redeem for things like food and gas.

    Last Words

    Some people are convinced that they have to spend more money on premium fuel because their car runs better on it, but that’s not the case for most vehicles!

    How can you find out for sure? Pull out the owner’s manual. If it says that premium gasoline is recommended, then by all means please use that.

    The truth is that cheap gas may work find for your vehicle. The type of gas you use will affect your engine’s performance and fuel economy, so always follow what’s written in your car’s manual.

    Interested in other ways to save or make money? Check out our Money Section:

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  • Here's how to save on food costs.

    How To Spend Less Money On Food

    3 Min Read

    The cost of food continues to climb year after year. You may be curious what you can do about your rising grocery bill.

    In this article, I’ll go over some ways you can spend less on food costs.

    How To Save Money On Food

    You may be wonder whether it costs more to eat healthy compared to buying generally unhealthy things like potato chicks, donuts and other snacks high in saturated fat.

    1. Stick To A Budget

    The #1 thing you need to remember when you buy food is that you can’t spend money you can’t have. That’s why you need a budget.

    Creating a budget will also force you to be accountable to yourself and your wallet one a weekly and monthly basis.

    2 Skip The Soda

    If you go out to eat, one way your bill increases is by ordering soda with your entree.

    To save even more money, if you can, just order water with your meal. Water is one of the most healthy drinks you can have.

    Not only is water good for you, but it’s good for your wallet.

    3. Skip The Dessert

    One of the ways restaurants pad your food bill is to offer you a decadent dessert that is hard to resist. They know you’re probably full, so that’s why they rely on the server to physically show you the dessert so that your eyes can entice you to order it.

    4. Go With Veggies

    Vegetables and salads are always going to be cheaper than buying meat. Instead of steak dinner or baked chicken, make it a Meatless Monday by serving something like scrambled eggs, beans, seeds, frozen fruits and vegetables,

    Not only is eating veggies cheaper for your wallet, but it’s healthier for your body.

    5. Skip The Prepared Meals

    It’s not easy coming home every day from working a stressful job and having to cook, but if you want to save money, it’s worth it.  Don’t fall into the trap of paying for already-prepared meals.

    There are several companies out there that market these great meal prep kits. They may have good food, but they’re expensive! To save money, cook at home.

    Final Word

    When you count medical bills, bad health can be enormously expensive when it’s all said in done.

    As a rule, always try to stay away from foods that have processed sugar and artificial trans fats. These ingredients are not just on the snack aisle either.

    Going to a restaurant soon? Here’s how to save there too.

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  • How to apply for grants

    These Grants Are Available To Louisiana Residents Right Now

    3 Min Read

    If you’re a small business owner in Louisiana, you know how tough it has been to keep afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is that help is out there. You just have to apply for it.

    Selly Foundation

    The Selley Foundation (Selley) is a donor-advised fund of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Selley Trustees review grant requests in the areas of education, arts, and in certain cases the environment.

    Apply here.

    The Doris and Peter Hansen Technical Assistance Fund

    The Doris and Peter Hansen Technical Assistance Fund for Arts Organizations gives monetary support to New Orleans organizations sponsoring cultural activities in the fields of classical music, theater, and fine arts.  Apply here.

    Facebook Small Grants Program

    Facebook is another company offering big money to businesses. This time, the social media giant has pledged $40 million in grants. How it works is that Facebook will give $4,000 grants ($2500 cash, $1500 in optional ads credits)  to 10,000 qualifying small businesses to keep them afloat.

    Interested in the Facebook Small Grants Program? Apply here.

    GoFundMe Small Business Relief Fund

    GoFundMe has partnered with smaller stakeholders to offer the Small Business Relief Fund to those who apply. The grant gives those who are selected $500. Apply here.

    Fearless Strivers Grant Contest

    The Fearless Strivers Grant Contest is open only to black women who meet the eligibility requirements. You can get $10,000 if you are accepted.

    Apply for the Fearless Strivers Grant Contest here.

    Halstead Grant

    The Halstead Grant is an annual award for emerging silver jewelry artists. Applicants submit answers to 15 business questions in addition to their design portfolios. The grand prize is a $7,500 cash grant plus other benefits.

    The postmark deadline is August 1, 2022. Apply for a Halstead Grant here.

    Visa • IFundWomen Grant

    Visa is partnering with IFundWomen to offer grants to Black women-owned small businesses. The program is providing 10 grants of $10,000 each as well as one year of IFundWomen Annual Coaching Membership.

    To qualify for the grant, you must:

    • Be a Black woman
    • Have a business up and running for at least two years
    • Have a minimum annual revenue of at least $24,000

    Apply for the Visa + IFundWomen Grant Here.

    Hidden Star Minority Grant

    Hidden Star is offering $3,500 grants for minority businesses. If you’re interested, apply for the Hidden Star grant.

