Blog - Making Sense Of Cents

Everything You Need To Know About How To Build Credit

November 18, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 1 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.

Do you want to learn how to build credit?

While you might be intimidated, it doesn’t have to be hard!

I learned how to build credit at 18 by opening a credit card offer that came in the mail. My first credit card had a small limit around $300.

I never maxed it out, and there were really no benefits. But, it didn’t have a monthly fee, and it helped me learn how to build credit.

My credit score is now over 800 and considered excellent.

I don't rely on my credit score and credit history, but I know that it impacts my life in many different areas — from insurance, to loans, to my cell phone bill. [Read more…]

How I Made Money Online In October 2019

November 13, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 7 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 October 2019's business report where I show you how I made money online and traveled full-time last month. It's time to look at this month's update and see how I did.

If you're new to Making Sense of Cents, you may be wondering why I would want to publish my business report each month.

This all started as my extra income report because, in the beginning, it was all about the money I was earning from my side jobs. In my side income reports from the beginning, I included all of the income I made except for what I made at my day job.

However, I left my day job as a financial analyst in October of 2013 and now my monthly business reports consist of the many ways I earn a living with my business. [Read more…]

Can Buying Things Really Make You A Happier Person?

November 11, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 12 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 ever bought something thinking that it would improve your mood?

I'm sure you have. In fact, we probably all have!

When I was younger, I used to have a crazy spending problem. I would either go out to eat or spend money on clothing after a stressful day at work.

I would tell myself that I deserved it for having such a bad day.

But then, the bad days happened over and over again.

Instead of trying to find the root of the problem, I would simply spend money that I absolutely did not have.

While I didn’t go into credit card debt, I was close to it. I spent money on things I definitely didn’t need, and this was causing me to live in a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. [Read more…]

The Best Online Tutoring Jobs – A Flexible Way To Make More Money

November 6, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 1 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 find one of the best online tutoring jobs from home?

There are a variety of work from home tutoring jobs, from teaching English to helping students with their homework.

You might spend 30 minutes teaching a lesson, a few minutes answering questions online, or working one-on-one with a student in a video lesson.

These jobs can be very rewarding because you are helping people learn new things – this is one of the best feelings in the world!

In addition to being rewarding, online tutoring jobs are very flexible ways to earn money.

You get to pick the times and days that work for you so you can work around your full-time job, while you care for your kids, and more. [Read more…]

How To Be More Productive: 17 Tips To Help You Live A Better Life

November 4, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 20 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 wanting to learn how to be productive?

Are you feeling like you aren't as productive as you usually are? Or, perhaps life is really busy right now and you want to be able to manage it all better.

Many people struggle with how to be productive. We all have lots of things to do and sometimes we can accomplish them all, and other times it is very difficult.

I go through productivity spurts.

At times, I feel like I can accomplish anything and everything, and other days I don't even know what (if anything) I did all day.

This is an area that I am constantly working on, and perhaps you are too.

Sometimes I am distracted by so many different things that it has caused me to waste a huge amount of time. Therefore, I have not been able to live in the moment like I would really like to.

[Read more…]

Sallie Mae Ignite℠ Credit Card – For Where You’re Headed

November 4, 2019 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.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sallie Mae Cash Back Credit Cards for IZEA Worldwide. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hello!

Are you a current student or a new graduate? And, are you looking for a new credit card? [Read more…]

How We Paid Off $100,000 of Debt on a Single Income

November 1, 2019 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.

Hello! Today, I have a great debt payoff story from Sarah. Sarah is a Southern California mom of 3. She blogs over at Let's Talk Mom Business about the budgeting and frugal living strategies she and her husband used to crush $100,000 in debt while living on one income.

Shortly after having our second child 6 years ago, my husband and I decided that we wanted to get serious about paying off our debt.

We had been making our monthly payments, but we weren’t really making any progress. Some months we were even adding to our total debt by paying for unanticipated expenses on our credit card.

I am a stay-at-home mom so we were living on one income, and we knew that carrying such a large amount of debt was dangerous, especially without much of a savings.

We outlined a strategy to budget by paycheck using a zero-based budget, and I created a budget binder to help us track our finances.

This strategy helped us pay off $100,000 in 4 years on a single income while growing our family (and we’re NOT rich!). [Read more…]

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