Hustle Series Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

How We Became Professional House Sitters In Europe & Saved Over $5,000

March 16, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Today, I have a great article from professional and trusted house sitters who have saved over $5,000 by house sitting. Enjoy!

House sitting! Did you know that you can save money and stay in beautiful mansions by becoming a professional and trusted house sitter? #housesit #housesitter #housesitting #howtobecomeahousesitter We are Brittnay & Jayden, full time roaming enthusiasts from Australia and New Zealand, respectively. Find out how we managed to save over $5,000 in 3 months, in one of the most expensive cities in Europe.

We met in the Australian Alps and quickly discovered each other's passion for travel. We were eyeing off South America as our next trip. However, one snowy Sunday afternoon we came across flights to London for $300 AUD ($220 USD). The next thing we knew we were booked and were applying for our UK work visas.

Two wild and exciting years in London quickly followed. We had managed to visit over 21 countries in Europe and Africa in that time and not ready to stop. Our visa’s expiry date quickly approaching. We scrambled, not quite ready to head home, we put our heads together, Spain was an early thought and then a friend mentioned Dublin. It was close, easy for work visas for and similar climate to the UK.

However, after deciding on this move we found out that Dublin is known as one of the most expensive cities in Europe. When we looked into rental properties, we were shocked. It was a minimum of $1450 for a room in a share house. Our recent house sitting job came to mind- we could try that there. After lots of research and applying, we landed our first house sitting job via Skype. [Read more…]

How to Make Money Self-Publishing Short Romance Novels on Amazon

February 23, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 29 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Today, I have a great article from Yuwanda Black. She has an interesting side hustle making extra money writing romance novels. In one month, she was able to make $3,211.57 doing this! Enjoy!

Did you know that you can make money writing romance? In one month, this person was able to make $3,211.57 writing romance stories for adults! I’m a freelance writer – I have been since 1993. I started publishing romance novels in 2013. Before we get into what it takes to make money writing romance, let’s start from the beginning, so you can have some context about how I started my romance writing career.

I come from a legal publishing background. I worked for Matthew Bender, a trade publisher in New York that was bought by the conglomerate that owns LexisNexis. In 1997, I left Matthew Bender for good to join my sister in a company she founded – Inkwell Editorial.

The firm started out as an editorial outsource agency. We did copy editing, proofreading, word processing and coding. We’d hire independent contractors (freelancers) to get the work done. The company expanded into on-site staffing in 1998, and it quickly became our biggest source of business; even though we still had an outsource division. [Read more…]

How a New Blog Grew Traffic 10,000% in 6 Months, A Must-Read For New Bloggers

February 9, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 72 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hello! Today, I have a great article from Adam Olson. Adam is going to teach you how to get traffic to a new blog. Enjoy!

Knowing where to start with SEO and Web Marketing can be a daunting task. This feeling is only magnified when you are new to the blogging world.

Today, I want to ease this pain for all of the new bloggers on the internet. I remember the anxiety!

Now, if you are a seasoned blogger. Don't stop reading, you might learn a thing or two as well. Our strategy ranges from basic techniques to more complex.

Related articles:

Why Should You Listen To Me?

You might be asking yourself, “Who is this guy and why does he think he is so smart?” That is a fair question to ask.

My name is Adam Olson and I co-manage another finance blog called Wallet Squirrel with one of my best friends Andrew Kraemer. We started managing niche websites three years ago where I became very interested in the SEO and web marketing world. [Read more…]

Get Paid $30 – $50 Per Hour To Pick Up Trash

November 22, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 45 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hello! Today, I have a great article from Brian Winch. Brian makes a living (it's a $650,000+ per year business for him) by picking up trash. I've been hearing his story a lot recently, so when he asked to write for Making Sense of Cents, I, of course, said YES! Below is his story and advice.

