Free Classes to Upgrade Your Career Skills or Start a Business During the Coronavirus Shutdown

Free Classes to Upgrade Your Career Skills or Start a Business During the Coronavirus Shutdown

by | Mar 30, 2020

Lost your job during the Coronavirus shutdown? It’s pretty scary but now is the perfect time to learn new skill that is crisis-proof. Here are a list of free classes you can take to upgrade your career skills or start a business that allows you to work from home.

 

Brit and Co. 

If you are a creative who enjoys drawing, painting, and photography you will love the classes featured on Brit+Co. You will learn skills that you can use to become a graphic designer, illustrator, or photographer. These skills will fit into a work from home role or in your own digital marketing business. 

Go to https://classes.brit.co/learn. Enter promo code: SELFCARE. Enroll before April 19

Get certified to manage social media. With a certification from Hubspot you will be ahead of the curve in your company. You can leverage these skills into a new role or turn it into a Virtual Assistant or Social Media Management agency. 

Social Media Marketing (HubSpot) – https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/social-media

You get a free month to learn any skill in any category over at LinkedIn Learning. From programming to digital marketing and Microsoft certification prep to technical writing. There is something for everyone. All courses are rated for beginner to advanced so you are never in over your head.

 LinkedIn learning – Free month https://www.linkedin.com/learning

Skillshare is giving you two free months to learn something new. You can focus on fun topics like cooking or art or upgrade your skills when you learn how to manage social media, start your own business, or invest money. The options are limitless.

Skillshare Free for 2 Months – https://www.skillshare.com/r/user/samanthagregory

 

Access 2000 free online courses from 140 leading institutions worldwide. Gain new skills and earn a certificate of completion. Join today for free.

Edx offers free classes from Colleges and Universities around the country – edx.org

Six classes help you move from survival mode to thriving through your single mom journey. Get the Single Mom Survival and Success Kit – https://richsinglemomma.vipmembervault.com/products/courses

A Decision to Change Your Life Forever

Getting through a crisis take a lot of mental and emotional energy. It can have a negative affect on your life if you let it, but you have options (free ones) to help you move past the mental and emotional turmoil. You can turn what looks like defeat into victory by making the decision to take a class that will change your life for you and your kids.

 

How I Replaced $700 Worth of Monthly Subscriptions with My Library Card

How I Replaced $700 Worth of Monthly Subscriptions with My Library Card

by | Oct 22, 2019

“All the thoughts and dreams of people throughout history, and all you need’s this little card to borrow   ’em for free!”

Other children of the ’90s might recognize this lyric from the classic tune “Library Card,” rapped by the cast of the cartoon show Arthur. It’s a silly song, but it’s a solid reminder that libraries can be amazing sources of entertainment and education. And unlike a credit or debit card, swiping a library card doesn’t cost a thing.

But exactly how much can you save by choosing your library card over a credit or debit card?

I recently overhauled my budget, and in the process, I decided to put my local library to the test. The exercise saved me nearly $700 per year in dodged subscription costs—money I now use to make $57 of extra student loan payments per month. Here’s how it worked.

Cutting Back on Entertainment Subscriptions

I’m decent at setting and following a budget. But there I was, facing another month where my family netted $0.

Specifically, I was bugged by how many frivolous entertainment subscriptions we had. I subscribed to a video streaming service here; my husband signed up for a premium account there. Although each account seemed affordable or even cheap, they added up.

Upon review, I realized that in the past year or two, we’ve paid for a number of entertainment subscriptions:

  • $12 per month for Hulu Plus
  • $9 per month for Netflix
  • $15 per month for Audible
  • $11 per month for online newspapers and magazines
  • $10 per month for Spotify Premium

We’d mindlessly signed on for $57 per month in subscription fees that added up to $684 per year.

Don’t get me wrong, I think entertainment subscriptions can be a savings-savvy alternative to pricier options like paying for cable or seeing movies in theaters. The problem wasn’t the subscriptions themselves—it was the mindless spending they reflected.

Finding Free Entertainment at My Local Library

I thought I could find better uses for that cash if I canceled those services. But I didn’t love the idea of quitting cold turkey.

My Audible subscription caught my eye first. It cost me $15 per month. But I already used the OverDrive app, available through my local library, to request, check out, and listen to audiobooks for free. So I killed my Audible subscription and gained an extra $15 per month right there.

I wondered if I could replicate those results for other subscriptions. I dove into my library’s digital catalog and quickly found out.

Magazines

My library partners with RBdigital (formerly Zinio) to offer a range of digital magazines. I used the service to replace a subscription to ESPN The Magazine ($2.50 per month) and found lots of other reading material worth browsing.

