Browse the following posts about Income and Career

Improve your sources of income to help balance your budget and increase your savings.

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How Financial Success Can Make You Forget Frugality

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Generally speaking, I have always thought myself to be very frugal and smart with my money. It’s a lesson I learned as a kid from my mother who was really good at stretching a dollar and more than that, she understood that extravagance just wasn’t a virtue. My parents provided a pretty good life for me as a child, and I was never all about having the biggest or best of everything anyway. I often saw that others were demanding that kind of thing. Being practical and even “frugal” was fine with me all through my formative years.

Your relationship with frugality can change over time and financial circumstances. If you've drifted away from frugality, here's how to get it back.

But something happened, a blip along the way. That’s something I’d like to share with you.

My financial successes led to erosion of my frugality! Continue reading

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How Smartphone Apps Can Earn You Extra Cash!

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Please note this post contains affiliate links which help to fund this blog at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

If you are anything like me, you are always on the hunt to find some new ways to earn some extra cash. It might be a side hustle like selling at the flea market (which by the way is one of the most popular posts I have ever written) or it might be working a second job, part-time. There’s even the weird idea of writing a blog to make some money, albeit not quite as easy as it says it is on paper (or actually in cyberspace). In any event, if I were to ask you the question, “Do you want to make some extra money”, 99% of you would most likely answer a resounding “YES”! (I hear you!!)

Most of us are attached to our smartphones, but have you considered using smartphone apps to earn money? Here are 5 apps that can help you make some cash.

The many reasons we love that extra cash

So you want to start earning some extra income? You are not alone, my friend. Maybe you want to save up toward a weekend getaway with your significant other or need to generate extra cash to supplement some lost income. Are you desperately trying to save for a new car? Continue reading

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Can You Make Money Playing with Dogs? YES!

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If you love dogs and are looking for a way to earn extra money, read all about it here in today’s guest post, sponsored by Rover.com. Enjoy!

Love dogs? Get paid playing with them—there’s nothing else like it. The benefits of becoming a dog walker or sitter make it hard to say no, and it’s so simple to get started. Join Rover.com to be matched with hundreds of pet owners in your community looking for dog care. Whether you want to earn extra cash or are ready for a career change, here’s the essential questions to consider:

There are lots of great side hustles to make some extra money, but one of the most enjoyable ones out there is playing with dogs.

What kind of playtime are you ready for?

Choose the type of dog care you want to offer. Perhaps you’ve got evenings and weekends free for dog walking or maybe you’re available day time only for doggie day care. You have the option to provide drop-in visits, dog walking, doggie day care, house sitting at the pet owner’s home, or boarding dogs in your own home. Depending on your comfort level and interest, you decide what you’re available to provide. Continue reading

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Why Senior Citizens Want to Stay in the Workplace

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Most people think of a “senior” or a retired person as someone who sits around in the back yard snoozing on and off or perhaps hitting the golf course for a round with his retired friends. After all, most retirees have spent decades rising and shining every day and working there as$$es off to provide for themselves and their families and deserve some time to relax and have some fun in their “golden years”. And in most cases, they really do deserve a chance to just hang out and not carry the weight on their shoulders they have had for most of their lives.

Senior citizen jobs are becoming more important & prevalent as retirees go back to work. Here's some of the reasons why they want to stay in the workplace.

But a not-so-funny thing has happened to many older people these days. Many of them have found out that sitting around in retirement isn’t all that it was cracked up to be. There are a lot of reasons for that, so today’s post is something I can write about firsthand and with absolute certainty: why senior citizens want to stay in the workplace. Continue reading

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How to Maximize Your Social Security Benefits

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I don’t care who you are or how old you may be, you have thought about Social Security from time to time. It may be because you are wondering if there will even be such a thing when you retire. Perhaps you are approaching your retirement years and are wondering exactly what you will be getting every month once you start to draw upon it. Whatever the reason that Social Security has crossed your mind, the time for thinking about it isn’t when you are turning 66 or 67. Figuring out how to maximize your Social Security benefits starts long before that.

If you want to know how to maximize your Social Security benefits, start thinking about it now! Here are 12 ways to increase your benefits.

