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You Can Make Money Quick! Here Are Some Ways

Extra Income

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Apr 17, 2014

You Can Make Money Quick! Here Are Some Ways

Who doesn’t want to make money quick? Honestly, who? I have never met anyone that told me they would rather take eight hours to make the same amount that could be made in one. I just haven’t met that person yet, and I doubt that I ever will. Everyone is always looking to make money fast with minimal effort. That is the dream, isn’t it? If you jump online and put in “make money quick” or “how to make money fast,” you are going to find a lot of interesting gimmicks. The key phrase in that sentence is “gimmick!” The truth is that there are a very few ways to legitimately make money quick. There are a myriad of illegal ways to do it, but I am not going to share those. How would I be able to make millions fast if I told you? 😉 Here are some legitimate ways to make money quickly. I am even going to share what the number one way to make money quickly really is. No gimmicks here my friends.

The #1 Way to Make Money Quick

I am going to start this off with the number one way. Why? I am just cool like that. I don’t want you to think that I have some secret way to make that money. If I did, then I would probably have a website detailing all the great ways you can earn money, but only if you send me two easy payments of $19.99. You should also include shipping and handling. I can’t give away the farm here people! OK, sorry for the tangent, back onto the number one way.

Sell Something!

Well, isn’t that a concept! The easiest and quickest way to make money is to sell something. Most people will sell unwanted items from their home, like video games, movies, outdoor equipment, and the like. Anything that you no longer use can be sold for quick cash. I am sure that I didn’t blow your socks off with this “sell something” bit, but it is true. If you really want to earn money fast, then the best way is to sell whatever you have that you no longer need. I have sold a few cars on Craigslist before. I even sold one in less than 24 hours. For a big purchase like a car, I consider 24 hours making quick cash.

People tend to always have something laying around that they no longer need or want. Why not just try to sell that bad boy to someone else and pocket the money? If you have a lot to sell, then think about a yard/garage sale. My wife and I are going to be having one in the next few weeks, so we don’t have to move out of our home with a bunch of junk. If all goes well, then we can come out with some cold, hard cash! Booyah!

Other Ways to Make Money Fast

So, there are more than one way to make money quickly. Though, I will always say that selling something is going to be the best and easiest way to earn extra money. You don’t have to do much and typically get paid right on the spot. Nice! Here are a few more ways to earn money fast. There are other ways not on this list.

Babysitting – The classic job of babysitting. This one is classic because it is extremely easy. If you live in a neighborhood with a bunch of kids, then you already have clients around you. You can earn around $10 – $15 per hour of babysitting. That is the going rate in my area, but I am sure it is higher in other places. Hell, I even used to babysit when I was in high school. I am not ashamed of it. It taught me to work for my money. If you don’t like kids, then think of pet or house sitting.

Donating Bodily “Fluids” – I was just going to share that you can donate plasma and get paid for it, but then I remembered sperm. See how I said donate and get paid? Plasma donation centers pay you for your time, not your plasma. The pay ranges differ depending on what center you go to, but it will take about an hour. You just get to sit back and collect some money. You can also get paid for your sperm. The pay is higher and it takes a little more of a hands-on approach for this money making method. Don’t be shy though, it can be a nice way to earn money quick. You can also sell your breast milk if you so desire.

Get Tested – There are many ways to earn money by joining medical studies and medical tests. I have never done this, but I do know a few people that have been a part of drug trials and other medical tests. I would call this one a last resort, but you can get paid well.

Join a Focus Group – I have been a part of focus groups for years. They tend to pay really well and all you need is some time and your opinion. Many of the focus groups I have been a part of are for only an hour. I would be paid $100 and go on my merry way. That is how you really can make money quick. Get paid to speak your mind!

Shop Online – You won’t get rich quick, but making some extra spending money isn’t a bad thing at all. You can use a site like Swagbucks and get cash back for a variety of things – from shopping online to taking surveys plus a variety of other things. Sign up for Swagbucks today and get a $5 sign-up bonus for your new account.

Making Money Quick – The Reality

One of the purposes behind this post is to tell you that if you are hoping to strike it rich overnight, then please think again. This really only happens in the lottery and your chances to win are very, very small. In order to make money quick, you have to be willing to put in some time and effort. If you are going online to try and find the next big thing, then stop doing what you are doing and reevaluate. I talk to people day in and day out that wan to make money fast. When I tell them that the dream is not much of a reality, except for the few I listed above, they tend to get irritated. Sorry people, I like to spit out the truth!

