What would you do with an extra $500 every month? I personally would save half of it ($250), go out to eat a few extra times each month ($100), and put the remaining amount ($150) towards debt.
Below are five ways you can make an extra $500 a month. Combine all of them for an extra $2,500!
Considering a work from home job in 2017? Look no further!
Working from home allows many benefits, including:
I’ve been working from home for four years now and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. If you’re hoping to work from home this year, check out these top work from home jobs 2017.
Looking for the best paid survey sites? Taking paid surveys online in your free time is a fantastic way to make extra money each month. And, you don’t even have to set aside a specific chunk of time to do them. I do them while watching TV, eating lunch, or during times I’d otherwise just be mindlessly browsing the internet.
Taking surveys online is a very easy way to make extra money each month. In fact, there are tons of different ways to make money online! My personal favorite way is through blogging. Yes – this little blog you’re reading here makes an anywhere from $1500-$3000+ each month! However, blogging definitely takes time to start making an income. If you need money now, or just want some extra coffee money each month, taking paid online surveys will suit you just fine!
So let’s dive right in. Here are the best paid survey sites of 2018.
I have a 4-year-old, a 3-year-old, and a newborn baby who just turned one month. I’m by no means “super mom,” nor do I try to be. However, I am able to still find time to blog, keep up with the housework and find some time for myself. Today, I’m sharing my secrets on how to accomplish this!
Whether you’ve been blogging for years but are struggling with time management or if you’re a mom who’s debating starting a blog, this post is for you!
I think it’s safe to say that working moms would enjoy the possibility of being a stay-at-home mom if it meant keeping their lifestyle the same. I personally am one of those crazy people who actually enjoys my full-time job, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t even consider what it would be like to stay home.
Here’s the thing, though. I think the majority of us working moms would miss having “something for ourselves.” We’d miss contributing to the family financially, and we’d definitely miss socializing with other adults (big one for me!!). If this is exactly how you feel, keep reading.
Happy October! It’s income report time!
I cannot believe September is over. October is my favorite month of the year, and this year, it’s even more near and dear to my heart because it’s BABY MONTH!! Our third little girl is due on Halloween 🙂
And I am ready! This pregnancy hasn’t been “hard” per se, but nearing the end is always a challenge. My stomach is so big (baby girl is measuring two weeks ahead, which could mean a bigger baby or extra fluid, but either way my belly is large, haha) and it’s been hard trying to keep up with my other two little girls. Thankfully, my husband has been an incredible support system and helper.
My parents are coming into town in just a couple of weeks and then I’ll be starting my maternity leave! When I had my first baby, I had recently quit my job and was just getting started with freelancing. With my second baby, I was knee-deep in freelance writing and had just accepted a job as an editor (from home). This time, I’ll have no “real” obligations other than my blog, which is my all-time favorite hobby/side gig that I’m super excited to be able to spend more time on. Lots of exciting things to come your way, including the launch of my very first course!
Alright, let’s take a look at September’s online income report.
The median household income is just under $52,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. I don’t know about you, but in my opinion that is not enough money for a family of four to live off of. Healthcare expenses, emergency funds, retirement accounts, rent/mortgage, etc would leave nothing left over for “fun,” at least, not without getting into debt.
What if I told you there was a way to bring in substantial income for your family from the comfort of your own home? The internet and technology has made that possible for thousands of people. With a little knowledge, the right resources and a HUGE desire to succeed, I believe that anyone can make six figures (or more!) per year as a freelance writer from home.
I started freelance writing over four years ago. I’m going to be completely honest with you – I truly believe it was easier back then to break into the field than it is now. Freelancing has become so popular over the years, and for good reason!! Who wouldn’t want to be their own boss, set their own hours, choose their assignments and have an unlimited income potential?!
But, if you truly want to pursue this now – whether you’re a SAHM looking to bring in extra income for your family or you’re hoping to quit your FT job and become a business owner – there are a few things you need to do to be successful and land jobs. No longer can you just respond to a few job postings and hope for the best. Freelance writing is too competitive now; you need to build a portfolio and make it so you stand out from the pack!
Ready to start your journey to six figures a year as a freelance writer?! Follow these steps!
I’ve done a few Day in the Life posts before, but haven’t done one this year I don’t think. Figure I am due! And, I don’t know about you, but these are my absolute favorite posts to read. Just nosy I guess! 🙂
A little background: I have two daughters (ages 4 and 2), another little girl due in October, a full-time job, and I freelance/blog on the side (minimally).
My FT job is flexible and most of it is done from home. I AM FOREVER THANKFUL FOR THIS!! I do stick to a 9-5 schedule for the most part, but there are definitely times where I’ll work on a Sunday afternoon to get my week started on the right foot, and then maybe end a few of my weekdays around 4:00 pm when my 2-year-old wakes up from her nap.
