Blog - Page 4 of 247 - Making Sense Of Cents

24 Of The Best Work From Home Jobs & How To Avoid Scams

April 13, 2020 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.

Looking to see what the best work from home jobs are?

Work from home jobs are a flexible way to work and make money. This makes them a great fit for many people. And, the number of work from home jobs has been growing.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 24% of employed people did some or all of their work at home in 2015.

You can often work home based jobs along with your 9-5 job to bring in some extra income. You can also work these jobs as a full-time career, while traveling, and more. It all depends on which one you choose.

Many online jobs from home allow you to pick your own hours, the days you work, and where you work. You’re not tied to someone else’s schedule – you may be able to create your own!

While all of that sounds great, some of you might be wondering if these kinds of stay at home jobs are legitimate. I will tell you that there are some work from home jobs that aren’t. There are some scams out there. [Read more…]

Why You Need An Emergency Fund and How To Start One Today

April 6, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 14 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.

Do you want to learn how to build an emergency fund?

I recently asked you, my readers, what you want to read about right now. The majority of you told me that you’d like to learn more about emergency funds.

In today’s blog post, I answer questions such as:

What is an emergency fund?
Should you have an emergency fund if you are in debt?
How much should be in an emergency fund?
Where should you keep your emergency fund?
Should I keep my emergency fund in a separate account?
Can’t I just use my credit card as my emergency fund?
How can I save enough money for my emergency fund?

Thinking about how you would handle certain life situations is exactly why today’s post about emergency funds is so important.

See, an emergency fund is something I believe everyone should have. However, many people skip this important part of managing their finances.

Without an emergency fund, you can take on debt, add to your debt, not be able to afford basic living expenses, and more. It can be very scary to live without some emergency savings.

So, why are emergency funds important overall?

There are many reasons for why you should have a fully-funded emergency fund:

An emergency fund can help you if you lose your job. No matter how stable you think your job is, there is always a chance that something could happen where you may need money. What would you do if you lost your job and didn’t have an emergency fund?
An emergency fund is wise if you do not have great health insurance. You may have a medical emergency come up, and you can easily spend hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket.
An emergency fund is a good idea if you have a car. You just never know if it may need a repair.
An emergency fund is a need if you own a home. One of the lucky things that homeowners often get to deal with is an unexpected home repair. Having an emergency fund can help you if your basement floods, if a hole in your roof forms, and more.

An emergency fund can protect you in many other areas as well. This can include if you have an unexpected medical expense for your pet, if you have to take time off work for something, you need to go somewhere far to visit someone who is sick, and so on. The list of reasons for why you might need an emergency fund can be a long one. [Read more…]

15 Of The Best Money Books For Young Adults – Learn How To Live The Life You Want

March 30, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 13 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 money books for young adults?

Today, I want to talk about the best money and life books for new high school graduates, college graduates, and other young adults. These would be great for graduation gifts, or just for yourself!

I wasn’t always good with money when I was younger. I bought more clothes than I needed, financed a new car, spent a lot going out to eat, and spent a lot of money on things I didn’t need. It took me several years to realize how my spending habits were affecting the rest of my life.

I think this is fairly common when you’re younger, and there are lots of great financial books for young adults that can help you understand how money works and how to prepare for the future.

The best money books for young adults explain personal finance topics like saving, investing, making more money, and more. And, reading them when you’re young can help you get on the right track with your money from a young age. [Read more…]

How I Make $1,500 A Month As A Podcast Virtual Assistant

March 27, 2020 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.

Hello! Today, I have a great guest post from Melanie. She started a business as a podcast virtual assistant and talks about how you can too. You can download her free workbook – Podcast VAs: What Services Should I Offer? Enjoy!

I’m Melanie Scroggins – voice actor and podcast producer. I currently live in Austin, TX with my husband and two fur babies.

I’ve been working in audio production for almost three years, and what started as a fun hobby, turned into a lucrative side gig that gave me the confidence to leave my last job and turn podcasting into a business.

At this point in my journey, I work part-time on podcasts. But when I was working on podcasts full-time, I usually worked with three clients (10-12 hours a week per show) and brought in over $3,000 a month. Now that I work on podcasts part-time (about 10 hours a week) I bring in an average of $1,500 a month.

Working as a Podcast VA allowed me the flexibility to quit my full-time office job and pursue what I believe to be my calling. I have continued to work as a Podcast virtual assistant because I love the work and the industry – there is always something new to learn!

Every day at my job was the same.

Fluorescent lights buzzing. Fingers clacking on keyboards. Phones ringing. People chatting… constantly.

I’d go in, get my work done and then I’d go home. [Read more…]

10 Slow Cooker Recipes That Will Make Dinner Time Easy

March 25, 2020 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.

Are you looking for some new and delicious slow cooker recipes so you can have tasty and stress-free dinners this week?

I love making meals in a slow cooker. Dinners are so much easier when you start everything in advance! I’m less stressed, can focus on things I’d rather do, all while knowing that I have a delicious meal cooking.

So, if you’re looking for some of the best slow cooker recipes, I have 10 new recipes for you to try – that’s almost two full weeks of meal ideas!

I think you’re going to like all of these slow cooker recipes, but here are my favorites:

Easy Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup – Cauliflower, cashews, and a smoky chickpea topping. This soup is packed full of protein, and it’s vegan. This soup is creamy, rich, and the chickpea topping is roasted, which gives it a nice crunch.
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Soup – Chicken, black beans, fire roasted corn, lime juice, and more. You can top this hearty soup with cheese, avocado, sour cream (I like to use plain Greek yogurt), and more.
Mozzarella Stuffed Crockpot Meatloaf – Garlic, onions, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, and more. This meatloaf even has a delicious sweet and spicy glaze on top. I honestly had no idea that you could even make meatloaf in the slow cooker until I found this recipe.

Many of these slow cooker recipes take 15 minutes or less of prep time, which means you can easily make them before you go to work in the morning. They also make great leftovers for lunch the next day. [Read more…]

15 Of My Best Working From Home Tips So You Can Succeed

March 23, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 8 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.

Do you need some working from home tips to make it easier to transition to remote work?

More and more people are starting to work from home or are becoming location independent and traveling while they work, such as those who backpack, RV, or sail full-time.

If you’re new to working from home, you quickly realize that it’s not as easy as it may seem. In the beginning when you’re new it may seem like a great thing, but it can easily turn sour if you are not careful with how you use your time.

Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean that you all of a sudden have 8-10 hours a day of free time – you will still be expected to WORK!

The only thing that has changed is WHERE you are working.

I have been working from home and while traveling since 2013 – so for around 7 years now! [Read more…]

How To Become A Proofreader And Work From Anywhere

March 18, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 5 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.

Do you want to learn how to become a proofreader?

If you’re interested in making extra money and you want to be able to to work from anywhere, working as a proofreader is a great way to start making more money.

Proofreading is a flexible and detail-orientated side hustle. All you need to work as a proofreader is a laptop or tablet, an internet connection, and a good eye for pointing out mistakes.

So, if you want to find out how to become a proofreader, pay attention to today’s interview with Caitlin Pyle from Proofread Anywhere!

In 2014, Caitlin made slightly over $43,000 by being a freelance proofreader, while also going on several fun vacations.

You may actually remember Caitlin from when I first interviewed her about how to become a court transcript proofreader. She explained what transcription proofreading is, how much you can make, and what it takes to get started. [Read more…]

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