Newspapers

The New York Times digital pass that’s part of my library membership grants me access to New York Times apps and unlimited articles at NYTimes.com. That meant I could cut $8 per month from my budget and still support an outlet I love.

PressReader is another decent replacement for subscriptions to periodicals, and I can access it for free through my library.

TV and movies

I took the plunge and ended up canceling my $9-per-month Netflix membership of more than eight years. Now, my family accesses documentaries and movies through Kanopy and OverDrive, thanks to our library accounts.

For my 4-year-old daughter, Nickelodeon shows on Hoopla are all the rage, so I was able to cancel my subscription for Hulu Plus and save $12 per month.

Music

My library card granted me access to music streaming and downloads through Hoopla and Freegal. Bye-bye, $8 Spotify Premium fee.

In all, I found $57 worth of monthly fees to cut from our budget. My family easily saves $684 per year while enjoying much of the same entertainment and content we’ve always loved.

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Library Card

Like most budgeting decisions, trading in your subscriptions doesn’t come without sacrifice. I’ve learned a few tricks along the way to make the most of my library card.

  1. Don’t Forget Analog Entertainment

My main goal in cutting costs was replacing my entertainment subscriptions. However, I can’t always find a decent digital replacement. In many cases, I request a physical copy of the book, movie, TV show, or music album and pick it up during my next library visit.

  1. Get Comfortable with a Little Delay and Inconvenience

A huge benefit of paid subscriptions is instant, convenient access to any content you want on a particular platform.

With library services, there might be a limit on how much content you can check out or access at a time. You might get put on a waiting list for a book or movie as well. It can be an annoying adjustment, but remember that you’re saving money.

  1. Find Other Cost-Saving Materials and Services

Some library districts offer free tutoring services as well as resources to help students study for the SAT or graduate placement exams.

I also found out that my library card gives me access to Lynda.com’s online educational training. This allowed us to replace a $29-per-month membership my husband had been using to brush up on his web development skills and brought our annual savings up to $713.

Take a look at some of the streaming services available with your library card. You might have access to free workout videos, which could replace a gym membership.

  1. Watch Out for Late Fees

Of course, it’s important to watch out for library card fees. One of the reasons I prefer digital library content is that it’s automatically returned when the time is up, so I never get a late fee.

But I’ve racked up some significant late fees and replacement fines for physical items I didn’t return to the library in a timely manner. If you’re not careful, your library fine could wind up in collections and damage your credit.

If you do check out physical copies, get in the habit of keeping track of them and making regular trips to return them on time.

  1. Know When to Keep a Subscription

Some library districts are well-funded and have great selections. Others, not so much. If your library’s pickings are slim, you might decide you’d rather keep your paid subscriptions. Even a big library district with awesome options won’t be able to offer you everything you could hope for.

Although my library offers a robust selection of services, I decided to keep a few subscriptions. My Amazon Prime membership offers tremendous value for its $99-per-year price, including access to free shipping and streaming services for music, movies, and TV shows. My husband loves podcasts and decided he wanted to keep his $5-per-month Stitcher subscription to support the platform.

Take the challenge to turn to your library card before your credit card, and you might be surprised by the savings. And remember: When you cut out monthly subscriptions, you’re saving money not just once, but also every month thereafter.

You can take your new cash flow even further by using it to pay down credit card debt—a smart option, considering the average credit cardholder owes over $4,000. Or you could look for other ways to build lasting wealth, such as saving for retirement or building a side hustle. Find more ideas on how to save money without depriving yourself at Credit.com.

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5 Family Side Hustles to Build Your Bond and Bank Account

5 Family Side Hustles to Build Your Bond and Bank Account

by | Oct 21, 2019

In this day and age, I think we can all agree that a little side hustle never hurt anybody! When approached and undertaken in all the above-board ways, making a little extra family income on top of the main parental or guardian salaries can help to relax the purse strings a little bit and open the door some more family fun throughout the year.

As the saying goes, ‘every little helps’, and if you are dedicated and creative enough, there are dozens and dozens of side projects you can take part in that will help to make some extra cash. To help you get in the right frame of mind, here are five of the most popular family side hustles that are a great idea to get involved with.

Tech Consulting

If you or an older teen in your home has a higher than average understanding of technology, then why not offer your services for hire in the form of lessons and consulting sessions? This can be a small or large scale as you like. For example, there are always elderly neighbours who want to get to better grips with the internet. For a small fee, you can give them a beginner’s guide lesson to make it easier for them to socially network with their family in different locations.