What are some more ways you can make money quick? What have you done before?

Image courtesy of Pong and Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Making Time for Making Money

John

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Apr 14, 2014

25

The following is a contribution from our friend Shannon, at Financially Blonde. If you’re interested in contributing to Sprout Wealth, please contact us.

Money and me have been friends since I was fourteen years old and I got my first envelope of cash on payday at the bagel store where I worked. I enjoyed working, but I enjoyed making money even more. Therefore, I worked through high school and college and never got into credit card troubles because I was constantly making money. From an early age, I understood the basic tenet of making money, and it was making time. I remember adjusting class schedules and social calendars so I could fit in shifts at my various jobs. I missed out on a number of activities with friends, but it was a choice I was willing to make.

I often have clients complain that they don’t have enough money or they don’t make enough money and the fact is, they could make plenty more money, they just don’t want to sacrifice their personal time in the pursuit of money. Unfortunately we live in an era where it is very easy to get things, and I think that the ease of access to information and stuff has made some of us lazy in other areas of our lives. I am sure we all had grandparents who talked about walking ten miles to the bus stop, uphill with no shoes and rolled our eyes when they spoke about everything we have that they don’t. I feel similar when it comes to advising people on making money. My first job was in a bagel store where I worked the 6am to 2pm shift, which meant that I had to wake up on my Saturdays and Sundays a little after 5am to get ready for work. Making money did not come easy, but when I made the time for it, it came.

Sprout Wealth is a great new website that is devoted to helping all of us make more money and grow our wealth, but we have to understand that this is not something that comes without a sacrifice of time on our parts. If you are thinking about growing your wealth by investing, you will need to take the time to research and determine what you want to buy, how you will allocate your money and then check in on it regularly to make sure that you are staying on track with your investment goals and guidelines. If you are thinking about making extra money by picking up side hustles like website testing, secret shopping or babysitting, you will need to make the time in your schedule to accomplish these side hustles.

I think a number of us want to make more money desperately; however, we feel as though there are not enough hours in the day to find the time to do it. If you fit into this category, here are some ways that you can “make time.”

1) Perform a “day” audit to find gaps in your schedule

Think about the things you do regularly every day, like what time you wake up and what time you go to bed. When do you have lunch? What do your weekends look like? After a thorough examination of your regular calendar, do you think you can make slight adjustments or changes to fit more things in? For me, I know that I can stay up later. Think about how much you could accomplish if you stayed up an hour later and devoted that time to making money. I have been offered money to write posts for other people, and I know that when/if I accept this work, it means that I will be staying up an extra hour or so every night until I finish the work. Yes, I miss sleep, but if I want to make money, I can’t get everything I want.

2) Schedule “making money” time in your calendar

I live and die by my Google calendar. A friend of mine once joked that I scheduled going to the bathroom. As a working wife and mom, some days I feel as though I should schedule the bathroom, otherwise it might not happen. If something is put in the calendar, though, it will get completed. Scheduling time in your calendar specifically focused on making money will allow you to schedule around this time and ensure that it is a priority in your week.

3) Replace non-income earning activities with income earning activities?

I know a number of people who are in athletic leagues with their friends or parents who have committed to multiple activities for their children. Can you replace any of these with time for you to make money? Instead of playing soccer one night a week, can you spend that time on freelance work? Instead of piano lessons, can you prop your kid in front of the computer to learn piano while you work on your investment portfolio?

4) Brush up on your multi-tasking skills

Sometimes we feel as though we don’t have the time; however, if we can push ourselves to multi-task during opportune moments then we can accomplish more. Can you be doing more during your commute to work? While waiting in the doctor’s office, can you fill out surveys online? I always wonder while I am multi-tasking by playing Candy Crush what else I can be doing with my time that is more productive.

5) Work as a team

If you are married or in a relationship, can you work together to free up more time for each other? Or maybe you can take turns on who makes the time to make money. My hubby is a high school physics teacher and in constant demand for tutoring. He is also the one who typically makes dinner in our house. However, on the nights that he is offered a tutoring job, I take on the dinner chore so that he can allocate his time to his side hustle. I had a few work commitments recently, and my hubby wrote some blogs for me to ease my workload so I could focus on the moneymaking activities.

