Tag Archives: cash money

May7

When Bargain Hunting Gets Serious

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When Bargain Hunting Gets Serious

We all love a bargain and nothing beats finding the perfect thing on sale. It gets your heart pumping and makes you feel GOOD! And, the invention of online discount code sites has changed the way many of us shop, too. Shopping also releases endorphins. It may not be scientifically proven yet, but most of us would agree that finding a bargain releases even more. But sometimes, there’s more to getting a deal than that feel good buzz. We’re stepping away from finding the dress that you were looking for at half price. Instead, we’re going to look at when finding a deal can make a difference to your life. Believe it or not, some things are more important than clothes (though it may be a small, select few!):

Food: We can all agree that food is an essential. But, finding food when you’re working on a tight budget is far from easy. For some of us, clothes shopping is far from our minds. When we can’t afford to feed our families, life can get on top of us. So, how can you ensure that you can always buy food? The first thing and a point we’re going to return to again and again is the importance of shopping around. Knowing where you can get the best deals is important.

Despite what you might believe, prices on the same products vary a huge deal from store to store. When money is stretched, you can’t afford to buy at the shop closest to you. Instead, look around. Go to a few different stores to see which one has bargains on certain things. It’s also important to have a set meal plan for the week and only buy the ingredients that you need. People who shop per meal are sure to spend more than those who plan ahead and shop once a week or so.

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The chip aisle is SO beautiful.

Health: Healthcare isn’t cheap. Those with enough money can afford to pay for health care to cover costs. But, people on a tight budget don’t have that luxury. Instead, they have to cross their fingers and hope nothing happens. Frankly, a big health bill would be enough to cripple the best of us. It may seem strange to consider bargain hunting where health is concerned, but it’s important. Few people realize that you can get discounts on prescriptions if you need them. It’s even possible to find deals on health insurance if you know where to look. Again, shopping around is key.

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Bills: Most of us would agree that our bills are the largest monthly expense that we have. So, it makes sense that we would want to find deals where we can. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but again, shopping around is your best bet. If you don’t look at each company’s prices, you could be paying well over the odds. Once you’ve done your research, you also have the opportunity to return to your current company and see if they can offer a competitive price. Playing companies off against each other is sure to knock costs down.

As you can see, the secret to saving money on important costs all comes with doing your research. Check the ads, apps, and websites for the best deals as well as keeping up with the promotions certain companies may be offering for new customers, etc. and you are sure to see savings!

Featured Image By: Public Domain Pictures

Apr28

How Much Money Can You Really Make In Your Spare Time?

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How Much Money Can You Really Make In Your Spare Time?

It is only the very privileged few among us who are able to say that they are happy with their income. For most of us, we can be happy enough – but that doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t accept an additional boost or two if it were to come along. As a result, the industry for providing people with a means of making money “in their spare time” is a booming one. It always has been, to an extent, with catalog sales and the ability to sell products to friends and family. However, there is no doubt that this is an industry that has found its home amidst the wild west of the internet.

Have a quick browse for money making ideas online and your first impression will probably be sheer horror. How can you possibly figure out which one of these is going to work for you? If you’re a keen gamer, you may be interested in sites and apps that allow you to play games for real money so that you will know you will be having fun with your time, as well as boosting your finances. However, while there are plenty of sites offering various methods to make money online, many of the options are versions of the same thing. Sites offer points for simple tasks such as completing surveys or watching videos. When these points (different sites may call their ‘points’ different names) accrue to a certain level, then you can redeem them for either gift card vouchers or money.

Upon viewing the sums available, a lot of people will wonder if it’s worth it. So maybe it’s time to examine this closer and see if it’s a viable way of bringing in extra cash for you – by examining the pros and cons. Because who doesn’t love a good pros and cons list?!

PRO: You Can Do It When You Want, For As Long As You Want

There’s no boss, there’s no management, there’s no scheduled hours that you have to be present for. You have got complete control of what you do and when you do it. If you don’t need as much extra cash one month, you can give yourself the month off. If you need more, then you can knuckle down that little bit harder. The flexibility makes these sites incredibly attractive.

CON: You Have To Control Your Expectations

The key to making money from these sites is, according to this review, managing your expectations. Don’t think that you’re going to be able to quit your job and work from home in your pajamas all day – it’s not going to happen. You have to have a robust grip on what’s happening and how much money you’re going to earn, or you could find yourself bitterly disappointed. Super bitterly disappointed. Ugh, I love that word.

