Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, Author at Making Sense Of Cents

How To Overcome Your Fear Of Starting A New Side Hustle

Last Updated: June 5, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Is fear stopping you from starting a new business or side hustle?

Almost every day, I receive an email that goes something like this: “I am afraid to start my side hustle and put myself out there. How do I get over this fear?”

This is a common fear for anyone starting something new.

Today, I am interviewing my friend Christine on ways to overcome your fears when starting a new side hustle or business. Plus, I ask her other mindset and productivity questions I often hear.

Christine is a former full-time blogger turned certified life coach, freelance writer, and online marketer. She has tried a variety of side hustles and online businesses, and she is here today to share helpful advice to get you started with your business or side hustle. Christine is also the creator of The Harbor, a life coaching monthly membership specifically for online entrepreneurs.

Some of the questions I ask her include:

How can a person decide if a side hustle or business is for them?
How can someone get over their fears of starting a business and actually begin?
What’s the best planning method for productivity?
How can entrepreneurs create better work-life balance?
How can someone stop being overwhelmed when starting a new business?
What do you think a person should do if they are feeling burnout from their side hustle or business?

And more!

Starting a new business or side hustle can lead to many questions and fears, which can prevent people from pursuing their dreams and finding ways to make money.

With today’s article, you will learn how to overcome your fears and take the necessary steps towards starting a successful business or side hustle. [Read more…]

Branded Surveys Review 2023: How Much You Can Earn

Last Updated: June 4, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 2 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Welcome to my Branded Surveys review!

If you are looking for ways to make extra cash at home on a flexible schedule, then I recommend checking out Branded Surveys.

This honest review of Branded Surveys is going to explain what Branded Surveys is, how Branded Surveys works, and how you can make extra money on Branded Surveys each month.

Now, I do want to start by saying that Branded Surveys will not make you rich. No survey site will do that. But, you can easily earn a little extra money in your spare time from home.

The PayPal cash and Amazon gift cards that you can earn from survey sites can help you to have a little bit extra spending money, but still not have to sacrifice too much of your time. Plus, you can take surveys while you’re watching TV or doing some other task that does not need your full attention.

All you need is an internet connection and a device (phone, laptop, computer, or tablet).

In today’s Branded Surveys review, you are going to learn about one of the most popular survey companies – Branded Surveys.

Branded Surveys has already paid out over $37,793,794.07 to their members.

Plus, it’s free to sign up and only takes a few minutes to get started answering surveys.

This Branded Surveys review is going to answer common questions, such as:

Why does Branded Surveys pay you?
How do I earn points on Branded Surveys?
How much money can you make using Branded Surveys?
What kind of questions are asked in paid online surveys?
Can you make $1,000 each week from surveys?

My Branded Surveys review is going to answer all of those questions, as well as talk about paid online surveys a little more at the end, in case you have any other questions about them.

Get the inside scoop below on this online survey site with this in-depth Branded Surveys review. Learn about the platform’s features, earning potential, and user reviews to decide if it’s the right online survey site for you. Read now to make a smart decision and start earning extra cash and gift cards right away.

You can sign up for Branded Surveys here and receive a free 100 point sign up bonus. [Read more…]

30+ Small Business Ideas To Become Your Own Boss In 2023!

Last Updated: June 5, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 4 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Are you looking for the best small business ideas?

Whether you are looking for an online business that you can start and do from home, an in-person business, or something else, there are many different businesses that you can start.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are 31.7 million small businesses in the U.S. And 81% of these small businesses (25.7 million) have no employees.

If you’ve dreamed of being one of those 30 million plus people who work for themselves, then this list of small business ideas is for you!

Many of the businesses on this list are affordable to start and require minimal equipment. And you will probably be surprised that you already have what you need to start many of these top small business ideas.

I have been running my business (this blog!) for a little over 10 years now, and I am extremely grateful for it. Even though I’ve made seven figures from my blog over the years, it’s still a very small business overall.

What I love about my business is that I don’t have to commute, I get to be my own boss, I can decide how I earn a living, I am able to create a flexible schedule, and I can travel whenever I want.

There are many other small business ideas on this list that offer the same positives I have experienced from blogging.

Many small business owners I talk to will tell you about benefits!

Today, I am going to talk about the many different small business ideas that you can start this year. I hope you are able to find the perfect one for you and your liking and needs. [Read more…]

How To Get $20 PayPal Now: Quick and Easy Steps for Immediate Cash

Last Updated: June 4, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Looking to learn how to get $20 PayPal now?

Whether you want to learn how to get $20 in 5 minutes or if you have a little more time such as a day or even a week or so, there are many ways to learn how to make $20 fast so that you can make extra income and real money.

Earning an extra $20 through PayPal may seem like a daunting task at first when you are in real need of making money fast, but it is doable.

In this article, I’ll introduce a few simple ways to get $20 in your PayPal account, allowing you to use the extra cash for whatever you need.

Whether you have a last minute bill that you need to pay, or if you are looking to put a little extra money into your savings (for example, maybe you’re just looking to put an extra $20 a week towards a vacation fund or emergency fund), there are many ways to make $20 right now.

You may decide to find a part-time gig answering questions online, freelance writing, dog sitting, or more. These are just a couple of the many ways to earn $20 with PayPal.

Some of the ways mentioned today may allow you to work from home, such as from your cell phone or your laptop.