There are so many ways to make additional income, and if you are looking to pursue those, make sure that you find the time to accomplish them.

Do you have a difficult time finding the time to make money? If not, how do you manage it?

Shannon McLay is a financial planner who left a “traditional” financial services firm to start her own company, NextGen Financial, to help clients in their 20s and 30s get financially fit. Through her blog, Financially Blonde, her book and her company, Shannon is committed to making financial fitness fun, easy and accessible for others.

Photo courtesy of: Tax Credits

Make Money Series – The Basics of Affiliate Marketing

Extra Income

Grayson Bell

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Apr 10, 2014

39

Make Money Series – The Basics of Affiliate Marketing

Welcome back to another edition of the make money series! If you are new to Sprout Wealth, then this is our little series that describes ways to make more money. We all know people are interested in earning more to better their finances, so we decided to show them how. Making extra money on the side is not as hard as you may think. Yes, it does require work, but if you play your cards right, then it can be quite lucrative. There are a large number of ways to earn money, especially online. Today, I am going to share a little run down of how you can make more money with affiliate marketing. You do need to have a website in order to make money with affiliate marketing. You can also use it on a blog. If you want a blog, then check out my how to start a blog guide for more information.

What is Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is really a simple concept. Though the concept is simple, I am going to show you a little graphic that will make it much easier to understand. Who doesn’t learn more with visuals?

OK, from the graphic above, you can see the basics of how affiliate marketing works. You join an affiliate network, which I will speak about later, then put links on your site. When someone clicks your link and completes a purchase, you get paid. It is that easy, right? No, it isn’t that easy. Sorry to burst your bubble. I will dig into this more in order to show you how you can earn money. Here are the steps to start affiliate marketing. As I said before, you need to have a website in order to do this.

Step 1: Join an Affiliate Network

This is the most important step. In order to have access to a wide range of affiliate programs, you should join a network. These networks have a large amount of advertisers that all have active affiliate programs. These networks just aggregate these advertisers into one place to make it easier for you. The two terms to understand in affiliate marketing is that you are considered the publisher(affiliate) and the product/service you are promoting is the advertiser.

There are quite a few affiliate networks out there, but the biggest and most established are Commission Junction and Linkshare. Some other networks worth noting are ShareASale, Amazon Associates, and Clickbank. Clickbank deals entirely with digital goods, so you won’t find too many advertisers that sell physical products. Many of the biggest brands are on Commission Junction or Linkshare. The Amazon Associates program is just for Amazon.

Step 2: Find a Suitable Advertiser

Finding a suitable advertiser is key to affiliate marketing. You do not want to promote products or services for companies that do not match your niche. If you were running a website dedicated to clothing, you wouldn’t promote auto parts products. They just don’t work. Most affiliates fail when they don’t have the right offers for their audience. You want to look through the affiliate network and find advertisers that match your niche and who your readers will react to. If you speak about a specific product or category a lot, then check out the advertisers who are in said category.

Just finding the advertiser is just the beginning. You then have to apply to be in their program. This requires you to read their terms and accept them. They will then either approve you automatically, decline you, or manually review your application. It can take days to weeks to hear back from some advertisers. Don’t get discouraged.

Step 3: Promote the Advertiser

You will never get paid unless you promote an advertiser. This is how you earn money as an affiliate. If you are running a blog like this one, then you could deal with products or companies that are connected in the finance industry. You would talk about specific products or services that match who is visiting your site. For example, let’s say I wanted to talk about Dave Ramsey’s book, The Total Money Makeover. This is a great personal finance book that has helped many people get their financial houses in shape. Do you see that link that I put in? Yes, that is an affiliate link. It might not appear as one, but it is. If you were to click that link and buy the book off Amazon, then I would get a commission.

Adding in affiliate links into your work is super easy. You can do it when you are speaking about anything that has a product or service with an affiliate program. If you are dedicated an entire webpage or post to a specific thing, then see if there is an applicable affiliate program to join. If you do well with that page, then you could earn money when people click through your links and buy. The opportunities for affiliate marketing are endless.

If you run a WordPress blog, there are many ways to help you with affiliate links. One plugin that I not only use, but recommend is Pretty Link Pro. It is well worth the price and it does a great job with managing and promoting affiliate links.

Step 4: Get PAID!

