Eight Seasonal Side Hustles to Make Bank This Summer

While the cost of living keeps going up, most wages have remained fairly stagnant, confirms a 2015 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report, which analyzed American’s wage pattern from 2007 to 2014, shared that the bottom 80 percent of workers had stagnant or declining hourly wages over that seven-year period while the bottom 88 percent of workers saw total compensation and wages drop.

And we wonder why frustration over wages and equality is at an all-time high. Sadly, working a full-time job isn’t always enough these days. To get ahead, a lot of us have taken on side jobs or “hustles” in our spare time. And by leveraging those extra dollars, many people have bucked the system and found a way to “create their own raise.”

Eight Money-Making Summer Side Hustles

If you’ve been considering a part-time job or “side hustle,” your timing is impeccable. Across most of the country, the summer season brings an explosion of extra work you can get hired to do or seek out on your own.

Whether you want to pay down debt, raise money to pay for school, save up for a down payment on a house, or build up a stash of “fun money,” a warm-weather side hustle might provide the answer you’re looking for.

Interested? Here are a few options to consider:

Start a lawn mowing business.

Mowing lawns is a smart summertime side hustle for anyone with a mower and a weed wacker, a way to transport them, and some random daytime hours to kill. And if you’re able to build up a roster of steady clients, you could earn quite a handsome sum through the end of summer and early fall.

If you live in an established neighborhood (and in a region where grass lawns are the norm), it’s fairly easy to start your own mowing business on the side. To spread the word on foot, simply create a flyer and take it door to door and tack it (with your contact information) to public message boards at the library or grocery store. Or, take advantage of social media and online community message boards and post ads online. (Better yet, do all of the above.)

While there aren’t any hard and fast rules for how much you can charge and it depends a lot on the size of each lawn anyway, you can generally expect to earn $30 per hour or more — although that doesn’t include travel time. How did we come up with that figure? According to contractor-review site Angie’s List, “the average lawn costs $35 to $40, and includes mowing, trimming, sidewalk edging, removal of limbs and debris.” As the site notes, the more “extras” you can throw in, the more you can charge clients.

• Related: Yardwork Gone Wild: How to Tame Your Landscape for Less

Get in on the gig economy.

A wave of new app-based startups have made it easier for anyone to patch together a part-time job with flexible hours. These startups include rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, along with TaskRabbit (a service that hires out errands), Instacart (a grocery delivery service), and Postmates (a technology-based delivery service), and many more.

As I’m sure you can imagine, wages for these jobs vary widely based on the specific assignment, location, and the type of job. Still, working for one of these startups provides a type of flexibility that many part-time jobs don’t.

“Unlike in traditional summer jobs,” the Wall Street Journal notes, “students can set their own schedule, and they don’t have to sell themselves to neighbors or managers to get work—the on-demand jobs are largely there for the asking.”

Work as a lifeguard.

If you live near a beach, a neighborhood pool, an outdoor public pool, or even a YMCA or recreational center, you’re probably closer to a lifeguard job than you think.

Obviously, there are some physical requirements for this job, and you must be CPR-certified. According to minimum requirements listed by the Red Cross, lifeguards must be 15 years old by the time they finish training, and be able to pass several physical fitness and swimming tests that can vary from job to job.

Seasonal lifeguards can make anywhere between $16 to $20 per hour, according to Salary.com, while full-time (year-round) lifeguards can make up to $27 an hour.

Watch kids all summer long.

While you can generally find babysitting jobs year-round, summer brings exceptional need for childcare. With the kids out of school, many parents seek out either part-time or full-time care in their homes to save everyone the stress of enrolling in childcare programs or weeks of expensive summer camps.

While babysitting can earn you up to $15 per hour (or even higher in certain parts of the country), wages for full-time or part-time care during daytime hours is all over the map and highly dependent on your experience and where you live.

If you want to see how much you might earn or be able to charge in your area, this wage calculator from Care.com can help.

Wait tables in a posh resort area.

If you live in an area with seasonal tourism (think beach resorts, mountains, destination cities, or near a national park or theme park), local restaurants and resorts might be hiring seasonal help to handle the influx of tourists. And depending on where the restaurant is and how expensive the average check tends to be, you really could make a mint this summer.

How much you’ll earn depends on a wide range of variables, including whether you can land a prime shift like Saturday night, but the most important is the price of the place. Since most people tip (and most waiters and waitresses earn) 15% to 20% on their bill, higher prices generally mean higher pay for waitstaff. Of course, other factors play a role as well – things like “tipping out,” how fast you can turn your tables, and how busy your restaurant stays all summer long.

Since most waiters and waitresses don’t report all of their tips for tax purposes, it’s hard to estimate exactly how much you might earn. A recent report from Payscale.com gives a glimpse into restaurant pay, however. According to their 2015 study of 15,000 restaurant workers, the average waiter or waitress earned a base salary of $5.00 per hour plus $8.20 per hour in tips.

• Related: Eight Reasons Everyone Should Work in Food Service at Least Once

Watch or walk dogs (lots of dogs).

Thanks to social media and new startups like Rover.com — which is a little bit like Airbnb for pets — earning side income watching people’s beloved pets has never been easier.

With Rover.com specifically, you can get started by creating a profile that people in your neighborhood can find online: Showcase your personality and your experience with pets, include any positive references, and set your rates. While prices vary, most people typically charge between $20 and $45 per dog, per night.

If you have a home with a fenced-in yard and plenty of free time, it’s feasible to imagine watching at least two dogs at once. Even at just $25 per night, per dog, that could easily add up to an extra $100 per week if you managed to watch two dogs at a time just two nights per week.

Of course, there may be extra expenses to consider if you provide toys, treats, or food for the dogs in your care. And if you use Rover.com to find jobs, you’ll have to fork over 15% of your earnings.

• Related: How to Earn Money Dog Sitting with Rover

Work as a tutor.

If you’re a college student especially, tutoring might be the perfect way to earn extra money over the summer. As a tutor, you can generally work flexible hours, work when you want to work, and charge a rate that is higher than you would work at a traditional part-time job.

A high level of knowledge in an especially difficult subject like math or science can help you land jobs as well. If you’re not sure where to look, check out tutoring job boards on sites like Care.com and the Princeton Review’s Tutor.com.

According to Angie’s List, in-person tutoring sessions generally cost between $45 and $60, while online tutors tend to charge around $20 an hour.

House sit while others travel.

With the kids out of school, summer is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. As a result, jobs for house sitters tend to be more plentiful than in any other season.

Several top websites promise to connect house sitters with families in need for a small fee. Included on that list are HouseSitter.com, HouseSittersAmerica.com, and MindMyHouse.com.

Pay ranges depending on the home and its location, and whether other home care duties are included and expected. In the case of long-term arrangements, house sitting is sometimes exchanged for free living expenses instead of actual pay. According to the House Sitters America website, pay varies and is 100% negotiable on behalf of both the home owner and the house sitter.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a way to earn extra money and your regular 9-to-5 job isn’t offering overtime or the prospect of a raise, it might be time to take more control with a side hustle. And if you’re a college or high school student, a summer side hustle presents the perfect opportunity to earn some extra cash while you’re not in school.

In a perfect world, we would all get the raise we deserve. But in the real world, you sometimes have to eat what you kill. With a seasonal side hustle or a part-time job, you take some of the power back by putting your earning potential in your own hands.

What is your favorite seasonal side hustle? How do you plan to earn extra cash this summer?

Related Articles:

• How to Make Money
• The Ultimate Freelancer’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Getting Jobs, Getting Paid, and Getting Ahead
• 13 Great Part-Time Jobs for College Students
• 50 Side Businesses You Can Start on Your Own

 

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7 Times Our Parents Completely Lied to Us About Money

“Dad, how fast can elephants run?”

“Oh, about 45 miles per hour.”

That’s an actual conversation I once heard at the zoo.

I was 22 years old, and only just beginning to realize everything my parents told me wasn’t necessarily true.

