Blog - Page 3 of 220 - Making Sense Of Cents

How We Made Over $100k Teaching Overseas

September 7, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 25 Comments

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Hello! Today, I have a great article from Amanda about making money teaching overseas. Enjoy!

Hey! I'm Amanda Swartz from Every Further Mile, a travel blog that helps families learn about and find great opportunities for work and travel overseas. Along with my husband and family, I am an avid traveler who jumps at the chance to try anything new and adventurous. One such opportunity led to this post, where I'll walk you through how we made over $100,000 in 10 months while traveling to 7 countries.

With a heart full of wanderlust and a restless spirit, you might think that our decision to move overseas to teach was an easy one. But it wasn’t. In a time when our lives were taking major steps backwards, we were presented with an opportunity of a lifetime and we almost let it slip by.

I grew up in a tiny town (of about 500) that I don’t have many fond memories of and I had decided when I left that I would never go back. But, as many of you know, life doesn’t always go the way you had hoped or planned. When my husband had lost his job that he loved, our little family of three had to make the hard decision to live in any apartment within our means and that meant moving back to that tiny little town and into subsidized housing (which I am actually eternally grateful for, we needed it). [Read more…]

10 Easy Fall Recipes – Best Fall Dinner Ideas For Your Meal Plan

September 5, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 9 Comments

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I can’t believe that fall is almost here! I love the summer months, and I find that I’m eating lighter, fresher meals when it’s hot outside. But, when the weather starts to cool down, I am in the mood to warm up with something that’s a little more hearty, while still being healthy and not breaking the budget.

A new season is a change in weather, but it also means there are new fruits and vegetables in season. Both of these are good reasons to add some new meals into your weekly meal plan.

My 10 Budget Recipes roundup proved to be popular, so I'm back at it again with 10 Easy Fall Recipes.

I absolutely love the fall months. The weather is cooler, leaves change colors, and more delicious fall comfort foods are being made.

While these easy fall recipes are great for weekly meals, many of them would make great leftovers to bring to work. They would also be easy and delicious meals for a dinner party with friends or for bringing to a potluck.

Doesn’t that sound great? A fall dinner party or potluck with friends would be a frugal way to have fun this fall. These easy fall recipes mean you don’t have to spend over your budget, whether it’s for entertaining or just trying to make your weekly meal plan. [Read more…]

Smaller Can Be Better- Maximize Your Savings With A Small House

September 3, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 36 Comments

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Hi, I’m Ariel, Michelle’s sister-in-law and editor. I’ve been editing and learning from Michelle’s blog for over two years now, and if you’ve read any of the posts I’ve written for Michelle, you know I’m conscious about my savings and spending. I have a degree in English Literature, and I make a living as an editor, preschool teacher, and knitting instructor.

My husband and I were recently faced with the reality that we would have to find a new house and move. I’m not going to spend too much time on specifics, but it has to do with a retail development going smack dab on top of us.

We were only 19 and 20 years old when we bought our house and had very limited buying power. With what felt like nonexistent options, we fell in love the minute we walked into our little 900 sq ft. brick bungalow. It was the dreamhouse we never knew we wanted, and we were pretty certain we would never leave. [Read more…]

My 7 Year Blogiversary: What I’ve Learned And Love About Blogging

August 31, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 105 Comments

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My 7 Year Blogiversary: What I’ve Learned And Love About Blogging #blogging #howtostartablog #earlyretirement #travelblogger #digitalnomad In August of 2011, just seven years ago, I started Making Sense of Cents.

It’s crazy to think that I started my blog seven years ago, especially when I consider all of the amazing things it has done for my life.

It was something I started and worked on in addition to my full-time day job as a financial analyst, and around two years after I started this blog, I quit my day job to blog full-time.

Blogging changed my life for the better, and it allows me to earn thousands of dollars a month, all by doing something that I love.

But, let's rewind a little.

You may have heard this from me before, but the funny thing is that I created my blog on a whim after reading about a personal finance website in a magazine. It started as a hobby to track my own personal finance progress, and I honestly didn't even know that people could make money blogging! [Read more…]

How Paying Off $40,000 In Student Loan Debt Changed My Life

August 31, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 6 Comments

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In Partnership with TransUnion.

Just a few years ago, I had around $40,000 in student loan debt. I hated having my student loan debt hang over my head. I received my first bill for my student loans right after I graduated with my MBA, and it was for several hundred dollars a month for around a decade.

The thought of paying such a large bill for so many years was just frightening to me.

So, I decided to pay off my student loans as quickly as I could.

Learning how to pay off student loans can lead to many positives, such as:

You may finally feel less financial stress.
You may be able to use that money towards something more important, such as saving for retirement.
You can pursue other goals in life, such as traveling more or looking for a better job.

[Read more…]

6 Things That People Finance That Leave Me Speechless

August 27, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 47 Comments

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6 Things That People Finance That Leave Me Speechless #moneysavingtip #howtosavemoney #debtfreejourney Too many people finance things in today's loan-happy world that we live in.

By signing up for financing or paying for a purchase with a credit card, you may think that item is more “affordable” due to the fact that you aren’t paying for it with money that you already have.

And, just because the monthly payment seems doable, it doesn’t mean that’s best for you. Debt can lead to stress, a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle, delayed retirement, and more.

No one wants to live like this, especially if there are other ways around it!

Just because other people may be buying stuff, that doesn't mean they can actually afford it and/or that it's a good decision for you to follow in their footsteps. I see that as a reasoning for why people go into debt all of the time. “Well, so-and-so just bought a new car, so I can too!” [Read more…]

We Spent $43,486 To RV For One Year – How to Spend Way Too Much Full-Time RVing

August 24, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 22 Comments

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Michelle's quick note: Today, I have a great guest post from Brooke and Buddy Baum. As you all know, I absolutely loved RVing. However, it's not for everyone. So, when I had the opportunity to hear this RVing story, I jumped at the chance to share it with you all. Enjoy!

We're Brooke and Buddy Baum – digital nomads, bloggers, travelers and nature lovers. We recently ended a year-long stint of RV life that taught us so much about life, marriage, travel, freelance work … and the importance of making smarter financial decisions. If you are looking into RVing, we hope our story helps you make a better plan than we had!

We spent $43,486 to RV for just one year. Ouch.

We threw up in our mouths a little just typing that out. That's no small number, especially when you take into account that RVing was a budget move for us. And this total doesn't even include normal life expenses. It is only RV-related costs, including the down payment, RV payments, insurance, campgrounds, fuel, and the loss we took to sell it. [Read more…]

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