This is the step you have been waiting for. The time when you get paid. If you earn enough money in your affiliate network account, then you will get paid. Many of these accounts have minimum thresholds. Some are $50 or $100, while others have none. You have to earn enough commissions in order to get a payment if there is a threshold. Most networks will pay you via check or direct deposit your earnings into your checking account. It is up to you. There are also some networks that will pay you via Paypal.

Getting paid can be confusing if you don’t read the terms of each advertisers program. There are some things they will pay you for while others they won’t. Some will pay you when a customer makes a purchase, while others will pay you just for leads. This is like if someone was to just fill out a form. You can get paid when someone clicks on your link and fills out a form.

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to get paid online. If you know what you are doing, then you can make passive affiliate income over time. You can put up a website and get some traffic to it. If you did well, then you can convert that traffic into commissions over and over again. As I said before, affiliate marketing opportunities are endless if you just strive to use it. Many people I talk to are scared of affiliate marketing because they don’t understand it. It is not hard to do. If you have any questions about affiliate marketing, then make sure to check out my services. I can help you get setup and start earning money!

Have you tried affiliate marketing before? Did you like it? If you haven’t, then what is stopping you?

Image via commission factory

How to Use Game of Thrones to Sprout Wealth

John

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Apr 8, 2014

29

How to Use Game of Thrones to Sprout Wealth

Unless you’ve lived under a rock the past week or so then you know Game of Thrones Season 4 debuted this past weekend. I’m another bandwagoner as I didn’t enjoy the show when it first came out. It really wasn’t until I gave it another opportunity that I began to appreciate it.

I enjoy pulling lessons out of everyday things, or things I enjoy…especially when it comes to making more money and Game of Thrones is no different. While I could use things like “A Lannister always pays his debts” or “Winter is coming” as a quote to pick out, I choose another option, one of my more favorite characters – Bronn.

Bronn spends the better part of a season as the commander of the City Watch, but he really has come to be known as Tyrion’s sarcastic personal guard and comrade. How can Bronn help you sprout wealth? It’s very simple really, and you don’t have to watch the show (although I think you really should) to grasp the lessons.

Always Look for Opportunities

The first time we meet Bronn is when he steps up for Tyrion at The Eyrie in the Vale. I’ll spare you the details behind the scene; suffice it to say that everyone at The Eyrie is against Tryion. He had been held prisoner there and was in a position of needing to fight for his life.

Needing someone to assist him as he’s a “dwarf,” Bronn steps up to take on his fight. We’ll see later that this wasn’t completely altruistic as he believed Tyrion would handsomely compensate him. That aside, Bronn did not let the odds scare him. He saw an opportunity and did his best to grab it.

We can do the same thing in many ways today by volunteering for new jobs at work, exploring different avenues for side hustles, and teaching ourselves something new so we can turn it into a money making opportunity now or in the future.

Know Your Worth

Soon after the above mentioned scene, Tyrion and Bronn are walking away when Tyrion calls Bronn his friend. Bronn is taken back a bit as he views it as simply an exchange of his protection for money from Tyrion. This brings on, in my opinion at least, a classic quote from Tyrion:

”Oh, ‘enhances.’ Fancy word for a sellsword.”

Simply put, Bronn knows the value he provides and it has a certain worth. He knows that families like the Lannisters are targets. As they’re targets, the require protection and that is something he is willing and able to offer. We find out later in the series that Bronn asks for a raise and he gets it.

We can apply this same philosophy in many ways today, such as:

Asking for a raise from your employer
Raising your prices, when justified, as a freelancer
Offering new services to current clients in order to increase revenue

The key in this is to have reasoning behind why you want a raise or whatever else it is you’re wanting. Going to a client and saying you want to raise rates because you’ve worked for them for “X” number of months will get you nowhere. Instead, give them quantifiable reasons why they should agree to raising your rates. Not only will it increase your chances of success, but it’ll help you stand out to them as a value – all of which is important to making more in the long run.

Be Confident

Bronn’s character exudes confidence, but there is one scene in particular where this stands out. It’s in Season Two before Stannis Baratheon is about to storm King’s Landing. Bronn gets into a verbal altercation with The Hound (great name I know ;-)) who is half again his size. Does Bronn stand down, no! In fact, he doesn’t allow the size difference to intimidate him, but points to how he would overcome a potential battle.