PRO: You Don’t Have To Qualify

If you wanted to, you could head on over to your computer and start working right now. There’s no interview, no qualification process, nothing of that nature at all. In fact, just being you is all that’s required, especially when it comes to filling out surveys about your opinions.

Taking a survey, perhaps?

CON: The Returns May Not Be Worth It

If you calculate the amount of time you spend on these sites and then factor in your hourly rate, it might not be pleasant reading…Seriously, I have spent a half hour doing a survey that claims to take ten minutes and received a meager fifty cents from it. It was a BITTER disappointment!!

PRO: It’s (Almost) Passive Income

However, you can keep in mind that these tasks can be done while you’re occupied with something else. For sites that allow you to earn points from watching videos, you can just play the videos in the background while you are making your evening meal. The surveys may take more attention, but you can do them from your phone while you’re waiting for the bus. Being able to pick and choose when you participate can be really helpful.

CON: Sites Can Shut Down Unexpectedly

Let’s say you join a site and accrue a huge amount of points. You’re waiting to reach a certain cash out threshold, which will allow you to obtain a voucher to a certain financial value. This is a dangerous way of doing it. These sites don’t owe you anything; if they suddenly fold or go offline, then all of your hard-earned points are going to vanish with them. There’s not a chance that you’ll get them back.

So, be safe and smart with how you use your points. Cash out as soon as you meet the minimum payment threshold, even if you’d get more for your points by hanging on to reach a higher voucher target. It’s better to actually have the money in your hand than relying on the site to keep it safe for you!

PRO: The “Big” Sites Are Well Established, With Users You Can Talk To

If you’re confused about anything that you find regarding the website, you can talk to other users. Most sites will have some kind of forum system or their social media pages will allow users to connect with one another. And, more often than not, there will be someone to explain things further on any questions that you might have.

So online money making websites might not be the best way to earn some extra cash BUT if you control your expectations and manage your time wisely, you could end up with some gift cards and money for the movies in your pocket!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Apr26

Add Some Luxury to Your Life Without Breaking The Bank

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Add Some Luxury to Your Life Without Breaking The Bank

Everyone, myself included, wants a little luxury in their lives. And most of us feel like we deserve it. Actually making it happen in a way that’s affordable is not so easy, though. If you want the best, you usually have to pay the price for it. That’s hardly ideal, but that’s the way it is. Or is it? These are some tricks and tips that you can make use of if you want to add some luxury to your life without going broke in the process:

Try Being a Secret Shopper: The great thing about being a secret shopper is that you get to get your hands on luxury goods and do interesting and luxurious things without paying for them. Secret shoppers work for brands that want to get better and find out how their customers experience things. They go into shops or use services to see how real customers are treated, and whether or not the service that they get is good enough. They can buy luxury clothes, take flights to great destinations, and stay in top hotels. If you can get work as a secret shopper, you will definitely be adding some luxury to your life!

Learn New Cooking Skills & Create Your Own Gourmet Meals: Many people think that a luxury lifestyle has to include going out and eating at the very best restaurants. But that doesn’t actually have to be the case. You can just as easily eat at home and make food fit for kings with your own two hands. You can then invite friends and family members around and show everyone what you’re capable of. There are plenty of cooking tutorials and books out there that will help you to improve your cooking skills. Before long, you’ll be preparing gourmet meals without the restaurant premium prices and the stuffy suit and tie.

Fancy stuff!

Only Buy Luxury Items When You Can Get a Deal: If you really want to buy luxury items but can’t afford to, you will just have to be patient and a bit more clever. That’s how you can get discounts and better prices for the things that you want. Waiting for these deals and discounts to emerge can be frustrating, but your patience will be rewarded eventually. But, as you can see, things like this lord and taylor coupon can be found online easily enough. Keep looking out for the luxury brand coupons that are relevant to you, and make use of them when you find them.

Rent Luxury Fashion Items for Special Occasions: This is an option that many people don’t even think to consider. Renting luxury clothing items for special occasions is perfect because it means that you can wear the things you want without spending large sums of money. Let’s face it; many of the things that you buy for special occasions only get worn once or twice so renting definitely makes sense, anyways, and it cuts the costs dramatically. Some people only ever rent clothes when it comes to finding an outfit for a big event or family get-together.

Store bought or rented dress?!

Apr21

Sick Of High Medical Bills?

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Sick Of High Medical Bills?