Sell Produce

If you have a lot of land at your disposal, then why not start selling your own produce? Local, organic fruits and vegetables are more popular now than ever before. Lots of neighbors and families from further afield will love the opportunity to buy goods that have come from their own area.

Rental Service

If you have a second property that isn’t always in use, make the most out of it by making it available for holiday rental. There are plenty of online facilities that allow you to advertise your property and set a nightly rate, enabling tourists and visitors to book up instead of staying in a hotel or bed and breakfast. This is a simple and effective way to make extra cash.

Arts & Crafts

If someone in your family is particularly gifted in the arts and crafts department, then you should consider opening up a small side hustle business for things like homemade greetings cards, labels, small sketches, knitted/crochet items or whatever. These types of businesses are especially popular during the Christmas and other celebratory seasons and with secure and safe parcel delivery through ParcelBroker, your small business can be really professional.

Reselling Goods

If your household is the kind that always has extra and unused items in it, then you can swap those items for cash through websites like eBay and Amazon Marketplace. Keep in mind that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, so rather than simply throwing away the items that you don’t want, see if they gain any interest on the online marketplace sites. It’s an easy way to add to your family’s income.

All it takes is a little thought and effort and you can find side hustles to make extra cash with and for the family.

Family Side Hustles

6 Ways to Live a Life of Luxury

6 Ways to Live a Life of Luxury

by | Jun 12, 2019

A life of luxury comes in all different forms. For some, it might mean having the biggest house on the block or the most exclusive credit card in their wallet, and for others, a life of luxury might be more measured by the friends and family in their circle. No matter your definition of luxury, there are ways to add richness to your life regardless of the amount of money in your wallet.

Spending time with loved ones and continuously working on bettering yourself are just a few things that can make you feel like a million bucks, no matter what your current financial status is. Here are five ways to live a luxurious life without spending any money.

1. Budget Time With Your Family

Life is busy, and it can be easy to fall into a routine of early mornings and late hours with limited time in between. While it’s often easier said than done, make room to budget time in your schedule to spend with the ones you love most. Recognizing the love and support that you are surrounded by every day can be one of the most luxurious components of your life. Money might come and go, but the memories you make with your family will last a lifetime. The things you do in life means more when you are doing them with the ones you love.

2. You’re Worth More Than Your Bank Account

A number does not define you or anyone around you. I’m not at all suggesting that money isn’t a necessity in life, but it’s important to realize that the things you currently possess are worth more than anything. Let your life be defined by your contributions to your community, the positive impact that you have on those around you and the little things that make you extremely happy – and do more of those things.

3. Strive for Happiness

Take a step back and look at everything around you. Think about what truly makes you happy, and what, if anything, you’d like to change or cut back on. Life is a journey and part of that journey is making adjustments along the way to incorporate more of what brings you the most joy. Just remember that happiness will have a different meaning for everyone, so try to avoid comparing yours to the people around you. Whether you’ve been wanting to take on a new hobby, fuel your passion through a side hustle or even make a career change, I hope you’ll feel empowered to go after the things that drive happiness for you.

4. Prioritize Health

Health is one of the most important forms of wealth. Good health allows us to be physically and mentally able to set out to achieve our goals. When our schedules get full our health typically falls to the end of our priority list. A big part of living a luxurious life means feeling it too. Prioritize going to the gym, the doctor or even yoga classes if that’s what it takes for you to personally feel good. Perhaps even a morning run can give you the energy you need to kickstart your day and take on the world.

5. Plan

Having clear goals to work toward can help eliminate the feeling of uncertainty about your future. While no plan has to be set in stone, the one you create can help guide any tough decisions you might encounter in the future. Creating a plan can offer more insight into what’s really important to you, and you might even find that you have most of those things already. Part of luxurious living is having a rich mindset to go along with your everyday lifestyle.

6. Be a Go-Getter

It’s very unlikely that the things you want most in life will be handed to you – that’s what makes life fun!  I believe happiness is the biggest luxury in life. No matter what you do or what you want most in life, be a go-getter and be proud of your achievements.

Rachel Dix-Kessler, Bio

Rachel Dix-Kessler is the Consumer Advocate of personal finance comparison website, finder.com. In her role of Consumer Advocate, she analyzes and reports on the spending and savings habits of Americans. Rachel is passionate about studying financial trends in order to provide actionable advice that encourages more people to talk about, and understand, their own personal finances.

7 Side Hustles for Single Moms to Stretch Your Budget without Overwhelming Your Life

by | Feb 23, 2019

We are told we need a budget to manage our money. You go online and find a single mom budget worksheet that gives you a headstart (I hope) for your income.