We should take the same approach to earning more money and finding opportunities. It can be very easy to allow fear to hold us back, especially in trying new things. Don’t let that be an excuse. Instead, view them as opportunities to confidently learn something new that will put you on the road to bigger and better things. I know you won’t see success in every new attempt or venture, but the path of growing your wealth is paved with finding those opportunities and using them to your benefit. Even when you fail, you learn lessons that you can apply to be successful in the future. In that way, there’s something of value to find in every new venture.

Are you a Game of Thrones viewer? What money lessons have you pulled from it? If not, what are some other uncommon sources of money wisdom you use?

Photo courtesy of: Maria Morri

A Freelancer’s Guide to Making Money

Extra Income

Grayson Bell

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Apr 3, 2014

47

I would say that one of the best ways to make money is to start freelancing. I have been a freelancer for a number of years. I learned how to write code when I ran my online e-commerce business and then grew from there. Many people always ask me about freelancing and most of them feel that it is unreachable for them. They feel that they have no marketable skills or have no idea what they would sell. I am going to say here and now that anyone can freelance. Yes, anyone! In the spirit of making money, I wanted to share my version of a freelancer’s guide to making money. There are many ideas on how you can make money, and I am not going to cover that. Right now, I am going to cover what you need to do in order to start freelancing and how to be successful.

Identify Your Skill Set

The most important part of freelancing is understanding what you can sell. Most freelancers sell their services. Whether those be writing content, providing businesses with ideas, product design, online marketing, blog management, website design, website testing, coding, and many more. There is a wide range of service that people can do. Though most of what I have done has been online, there is a wide range of opportunities offline. They might be harder to find, but they are still there.

Everyone typically has some type of marketable skill. Whether it be enough for full-time employment or not is another story. People tend to be good at least one thing. It could be a variety of things, but they still are good at one thing. Many people don’t think about selling that skill to others. This is usually because some people just don’t think outside of the box. If you want to succeed being a freelancer, then you need to understand your skill set and see if it is marketable.

What’s Your Value Proposition

Wait? My value what? Before I start digging into the VP as I like to call it, I am going to throw down a little definition for you. This is how Investopedia defines a value proposition.

A business or marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service. This statement should convince a potential consumer that one particular product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than other similar offerings.

In the freelancing world, you are most likely not going to be alone in the services you offer. I can almost guarantee that one. If you do have a unique service, then you might want to consider creating a full time business off of it. That is only if you have a great value proposition. This statement is to define why your service should be picked above all others. Why would your service be any better? What makes your service special? These are a few things that you need to answer when you come up with your value proposition. Do you charge less, yet deliver more? Do you just kick ass in general and you should be paid for it? Before you become a freelancer, you need to understand your value proposition.

How Will You Market Your Services?

Alright, you have now figured out your skill set and what sets you apart from the pack. Congratulations! Here comes the hardest part in a freelancer’s job. Now you have to market yourself in order to get clients. Anyone that has freelanced before knows that marketing can be a hard thing to do. You have to appeal to people looking for your skills in a sea of freelancers. This is especially true online. When you jump online hoping to make money, you better know how to market yourself. There are a few ways that can set you apart from others.

Start a blog – Running a blog can be a great way to meet people in the niche you are targeting. Obviously, you will want to cover topics that relate to your skills. If you start a blog and network with other bloggers, then you can find jobs that way. This is how I get a lot of my freelance jobs. There is some power in adding a little “hire me” link to your site. If you want to know how to start a blog, then check out my little guide.
Be Active on Social Media – Connect and network with other people on social media. When you are active on social media and converse with those in your niche, then you can make friends. Networking is powerful and social media just enables that networking to be much easier.
Join a Freelance Jobs Board – There are too many jobs boards out there to name, but when it comes to freelancing, Odesk and Elance are great options. You can easily setup an account there and start selling your services. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a job right away. There are many other freelancers on these boards to compete with, but just stick with your value proposition.
Contact Companies Directly – This method might not always be successful, but you can and will get jobs from it if you are good. If you know of a company that could use your services, then reach out to them. Contact them and see if they need help. You never know where it will lead. I have been flat out rejected, not responded to, and asked not to contact them again. There have been other times when I have received steady work. You never know.

Pricing and Delivery

Welcome to the next step in freelancing. If you are going to sell services, then you better know what you want to charge. This is a very hard thing to do for most freelancers. The reason is that the knowledge to set correct rates and delivery times comes from experience. You don’t get experience until you have a few completed jobs under your belt. This is where you need to be flexible. Your first few jobs might pay you less, but they will get you experience. If you jump into conversations about pricing with a high price, then it will be an immediate turn off. This is especially true if you have no credentials to back up your pricing or any testimonials. Pricing is truly an art when you freelance, so don’t be afraid to change it up.