In fact, the time to think about your Social Security benefits is always now. Here’s why. There are a dozen factors that determine what you will get as your monthly payment when the day finally arrives for you to collect. Many of those items are things you do when you are young, middle aged, and then finally retired and each of those things will affect the amount you receive. Don’t believe me? Here are 12 ways you can increase you Social Security payouts when you retire by simply following these behaviors along the way starting right now! Continue reading

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3 Shameful Financial Problems You Fear To Talk About

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Americans are well known around the world for certain things. One prime thing is our tendency to talk and even brag about our lives and our abundances. We are pretty proud of living in what we refer to as the “greatest country” in the world and we have good reasons to feel that way. If you are a bigtime world traveler, you are probably sending a clear message to everyone you meet: you have lots of money and you enjoy spending it freely. You probably stay at a fine hotel, eat at a fancy restaurant, travel at the height of the season, etc. and that is the message you’re sending.

Sometimes financial problems are embarrassing and we're afraid to share them with loved ones. But getting help is better than trying to work it out alone.

The Art of Braggadocio

Speaking of bragging, we also have great fervor when spreading good news to others, especially our family and neighbors. We make it obvious so they will notice when we drive into our garage with that big new $85,000 2017 Land Rover that’s so perfect for those cross country trips and exploring the Gobi Desert, but will more likely spend its time parked at little Debbie’s soccer practices every Tuesday and Thursday! Continue reading

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Do You Save Collectibles for Fun…or Profit?

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I have to admit that I’m a bit of a collector, and I’ve been gathering collectibles since I was a kid. I’ve also been looking around for ways to make some extra money and wondered: could my collections make me a profit?

Gathering collectibles like stamps or coins can be a fun hobby, but some people collect with the hopes of making a profit. Can it really be profitable?

As the saying goes, sometimes you have to spend money to make money, and that’s certainly true when you collect items. It is an activity that almost everyone has participated in at some time or another in their lives. I have done it and I’m betting that you have as well. It says something about you and your personality when you are a “collector” as your collection usually involves something that’s close to your heart and that you really enjoy. Continue reading

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Financial Security for Women: Closing the Gender Wage Gap #WMWeek17

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This week, January 1-7 2017, is National Women’s Money Week #WMWeek17 and there is no better time to learn about, discuss, and attempt to correct the disadvantages that women face in the world of personal finance and in their own financial future. I think we are all quite familiar with what is known as the gender wage gap, the fact that women earn less than 80% of what men do. Equal pay for equal work is an ongoing struggle that is making just small inroads at best. You may be surprised to learn that the wage gap itself is just the tip of the financial iceberg that hinders women and their abilities, and potential for financial security and independence. The vast majority of adults in poverty in America today are women.

 For National Women's Money Week, we take a look at the gender wage gap, what causes it, and more importantly what can be done to close it.

What causes the gender wage gap?

There are several reasons why women, even in the 21st century, are facing roadblocks to financial security and there is more to it than systemic sexism and discrimination (which certainly play a large role). Let’s look at a few issues first that are influencing women and their continued lack of financial equality in the workforce which hinders their overall financial wellbeing: Continue reading

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Follow Your Passion and Make Some Money Too

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You hear it said frequently, “Follow your passion and the money will follow”. After all, if you work, wouldn’t it be really great to do something you love? I’ve always envied and been a bit jealous of the people who do that. You know, either they have some sort of talent or an ability that lets them not only make a living but even become wealthy. They wind up doing something in life that they would actually “pay” someone else to let them do. I’m talking about artists, entertainers, athletes, and others who have some sort of a gift and that gift fires their soul to be what and who they are.

The advice to "follow your passion" isn't always possible, or when it is, it doesn't always provide the income needed. Here's my story of mixing the two.

Unfortunately, I’m not one of those people who were born with a gift that would have enabled me to be the rare and special person that I was just talking about. Yes, I know we are all special in our own way, but in so many ways I’m just an ordinary guy, one who worked hard and if anything was rewarded based on the merits of that work. I’m proud of that, but if I have to confess, I never felt 100% fulfilled in my career. I always felt that I missed out on something. The feeling that these others must feel, that passion about what they love to do as they follow their dreams. Continue reading

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Making Money at the Flea Market

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Earning extra money can help just about anyone deal with the pressures of trying to make ends meet these days. If you have a job, even a good job, getting a pay raise has been tough over the past few years. It’s been so tough that side hustles, a way of earning extra cash, have become pretty common. It may be a cure for a specific financial problem (like getting out of debt), or it may be the way to get ahead long term. And even better, it can be fun and fulfilling too!

Making money at the flea market can supplement a full-time income and help you balance your budget. Here are some tips on making the most of your sales.

 

My own experience comes from something I did for several years…making money at the flea market. Continue reading