If medical bills are starting to drive you into an unhealthy debt, don’t despair. You shouldn’t have to financially ruin yourself in order to care for your health. There are many sly ways of cutting expenses on your medical bills that could be worth taking advantage of. Here are just a few to take a look at:

If your boss offers an FSA – use it! More and more companies are supplying Flexible Savings Accounts as an option to their staff. Every contribution you make to these accounts is tax free and can be used to cover all manner of out-of-pocket medical costs including prescriptions, medicines, and dental care. You’re allowed to save up and spend a certain allowance each year – which should be fully taken advantage of. Even if you don’t have a medical problem throughout the year, FSA spendings can be used to buy over-the-counter drugs, baby products, bandages, crutches and in some cases eye wear such as glasses or contact lenses.

Ditch big brand medicine: Only buying medicine from big brands is a rip off. These brands may have enough popularity and money to advertise on TV, but they’ll have had to pass exactly the same quality tests as lesser known drugs from small brands. These small brands are likely to be much cheaper. If you’re on a prescription, shop around for other similar medicines that you could be saving money on. Ask your doctor and switch to generic brands to save a very pretty penny.

Tailor your insurance plan to you: Taking the time to really shop around for health insurance plans can save you a lot of money. Use comparison sites and check companies that are off of these comparison sites, too. Companies such as Health Insurance Innovations are known for being able to offer customized plans to suit your needs. You may also find a good family bundle somewhere that could also save costs. And remember that you can lower your premiums by raising your deductible.

Join a farm bureau: Every state has its own farm bureau – an organization primarily set up for farmers, although practically anyone can join (farmer or not!). Joining will cost a small monthly or annual fee, however, you usually will get all kinds of perks, a common one being huge medical discounts. Always check the incentives offered by your local bureau first before signing up, as perks do vary from state to state.

Get help from an advocate: Advocacy programs are largely in place to help those in need who may not be able to make a medical decision for themselves. However, advocates can also help out those that are financially struggling with healthcare. An advocate may be able to shop around for you, come up with alternative treatment plans, and negotiate better rates from hospitals and insurers. This isn’t a service that everyone can take advantage of – your financial situation may have to be assessed first to determine whether you really cannot pay off these medical bills.

Featured Image By: Torange

Apr13

4 Products That Are All You Need To Clean Your Home

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4 Products That Are All You Need To Clean Your Home

Walk down any grocery store aisle designated for cleaning products and you will see an array so vast it’s impossible to know where to begin as try to tackle your spring cleaning. Do you want to degrease? Descale? De…whatevertheotheroneis? It just goes on and on; every single product promising to make your home better. Shinier. Sparklier.

The idea that you can skip this entire aisle and reduce your cleaning products and tools into four items might sound outlandish. How can it be possible to clean an entire house with just four products? If that’s the case, then why do all the other ones exist? The main reason is because the four you need can’t be trademarked. They can’t be profited from. So there’s pretty much no reason for companies to produce them and market them as aggressively as they do their own concoctions; not when you could buy generic versions of the big four for a fraction of the price.

Oh – did that not get mentioned? Yes, these products are nice and cheap – so it’s probably time to tell you what they are:

Star of Every Show: Bicarbonate of Soda (AKA Baking Powder)

Bicarb is the Holy Grail of cleaning products. It can be used for so many purposes that you’ll find yourself panicking when you don’t have a scoop of it on hand and are faced with a room that needs cleaning.

Its uses include (but are definitely not limited to):

  • Removing grease and food stains from pans, ovens, whatever – it’s incredibly abrasive, though, so use with caution.
  • Surface cleaning, when dissolved in water and used as a solution.
  • Deodorizing. Sprinkle some bicarb onto fabric, carpet, or upholstery, leave it for a few hours and then vacuum away – the bicarb will take the bad smell with it.

Acid Speaking: White Vinegar

White vinegar doesn’t taste great so it’s unlikely that you’ll find it in your cupboard, but it’s worth investing in as a cleaning product alone. Check out its uses:

  • White vinegar cleans glass and mirrors better than any other product known to man. Ever.
  • It’s also antibacterial in nature, so use it in the kitchen for both shine and efficacy.

Clothed Wonder: Microfiber Cloths

If the pros at Saltaire House Cleaning and even Martha Stewart speak well of microfiber, you know that you’re onto a winner. Microfiber is a revolutionary cloth fiber structure that traps and whisks away dirt in a way conventional cloths just can’t. The best thing about it is that you don’t need to use a product with it – plain old water will produce the same effects.