Overhearing the exchange about elephants’ running abilities — which overshot their actual speed by about 300% — made me realize there were probably more of these lies, er, mistruths than I’d previously thought.

If you’re a millennial who frequently sought your parents’ advice, you might still believe a lot of these money myths, too…

1. You Should Stay at One Job Forever

Back in our parents’ days, staying loyal to one company meant raises and promotions, gold watches and paperweights, sometimes even a pension.

So it made sense.

Today, though, those perks are few and far between, and hopping jobs is the norm.

You shouldn’t move around too much — and should probably stay at each position for a year or more –but it’s perfectly normal to change companies or careers.

Not only will you stave off boredom, you’ll also gain new connections and skills at each company.

2. Insurance is More Expensive for Red Cars

I don’t know where this myth came from, but nearly everyone’s heard it — and nearly everyone still believes it.

The thing is: It’s total baloney. Your car’s color has no effect on your insurance.

“The cost of insurance is dependent on the make and model of your car, the body type, the engine size, as well as your age, driving record and credit history,” explains car insurance comparison website Compare.com.

For more crazy car insurance myths you probably still believe, click here.

3. Credit Cards are Evil

I’m always surprised when my peers don’t have a credit card.

When I ask them why, many say something to the effect of “credit cards are evil” — a wariness I suspect was passed on by their parents.

Used responsibly, though, credit cards are far from evil — they’re a helpful financial tool.

They build your credit and simplify budget tracking, and many also offer cash-back or travel rewards.

That being said, they’re not for everyone. If you can’t use a credit card responsibly — and only charge what you can pay off each month — then your parents were right: You should avoid credit cards for now.

4. You Absolutely Must Go to College

The key to a successful life, according to our parents?

College.

But college isn’t always the answer. It costs more than ever, and doesn’t always provide a return on your investment.

So be sure to explore alternatives — like apprenticeships, trade schools and coding bootcamps — before going into debt for a college education.

5. If You Don’t Have an Office, You Don’t Have a Real Job

When our parents were growing up, concepts like remote working, telecommuting and digital nomad-ing didn’t exist.

Because the technology making them possible didn’t either.

So I kinda get why our parents think people who work from home don’t really work. As a millennial, though, you have no excuse.

We do everything online — from dating to paying bills to ordering food. So why should working be any different?

More and more people are starting to work remotely. It’s time to recognize and embrace it.

6. Only Rich and/or Lazy People Need Accountants

My parents always did their own taxes.

Since they never outright told me so, I assumed accountants were reserved for the rich and/or lazy.

Even after I started my own freelance business, I powered through (and probably made a lot of mistakes).

This year, I finally looked into getting an accountant — and was shocked by how affordable and easy it was. Plus, when you’re a business owner, the cost of tax preparation is even tax-deductible.

If your return is simple, then yes, you’re probably better served by free tax preparation software.

But if you have a business, or have recently undergone a major life change, getting professional tax help could actually save you money.

7. You Should Get an Oil Change Every 3,000 Miles

Yup, this car myth isn’t true either.

It was true back in the day, and still remains true for some old cars. But the majority of cars on the road today can go nearly 10,000 miles without an oil change.

Check your vehicle’s manual to see what’s recommended — you could end up saving hundreds of dollars on oil changes.

You know how your parents said you can’t believe everything you read?

Well, turns out you can’t believe everything they said, either.

Your Turn: Did you still believe any of these money myths?

Sponsorship Disclosure: A huge thanks to Compare.com for working with us to bring you this content. It’s rare that we have the opportunity to share something so awesome and get paid for it!

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

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UK monthly house prices fall by 0.8%

Hannah Nemeth

price-drop-for-houses.jpg

Average house prices fell by 0.8% in April compared to March, according to latest analysis of the property market by mortgage lender Halifax. It takes average house prices in April to £212,321.

Average house prices fell by 0.8% in April compared to March, according to latest analysis of the property market by mortgage lender Halifax. It takes average house prices in April to £212,321.

The survey also found that house prices in the three months to April were 1.5% higher than in the previous quarter, but this rate is almost half the 2.9% rise seen in March.

UK monthly house prices see 0.8% fall

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Average house prices fell by 0.8% in April compared to March, according to latest analysis of the property market by mortgage lender Halifax. The survey also found that house prices in the three months to April were 1.5% higher than in the previous quarter, but this rate is almost half the 2.9% rise seen in March. The annual rate of growth also eased in April from 10.1% to 9.2%, and both quarterly and annual rates are the lowest since last autumn. The monthly drop follows a busy March when buy-to-let investors and those purchasing second homes were keen to buy before the 3% stamp study surcharge on additional homes came into effect on 1 April. Martin Ellis, Halifax housing economist, says: “Current market conditions remain very tight as the severe imbalance between supply and demand persists. This situation, combined with low interest rates and rising employment and real earnings, should continue to push house prices up over the coming months. However, he believes that a dip in consumer confidence in the property market, along with weakening sentiment in its future prospects, could mean that annual house price growth “may ease”. Commenting on Halifax’s survey, Jonathan Hopper, managing director of buying agent Garrington Property Finders, says: “April was the morning after the stamp duty stampede, and the property market clearly awoke with a sore head. The frothy exuberance of March now seems a distant memory, as the market returns to normality with a bump. “Starved of the stamp duty stimulus, double-digit annual price rises are unlikely to return any time soon. However, the sudden cooling of the market may mark an opportunity for buyers, as some sellers are being forced to reassess their overly ambitious asking prices. “For the first time in more than a year, we’re seeing many mid-range properties in the most desirable locations selling for below asking price – hinting that the power dynamic is shifting from a seller’s to a buyer’s market. “But with demand still strong and supply still chronically low, the net effect is likely to be a gradual return to more normal rates of price growth rather than a serious slowdown. “With the Halifax also finding that levels of confidence in the housing market have fallen to their lowest level in more than a year, sellers must think urgently about pricing competitively.” Uncertainty over Brexit Jeremy Leaf, a former RICS chairman and north London estate agent, says: “This easing of growth in prices is a trend that is likely to continue for the next few months, at least until after the EU Referendum. As investors pause for breath, their withdrawal from the market is giving first-time buyers a better opportunity to take that first step on the ladder than they have had for some time. “We don’t expect prices to fall unduly while the shortage of stock remains, but we are more concerned with transaction levels so that buyers and sellers can come in and out of the market more freely. This is better for the longer-term sustainability of the market.' Mark Harris, chief executive of mortgage broker SPF Private Clients, adds: “House prices continue to climb year on year, albeit at a slower pace now that the flurry of activity from investors and second homebuyers to meet the stamp duty hike is out of the way. “While the Halifax reports that confidence is dipping among consumers, most likely because of the uncertainty on the horizon concerning the EU referendum, lenders are keen to keep business coming through the doors by offering competitive rates and easing criteria. “Barclays decision to offer 100% lending to those whose parents lodge 10% of the purchase price in savings with the bank is a case in point and a boost for first-time buyers. Elsewhere, older borrowers are also seeing some relief, with Halifax the latest lender to raise its maximum mortgage from 75 to 80. “With lenders having plenty of money to lend, they can either cut rates – which are already pretty low – or ease criteria so we expect to see plenty of the latter in coming weeks. For those looking to get a mortgage or remortgage, it is a good time to do it.”

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How to Pack a Healthy, Affordable Lunch Your Kids Will WANT to Eat

Kids’ lunches can be pricy if you opt for school-served cuisine or pack an expensive bagged lunch they may not even eat.

So how can you send your child off with a nutritionally sound meal they’ll likely eat — without spending tons of cash?

Follow these tips from parents and nutritionists to save on a healthy, tasty meal for your child. You can also make an extra and have a quick and easy lunch for yourself!

Plan Ahead and Prepare in Bulk

Packing a low-cost and nutritious lunch is no sweat for Tara Allen, a registered nurse, certified health coach and certified personal trainer who specializes in women’s and children’s health.