Once you start working and selling your skills, then you will need to deliver. This step also comes from experience. If you are writing, then you need to know how long it will take. If the people that hired you ask if you can finish said task in a certain time, then you better know if you can finish it. There are too many other freelancers out there that will take your job in a heartbeat. Don’t miss your deadlines. If you think you are going to miss your deadline, then reach out to your contact and tell them why. Be honest and transparent. That will keep you on the job.

So there you go. These are my keys to making money as a freelancer. You need to know your skill set, understand your value proposition, market said value proposition, then price it right and deliver. This guide might make it sound easy, but there are not too many freelancers that make a ton of money. Just don’t get discouraged. This is not a get rich quick kind of thing. You will not become a millionaire overnight. You may never become one. The point of freelancing is to earn extra money on the side and do something that you enjoy. It might even turn into a full time job like our friends at Club Thrifty and Making Sense of Cents.

Are you a freelancer? What tips do you have for someone just getting started?

Image courtesy of JohnONolan

What Should I Do Now That I’m Done Paying Off Debt?

General

John

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Apr 1, 2014

38

What Should I Do Now That I’m Done Paying Off Debt?

Paying off debt is prevalent in our society today. From those who are burdened with student loan debt to those dealing with paying down credit card balances, debt is seemingly everywhere. Having been through my own personal debt payoff journey I know firsthand the work and sacrifice that goes into becoming debt free.

The freedom that comes out of it though is great, but the problem is that little is said of what you should do after the debt is paid off.

Paying Off Debt is Good, But Focus Can Be Lost

It took me nearly five years to pay off my credit card debt and several more years to pay off my student loans. Looking back at my debt payoff days, I was committed to doing all I legally could to get the debt paid off. I sold items I didn’t use, donated plasma (a bit sketchy I know, but it was cash) and sacrificed. Those are all great ways to work at paying off debt, but there is one underlying problem in that – focus can be lost towards the overall financial picture of growing your wealth.

There is a regular debate over whether you should invest in the stock market or pay off debt first and that’s not really the point of this post, other than to point out that many take the pay off debt first option and are lost as to what to do with their money when they’re done paying off debt.

Take it from someone who went through it himself, it does happen. My encouragement to you if you’re still paying off debt and have chosen to focus on that is to educate yourself on investing now so you can hit the ground running once you’re done paying off any unsecured loans you may have as a result of the debt.

You Want to Grow Your Net Worth

Now that you’re done paying off debt, the key should be on increasing your net worth and doing so now. I realize this can be easier said than done, but it should be your focus. How can you start increasing your net worth? Of course, there are a number of way you can do this, but your activities should include some of the following:

Investing in the stock market
Making additional income on the side
Cutting expenses

You likely were already cutting down expenses as you were paying off debt, as well as making side income. If you were, great! The nice thing about doing it now is that it’ll have a positive impact on your net worth. Don’t just stop at these two items though, but also start investing in the stock market and better yet start building a retirement portfolio.

If you’ve not had the time to educate yourself on investing, make it simpler on yourself by investing in some solid, low-cost index funds and let them do the heavy lifting for you. Taken together, all three of these practices are a well-rounded way to help make you more money and put your focus on the future.

Your Mindset is the Key

Increasing your net worth can be easier said than done many times, but what it ultimately comes down to is changing your mindset. While paying off debt it can be easy to get sucked into the vacuum that involves doing only that. Now that you’re debt free, you need to broaden your perspective and put your eyes on the bigger picture. Growing your money isn’t going to happen overnight and it is going to take a variety of methods to realize positive net growth.

There are many things you can do to start to grow your money now, like teaching yourself something new and monetizing it, automating your saving and investing so it’s not overlooked, and giving yourself quantifiable goals to reach. That said, changing your mindset to one that’s focused on increasing net worth is likely the best and most important aspect to focus on as it’ll set you up for the success needed for long term wealth accumulation.

What wealth improving challenges did you face as you were paying off debt? What monetizable skills would you like to learn?