Bleach Bliss: Hydrogen Peroxide

While hydrogen peroxide is best known for hair bleaching, it has many uses around the home. The one that it’s best at is bleaching all of those white items in your home that have a tendency to turn gray, such as:

  • Bathroom and kitchen tile grout
  • Tiles
  • Shower curtains covered in soap scum

Use it heavily diluted and always build up the strength as you go, rather than going full throttle out of the gate. You’ll be amazed at how a little of this product goes a long way.

Ready, get set, save money, and spring clean!

Featured Image By: Congerdesign

Feb24

Make Immediate Savings On Those Home Bills

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Make Immediate Savings On Those Home Bills

For a lot of us, we only truly see how much we’re spending when we decide to put together a budget. We might think that we’re doing well and then suddenly realize just how much we’re spending on standard household bills. If you want to free up a little cash, there’s a good chance that those bills are the place where you could do just that. Spending less per month isn’t too difficult, either. A few changes and an investment or two could result in you keeping more money per month:

Things Are Heating Up: It should be no surprise that among the biggest bills for most people are those pesky heating bills. Especially in the winter, they can be gigantic. The same goes for keeping the home cool in the summer. But while you do need to control those temperatures, you don’t necessarily need to spend quite as much on it. For one, you should look at how well airflow travels through the home. Air vents in the home clogged by dust can stop the heat from traveling through the home, just as it can stop the cool from dispersing when you’ve got the AC on. Thoroughly insulating the home is important, too. Make sure that you caulk any sources of drafts in the home and pay particular attention to the roof. A missing tile or two won’t only get in the way of your attempts to control your environment but are a major risk of damp and mold, too.

Get Appliance Savvy: Heating and cooling aren’t all that can impact the energy bill. All the different appliances and electronics have a big effect, as well. If you need any new appliances or fixtures, then you should do your research. Things that you can look into include spotting a more efficient fridge thanks to Energywise rating labels to giving traditional bulbs the boot for LED lighting, instead. You also need to know when it’s a good idea to replace an old appliance. Things begin to work less than their best over time and that goes for their ability to stay energy efficient, too. It’s an investment, but one that will save you more money in the long-term.

Give Your Service Providers A Call: Besides the resources that you use to keep the home livable, you have to think about all of those other little services and subscriptions that you have, too. Take a look over your bank statements for the past month. It’s easy to forget that you might have subscribed to that video service or this audio book library. If you’re not using them, it might be time to call up and cut them off. Then, there are those deals like your TV packages and internet providers. With a bit of research, you should figure out if there are any better deals on the market. If there are, you don’t necessarily have to make the switch. You can use that as your bargaining chip to call up and negotiate yourself a better deal (it works like a charm!).

A closer look at just where you’re spending your household money can show you the upgrades, purchases, and even phone calls that can result in you keeping a lot more cash. Let those expenses go unchecked, and you could find them swallowing up most of your budget and spending money.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jan24

Slash The Cost Of Your Heating Bill This Winter

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Slash The Cost Of Your Heating Bill This Winter

Winter definitely has it’s plus points. Cozy evenings in, beautiful snow, and delicious hot drinks. But once Christmas is over, the novelty of winter begins to wear off, and by this point, most of us are getting fed up with it! One of the worst parts is the cost of heating our homes, and over the winter months fuel bills can really mount up. Thankfully there are ways to make it a little less expensive. Here’s how:

Switch to a Tankless Water Heater: We all love a long soak in a hot bath over the winter months. But the cost of heating that water can cost a bundle. One way that you can slash costs is by switching to a tankless water heater. This is a system that uses no pilot light, and in many cases can cut bills by half. If your property still uses an old tank heater, you’ll know the frustration of running out of hot water and having to wait around for it to re-heat. With this, water is heated on demand giving you an unlimited supply so there’s no running out, or wasting money by heating water unnecessarily.

Schedule a Maintenance Check: Prior to the cold months of winter, it is always a good idea to have a professional like those from Nardco Heating & Air Conditioning (or a similar business in your local area) inspect your heating system. If it’s not functioning as it should, it can cause a huge spike in your heating bill. Regular maintenance of your heating system will ensure that it is ready to heat your home safely all winter long. Do be sure you schedule your appointment well in advance as HVAC companies will be booked up with other people doing the same thing!