“The foundation to packing easy, affordable and healthy school lunches for kids includes planning ahead, smart shopping, and bulk cooking and preparation,” Allen says.

“A few extra minutes taken on the weekend, for example, will set the whole week up with a variety of balanced and nutritious options that can be thrown together in a pinch.”

She recommends kids’ lunches include protein, healthy fats and produce.

“With two or three proteins cooked and on hand for the week, veggies and fruit washed and cut, and a few healthy fats on hand, a lunch can come together in less than five minutes!” she says.

For affordable healthy fats, she recommends buying avocados when they’re on sale (and freezing them until needed), as well as bulk nuts.

Another great option is homemade hummus, which only takes 10 minutes to make (recipe below). Allen recommends serving the hummus with carrots sticks, snap peas, whole-grain crackers and an apple.

“The hummus can be frozen in ice cube trays and kept in the freezer for up to six months,” she says. “This makes it easy to pop a couple of these cubes into the lunch box so they will thaw in time for lunch.”

She estimates the entire meal costs $1.85. Plus, it features healthy fats, two vegetables, one fruit, protein and whole grains.

Tara Allen’s Homemade Hummus Recipe:

Ingredients:

One 15-ounce can of chickpeas

The juice from 1 large lemon

1/2 clove of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. (You can use a blender, but you will need to scrape down the sides several times to redistribute ingredients).

2. Add more water if needed for desired consistency. Freeze in ice cubes trays and transfer into a container or bag to store for up to six months in freezer.

“Kids love this meal as it gives them a variety of flavors and textures, allows for some dipping fun, and finger foods are fun and snack-like,” she says.

Keep It Kid-Friendly

Sari Davidson-Crevin, founder and CEO of BooginHead Corporation, often feeds her hungry kids turkey-cheese pita pockets for lunch.

She simply spreads low-fat cream cheese inside a whole-wheat pita and packs in a few roasted turkey slices, some baby spinach leaves and a few cucumber slices.

She estimates this recipe only costs $1.46 per meal: turkey deli meat = 80 cents, spinach = 10 cents, pita pocket = 25 cents, cream cheese = 11 cents and cucumber = 20 cents.

She recommends pairing it with dried apricots or banana chips and a low-sugar beverage along with a cold or freezer pack to keep the meat and cheese fresh.

“Kids go crazy over this easy and nutritious lunch,” she says.

“It’s one of my kids’ favorites. There’s something so wonderful about the combination of the turkey and cream cheese — [they] love it! They also love the crunchiness of the cucumber. The spinach is just a bonus.”

Reuse Containers

Carol Ann Hafner saved money packing lunches for her son by using deli containers.

“When my son was young, I tried to pack his lunches in a variety of containers that came from the grocery store take-out grill and deli-type purchases,” she says.

Not only were these containers free, they also saved money by preserving food, preventing sandwiches and other delicate items from getting squished and going to waste.

“The containers were sturdier than just wrapping foods,” Hafner says.

Use Leftovers

Pack leftovers from dinner the night before, such as roasted chicken in a sandwich or a handful of leftover salad veggies.

Hafner often packed leftovers for her son’s lunch. Sometimes, the meal ended up looking so appealing that other kids would ask him where his mom bought his lunch. Hafner later found out her son actually sold some of his meals to peers during summer camp!

Make Homemade Desserts

Caterer Pam Layton McMurtry and her husband, a registered dietitian, have seven children and estimate they’ve packed more than 15,000 lunches for their kids over the years.

If you’re going to pack a dessert with lunch, she recommends making it at home to have a healthier option and save some cash.

“[Desserts are] often the thing that is eaten first, so make it good,” she says.

“It’s usually more economical to bake and bag whole grain cookies and treats like granola bars. … If you go commercial, try to get treats with whole grains. When you bake, you can substitute a third of the flour with whole wheat flour without a noticeable difference.

“You can also bake with only whole grain flour. Look for recipes with coarse texture like oatmeal cookies. You won’t even notice the difference and you avoid preservatives and chemicals like dough conditioners. Try sending trail mix or nuts for dessert.”

Add Something Special

Whatever you pack for your child’s lunch, McMurtry recommends adding a personal touch.

“Include a note and let your child know you love them, are proud of them and give them encouragement,” she says.

Your Turn: What are your money-saving tips for preparing healthy school lunches?

Kristen Pope is a freelance writer and editor in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

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Chloe + Isabel – Home-Based Business Opportunity for Jewelry Lovers

By Holly Reisem Hanna Is the direct sales model appealing to you? But you’re not keen on having to recruit others into the business? Well, here’s an opportunity that you’ll want to check out. Chloe + Isabel is a direct sales company that sells jewelry, embellished hair accessories, and beauty products. The company was founded […]

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Storyteller reveals FDR's life and legacy

William Stavey was born to tell stories.As the events coordinator for Hamilton Township, the retired 68-year-old has assembled a program of Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorabilia for public display in Sciota. There are enough items to spin yarns for days.He has photos, illustrations, plates, speeches, even bobbleheads and a pocketknife featuring FDR in the collection. There is an entire table dedicated to “Fala,” the Roosevelts’ black Scottie.Some [...]

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Six Things Every College Graduate Needs to Know About Money

Beyond the relative safety of college sits the stressful and sometimes messy world of adulthood. Where responsibilities were once limited to attending class, studying, showing up to a part-time job, and getting through each day, young people thrust in this new world are often overwhelmed with their new obligations.

College dorms and shared apartments get traded in for upgraded digs with higher rents. Meanwhile, your cozy college attire gets the boot, too; where you once wore whatever you wanted, you now may need sophisticated-looking outfits that comply with your office dress code.

Speaking of that, life after college usually means transitioning into your first real job. It means putting in extra hours to get ahead, learning to work and schmooze with people you don’t like, and possibly getting dumped on by your older and more experienced peers.

All of this might sound stressful, but life after college can be an amazing time, too. After all of your hard work – all of your sacrifice – you’ve finally made it. From this point on, it’s no longer just practice: Your life can be as prosperous as you want it to be – that is, as long as you put in the work and make good decisions when it counts.

What College Graduates Need to Know About Money

But, as anyone who has been around a while will tell you, life gets much easier when you learn to manage your finances sooner rather than later. Every new college graduate can benefit immensely from learning some hard truths about personal finance – and how they affect our lives.

We rounded up some experts to find out the most important money lessons for college graduates, and how understanding these lessons early could benefit their lives. What lessons are the most important for new college graduates to know and understand? Here’s what they said:

Lesson #1: How Interest Works – and the Power of Debt

Student Loan Hero founder and CEO Andy Josuweit owed more than $100,000 in student loans by the time he left school, which meant he learned how interest works the hard way.

“With student loans as well as other forms of debt, it’s easy for balances to spiral out of control because of interest,” says Josuweit. “This is especially true when borrowers aren’t covering interest charges every month and interest charges are added to the principal balance. Borrowers effectively pay interest on interest, causing debt to increase rapidly.”

Credit card interest, while calculated differently, can be equally troubling to any new college graduate’s finances. When you owe money, it’s not just the debt itself you have to worry about; it’s the monthly interest you’ll pay just for carrying that debt load from one month to the next.

College graduates would be a lot better off if they understood the realities of debt and how it can impact their financial lives in the long haul. When you owe money, you are beholden to someone else. And when you pay interest, it’s easy to get sucked into a vicious cycle of debt that can be extremely difficult to dig out of.

• Related: The True Cost of Debt

Lesson #2: Credit Cards Aren’t Free Money

Credit cards can seem especially alluring to college graduates who need to buy new clothes, cell phones, or laptops to prepare for a job search or their first career. And new college graduates often get reams of new credit card offers in the mail, which makes it all too easy to sign up without a second thought.

However, college graduates (and everyone for that matter) would be wise to proceed with caution when it comes to credit. What seems like “free money” at first can come back to bite you – and hard – when the monthly bills start pouring in.