The girls go to daycare five days per week part-time. Daycare has been life-changing for not only my work schedule, but for me as a mom. I LOVE being a mom, don’t get me wrong, but I also love having something that’s just for me. This transition has been so good for my girls and it’s made me a better mom. Even if I didn’t work FT, I would keep my girls in their part-time daycare schedule.
Ok, let’s get started…
I want to be completely honest about how long it takes to make money with your blog. I think some people are under the impression that you can start a blog and within a few months, be able to quit your full-time job. Sure, that DOES happen, but I honestly don’t think it’s the norm. If you’re working full-time, you’re already strapped for time. Add kids into that mix and you’ve got very little time.
Here’s a realistic look at how long it takes to make money with your blog, plus how to earn an income from your blog.
Long-time readers know that I’ve been a freelance writer for roughly four years now. I started freelance writing when I had my first baby, who is now four years old! Freelancing allowed me to stay at home with her and provide some side money for my family. My husband’s income at the time paid all of our bills, but it didn’t leave any extra for savings, vacations, or fun! That’s where my freelancing income came in.
My first month of freelancing, I made $300ish. Within seven months, I was clearly $1,000. By the time my second daughter was born (just 16 months after my first), I was making close to $3,000 per month while at home with my toddler and newborn baby. I was busy, but I managed. I loved what I did and thoroughly enjoyed being at home with my girls.
Fast forward another year, and we packed up and moved from Arizona to North Carolina. We sold our house and my husband quit his job. Because I was still freelancing, we were confident we would be fine for at least a year if it took my husband a while to find work. It was around that time (Sept 2014) that I started this blog, too 🙂
In July of 2015, I accepted a full-time position very similar to what I was doing as a freelancer (financial editing and writing). By that point, I was a little bit burnt out from freelancing, to be honest. I missed the perks that came with full-time employment: office comradery, coworkers, coffee breaks, oh and you know health benefits, a matching 401K plan and PTO 🙂 I also wasn’t quite sure the direction I wanted to head with freelancing. Do I take on more work even though my kids are little and I’m already strapped for time? Do I try to sub out my work to other writers? Or do I just throw in the towel?
I didn’t throw in the towel immediately. In fact, about a month after accepting my full-time position, I got the crazy idea to take on more clients and try to increase my freelancing income while working full-time. This worked for a few months, until finally I got sick of being so busy, to say the least. I hadn’t had a “day off” in pretty much the entire four years I had been freelancing. Sure, I could have set specific work hours, but with two little kids, nap time and early mornings was what worked best for me. Considering that’s only 15 hours in any given week, I would work during nap time on the weekends, too. It’s no wonder I got burnt out!
I made the decision around December of 2015 to quit freelancing altogether. I’m still working full-time and wanted to enjoy my family, my city and my life a little bit more. Since we no longer “needed” my money for savings (my husband and I both have full-time jobs), it was harder to stay motivated. Plus, I wanted to go a different direction…
While I’ve had a ton of amazing clients throughout my freelancing career, I didn’t want to be working for clients my entire life. Instead, I eventually want to work fully for myself. I’m sure you know, but instead of freelancing I am focusing my energy on blogging 🙂
With blogging, I completely set my own schedule. If I don’t want to post one week, I don’t have to. If my kids are sick or I’m having a super busy week at work, blogging is the first thing to go (rather than my family and free time).
Likewise, if I am feeling extra creative or wanting to take in some extra cash, I amp up my blogging. Right now, my blog is not my full-time job, so I have the ability to do exactly as I please. (If my blog were my full-time job, it would be treated with a bit more seriousness!! Eventually 😉 )
My goal over the next few years is to slowly grow my blog and my business to get to the point where both my husband and I can quit our full-time jobs. It may seem like a pipe dream, but I truly believe that we will eventually meet this goal.
For now, I’m blogging because I love it and it’s extremely flexible. Like I said, if I’m not able to blog for a week (or even a month), I don’t; and I don’t stress about it.
If you have big dreams for your family too, I highly recommend jumping on this blogging bandwagon. It can be intimidating at first, and you WILL have to work hard at it (15 hours per week minimum) at the beginning in order to get some good, quality posts under your belt, connect with others, build a following, and just learn the ins and outs of blogging. That being said, starting this blog and committing to it for a solid year was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Last month, I made almost $600 from blogging (and I didn’t even write any posts!!). This month, I’m set to take in closer to $1,000! That’s crazy; considering I now spend just 15 minutes or so per week on my blog (a little bit more if I write a post!).
Are you thinking of starting a blog? If so, what’s stopping you from doing it? Do you have any questions about blogging or freelancing for me? I’m always happy to help!