Photo courtesy of: Lending Memo

Make Money Series – Earn Money Testing Websites

Extra Income

Grayson Bell

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Mar 27, 2014

55

Make Money Series – Earn Money Testing Websites

Didn’t we tell you that Sprout Wealth was going to be all about making more money and growing your wealth? That’s right. Welcome to the first post in the new Make Money Series! I am excited about this series as it will dive into different ways to make money. Some will be easy to do and others will be more complicated. We can’t make everything easy for you, OK! The make money series is going to dig into one specific way to earn money. It can be online, offline, or even hybrid. It doesn’t matter. Making money is making money, as long as you do it legally. We don’t advocate or condone making money illegally. I will leave that to you and your probation officer. Alright, back to the topic of making more money. In this first post, I want to talk to you about something that I do on a regular basis. I make money by testing websites.

Make Money Evaluating Websites

Yes, people actually pay me to evaluate and test their websites. Why? User testing is the best way to understand how your website is working in different environments. There are so many different computer, internet, and browser combinations that it can make creating and running a website a pain in the butt. Trust me, I used to run an e-commerce business. If I wasn’t dealing with customer service, then I was dealing with website issues. Coding across multiple browsers can be time consuming. This is where user testing comes into play.

There are a few places where you can sign up to test websites, but I have found that UserTesting.com is the best. They pay on time and they have a lot of jobs. Their focus is on testing websites and mobile apps, but you can’t just sign up and expect to get paid. They do require a test for you to complete. Let me run down how their site works.

Signing Up

You can easily sign up here. You just enter your email address and apply to be a tester. They do have some rules that you will need to understand. They are:

Must be at least 18 years old
Have your own PC or Mac
Use their screen recording software (this software does track your mouse movements, but does not take any video)
Fill out a demographic information form
Indicate if you want to test mobile applications, along with what type of phone you have.

These rules are not overly complicated, but as I indicated, they do require a test. Since I do make money this way, I will say that you also need a microphone of some sort. Some laptops have them built in, while others will need an external mic. I will explain the reason for a microphone later.

The Sign Up Test

Usertesting.com wants to recruit good testers. They are paid by a large range of companies to test websites and mobile applications. For this reason, they require that you take a test before you become part of the community. The test is basically the same thing you would be doing on a regular basis for testing websites. You are given a task along with specific instructions to follow. You need to be able to speak out loud and read the tasks. Your feedback is what you are getting paid to give, so be clear and concise.

If you want to know what a test is like, then check out this sample video.

The Payout

This is what you are really after, isn’t it? Just so you know, you will NOT get rich quick or at all with this money making method. It just won’t happen. What they do offer is a $10 payout for about 15 minutes of your time. The $10 payment is paid directly to Paypal. They also offer $15 for mobile tests. It is a very easy way to make $10 without having to go anywhere or buy anything. They do tell every tester that they might not make any money from this service. The reason is all about your demographics. The companies that pay UserTesting.com for their users’ feedback require specific demographics depending on their website. If you don’t meet those requirements, then you don’t get the job.

Since I have been doing this for about a year, I have found that you need to be really quick on accepting a job. This site has a lot of testers eagerly waiting to get a job. They will send out emails and if you like the job, then you can take it. Once someone takes the job, it goes away. You now have to complete said job. Doing so just requires about 15 minutes of your time. You just follow the steps and then provide your verbal feedback. The better you do with the verbal feedback, the more jobs you will get. I detail every step that I am taking and where I am having issues. This is really helpful for the companies. When you do this, you will be at the top of the list for similar jobs.

If you are interested in testing websites or mobile applications for a few bucks here and there, then sign up at UserTesting.com. It is free for you and the jobs are relatively easy.

Would you test websites to make some extra money? Is 15 minutes of your time worth $10?

3 Simple Ways to Start Making Extra Money Now

Extra Income

John

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Mar 24, 2014

55

3 Simple Ways to Start Making Extra Money Now

Making extra money is a dream that many have. The problem is that some of the ways to make extra money aren’t as easy as others. Sure, you could start a blog and hope to make money like crazy but unfortunately something like blogging takes a lot of time and often many do not make money from blogging (although if you are still interested, check out StartABlog123.com).

In light of that, I thought I’d share some of the more simple (or maybe not so simple if you ask some) ways to start making extra money that you can reap benefits from sooner rather than later.