No one knows that better than Paul Kuzmickas, a bankruptcy lawyer practicing in Cleveland. Kuzmickas says he’s represented many new college graduates who quickly became overwhelmed by debt because they didn’t have a basic understanding of credit after graduation. Once they got used to cheap and easy credit and began racking up huge balances, they struggled to balance their new monthly payments with their new living expenses.

And while it’s true that credit cards can be a good way to establish credit if young people know how to use them responsibly, things can quickly go downhill when people aren’t aware of their credit card’s terms, including interest rates, fees, and penalties for late payments.

“A credit card with bad terms for the borrower may quickly drive a new graduate into more debt than he or she can handle,” he says.

To manage credit the right way, Kuzmickas suggests all new graduates be aware of their credit card terms and spending limits, learn how debt affects their credit rating, and only use credit as a companion to a written budget.

• Related: Eight Tips to Make Credit Cards Work For You, Not Against You

Lesson #3: What it Means to Live Below Your Means

College graduates getting their first real paychecks might be tempted to build a lifestyle that consumes every dollar. However, they might someday learn what the rest of us know already – that it’s a much better idea to live below your means instead.

Life happens, and there will always be some emergency to tend to, a home repair to complete, or a dream you hope to fund. When you live right at your means – or worse, beyond your means — you will struggle to meet these extra obligations. On the flip side, however, living below your means allows you some wiggle room each month, and the ability to afford whatever “surprises” come your way.

Kevin Gallegos, vice president of Phoenix operations with Freedom Financial Network, offers this advice to new graduates: “Know exactly what you have to spend each month, and then spend less than that. Living below your means goes beyond living within your means. It means deciding where your money goes, instead of being influenced by whims, advertising, habits, or peer pressure.”

• Related: The Power of Social Indifference

Instead of buying all the house you can afford, buy a home with a payment you can easily accommodate. Instead of rushing out to buy an expensive new car, drive an older model until your career is more established. Then, in both cases, pocket the difference.

You’re probably tired of living like a poor college student by now, but if you can keep it up for awhile, it’s probably the smartest financial move you can make – especially at first. Because once you start enjoying the spoils of lifestyle inflation, it’s hard to go back.

Lesson #4: Comparing Job Offers and Negotiating Salary

While getting your first job out of college is an exciting event, several new studies show that college graduates don’t consider some important details when they compare job offers. For example, a recent study by Fidelity found that millennials don’t always consider the value of retirement benefits or medical benefits when they’re evaluating the total compensation of a job offer.

Looking purely at salary without factoring in these other components of a job offer is a huge mistake, says Stephanie Genkin. “Ignoring the power of employee benefits, for instance, if your workplace offers any, is a big mistake,” she says. “Your employer has calculated the value of things like 401(k) match and health insurance in their offer.”

Genkin says weighing which job to accept based solely on salary is a common mistake, and it can be a costly one. To gauge which job offer is best, it’s important to consider every benefit your new job may offer – including salary, paid vacation, retirement benefits, health insurance, and any other “extras” thrown in.

• Related: 11 Benefits You Should Be Taking Advantage of at Work

Still, you shouldn’t stop there. Once you settle on a job offer you’re happy with, you should negotiate your way to higher pay if you feel your work warrants it. See our post “How to Negotiate Pay and Juggle Job Offers” for an array of expert tips on how to do just that.

Lesson #5: The Importance of Budgeting

While many people think of budgeting as a dirty “b word,” it is one of the most powerful habits anyone can get into – and that includes college graduates. By creating a budget, and living by it, you put yourself in the best position to reach your financial goals. And most importantly, you create an actual plan for your money so you’re investing in things that are important to you rather than wasting it on expenses that don’t matter in the long run.

LendingTree CEO Doug Lebda says that everyone should create a budget and stick to it – including college graduates. With a budget, he says, it’s much easier to design a lifestyle that is both realistic and desirable.

Believe it or not, you don’t have to use fancy computer software to create your first budget, either. Using the zero-sum budgeting method, you can easily create a spending plan using a plain ol’ pen and paper. Either way, you’ll be much better off if you choose a budgeting method that works for you, learn to live with it, and stick with it for the long haul.

Trust us, the type of budget you choose won’t matter nearly as much as the fact that you got started.

Lesson #6: The Power of Compound Interest

Most indebted college graduates eventually learn how owing money and paying interest hurts their finances, says Nate Tsang, founder of InvestmentZen, but they often fail to realize the upside of compound interest.

“The biggest mistake a college graduate can make is to start their financial journey by ensuring that compound interest is working against them, instead of for them,” he says.

By taking decades to pay down their student loans, new graduates view compound interest from the wrong side of the tracks. But by creating a solid investment plan, they can learn to use compound interest to their advantage.

To get the most out of compound interest, it pays to start investing early – even if that only means contributing to your work-sponsored 401(k) plan at first. If your employer offers a 401(k) match, you shouldn’t let that pass you by anyway, says consumer and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch. That’s free money, and it’s even more important when you consider that you can earn compound interest on your employer match. Who doesn’t want free money built out of more free money? 

If your employer isn’t that generous, however, don’t despair. You can still set up an account on your own. “If your company doesn’t offer a 401(k) benefit, set up an account anyway and have the payroll manager deposit whatever amount you can afford from your paycheck,” says Woroch.

Conversely, you could consider setting up a traditional or Roth IRA on your own. Check out our post on the best IRA accounts to get started.

• Related: Four Ways to Start Investing Without Much Money

The Bottom Line

College graduation is an exciting time for anyone, but that’s especially true if you’re able to transition into adulthood with a solid financial footing. By investing early, leaving to live below your means, and understanding the importance of these early financial decisions, you can be on your way to a financially fruitful future must faster than your peers.

Dave Ramsey is famous for saying that, if you live like no one else now, you can afford to live a better life later – and that’s absolutely true for college graduates especially. When you make the hard decisions in your early years, you can truly “set yourself up.”

When you’re ready to start having kids and buy your first or second home, you’ll be glad you sacrificed early on. With more money in the bank and plenty of investments building your nest egg, the life you want may be well within reach.

What financial lessons are the most important for college graduates in your opinion? Is there anything you wish you had learned earlier in life?

Related Articles

• Tips for Landing a Job After College
• Take These Steps to Deal With Massive Student Loan Debt
• Seven Books for Building a Whole-Life Perspective Regarding Your Money

The post Six Things Every College Graduate Needs to Know About Money appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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10 Money-Saving Secrets Car Insurers Don’t Want You to Know

If you’re like most people, your car insurance bill is something you pay each month without giving a second thought.

But that’s a mistake.

Because there’s so much competition — unlike with cable companies, for example — there are lots of discounts available for savvy consumers.

You might know things like raising your deductible or removing collision coverage can save you money on your monthly premiums, but we bet there are a whole slew of other strategies you’ve never heard of.

Here are 10 wacky ways to get cheap car insurance.

1. Scratch Your VIN Into Your Windows

Yes, we’re telling you to deface your ride for cheaper insurance.

Cars with their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) etched into the windows are less likely to get stolen, so many insurance companies offer a discount for completing the process.

Note: this only applies to comprehensive policies, which cover theft, and not on more basic forms of insurance.

Getting this done at the dealership is expensive, so purchase a DIY etching kit online, or contact your local AAA and police departments to see if they have any workshops coming up.

2. Compare Insurance Providers

This might not sound crazy, but so many people don’t do it — and that is crazy.

“Seventy percent of consumers have been with the same auto insurance company for four or more years,” reports a NerdWallet study. “During that time, they could potentially have saved an average of $3,436 by switching to a lower-priced insurer.”

Over $3K?! We’d say that’s a number worth shopping around for.

If you’d like to see how much you could save, use a site like Compare.com to compare car insurance rates in your area.