Brian makes a living (it's a $650,000+ per year business for him) by picking up trash. He knows of people who are making an extra $20,000 - $40,000 a year on the side, simply by cleaning up litter. The number one reason to work a side hustle is to make extra income on the side. Show me one person who wouldn’t like to boost their income! Besides the positive cash flow, by using your non-work hours more productively, here are some advantages of launching your own side hustle idea:

Creative outlet. You may be really successful within your career, but are you passionate about it? What do you do in your spare time as soon as you clock out at your job? Having a side hustle focused on your hobby can provide a positive outlet for your creative energy.

Freedom. When you are focused on your side hustle you are your own boss. Not only are you free from management but also in my case I am able to be physically free and not chained to a desk.

Income diversification. Losing a job can put the average person into a tailspin – especially if they don’t have a backup plan. In this unfortunate scenario your side hustle can be your backup plan for a while. Having multiple streams of income can also help in case of medical emergencies, if you decide to change jobs, or are faced with relocation. [Read more…]

How This Successful Family Of Four Makes Travel Blogging Work For Them

August 28, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 26 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Did you know that you can travel for a living, with a family too?! Caz and Craig Makepeace, from yTravelBlog, a married couple from Australia have lived in five countries and traveled to 52 of them. Here's how they travel blog! Recently, I decided to start a new series where I interview people who are doing extraordinary things with their lives. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today’s post is about Caz and Craig Makepeace, a married couple from the Central Coast of Australia. They have lived in five countries and traveled to 52 of them. They blog about their travels at yTravelBlog.

Just seven years ago, they had no idea what they were doing with their blog, and since then, their blog has grown to be one of the biggest travel blogs in the world.

In this interview, you'll learn:

The obstacles they had to overcome getting started.
How they afford to travel extensively with their family.
How they have become such successful travel bloggers.
What an average day is like for them.
Tips for traveling with children, and more!

They have traveled extensively, including an 18-month stint traveling through Australia with their two daughters. They recently came to the US and are road tripping here. [Read more…]

How This 29 Year Old Is Building A Real Estate Empire

June 26, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 48 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

I'm loving this new interview series that focuses on people who are doing extraordinary things with their lives. All of these stories have been incredibly motivating, and I can’t wait to share more! Past interviews include How This 28 Year Old Retired With $2.25 Million, How This Couple Paid off $204,971.31 in Debt, and How This Couple Bought an $11,500 RV, Traveled To All 50 States, and Built A Thriving Business.

For today’s post I interviewed 29 year old Elizabeth Colegrove, a successful real estate investor, property manager, and landlord.

She currently owns eight rental properties and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

I asked you, my readers, what questions I should ask Elizabeth Colegrove, so below are your questions (and some of mine) about owning rental real estate and being a long distance landlord. Make sure you're following me on Facebook so you have the opportunity to submit your own questions for the next interview.

In today's interview, Elizabeth shows us how exactly she built her real estate empire, the process to affording each, what she looks for in rentals, how she manages her real estate properties long distance, and more. You can follow her on her blog at Reluctant Landlord. [Read more…]

How This Couple Bought an $11,500 RV, Traveled To All 50 States, and Built A Thriving Business

May 24, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 50 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Heath and Alyssa Padgett. They are currently living in an RV full-time, making a living, and documenting it all.

Heath and Alyssa Padgett are living in an RV full-time, making a living, and documenting RV life all at the same time. Here's how they make this a reality! They blog over at HeathandAlyssa.com, and I'm a huge fan! Not only have I been on their podcast (How Michelle Makes Six Figures from a Blog While Full-Time RVing), we’re also friends.

In 2014, they quit their jobs, purchased a motorhome, and went on a year-long road trip across America. They worked jobs in all 50 states for a documentary they filmed called Hourly America.

After a year of living in an RV full-time, they realized RV life was for them. They worked to pay off a bunch of debt, built up their video production business, and they still love RV life.

This amazing couple has been featured on CNN, CBS, People Magazine, Business Insider, Forbes, and more!

Related articles on living in an RV full-time:

[Read more…]

Why Should You Listen To Me?

Subscribe Via Email