    Small Business Administration Restaurant Revitalization Fund

    The Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) provides funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses stay open. Food businesses may be eligible to get funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location.

    Recipients don’t have to repay the grant if the money is used for eligible expenses by March 11, 2023.

    Apply for the SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund

    Final Word

    It’s not easy being a business owner in New Orleans or any city. Do you know of any other grant opportunities out there? Let us know in the comments.

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  • report spam text messages

    How To Avoid Spam Text Messages

    4 Min Read

    I think I speak for all when I say that unsolicited text messages can be annoying. Who are these people?

    Well, in a word, they are most likely scammers trying to entrap you into giving up some sensitive personal information. One way they accomplish that is through a method called “smishing”

    Smishing is basically when you receive a text message appearing to be legitimate, only to find out that it is from a fraudster. Usually, you find this out when it’s too late.

    Why Am I Getting Spam Text Messages?

    The reasons why you could be getting spam text messages are many: You could have shared your phone number on an unsecure website or to someone shiesty.

    Another reason why you may be getting a lot of spam text messages may be because there’s an upcoming election in your area. Many political campaigns pay for phone lists so that volunteers can text and call potential voters.

    When someone uses SMS methods, they may try to lure you into divulging your information by posing to be someone they’re not. This is called smishing.

    The practice of smishing has been around for quite some time, but crooks continue to apply new twists to it.

    How To Report Spam Texts

    To report spam texts, all you have to do is copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM). You can also alert the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

    How To Protect Yourself

    Here’s how to avoid smishing if you have one of the major wireless providers.

    Verizon

    Verizon says smishing, phishing, spam text messages and text scams are increasing. “Typically, smishing scammers will send you text messages that attempt to get you to click a link and then provide personal or financial information about yourself. Smishing is serious and can lead to identity theft,” the carrier says.

    If you get a suspicious text message, Verizon wants you to forward it right away to S-P-A-M (7726).

    T-Mobile

    T-Mobile says if you download its Scam Shield app, you can you can take advantage of the wireless provider’s free mobile scam protection tools like:

    • Scam Block and Caller ID
    • Voicemail-to-text
    • xxxx

    T-Mobile says on its website. You can activate Scam Block and Caller ID, see the calls T-Mobile has blocked on your behalf, mark favorites, and report likely scam calls.

    With the app, you can report likely scam calls as well as enable voicemail-to-text, providing voicemail transcripts in the Visual Voicemail app or via text.

    AT&T 

    Here’s what AT&T calls this scam, “This is called SMiShing because texts are SMS or “short message system” messages.

    AT&T says if you receive a suspicious text message, alert AT&T by forwarding the text to 7726 (SPAM). Messages forwarded to this number are free and will not count toward your text plan. If you get a suspicious email or text, do not reply. If you suspect you are a target of fraud on your AT&T mobile phone account, you can report it to our Fraud team here. If you suspect fraud on another account, call the customer service number on your bill for help.

    Final Word

    Criminals are always trying to get some money out of you, so you have to stay vigilant. If you get a text message from someone you don’t know, instead of clicking on the link, see if you can do a Google search to find the company and click there.

    • Don’t trust text messages from strangers.
    • Never send someone who only know through text messaging your personal information.
    • Never click on a link sent to you from a suspicious number.

    Any U.S. citizen who believes they are a victim of smishing, spam texts or even caller ID spoofing can file a report with the FCC Consumer Complaint Center. The FCC imposes a fine of up to $10,000 per violation. 

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  • Crescent City Classic race in New Orleans

    Crescent City Classic Returns To New Orleans

    1 Min Read

    After a two-year hiatus, the Crescent City Classic is back in New Orleans this year. The event promises to be a fun time for walkers and runners alike.

    What Is The Crescent City Classic?

    The Crescent City Classic is a 10k road race that is a New Orleans tradition. The race is typically held annually on the Saturday before Easter Sunday.

    Produced by The Crescent City Fitness Foundation, the event beckons athletes from all over the Southeast, but especially those who live in the local area.

    How To Register

    To register for the Crescent City Classic, click here. Entry fees range from $45 to $60.

    Aside from a family-oriented race, there are a lot of things happening around the city.

    If you really want to take things to the next level, you can go out to one of New Orleans’ notable dining spots.

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  • Chris Rock performing in New Orleans

    Chris Rock Is Performing In New Orleans As Part Of His Ego Death Tour

    2 Min Read

    Comedian Chris Rock is embarking on a world tour for the first time in five years. His Ego Death tour has some key dates in big American cities, including New Orleans.

    Rock has been to New Orleans many times over the years, but never with such interest. Sales of his Ego Death tour have skyrocketed since the incident at the Oscars.

    When Will Chris Rock Perform In New Orleans?

    Chris Rock is slated to perform in New Orleans on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at the Saenger Theatre. The shows starts at 8 p.m.

    Who knows? If interest continues to climb, Rock may add another show here in New Orleans.