3. Change Jobs or Go Back to School

Believe it or not, insurance companies give discounts to people who work in professions they’ve found to be low-risk. So call your insurance company and make sure it’s aware of your occupation.

Engineers, for example, get in fewer accidents — so insurance companies offer them cheaper insurance. The same goes for teachers, artists, scientists, nurses, pilots and accountants, according to DMV.org.

And of course, military members also receive discounts.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, business owners, architects and salespeople face higher premiums.

If you really wanted to lower your insurance, you could change careers, or go back to school: People with four-year degrees also have lower insurance costs.

4. Install a Tracking Device

Not the cool kind spies use, though.

We’re talking about a telematics device your insurer provides.

After installing this little device on your car, it records information like when and how often you drive, how fast you go and how hard you slam on the brakes. People who drive safely and less frequently can qualify for cheaper insurance.

And if you’re the parent of a teen driver, some insurers give you a discount for installing a tracking device specifically for teens.

You save money and keep your child safe.

5. Move to Maine

Yes, really.

“Maine is hands down the cheapest state in the U.S. for car insurance,” according to Compare.com.

The average auto insurance premium there is $934 per year. Compare that to Louisiana, the most expensive state, where it’s $2,699.

So, if you moved from Louisiana to Maine, you could save $1,765 per year, or an insane $17,650 over the course of 10 years.

Just about enough for a down payment on a house!

6. Show Your Cards

Which organizations do you belong to? Where do you work?

Whether you’re a member of AAA or AARP, chances are you can get a discount on your car insurance. Check with your employer and alumni association, too.

Even warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club have partnerships to get their members discounted rates.

7. Get Hitched or Buy a House

Married people and homeowners pay less for car insurance.

We’re not suggesting you settle down for the sake of cheaper rates, but be sure to alert your provider if you’ve gone through one of these life changes.

8. Study Hard

Are you a student?

Then you need all the savings you can get. Luckily, since better students typically get in fewer accidents, auto insurers are willing to reward your diligence.

Thanks to good student discounts, an average grade of “B” or better can save you some cash.  

Alternatively, if you’re the parent of an honor roll student, you may also qualify for better rates.

9. Improve Your Credit Score

As if you needed another reason to improve your credit score, but here it is: It could lead to cheaper car insurance.

So make sure you pay bills on time, and don’t use too much of your available credit at once.

If you need to establish credit from scratch, look into a secured credit card or credit-builder loan.

10. Add Your BF or Roomie to the Bill

No spouse or significant other? No problem.

Multi-driver discounts aren’t only for family members; many insurers offer discounts if multiple drivers live under one roof, regardless of their relationship.

Whether all these tips apply to you or not, one thing is clear: Don’t be like the vast majority of people who purchase car insurance never to think about it again.

Be proactive in comparing rates and seeking discounts, and you could end up with some hefty savings!

Your Turn: What’s the weirdest way you’ve ever saved on car insurance?

Sponsorship Disclosure: A huge thanks to Compare.com for working with us to bring you this content. It’s rare that we have the opportunity to share something so awesome and get paid for it!

The post 10 Money-Saving Secrets Car Insurers Don’t Want You to Know appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Mohegan Sun hosts Run For The Roses Hat Revue

Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted the Run for the Roses Hat Revue in front of the winner’s circle [...]

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Frailey-Miller selected for ATHENA award

Michele A. Frailey-Miller of Frailey Insurance and Investments was selected for the Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce’s ATHENA Award.To achieve this award, the recipient must meet three specific criteria: To assist women to be the best they can be; to hold the highest level of professional accomplishments; and to provide time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in our community.Frailey-Miller considers herself not only a leader, but more importantly, a [...]

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ShawneeCraft Brewery growing its business but sets limits

ShawneeCraft Brewery continues to expand its business but plans to stay within its means, making beer the traditional way.“We want to grow but not to compromise what we’re doing,” said manager Jason Startari of ShawneeCraft Brewery on the grounds of the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort.He recently was involved in the opening of a second location – Scratch – at the Easton Public Market, partnering with Apple Ridge Farm. They call it Scratch because [...]

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Twelve Things That Changed My Life (and Cost Less Than $50)

Most of the time, when people post memes and images on Facebook, they’re pretty dull and forgettable. Every once in a while, though, I’ll see something that really makes me think. The other day, a friend of mine posted such a memorable item.

It was simple, really. “Name five things that changed your life.” I loved reading the answers that many of my friends posted and, when I decided to post my own, I actually found myself thinking about it quite a bit.

What actually did change my life?

I tried to come up with this list in several different ways. Did my friend mean five physical objects? Or were non-physical items okay? Should I think about big picture things in life? But what about the little things that subtly make every day better?

I kept writing and editing and re-editing that list and I ended up spending more thought on it than pretty much anything that has ever been prompted by Facebook.

And as I looked at the lists I was making, a few things occurred to me.

First, almost none of the items – whether physical items or not – were very expensive. Many of them were free. Even the physical objects I named were pretty cheap. The things that really changed my life the most were things that didn’t involve a lot of expense.

Second, the things that kept coming up were things that had a daily impact, not one-time things that happened in the past. Almost everything I came up with directly affects my life every day – or at least every few days – and the indirect effects are everywhere. There were many experiences in my life that were impactful, but they didn’t singularly change my life as much as anything on this list.

Third, I found that the ultimate test of something is to imagine subtracting it from my life. If things got far worse, then it probably was something that transformed my life for the better when I discovered it.

In the end, I came up with a list of twelve things that really transformed my life. Some of them were a bit of a representation of a broad group of things and thus might be considered “cheating” in a way, but I’m pretty happy with it. To me, this list shows that you don’t need a lot of money to have an amazing and fulfilling life.

1. A strong and lasting relationship with my wife

This is easily at the top of my list. My relationship with Sarah has been the glue that has held my life together for the last two decades of my life. She is my best friend, my sounding board for ideas, my co-planner for every future endeavor, the woman I love, an amazing mother for my children, an incredible hostess, and a charming and witty companion all rolled up into one person.

Yes, I put work into that relationship and time, too. One could argue that I’ve surely invested money as well, but the truth is that I’m thoroughly convinced that every dollar invested in that relationship has been repaid to me in some way or another, either through the direct economy of cohabitation and the tax advantages of marriage or through indirect benefits that come from her constant consideration and help.

I could gush on and on for pages about Sarah, but there’s no need. She’s the single most important person in my life and she has brought far more into my life than I can ever repay.

2. The Simple Dollar

In a way, this item could easily be extended to any major project I’ve taken on in my life that I’ve put a lot of time into. By this, I don’t mean little projects that can be completed in a day or even a week, but big projects that suck down hundreds of hours. However, among those that I’ve achieved in my life, The Simple Dollar stands far above them both in terms of success and also in terms of the proceeds from the project.

This site has been a daily part of my life for almost ten years now. I started writing articles in late 2006 and there have been multiple postings a day pretty much constantly since then, mostly by me but also by a number of other writers. It went from a passion project on the side to my full time gig to a small business with a handful of employees and then to ownership by another group with my continued support as a full time writer.

It has been unbelievable in so many ways to watch this site grow, to see how it has affected people, and to watch people move on in more positive directions in their life. It’s amazing to realize that I have written almost ten million words of content for this site. That’s just a stupendous amount of writing almost any way you slice it.

More than anything else, this site showed me that if you have a passion and direct that passion in a way that will appeal to others and really throw your heart into it and give it tons of time to grow without flagging or giving up, good things will happen.

3. A strong friendship that has lasted more than 20 years

When I first went away to college, I was the first person in my immediate and close extended family to actually go to college after high school. I went to a pretty good school that was far enough from home that I couldn’t live at home or even see my family all that often, but it was a school where I literally didn’t know anyone.

That first year, I made two very good friends, one of whom has been one of my closest friends ever since. We actually first started hanging out together before classes even started that first year because we lived on the same dormitory floor. It was a friendship that grew over years until we chose to share an apartment together near the end of our college careers. I visited him repeatedly during the months when he struggled to find work after college, then he couch-surfed with Sarah and I when he did find work. He was the best man at my wedding and present within hours of the birth of each of my children.

