saving Archives - Dad of Divas

Create A Second Income & Save!

March 30, 2021 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

When you are dealing with debt and a squeeze around your income, you immediately begin to search for other options that make sense for your finances. One of these options for some people is to get a second income stream set up and ready to go. The trouble comes when it gets to choosing what to do as a second income: where do you even begin?

The thing is, it’s not all that hard to choose something to do and create an income stream out of it. Whether you are able to spend time driving and you are searching for a truck load to bid on for delivery, or you choose to go door to door delivering leaflets, it’s not hard to find a job that fits in with what you want to do in life. You can add some income to your bank account every month around your job, and you will see the benefit pretty quickly! With this in mind, here are a few ways you can create that second income with ease.

Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava from Pexels

Invest. Whether you invest in stocks, shares, houses or gold, investing your money is a clever way to ensure that you get exactly what you want for your income. Take the time to speak to a financial advisor and get yourself educated on how investments work. You may even be told to go ahead and invest in Monthly Income Plans, which is great as an option if you don’t have the time to pursue something in which you’re interested. There are plenty of options out there and it’s a scheme that invests in equities, offering a regular income.
Consult. What are you good at? If you know you have knowledge that stands out in a particular field, you can take that knowledge and run with it by offering your services as a consultant. You can sell your advice and services both online and offline, helping other people and small businesses to solve their biggest problems. Developing and managing your website, referring students to a particular institute – you can outsource pretty much any skill if you know where to look!
Ecommerce. You can sell any old items and things that you create online on e-commerce sites and earn a crust that way. You can manage this around your current job in the evenings and still manage to enjoy a good income! You should consider what you’re selling and how others will benefit from it and then you’ll have a good option to add a second income securely.
Tutor. Similarly to consulting, you should consider becoming a tutor. You will be able to provide unbeatable knowledge either privately or via a school or college and earn a small income at the same time. You can enhance your knowledge and add to your income at the same time. You may have an excellent knowledge in a specific subject, and if you do, you can sell that knowledge to help others. No matter what you do, creating a second income allows you more stability with your income.

4 Tips for Getting in Shape on a Budget

July 28, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get bigger biceps or train for a 5k run, you’ve probably realized that the cost of getting in shape can quickly add up. From pricey gym memberships to workout wear that can cost just as much as a pair of designer shoes, you might be wondering if it’s even possible to find a way to get fit on a budget. The good news is that there are plenty of things that you can do to cut the cost of working out, stay healthy and get fit. Here are some effective tips for improving your fitness on a budget.

#1. Get Outdoors:

One of the cheapest ways to get fit is to take advantage of the great outdoors and avoid the pricey gym memberships. Walking and running outdoors is absolutely free and a great way to stay in shape, particularly if you are training for a run or other cardio-based event and want to get more cardiovascular exercise in. Cycling, running up and down stairs, and even chopping wood are some other great ideas for working out outside that you might want to consider.

#2. Invest in Equipment:

If you plan to work out with weights more, then investing in your own equipment rather than paying for a monthly gym membership can be a cheaper option over the long run. Plus, it allows you to be able to work out effectively at home or even in your garden, rather than needing to head out to the gym – leaving you with fewer excuses to skip workouts. Lifting weights at home can take the pressure off if you work out in the morning, or if you prefer later workouts there’s no need to leave the house again after you get back from work.

#3. Use the Internet:

When it comes to getting fitness resources, the internet is a great place to look – and it’s completely free! Whether you are looking for new workout ideas, advice for working out correctly or nutritional advice and recipes that will help support your exercise with a healthy diet, you can find a massive amount of freely available information online to take advantage of.

#4. Look for Deals:

If you find that being a member of a gym is what you need to motivate yourself to work out and keep going, then the good news is that joining a gym doesn’t have to cost the earth. Affordable options such as Chuze Fitness allow you to find a gym that fits easily within your budget, allowing you to work out for just a few dollars a month and take advantage of a wide range of equipment options. Avoid joining more extravagant health and fitness clubs; all you need is the basic, necessary equipment. And, check out seasonal deals in January or the beginning of summer, which are popular times for gyms to offer discounts to new members. Finally, don’t think that you have to invest loads in workout gear – cheaper options are usually just as good.

Did you find these tips useful? We’d love to hear all about your budget fitness journey in the comments.

4 Ways Parents Can Make Money Online

March 13, 2018 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Whether you’re a stay-at-home-parent or a full-time worker, there comes a time when we could all use some extra money in the bank. The good news is that there are a vast number of moneymaking opportunities online, making it easier than ever for families to have a few extra dollars stashed away. So whether you’re looking to make a full-time income working from home or just some extra cash for your holiday fund, here are four ways you can make money online as a parent.