    How To Get Tickets To See Chris Rock In New Orleans

    To get tickets to see Chris Rock in New Orleans, you can buy them on the Fox Theatre’s website. The prices are $49.50 per ticket as of this writing.

    Final Word

    Rock has established himself as a bankable movie star in addition to a top-notch standup comedian. His hit TV show Everybody Hates Chris, which hilariously chronicled his childhood, ran four four seasons on The CW Network.

    New Orleans has steadily built up a flow of TV and movie productions over the years. If you want to be an actor, the city has classes you can take as well as places that provide headshots and more. You can also audition at numerous casting calls to build your movie and TV reel. 

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  • Serigne and Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith are James Beard Award finalists in New Orlaans.

    These New Orleans Restaurants & Chefs Have Been Named James Beard Award Finalists

    2 Min Read

    A handful of New Orleans-area chefs and restaurants have made the cut as 2022 James Beard Award finalists, the group announced this week.

    Whittled from an exhaustive list, the local finalists have a chance to take home the top prize and cement New Orleans’ place on the map as a bona fide cultural mecca with top-notch restaurants with diverse cuisine.

    When Will The James Beard Awards Be Announced?

    The winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 13, 2022, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

    And The New Orleans James Beard Award Finalists Are…

    Atlanta’s are among the top eateries up for Outstanding Wine Program.

    Outstanding Restaurant

    Brennan’s, New Orleans

    Emerging Chef

    Serigne Mbaye, Dakar Nola, New Orleans

    Best Chef: South

    • Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith, Saint-Germain, New Orleans
    • Melissa M. Martin, Mosquito Supper Club, New Orleans
    • Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery, New Orleans

    Here Is The Complete 2022 List Of James Beard Award Finalists

    From the Best Chefs to the top bar programs, the James Beard Awards exemplify the utmost of America’s food culture, which New Orleans plays a big part in.

    Here is the complete list of James Beard Award nominees for 2022.

    Final Word

    The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit organization that celebrates and supports culinary excellence of America’s chefs and food businesses.

    If your favorite New Orleans chef or restaurant didn’t’ make the list, make it your business to support them sometime soon.

    New Orleans’ food and drink scene continues to grow with no stops on the horizon. Ready to try something new?

    Looking for more places to eat in Nola? Here Are Some Top Desserts To Order In New Orleans.

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  • James Beard Finalists in New Orleans

    Here Are New Orleans’ James Beard Semifinalists

    2 Min Read

    New Orleans has some of the best chefs in the United States and the world. The latest list of James Beard semifinalists make that point very well. It includes several chefs and eateries from New Orleans.

    Here Is The 2022 James Beard Award Semifinalists From New Orleans

    Here are the New Orleans restaurants and chefs that made the list:

    • Brennan’s, New Orleans (Outstanding Restaurant)
    • Serigne Mbaye, Dakar Nola, New Orleans (Emerging Chef)
    • Fritai, New Orleans (Best New Restaurant)
    • Lengua Madre, New Orleans (Best New Restaurant)
    • Avenue Pub, New Orleans (Outstanding Bar Program)
    • Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith, Saint-Germain, New Orleans (Best Chef: South)
    • Hao Gong, LUVI Restaurant, New Orleans (Best Chef: South)
    • Michael Nelson, GW Fins, New Orleans (Best Chef: South)
    • Melissa M. Martin, Mosquito Supper Club, New Orleans (Best Chef: South)
    • Allison Richard, High Hat Cafe, New Orleans (Best Chef: South)
    • Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery, New Orleans (Best Chef: South)

    Final Word

    Being named a finalist for a James Beard Award is a great honor. Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 13, 2022, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. 

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  • best day to fill up gas in car in New Orleans

    The Best Day Of The Week To Buy Gas In New Orleans

    2 Min Read

    Who of us doesn’t want to save money at the pump? You can do just that by filling up your car on a certain day.

    It may sound strange, but which day you choose to put fuel in your car can make a big difference.

    What Is The Best Day To still Up in New Orleans?

    GasBuddy says the best day of the week to get gas in New Orleans is Saturday.  That means if you tend to spend more gas money early in the week, you should at least try to have enough in the tank to last until Saturday. After that, it’s time to fill ‘Er up.

    How To Keep More Of Your Gas Money

    Now let’s go over some ways to save gas money in New Orleans:

    Use Less Expensive Gas

    If your car can stand it, use a lower grade of gasoline. Many cars can perform just as well if they use gas that isn’t premium. At the same time, if your car’s manual recommends premium petrol, that’s what you need to use in your car.

    Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated

    When your tires don’t have enough air, it throws off your fuel economy, which wastes your gas.

    Final Word

    The key to saving money at the pump is to get gas on the days when the prices are lowest: For New Orleans, it’s actually on the weekend on Saturday. Make your dollars count by taking advantage of this hack.

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