He’s been as reliable and constant and trustworthy as a friend could be. His anarchic sense of humor has brought just the right amount of levity to countless situations in my life. He’s been there when I’ve needed him more times than I can count.

There are few things better than having a friend in life that you can truly rely on like that.

4. A really good calendar and task management system

I started this article off with a few less tangible things, so it’s perhaps appropriate to spend the rest of the list looking at things that really are physical objects – or at least intimately connected to physical objects.

And it makes a lot of sense to start with this one, at least in my eyes.

I am a father of three. I am a husband. I have a challenging career. I have a couple of side gigs, too. I am a homeowner. I volunteer in the community and for political causes. I have a very healthy number of friendships that I want to maintain.

If you add those things together, it makes for a very busy schedule. A typical day has a healthy handful of scheduled events at certain times, a frighteningly long list of things to be done, and usually several brushfires that need to immediately be put out. That’s just the normal course of everyday life.

If I did not have a strong, reliable system for keeping track of dates and appointments and tasks and things that need done, all of this would fall apart. I simply could not continue to juggle all of these balls. Just like a juggler, I need a system in place to keep all of those balls in the air, and that system is a smart calendar and to-do list.

I currently use three elements to keep all of this going. First, I use Google Calendar to manage all of my dates and appointments. It sends me alerts in advance of events and makes it easy to see my daily, weekly, and monthly scheduled events. Second, I use Remember the Milk to keep track of all of my tasks (though I very highly recommend Todoist for new users – I’m just wedded to the specific quirks and features of RtM at this point). Third, I use Panda Planner for an offline daily review as it provides a great format for it, though previously I just used blank pages.

5. A slow cooker

How on earth does a slow cooker wind up on this list? It might seem like a bizarre choice, but our slow cooker has enabled our family to eat a lot of meals around the table together that would have essentially been logistically impossible during busy evenings, and I find that our family meals are the centerpiece of our days as a family and a big part of our strong family bond.

It’s pretty simple, really. If an evening looks busy, we make supper in the slow cooker. We have a huge variety of recipes that we use, from lasagnas to sandwich mixes, from enchiladas to soups and stews. We can prepare these meals in the morning and set them to cook automatically during the day so that when we’re all at home, we have a meal ready to go. All we need is a fifteen minute window where everyone is at home together – or a significant portion of our family is together – and we can have a family dinner regardless of whether anyone has been around in the late afternoon and early evening to prepare it.

Our almost-daily home cooked family dinners around our dinner table are a central part of our family life. It gives us a chance to see each other, to talk to each other, to share our day’s experiences, and to eat something reasonably healthy and tasty together. Without a slow cooker, this would essentially be impossible most nights.

6. A good pillow

When I decide to end my day and head to bed, my goal is to fall asleep as fast as I can so I can get the best night sleep possible in the time available. That means getting under the appropriate amount of covers in a very dark room, but for me, an absolutely essential part of that is a good pillow.

Simply having my head at the right angle when I lay on my side (yeah, I’m a side sleeper) to fall asleep makes all the difference. If it’s at the wrong angle, I toss and turn and can’t fall asleep for a long while and usually wind up with a restless night of sleep.

That’s why, at home, having the right pillow is absolutely magical. For me, it’s central to getting a great night of sleep, and a great night of sleep provides much of the fuel that gets me through a busy day.

7. A good pair of shoes

I’ve worn dirt cheap shoes. I’ve worn expensive shoes. I’ve worn generic dollar store shoes. I’ve worn dress shoes of all kinds and athletic shoes of all kinds.

In the end, a pair of shoes that allows your feet to tolerate many miles of walking without blisters and without significant discomfort is absolutely vital.

For me, a pair of shoes like this isn’t all that expensive. I have a few brands and models that I watch for in my size with online sales, ones that have worked for me many times in the past. I’m personally a big fan of New Balance shoes, both in terms of walking/running shoes and casual shoes. I can walk and walk and walk in those shoes without getting blisters and without getting sore feet.

I’ve experienced awful foot blisters before. I’ve experienced incredible sore feet before, once in the midst of a family vacation. It’s just miserable. Simply having feet that aren’t sore and blistered is wonderful.

Good shoes make my life choices so much more flexible. I don’t even give it a second thought when I feel like going on a long walk, even if I know the kids are going to want to play soccer later.

8. A good all-purpose kitchen knife

When I first moved out of the dorms in college and moved into an apartment, I had no idea how to cook my own food. I was lost. I picked up a few cheap pots and pans and made some fumbling attempts, but honestly I was so broke that I lived on a steady diet of ramen and free food on campus for at least a couple of years.

It wasn’t until I had launched my professional career that I actually had the opportunity to try cooking for myself – and I was pretty awful at it. I messed up almost everything I tried.

Over time, however, I came to learn how to prepare quite a few things in the kitchen. I now cook all kinds of things and prepare all kinds of meals for my family.

If there’s one single tool that is the most indispensable in my kitchen, it’s a good all-purpose chef’s knife, like this one. Keep it honed and it will basically do anything and everything you need to do in the kitchen, cutting meats and vegetables in countless ways. Sure, pots and pans are important tools, too, but having a knife that you know exactly how to use after many years of practice makes so much meal preparation as easy as can be.

9. Ledges State Park

I could simply say “state and national parks” in general here, but this is far and away my favorite park.

I love walking on the trails here. I love going off the trails here. I love the picnic areas. I love the streams. I love the recreational spots. I love the widely varied terrain. I love the widely varied trail difficulty.

I’ll often take day trips to the park in the spring. I’ll find a very shady spot to work, rattle off a few hours of writing, and then put my bag back in the vehicle and go on a trail walk. The scenery of the park, the way I feel after climbing up a big hill and looking out over the top of it, the sounds of nature, the smells, the relative solitude, the beauty of it all… it just inspires me and makes me feel alive.

I could talk positively about many other parks, but Ledges just feels like “my” park. It makes me feel renewed in a way that few things ever have.

10. A chess board

Perhaps this is just emblematic of strategic board games in general, but I think a chess board simply winds up on top of the pile for me, even if I’m not particularly good at the game.

Why does it appeal so much? It’s easy to find the pieces for it almost anywhere. It’s relatively easy to teach – my five year old knows the basics. Yet it’s so deep that it is essentially impossible for the human mind to master. You can chase that rabbit down the hole and it just keeps getting deeper.

It’s also been a big part of how I bonded with several close friends. One of my roommates and I bonded over chess, as we kept a constant game set up in our house and made moves on the board once or twice a day and would have a great postmortem at the end of the game (as we both would take pictures of the board and make notes at various points). I bonded with my wife’s younger sister over chess, too, building one of my first strong connections with her family.

If I were stuck on a desert island with another thoughtful person – or even just with myself – I’d probably start making a chessboard out of whatever materials I could find.

11. A library card

I’ve been an avid reader for most of my life. Some of my earliest memories involve sitting on a pile of pillows in my closet reading books (it was kind of my “reading nook” as a child). Even now, I read about two books a week – usually one fiction and one nonfiction.

The only way I can really feed that passion for reading in a way that wouldn’t bankrupt our family is to use the library. I can simply go to the library, wander the aisles, find countless great books to read, and take them home, for free. The library isn’t just a source for books on the shelves, either – I can request just about anything I want and they’ll eventually get it for me. Wandering the shelves becomes something of a book discovery tool for me, too.

Not only that, it’s also kind of a central part of our family bonding. I take my children to the library at least once a month and they do the same thing. They explore the shelves, find interesting things, and take them home.

You’ll often find everyone in our family sitting around our living room reading books from the library together. It’s become a tool for growing our intellect, our imagination, and our family connections, too.