Invest in Smart Home Heating: Smart home heating gives you total control over your heating. With this, your thermostat is controlled through your smartphone making it easy to turn on and off at the touch of a button. No going out and worrying you’ve left the heating on. No having to get out of bed in the freezing cold, just use your smartphone in the morning and give the home a few minutes to heat up. There are add-ons which allow you to control the heat in different rooms, too, which can also save on money as you do not have to heat the whole house to feel the warmth in one room.

Buy a Log Burner: Wood burning stoves have a wonderful rustic charm. And while you will have to pay for the installation, the running costs afterward are very low. Firewood is less expensive than traditional central heating, and if you’re able to cut your own wood then you get heat essentially for free! Warming your toes in front of a gorgeous crackling fire truly gives the perfect ski lodge atmosphere. It almost makes the bitter winter weather seem worth it.

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Warm and toasty!

Wrap Up Warm: Rather than having your heating set to maximum, you could set it lower which will cost less money. And to keep warm, wrap up in cozy pajamas and throws. You can buy huge soft throws from places like eBay for around twenty-five dollars which are perfect for snuggling up with on the sofa. After the upfront cost, keeping warm this way will cost significantly less than putting the heating up full blast every night. Fleece pajamas and thick terry toweling dressing gowns will also keep you snug and warm. Although it’s not the most ideal way to save some cash, it is one that I am familiar with considering that’s how my dad manages the heating bills! Lol.-___-

Featured Image By: Pexels

Dec19

Little Things In The Home That Will Save You Money In The Long Run!

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Having a home to run is expensive. There are lots of hidden costs, and it’s quite easy for one to come at you unexpectedly. Which, in turn, can cause a major issue with your budget or eat into your savings! But there are things that you can do to avoid this. Read on to find out about some of the small things that you can do around the house that will end up saving you money in the long term.

Maintain The Roof: The roof is pretty essential no matter what sort of home you have. It keeps you dry and seals up your home against the elements. But fixing a roof that has sprung a leak, or a hole can cost big bucks. Sometimes, roofs get damaged by the weather conditions. If you have a tornado to contend with there’s not a lot that you can do to stop yourself from losing a few tiles.

But, if you only have to deal with the normal range of weather, maintaining your roof regularly can really help prevent any unavoidable damage. That means checking the roof once a season for any holes, leaks, or loose tiles. Remember it’s much easier to plug a small hole, or fix one or two loose or broken roof tiles than it is to re-lay the entire roof. If you have a leak, then this means you have an urgent roof repair on your hands. If you don’t deal with it now it could lead to water damage within your home. If this is the case then make sure that you get in touch with Rytech Restoration, as they can help.

It is a good idea to have a roofing specialist come in at least yearly to ensure that it is still in excellent condition. It can be dangerous to do this yourself! When problem areas are found quickly, the savings will speak for themselves. Simply enter a search for “roof repairs in Melbourne” (or your local area) to find a well reviewed professional for this job. During the inspection, they might not find anything. However, if they do it can be tended to immediately.

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 Pixabay Image

Be Efficient With Water: Another thing that you can do around the house that will save you money in the long run is to be efficient with you water. As most people are lucky enough to have water on tap, it can be easy to forget that we actually pay for it. But we do, so that means the more you use, the higher your bills will be.

By cutting down the amount of water that you use, you can save some serious money. You can do this with small easy actions like putting a brick in your toilet tank. This means it will still flush, but there is less of a volume of water to be refilled every time. Or you can time your showers, so you will only use so much water at a time. You can even reuse the water that you have used in the bath or for washing your clothes to water your garden!

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The throne room!

Look After Your Purchases: Something else that you can do around the home that will save you money is to make sure that you take care of your more expensive items. For example, if you invest in a nice piece of oak furniture you will need to clean and polish it properly so it will last a long time. If you are wondering, how do you look after oak furniture? Then click the link to find out.

Also, it’s worth regularly shampooing the carpets, maybe once a year or even once a season if they get heavy use. Then, they will stay clean and fluffy for a long time, meaning you will save money as you won’t have to replace them as often.

Dec19

The Redemption of Debt: Can It Ever Be A Good Thing?

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The Redemption of Debt: Can It Ever Be A Good Thing?

If you were writing a film of modern life, it’d be pretty easy to cast the good guys and the bad guys. The good guys – medicine, financial freedom, political freedom – basically cast themselves. So do the bad guys: illness, political strife, debt –

Now, hang on a second.

It’s time someone did this. It’s not popular; it’s not the kind of thing that we’re supposed to say. It rubs against the grain of all of those sayings we constantly hear; against being implored to live within our means.