Selling Your Stuff is a Great Way to Start Making Extra Money

How much stuff do you have sitting around your house? If you’re like me, it’s likely quite a bit. What does this have to do with making extra money? A lot in my opinion! If you’re finding that you have a lot of stuff that you simply don’t use anymore the first thing you should look to do is sell that stuff. Crazy thought, huh? Now, you likely won’t become rich doing this, but it can be a nice little money-making source for you.

There are many options to consider when you’re wanting to sell your things to make extra money. You have Craigslist, Ebay, Farmer’s Market or even a garage sale to choose from – to name a few. My wife and I sell stuff on Craigslist several times a year which usually nets us at least several hundred dollars each time and that’s money we can use for other things, mainly saving or investing. This can also be a great way to build up an emergency fund if you’re in need of doing that. Just remember though, don’t take that extra money and go buy more junk with it, or you’ll defeat the purpose!

Market Yourself

This is likely my favorite way to start making extra money. We all have skills and talents that we can market. For some it might be programming and others it may be writing. Those are skills which can be monetized. This can be easier said than done in some cases, and some will take longer than others but the beauty is you control it.

Start thinking outside the box to see what talents you have and how you could monetize them and start to make more money that can go directly in your bank account.

What if you feel that you don’t have a marketable skill? First, you’re likely wrong and second, there are options if that were true. Do you live in a pet-friendly neighborhood? Do you have friends who travel on occasion? Do you have friends who have babysitting needs? Those are all options you could look at as they could result in picking up dog walking, housesitting or babysitting gigs. It likely won’t be a ton of money in the beginning but many make quite a bit in the long run doing everyday things like that.

As with anything related to finances, your mindset is key as many even turn these skills into side businesses that thrive.

Pick Up a Part-Time Job

What do you do if you want to make extra money on the side but don’t want to take the time or effort to start marketing yourself or monetizing your skills? Another possible option to consider could be picking up a part-time job. This may not be as desirable as being your own boss, but it’s still an option to consider for many wanting to earn extra income. There are many options to consider when it comes to working part-time jobs:

Retail jobs
Working in a call center
Temping in an office setting

Those are all more along the lines of a customer facing retail setting, so what if that’s not your thing? You could also look at things like tutoring or assisting a friend with his or her business. The point is, that there are a good number of options out there, you just have to look into what’s available and how that would work into your schedule.

What are you doing to start making extra money? How are you increasing your net worth in tangible ways?

Photo courtesy of: AMagill

Welcome to Sprout Wealth!

General

Grayson Bell

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Mar 15, 2014

6

Yes, welcome to Sprout Wealth. We specialize in strategies for making your money grow. John and I developed this site to help others realize that there are other ways to change their financial picture than just working a job. Money provides you with opportunities. It is what you do with those opportunities that defines your life. We want to show you how to make more money. We might show you how do to it at your regular job, but most likely, we will show you how to do it on the side. We love the side hustlers. We love them so much that we came them. Sprout Wealth is the resource to show you how to earn the elusive extra income. We don’t plan on making it hard to follow, but it will require discipline.

John and I receive questions on a regular basis on how one can make more money. How can you achieve financial independence? While that question can be very hard to answer, we can certainly help you with how to make more money. Each article on this site will show you the ins and outs of investing, credit cards, side hustling, and much more. We are here to show you the way. Our goal is to make our articles easy to follow and give you actionable steps to make more money. Wealth starts with a single dollar, well actually it starts with a single cent. It is how you grow that money into functional wealth that is the trouble for many. We hope to change that.

Some will say that money is the root of evil. Those that chase the money don’t have their priorities straight. I would tend to disagree. Money is not the root of evil, it is what you do with it that makes you such. Money is just a tool that one can use to create opportunities. The more money, the more opportunities. Those opportunities differ from person to person, but the premise is still the same. We use money to achieve our goals. Your financial goals can be a number of things, but the only way to achieve them is to have money.

You shouldn’t work just to make a paycheck. You should work to earn money, but also experience and education. The more we learn, the more power we have. The more power, the greater the opportunities. The greater the opportunities, the higher the chance we achieve our goals. Education is one of the most powerful tools one can have. We want to provide you with education in order to change your thinking about money. We not only want to provide you with more opportunities to make money, but also guidance on how you should handle said money.

We welcome you to Sprout Wealth and we hope you stick around to enjoy what we have coming up. Please take some time to follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our RSS feed. If you have any ideas on what you want to see, then contact us. Thank you for stopping by!