12. A journal

I’ve written in a journal with amazing regularity since I was about ten years old. It’s contained a lot of different things over the years: the things I did that day, my thoughts on the books I was reading or the music I was listening to, my frustrations and joys regarding interpersonal relationships, the things I learned, the big problems I was thinking about, and so on.

Those things are valuable, but the thing that carries a journal onto this list for me is how my journals have been a tool for me to plot out my future.

Many of my journal entries, even from the earliest days, are about plans for the future. They’re concrete expressions of dreams, in other words. I’d write about something I wanted for myself in the future, but I wouldn’t stop there. I’d start constructing a plan to make it happen.

I’ve never wanted to be fabulously wealthy. I’ve never wanted to be famous. Instead, what I’ve always wanted is a comfortable life with the freedom to do interesting work and with a family around me that loves me. Over the past twenty five years or so, I really have achieved those things, and it was all planned out and considered in the pages of my journal.

It’s easy to start a journal. You can start an electronic one on your computer essentially for free, or just go buy a college-lined notebook for a few dollars at the store. Then, just start writing down the things that are on your mind and piece together how exactly you arrived at those thoughts and, if it’s a goal, how you might move your life in that direction. Sure, a lot of it won’t come to fruition, but enough of it will that your life will be far better for it if you stick with it.

Final Thoughts

When I think about things that have shaped my life, these things bubble to the top. Many other things that are part of my life are deeply important to me, but they almost all take a backseat to the things on this list.

Yet nothing on this list is expensive. Many of the things are free. The value that they bring to me is either through the investment I’ve put in or in how they support the fundamental needs of my life – food, sleep, basic comfort, family, close friends, and health, both mental and physical.

In the end, if I can maintain those things, I’m going to have a pretty good life. For me, the things on this list play a big, big role in supporting that life.

The post Twelve Things That Changed My Life (and Cost Less Than $50) appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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14 Ways to Make Money in College

Memories of college include eating beef ramen noodles by the case in order to save a few bucks.

I was fortunate that the Army National Guard paid for most of my tuition plus my mall job of selling vitamins and protein powders at GNC helped with my bills.

Despite this I always felt broke.

Scratch that, I was broke!

I was always looking for ways to make extra money in college.

Oh how I wish articles like this existed back then!

Even if you have your finances carefully planned in advance, sooner or later you’re going to find yourself needing to earn extra money to get you through college.

I’m going to recommend some money making methods that are more entrepreneurial than job-related.

The problem with holding a job in college is that they typically pay no better than minimum wage, which forces you to work long hours that cut into your study time.

I’m also not going to recommend some of the standard make-money-in-college ideas, like filling out surveys, donating blood, or selling on eBay. Most of those efforts produce very limited income, and get old in a hurry.

Instead, I’m going to make recommendations that can play into your natural talents, provide you with a flexible schedule, and hold the potential to earn a lot more money than a minimum-wage job. And some of them even have the potential to grow into businesses that you can continue after graduation.

Good deal? Check these out…

1. Tutor

Being a tutor can be especially lucrative in a college community. This is because you will be able to provide your services not only to college students, but also to local high school and elementary school students. In many markets you can learn at least $30 per hour.

Another advantage is that the subject areas you can cover are pretty broad. The greatest demand is usually for math and science, but you can also tutor in writing and reading, as well as history and soft sciences. If you’re bilingual, you may even be able to tutor in languages, or with English as a second language.

Tutors don’t typically require any kind of special education or licensing. You can market your services through the various departments around the campus, as well as local high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. A simple flyer showing your subject areas, geographic range and a personal description can do the job. You can also include your hourly fee, but that can work for or against you, depending on how competitive your fee is compared to what others are offering.

In addition to high pay, you can have control over your work schedule, as well as where it is you will commute to (services are generally provided at the student’s home, but you can also arrange to do it in school or at an agreed-upon neutral site). Still another advantage is that the work runs with the school year, so you’ll be free over summer vacation.

Tiffany Alexy of DivvyInvestments.com tutored while in college. In fact, she tutored two kids in Spanish and three brothers in Chinese! How much did she make? $15-$35 per hour. Not bad it all! It pays to use your skills (in this case, knowing multiple languages) to tutor others.

Pauline Paquin of ReachFinancialIndependence.com also tutored while in college, teaching Spanish and English and earned around $30 per hour. Pauline also put her musical abilities to good use and taught piano for $40 per hour. $40 per hour!

2. Bartending/Serving in a High End Restaurant or Club

You probably have a good idea as to what bartenders and servers do, so I won’t spend any time on that. However, the type of establishment you work in will have a huge impact on how much money you earn. High-end establishments typically come with much higher tip income, while those on the lower end could be no better than minimum wage.

Bartending and serving can also be a good way of blending your social life, at least if you work at establishments that your friends frequent. It also has the benefit of paying daily (or more likely, nightly), since most of your pay comes in cash tips.

The downside is that you may find yourself working when everyone else is out relaxing or playing. For example, dinner shifts tend to be the best for servers, and weekends are generally better paying for bartenders. The work can be tough, but you can probably make more money working two or three shifts per week than you could working for five days a week in a minimum-wage job.

Bartending may require that you complete a bartending course, though there generally are no formal requirements for a server.

3. Babysitting

As ordinary as this sounds, it can actually work quite well for college students. This is because babysitting often involves long periods of low- or no-activity, such as when the kids you are sitting are doing homework or have gone off the bed. The benefit is that this downtime will give you time to do your own homework. In can seem as if you’re getting paid to do your homework, which is no small advantage.

Pay is generally in the $10 and $12 an hour range, but you can get more for special occasions, and sometimes even collect tips over and above regular pay. And since babysitting gigs usually happen on an as-needed basis, you won’t have a grueling schedule to keep. That can make the work easy to blend with your school schedule.

4. Freelance Writing

There are tens of thousands of blogs and websites on the Internet, and many of them need content on a regular basis. If you like to write, have good writing skills, and have command of one or more topic areas, you can earn money writing articles on the web.

How much you can earn will depend upon how much time you put into the venture, as well as the types of sites that you write for. On the blogging side, you can earn anywhere from $30 to well over $100 per article. Business websites may pay even more, particularly for writing on technical topics or creating marketing copy.

You can sometimes find work writing for agencies, but the pay per article is much lower than the numbers quoted above. The best way to find clients, particularly those who pay a decent amount, is to approach those clients and websites directly. This will also provide you with the ability to choose the specific sites and topic areas that you want to write about.

5. Create Videos for YouTube

This can be excellent venture if you are creative and have a flair for capturing what’s unusual, interesting and fun. If you can, you may be able to create videos that can generate a steady flow of views, and earn advertising revenue as a result.

This isn’t anything like a job or even providing a service, but more like a business. You create videos, put them on YouTube, set them up with Google AdSense (much as you would with a blog), then earn income as people view your video, and click on the ads displayed.

Should your videos draw thousands of viewers, the income can be steady, providing you with a regular monthly income from the ads. This will require that you produce multiple videos, since some may be popular, while others may go nowhere. But if one or more of your videos goes viral and draws hundreds of thousands of views, ad revenue can be substantial.

The disadvantage is that you may need to produce several videos before you generate a steady income. You will also need to create fresh videos as existing ones fade. But an unexpected bonus is that success in this venture could translate into a profitable business both now and after graduation.

6. Do What You’re Good At

We’re talking mostly about the Internet here. College students are often more savvy in navigating and using the web than most of the rest of the population. For example, along the way you may have become quite accomplished in regard to social media, graphic design, creating websites, or creating videos. Any one of these skills could be sold to both businesses and individuals with the potential to produce a large income.

Pick your specialization, see what others are charging the same services, then set your fees a little bit lower. Many businesses and individuals are looking for someone to handle special projects for them, and being able to do that at a low fee can often get you business.

Once you get a few projects going, and you are getting repeat customers, you can look into increasing your fees. But your primary purpose at the beginning will be get some paying clients. This is another business venture that could mushroom into something more serious after graduation.