[Read more…]

Why All Solopreneurs Should Consider Opening a Solo 401k

Last Updated: June 5, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 10 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Today, I have a very informative article from Paul Kim of Ocho all about the benefits of having a solo 401k, how much you can contribute each year, and how a solo 401k works. Since many of my readers are self-employed, I thought this would be the perfect topic to cover today, as saving for retirement is so important! Enjoy Paul’s article below.

A solo 401k is one of the most powerful wealth-building tools for self-employed individuals. It comes with the highest contribution limits of any retirement plan, tax-free compounding, the ability to invest in any asset class, and more.

I’ve been self-employed for most of my professional life – 9 years to be exact. In my early 20s, I discovered the possibility of making money online, taught myself how to build blogs, learned SEO, and have been making a great living growing content businesses for nearly a decade.

Recently, I joined the team at Ocho as a full-time employee, and many people have asked me why I would ditch working for myself to become an employee.

I have two answers for them:

First, the founder of Ocho, Ankur Nagpal, built and grew his last company, Teachable, to a $250 million business in just a few years. Being able to work alongside him, along with the talented founding team he recruited, is an amazing opportunity. And after nearly a decade of solopreneurship, I crave working as part of a group to achieve a greater goal.

Second, what Ocho is building is something I passionately wanted to exist for a very long time – a supercharged, intuitive solo 401k plan for self-employed people like me.

I had heard of a solo 401k before joining Ocho, but like many people I’ve talked to, eventually dismissed the idea after realizing how complex (and expensive) it can be to set up and maintain a self-directed account. Major banks only offered a cookie-cutter version of the plan without any of the good features, and none of the other third-party providers looked promising enough to trust with my retirement savings.

At Ocho, we launched our self-directed solo 401k plan with checkbook control. And we completely reimagined the sign up flow and user experience to make it as intuitive and accessible as possible.

If you’re a business owner or self-employed (ie. you run a blog, freelance, or are a creator), I’d love to share some reasons why you should look into getting a solo 401k.

Even if you don’t care about retirement savings right now, the tax benefits of having an account can potentially save you tens of thousands of dollars each year.

[Read more…]

My Honest Fetch Rewards Review (Is This App Legit?)

Last Updated: June 5, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 2 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Have you heard about Fetch Rewards? My Fetch Rewards Review will show you how to earn free gift cards by simply snapping a picture of your receipts with your phone. That’s it – Fetch is really that easy!

Fetch Rewards is a cash back and gift card cell phone app that rewards you for purchases that you’ve already made.

With this app, you can scan your grocery receipts (from any grocery store or wholesale club, any time) and earn free gift cards.

Plus, Fetch Rewards is free. You don’t have to pay money to sign up or to use the app.

I will explain more in my Fetch rewards app review, but with Fetch, you earn points when you submit your receipts to the Fetch Rewards app from any grocery store, clothing store, restaurant, gas station, and more. Yes, ANY!

Then, you redeem your points for gift cards (to places such as Target, Amazon, or Apple) and other rewards.

All you have to do is take a picture of your receipt with your cell phone and easily earn points.

Here’s how Fetch Rewards works:

Shop like you normally would
Scan your receipt after you’re done
Earn points on Fetch Rewards

You can sign up for Fetch Rewards here. [Read more…]

My Secret To Making $5 Million Online & Working Just 10 Hours A Week

Last Updated: June 4, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 26 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

For years, I was working anywhere from 60 to 100 hours per week.

I hardly got any sleep, barely saw my friends and family, and had very little time to do things for myself. It was exhausting, and I knew that I couldn’t do that long term. When I would think about what I wanted for the rest of my life, I realized I needed to make a change.

See, when I first started this blog, I was working a full-time job, getting my master’s degree, and blogging in my spare time. Even though I didn’t start my blog to make money (I started it to keep track of how I was doing with my finances), I used any amount of my spare time to work on it.

Reaching new readers, making a good additional income stream, and meeting blogging friends was all very motivating.

It felt good to work, but I knew I was working way too much. There’s no way I could continue like that forever.

After I quit my job to blog full-time, I was still working a ton, definitely more than 50 hours a week.

Eventually, I realized that I needed to focus on how I do things so that I could save time. I wanted to enjoy my life, travel more, spend time with friends and family, and more.

I had to rethink how I work and use my time so that I can get the most out of my days and weeks. At first, it was difficult to change how I did things, but now when I look back, I realize how different my life is now.

I now earn a great income, while working less than ever. My business is mostly on autopilot, and I just work around 10 hours a week.

As a new mom, this has been a lifesaver!

I can’t imagine if I had my daughter in the early days of starting this blog. It’s been about a decade since I started this blog, Making Sense of Cents, and I had no idea what I was doing. I spent a lot of time trying to figure things out, and even though it took a ton of time and energy, I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of those long weeks.

Now, I have my business running quite smoothly, and I’ve been able to make over $5 million online. There are some tasks that I definitely still do myself, such as writing blog posts and answering emails from readers. Other tasks, though, are automated and simply make my life easier.

I get to spend as much time as possible with my daughter, travel when I want, visit friends and family, and more.

I have learned so much in the decade since I started Making Sense of Cents. I’ve reached financial independence and live my ideal lifestyle. I work around 10 hours each week and spend the rest of my time with my family, traveling, and enjoying life.

Because I know people are shocked to learn how little I work, I wrote today’s post to help you realize how you may be able to save time so you can live the life you want.

Also, if you are interested in how I make money online, I recommend reading this article of mine – How To Monetize A Blog: How I Grew A $5 Million Blog.

[Read more…]