Even with a budget, you might still be feeling the crunch of more month at the end of your money.

I’ve heard many financial experts say you need to cut back and trim your spending to cure the money crunch. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work. With the cost of living, inflation, and the rising cost of everything in general, the recommended cure hardly works.

I personally believe the cutting back, trimming, scrimping and saving creates a mental block to financial freedom. The solution I found that work for me, and will hopefully work for you, is to increase your income.

The million dollar question is HOW!!

If you are already working a job and are raising the kids, trying to juggle schedules, household tasks and all the things that go along with being a mom, employee, and community member; a second job feels overwhelming. But you are not making enough to cover all the bills and have a cushion. So what do you do?

Go Back to College or Get a Side Hustle?

You have two choices:

Option 1. Go back to school and get training for a higher paying career

Going back to college is a long game because if you are switching careers, going to college for the first time, or are undecided on your major you will spend a few years figuring it all out.

I went that route. I enrolled in college for Organizational Management then switched my major to English. I was also juggling parenting my two young kids, getting them to school and daycare, working, and doing homework.

It took me three years to increase my income going the back to college route. It was noble but it was a lot of time, a lot of money (can you say student loans), and an interesting climb up the career ladder.

Option 2. Get a side hustle

This option has opened up tremendously in the last 10 years. You can make extra money from your phone, without leaving your house, or going into debt.

The side hustle route has its problems and benefits. I personally think the benefits outweigh the problems if you set it up correctly.

Finding the right side gig that fits your lifestyle and financial goals is the first step. You may have to invest a few dollars to get started and/or market your business. Don’t let that discourage you. Let your main job finance your side gig.

A rule of thumb I like to follow is to stick with your side gig until you make $100. Then evaluate if it is the right fit for you before you move on.

image of laptop and text: Side Hustles for Single Moms on richsinglemomma.com

Side Hustles Add to Your Budget

Adding to your budget is easier than the stress of taking away what you already don’t have. Deleting is harder when you have established a lifestyle. Sure you could cut the cable and opt for streaming services. You could make your own coffee instead of getting Starbucks. You could even buy off-brand foods at the grocery store. All of those tactics work but they make you feel poor which creates more poverty.

A side hustle or gig will help you add money to your bank account which will make you feel richer. This rich feeling will create a wealth mindset and allow more money into your life. Of course, you want to manage your money so you can give to charity, save for your goals, pay your bills on time, get affordable medical care, legal help, and have money left over for the fun things in life.

7 Side Hustles for Single Moms

Here are seven side gigs you can do that doesn’t take away from your hectic life or overwhelm you:

1. List your extra bedroom on Airbnb

If you have a spare bedroom you can list it on Airbnb and begin making extra money. There are a few steps you should take to prepare the room. Great pictures, description, and competitive rates will add at least $1000 to your budget. Here is a checklist to prepare your home for becoming an Airbnb host.

2. Write or edit articles

If you have a knack for words and love research, you can write articles for the websites and blogs online. Sign up at UpWork, Textbroker, or check out Problogger jobs. You can make good money as a freelance writer especially if you have a specialty. My specialty is personal finance and technical writing. Both of these niches pay well because of the complexity of the topics. If you have a specialty consider getting paid to write in that area. With the right company or enough gigs, you can easily make thousands a month which is not bad for the budget.

3. Rent out your car

If you have a nicer car and don’t’ really use it on the weekends you can rent it out to travelers coming to your city. Sites like Turo and GetAround allows you to list your car and set your rates. Use the Carculator to see how much your car could rent for and see the monthly amount you could add to your budget.

4. Social Media Management

Your social media habit could pay you handsomely. But your talents to work for a small business, realtor, or local celebrity. With all the social media scheduling tools on the market, you could plan and upload images for posts for future dates. If you think this is something you want to explore check out this social media management course to get trained. I’ve heard of social media manager making $1500 monthly. One lucky lady makes $10,000 a month. Just think about how that much money would add nicely to your budget.

5. Create and sell digital products on Etsy

Use your creativity, productivity skills, or organizational skills to develop cheat sheets, checklists, and templates people can download and print. Sell those digital products on Etsy, PayHip, Selz, or Gumroad. Create your products once and sell them over and over again. It is a no-brainer. Sell hundreds or thousands of digital products without even having to set up a website. Your $10 product sold 100 time is $1000 and you didn’t have to break a sweat. Sounds like a stress-less way to stretch your budget!

