Not only does summer mean warm weather for most of us and the opportunity to participate in more outdoor activities, summer can also mean more free time if you’re out of school or experiencing a slow period for work. A great way to make use of any spare time you and to earn extra money is by starting a side hustle. Here are 6 great ways to make an extra $500 a month. 1. Freelance writing Do you have great grammatical and writing skills? Then put your skills to good use by being a freelance writer or ghostwriter. Everyone knows this is my favorite side hustle because I love to write as was able ..read more

Summer is nearly here! Growing up in the Midwest with harsh winters, I’m definitely more appreciative of the warm weather months because summer always seems to fly by so fast. I know that I want to make the most of this time and not look back and wonder where the time went. But summer can be one of the most expensive seasons of the year for people (minus Christmas) due to costs associated with vacations, festivals, parties and wedding, and other fun events and activities. What helps me each year is coming up with a frugal summer bucket list. Some of the items on the list are not cheap, but I f ..read more

Have you checked on your credit lately? It’s important to know where your score stands and monitor your report regularly. This can help you be more prepared if you ever need to use credit and avoid any unfortunate situations like becoming a victim of identity theft. When I first started checking and monitoring my credit, I felt pretty confused as there were several websites out there that claimed to show me my credit score and report, plus I had to consider the three main credit bureaus all of which had different scores listed for me. Before, I reveal the best ways to check your credit for fre ..read more

You’ve probably thought about how you could earn more money working for your employer before.  Getting a raise or bonus may even be a common thought you revisit often. However, if your employer’s budget is tight or they simply are unable to give you a pay boost, it may be time to search for an employer that will pay you what you want.  Read on to learn how you can begin the journey of finding an employer who can afford to pay you more. Start By Doing Your Research One of the best things about the internet is the wide range of available information on pretty much anything, including a ..read more

A survey noted that 48% of American couples have arguments about their finances. That’s nearly half! The clash is the result of being on different pages about money. Over time, it can certainly put a strain on your relationship. One way that can be a big help in turning this around for financially feuding couples is making a budget. It’s a great way to alleviate the stress of money-centered conflict and it offers an opportunity to build a strong financial foundation together. It’s also no secret that when both partners are on board with making a budget and sticking to it. Reaching your joint g ..read more

Whether you’re new here or not, you have probably learned quickly how much I like budgeting. Things weren’t always this way. I used to be very anti-budget. Back in 2013 when I started thinking about improving my finances, I had a very low income. The idea of making a budget and actually using it seemed pointless. Then, I hit rock bottom and had nowhere to go up. After realizing I’d much rather be in control of what little money I had at the time vs. letting it control me, I decided to start budgeting. From there, I went on a journey of truly understanding my relationship with budgeting and dev ..read more

Longtime readers of this blog know that my income hasn’t always been great. Even when I had a low income, I knew that budgeting was the answer if I wanted to get better with money and improve my situation. Some people believe that budgeting is hard when you have a low income because there’s not much to go around and your budget limits what you can do which makes you feel even more deprived. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Your budget doesn’t determine your current situation or keep you in a situation that you don’t like. It’s actually designed to do the opposite and empower you by hel ..read more

Do you ever wonder how much it truly takes for you to live each month? Sure, you might have a rough budget in place, but do you truly know how much money you’d need just to cover your basic living expenses. It’s one thing to budget, but a general budget includes basic monthly expenses along with categories like savings, debt payments, and personal wants. When you have a financial hardship or money is tight, you can rely on a bare bones budget to help you get through. A bare bones budget can even be a great way to help you strip down your expenses so you can focus on paying off more debt or max ..read more

Committing to a budget is one of the best things I could have done to improve my finances and get out of debt. I know most people cringe when they hear the ‘B’ word, but that’s because they’re probably doing it all wrong and making common budgeting mistakes. A budget is basically a spending plan for your money. In other words, it involves you regaining control and telling your money exactly where to go instead of wondering where it went. It’s pretty empowering actually. I read a book a few months ago from a very prominent person in the personal finance space and I was shocked to see that they ..read more

Should I pay off debt or travel first? There’s a narrative we’ve all heard at some point on financial blogs like this one: Pay down what you owe, then you can enjoy experiences like travel and dining out. On the surface, the stance seems clear and undebatable. But life is not black and white. In my personal opinion, I’d recommend you don’t wait too long to travel and enjoy yourself – even if you have debt and other financial obligations. I know this view is controversial but I want to explain why I think that seizing certain opportunities you value right now is just as important as managing yo ..read more