7. Becoming a Sports Referee

Virtually every community has a network of recreational athletic leagues, and they all need referees for their games. If you played any sports when you were growing up, you could be a referee for any of them at the local level. And since sports are seasonal, it will be to your advantage to be prepared to referee for sports that cover different seasons. For example, you might referee basketball in winter, baseball in spring and summer, and soccer or football in the fall. That will keep you busy year-round.

Referees are typically paid a flat fee per game. You might earn anywhere from $20-$50 to referee a single game. The lower age groups that play shorter games (maybe 40 to 60 minutes) will be on the lower end of the pay scale, while the higher earnings will come on longer and more competitive games played by older kids. It may even be possible to eventually work your way up to where you are refereeing for high school games at higher rates of pay.

Since so few people want to be referees in amateur sports leagues, there are usually plenty of openings. No formal qualifications are usually required, other than your own knowledge of- and experience with- the sport, though some leagues may require completion of a first aid course of some sort.

Once you sign up to be a referee in a league, you are added to the rotation. Games will be assigned based on your availability, and will generally take place on weekends. If you love a sport or two, becoming a referee is a way of turning your passion for it into a source of income.

8. Mow Lawns

If you’re in college and have access to a truck, a lawn mower, and an edger, make use of those tools and mow lawns!

This is a fantastic business for college students living in sunny areas where the grass grows quickly. And, because grass grows faster during the summertime than any other season, you’ll be able to run your yard maintenance business while you don’t have any classes.

At this job, you’re going to have to be fast and skilled. There is a lot of competition out there, so make sure you do a great job for your clients, be polite, and throw in some extras like weeding or blowing off the walkways.

You’re probably not going to need a business license for mowing lawns, but be sure to check with your local government to see if you do.

You might be able to get $100 per month for weekly service. Let’s say that you do. If you mow a residential lawn and it takes you an hour, that means you’re making $25 per hour – not including preparation or driving time. That’s not bad at all.

Try mowing lawns to make money in college. It’s worth giving it a shot.

9. Housesitting

Summertime is also a great season to do some housesitting for folks vacationing at the beach (or wherever else they are). There are a few reasons why people want someone to housesit. Let’s explore them.

First, many people want someone to watch their house because they actually want them to watch their pets! Many pets don’t go on vacation (like cats), so they’ll need their litter box cleaned, water dish filled, and food dish filled on a regular basis. Sometimes this means coming at least once per day.

Second, some people like the idea of having someone they trust monitor the house for security purposes. While they probably won’t expect you to bust out your ninja moves on intruders, they will expect you to call them, the police, or the fire department should something suspicious or dangerous happen.

Some homeowners simply want someone to take care of the pets and monitor the home. If they’re cool with it, you can even do some studying for classes while you’re housesitting.

This job probably won’t pay very well if you look at it from the perspective of an hourly rate, but remember, you’re probably not doing very much while you’re there anyway.

Let people know you’re available to housesit by posting about it on bulletin boards at community centers and tell your friends and family.

10. Be a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants help business owners get more stuff done. What makes a great virtual assistant? Here’s what you need to know.

Great virtual assistants are fantastic at organization. They live and breathe it every day. Just about aspect of their lives are organized, and believe it or not, many successful entrepreneurs need the help of virtual assistants to keep everything going in the right direction.

The tasks a virtual assistant might help with might include but aren’t limited to:

• Organizing a business owner’s calendar.
• Managing virtual employees or freelancers.
• Maintaining a business task list.
• Orchestrating speaking engagements, meetings, or events.
• Completing research on behalf of the business owner.
• Reminding the business owner of their schedule to keep them on task.

These are just some of the main ways a virtual assistant can help. But there are others.

Virtual assistants are often skilled writers, designers, or tech experts. Sometimes they help lend their skills to build something online for the business owner.

Truly, how you define yourself as a virtual assistant matters. Seek out your very best skills, advertise them, and see what happens.

11. Blog!

Yes, you can make money blogging. If you would have asked me years ago if you could, I would have probably said no way. But today? Yeah, I would believe you.

That’s because I’ve found tremendous success with blogging. I believe you can make money blogging, and while it may take you several months or years to see results, it’s a fun and rewarding experience.

If you can write, and you’re passionate about a topic, you can blog. WordPress is a popular blogging platform you can use to create a free blog. If you want to host the website yourself, you’re probably going to have to pay a few bucks, but it’s worth it.

If you’re going to make money blogging, you have to have great content. Whatever you do, don’t write just for the sake of writing or earning money. Produce content that you can be proud of and will help other people.

It helps to get the advice of some other bloggers before you start. Study their tactics and discover what worked well for them. The most important tip I can give you is to never stop learning. Search engines are continually updating their search algorithms which in turn affects your website traffic. And, your website traffic affects your ability to earn money.

The other great thing about blogging? You can do it anytime, day or night. Many jobs require you to be at a certain place at a certain time. As a blogger, you can be anywhere there’s an internet connection and write anytime. It’s one of the most flexible jobs available.

So, if you aren’t pressed to make a lot of immediate income, and you like the idea of being free to work whenever it fits with your schedule, then blogging might be the ticket.

By the way, if you’re into finance and you want to blog about it, I encourage you to attend the Financial Blogger Conference. There, you’ll learn from top bloggers and financial experts about the topics that interest you. Why take the long road when you can attend a conference and learn from the best?

12. Drive for Uber

Have a nice car? Put it to good use and drive for Uber.

Uber is a company that connects riders with drivers – and drivers with riders! Uber allows riders to request a ride from their smartphone. That’s when you, the driver, gets a notification letting you know there’s someone that needs a ride.

You can track how much you earn as a driver through the Uber app, and best yet, you can set your own schedule. So, if you’re in college and meet Uber’s qualifications, this is a great opportunity for you.

You might also want to try driving for Lyft, a similar company.

Either way, you can make quite a bit of money as a driver for these services. Just make sure to check your local regulations to ensure you can operate as a driver in your area.

13. Become a Handyman

Are your friends always calling you up asking you how to fix this or that? Do you have more tools than your local hardware store? You just might be a handyman – why not put your skills to good use?

You can do all kinds of jobs as a handyman, including but not limited to: plumbing jobs, construction jobs, woodworking, and much more. Some of these jobs you might need to be licensed for, so be sure to check with your local government.

Just imagine the possibilities. You might have yourself two career paths to choose from by the time you’re done with college: to continue your handyman business or to follow the career related to your major. The choice will be yours! The more doors you have available to walk through in your career, the better.

14. Help Out at the College

Colleges love hiring students to do all kinds of tasks around campus. For example, you might help out with some of the janitorial duties or serve as a secretary or receptionist. You might enjoy overseeing a dormitory or providing security for the college. Make sure to ask your college about the opportunities that are available to you.

Professors also sometimes need help with some of the technical aspects of their jobs. Ask them to see if there’s anything they might need help with. You might help them with preparing slideshow presentations or creating homework documents.

The great thing about working at a college is that they understand you take classes and can’t be in two places at once. You might find the work programs are available after classes and/or on the weekends – exactly what you’re after!

Todd Tresidder of FinancialMentor.com worked a number of jobs for a university to help pay his living expenses. He cooked dinners for a fraternity, spent summertime digging steam trenches, and did other manual labor jobs and major maintenance projects. He used the cash to pay for his books and other expenses. He said working for the university was a fast way to make money because he could live for almost for free during the summer while housing prices were low.

Rachel of AdventuresinMobileHomes.com was hired by her school to take notes in class. These notes would then be repackaged and sold to students. What an excellent idea! Many students aren’t great notetakers, so why not see if your college would be interested in doing this for their students?

If you need to make money in college, don’t be so quick to take a minimum-wage job at a local big-box or fast food joint. Instead, think about what you can do – and what you like to do – and how you can turn that into an income source. That will enable you to both earn higher income, and have greater control of your time.

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