6. Fiverr Gig

You can use your office skills, design skills, or imagination to create a gig on Fiverr. Head over and take a look at all the gigs people pay for. Create graphics, edit articles, transcribe videos, or turn pdf files into Word documents. The possibilities are endless. Typically each gig is $5 which doesn’t seem like much but when you think in terms of the number of minutes, pages, or other increments, the $5 can add up. You can also offer service tiers and charge more per tier. When you do more gigs you get more money and that’s amazing for your budget build up plan.

7. Teach an online class

Is there something people say you are amazing at? Do you get asked to cook, design, organize, or plan? That is your clue to create a class and get paid to teach. You don’t have to teach to a live audience every week but you record yourself teaching on video. Upload the video to SkillShare or Udemy and get paid when people watch your course. You can also put the course on Thinkific, Teachable, or other learning platform and price it any way you want.

Now you can see how easy it is to start a side gig and make extra money. You can add to your budget without being overwhelmed with going to a second job. What other side gigs can you think of where you can make good money without sacrificing time with your kids or energy for yourself?

Bonus: More Side Hustles for Single Moms

This list will grow so keep checking back to see what’s new!

8. Become a Notary Public and Make Extra Money

In my early career, I worked in the county Probate judges office. The head clerk was a Notary Public who regularly witnessed signatures on important papers. You have probably had to get paperwork notarized so you know what they do on a basic level. Well, guess what? You can become a notary too and start making extra money. You don’t need an office either. You can be a mobile notary who goes to clients at their home or meets them in public. What you charge depends on the type of paperwork and the volume. Get more information from the National Notary Association. You will have to find out how to become a notary from your county courthouse. They usually have the information online. You apply, submit your paperwork, get sworn in, then get your seal. Simple as that.

7 Side Hustles for Single Moms to Stretch Your Budget without Overwhelming Your Life

7 Ways to Save More for Your Upcoming Vacation

7 Ways to Save More for Your Upcoming Vacation

by | May 31, 2018

Affordable vacations can be difficult to plan. Maybe you have a dream destination, but you can’t quite save up enough for travel costs. Or maybe you can get yourself there, but you’d have to live on bread and water for the entire trip.

If your vacation expenses are just out of reach, a few adjustments can help you put aside more cash and reach your goal. Here are seven ways to save more for your upcoming vacation.

1. Start a Monthly Budget

If you don’t currently have a monthly budget, it might be time to take a hard look at your spending. Evaluate how much you spend each month on necessities like rent and discretionary purchases like movie tickets. Then, set a reduced monthly spending budget and put the money you save in your vacation fund.

Even after you take your trip, you might want to stick to your budget and keep saving.

2. Open a Bank Account

If your travel fund is mixed in with your general savings account or is simply a wad of cash under your mattress, you should open a dedicated savings account just for travel. It will be easier to put aside money specifically for vacation, and you’ll be less likely to dip into the fund for other expenses.

3. Stop Dining Out

Whether you prefer fancy dinners or fast food lunches, eating out is far more expensive than preparing your own food. Cook your meals at home, pack your lunches, and kick the money you save over to your vacation fund. It might hurt now, but you’ll feel better when you’re having a steak and cocktail by the beach.

4. Get a Side Hustle

If you need to boost your vacation savings quickly, a temporary side hustle can help get you there. You can drive for Lyft or Uber, rent out a room on Airbnb, or use your professional expertise for some freelance work. Just make sure to funnel your extra earnings directly to your vacation savings.

5. Sell Your Stuff

Spring is the perfect time to do some cleaning and sell your clutter. You can host a yard sale, take clothes to consignment shops, or list your unwanted stuff on eBay. If you value experiences more than things, let your old property help you get to your destination.

6. Ditch the Gym Membership

Ironically, hitting the gym to work on your beach body might be preventing you from getting to the beach. Cancelling an expensive gym membership will free up some extra funds for your vacation. You can still exercise outdoors, at a friend’s home gym, or make use of the thousands of free workout videos online. Before you do cancel, check your contract to make sure you won’t have to pay an exorbitant cancellation fee.

7. Get a Credit Card

With travel credit cards, your everyday purchases earn rewards that can be redeemed for airfare, hotel reservations, car rentals, and other common travel expenses. Many cards even have huge signup bonuses worth hundreds of dollars in travel redemptions. While you shouldn’t sign up for a credit card for a single vacation (especially if you have trouble managing debt), it’s worth a look if you’re already in the market for some new plastic.

Travel credit cards also frequently offer built-in benefits like car rental insurance, free foreign transactions, and trip cancellation coverage.

The post 7 Ways to Save More for Your Upcoming Vacation appeared first on Credit.com.