It needs saying, though: Debt is not always a bad thing.

[ Audience gasps, women grab their pearls, and mustached men shake their heads with disappointment at such a statement. ]

Don’t believe me? Here are some examples of points in life in which debt is actually a useful thing. When it can be constructive. When, for once in the story of life, debt can wear a white hat.

The Case For Debt – Student Debt: We hear a lot about student debt in the media. We hear about it rising uncontrollably, how students fear not being able to pay it off and will spend their working lives trying to do so. No one is saying that the cost of a college education doesn’t need to come down. However, without student debt – without the bad guy – people wouldn’t have college degrees. In this instance, debt is the price you pay (figuratively as well as literally) for an education and for career prospects. Without it, these things would be out of reach for many people.

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Pixabay Image

The Case For Debt – Home Remodeling: For homeowners, debt is frequent. We don’t tend to think of a mortgage as a debt, but it is – technically, the issuing bank owns the property. So there’s the first good debt, and it’s not even the point I wanted to make.

Home remodeling with companies like innovateatlanta.com (or something similar in your local area) is a wise investment. It can increase not only your enjoyment of your home but the price of your house. In a rising housing market, you could make a huge return on the cost you paid for the home improvement. You don’t have to get into debt to make home improvements, but it’s not uncommon. The cost of good renovation work that will have the benefits as mentioned above is not cheap; personal loans is the quickest and easiest solution. You can then pay it back and make money back when you sell the house. Who’s the good guy now?

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 Pixabay Image

The Case For Debt – Reassuring Creditors: It isn’t necessarily just financial products that you have to pass a credit check for now – so you need your credit file to be in good shape. Creditors don’t want you to be a mystery. If you have no debt, you’d think that would be a good thing – but to potential creditors, it’s a leap into the unknown. They don’t know if you make your repayments, as they have no prior history to judge off of. Keeping a small, well-managed debt on your credit file is more reassuring and makes you more likely to be approved.

So while debt may never be a permanent white hat, it’s not always the darkest of blacks either.

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 Woohoo!

 Featured Image By: Pixabay

Dec15

Time To Love Being A Student And Stop Fearing The Financial Consequences

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Time To Love Being A Student And Stop Fearing The Financial Consequences

Getting into college can be your opportunity to really excel in life and start focusing on the path you wish to travel on in your adult life. But for almost everyone that gets in, there’s a specter that looms large over what can be a fantastic and transforming experience. We’re talking about the money that you’re going to have to spend to get that education. Student debt is the biggest it has ever been, so you really want to start making the decisions of how you’re going to handle it as quickly as you can.

Get Side Hustling: Not everyone has the opportunity to get a job to finance their way through college. Or even if you do, you might want to make sure you have a little extra. Nowadays, the market for freelance work is bigger than ever. Particularly online, there are a few technical skills that can make it significantly easier to make a little money on the side. With good writing skills, you could get into creating a monetized blog with marketing partners. There are international businesses of all kinds that can use the translation and localization skills of someone proficient in more than one language. There are opportunities for people who want to get into becoming a virtual assistant, too. Even if you can’t spend a long time away from campus, you can still find ways to make a little extra money.

Take Whatever Advantage You Can Get: One of the biggest ongoing expenses of a college student is the cost of tuition. It can end up costing you as much as $24,000 if you’re out of state. It accounts, on average, for 39% of the in-state student’s budget. Attending a no-tuition college is an option. But there are other opportunities that can help a few specific groups of people. College tuition discounts are available, for instance, to students from low-income families, to students with Native status, or students who have faced hardships like natural disasters. Other schools offer work-subsidized programs if you become an employee of one of the school’s departments.

Get a Head Start on Those Loans: Most of us are going to be coming out of college with some pretty hefty loans. If you’re able to, you want to try and pay them off as soon as possible. Otherwise, they’ll be a constant weight keeping you from financial freedom. Use lump sum payments that you get and create a budget, allocating 15% or more of your income towards paying off the loans. Doubling your monthly payments, meaning you have to really tighten those purse strings after college, could be the difference between paying for ten years and paying for three years. If you want to make sure that you’re not spending beyond your ability to pay the loans, then consider creating an automatic payment to your fund.

Don’t let money worries hang over your college experience. Meet new people, have new experiences and learn to your heart’s content. With a bit of planning, you can start making money a lot more manageable before you even set foot on campus.

Featured Image By: Pexels