Blogging

Blogging is perhaps one of the most attractive ways to make money online because you can write about anything you like. As long as you identify a niche and create engaging content for your audience, there’s no reason why you can’t turn a fulfilling hobby into a source of income. Set up a professional-looking website, take high-quality photos in natural light and stick to a regular posting schedule and you will start to establish a subscriber base. You can write about anything from skateboarding to cooking or just life as a stay-at-home parent. The best ways to monetize your blog are through affiliate marketing, advertising, email marketing and sponsorships, though you’ll need to establish a following before you can make much money from your posts.

Sell Your Skills

If you have a skill, such as writing or web design, then why not advertise it online? You can sign up to freelance sites like Fiver and Upwork to find clients or set up your own website. If you’ve worked for a company or organization in the past, you can list this experience on your site to establish your credibility. Don’t forget: your website needs to be clear, concise and easy to navigate. Don’t cram it with ads or use too many different fonts and colors. If you want to be taken seriously, then your website needs to appear professional.

Sell Products

You can make money online by selling products through an e-commerce website. If your products are digital (such as e-books or online coaching courses), then you can sell directly through your blog and use email marketing to invite customers back. If you’re selling physical products (such as something you’ve made or a product from another manufacturer), then make sure you package the product with a logo and business card, so your customers know where to come back for more. For expert merchandising and product packaging design visit eventige.com. Over time, your business will grow, and you can start selling more products.

Take Surveys

If you don’t have much time and you just want to make a small amount of money on the side, you can complete online surveys and watch videos to make extra cash from the comfort of your own home. You won’t get rich by taking surveys, but it is a fun way to put some extra cash in your pocket. Just do your research to make sure you’re using a reliable survey site as some are only there to get your details so they can spam you.

How to Grow Your Savings Pot

August 18, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

How to Grow Your Savings Pot

Savings allow us to fulfill our dreams of buying a new home, enjoying the holiday of a lifetime or earning a college degree. What’s more, they can provide reassurance that we are financially protected for a rainy day. Find out how to grow your savings pot.

Open a High-Interest Savings Account

Maximize your finances and open a high-interest savings account. However, don’t rush into a decision. Research the market to identify the best savings account for your needs, as it could help you to reach your financial goals at a faster rate.

Sell Your Unwanted Stuff

Most of us have items that are adding unnecessary clutter to the home, such as books you will never read and gadgets you will use again. Don’t allow the items to collect dust and sell the items to receive a cash amount. There are many auction websites and phone apps designed to make the selling process as easy as possible, such as Gumtree and eBay. The money can then go directly into your savings account.

Start a Side Hustle

Add a little extra cash into your savings pot by picking up a side hustle. You will simply use one of your many skills to make regular money. For example, you could provide an ironing service, perform data entry tasks or walk other people’s dogs. Whatever your skills and experience, put them to good use to boost your savings. You can also take advantage of one of the many freelance websites online to find the right side hustle for you.

Sell Your Unwanted Gift Cards

Your loved one will have spent a great deal of time and money selecting the right gift card for you. Even if they haven’t picked the right store, you can trust they will not want their money to go to waste. That’s why you should consider selling the gift card at EJ Gift Cards, as you can trade the gift card and pin number for hard, cold cash, which will increase your savings.

Keep a Change Jar

Do you often have change rolling around in your pocket, purse or wallet? If so, add the coins to a change jar to watch the money mount up in no time. You’ll be surprised by how quick those pennies can accumulate, which you can then deposit into your savings account. It will also prevent impulse buying, so you won’t waste your money on things you don’t need.

Save Your Pay Rise

We all love a pay rise, but so many people waste the money unnecessarily. Instead, by adding the increased earnings directly into your savings account each payday, you can save quicker. You will not miss the money, because you are not used to having the extra cash. It will boost your savings balance substantially at the end of each year.

A savings account will provide peace of mind that you have a financial backup plan if you need it. It will also allow you to fulfil your hopes and dreams. You must, therefore, look for opportunities to boost your savings account, so you can live the life you dream about every day.

Shop.co Lets You Buy Any Product, From Any Store In One Place!

June 30, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Shop.co is a Universal Cart browser extension that lets you buy any product, from any online retailer: no more registrations, checkouts, or losing your cart.

This sounded like an extension that I would definitely like. If I can save money and time when it comes to shopping I am all for it. I downloaded the free extension and gave it a whirl and let me tell you, it is amazing!

With Shop.co you are able to purchase from multiple sites with ease and you can do it all from one checkout. No longer do I have to go from site to site to get the shopping done. Better yet, I do not have to scour the internet looking for coupon codes that actually work. Instead the bots in Shop.co search for you and find deals that you will want to use for yourself. Shop.co makes shopping convenient and simple and I find now, with the use of this extension I am completing more of my sales because I am not having to go from site to site!

Features

Shop Everywhere: Add any product, from any online store in the US, to one cart
Register Instantly: Shop.co ‘s bots take care of the entire checkout process, so all you have to do is click “Place Order”
Save It For Later: Keep products you’re still thinking about in one convenient spot.
Save Money: Bots scour the web for available coupons to be applied to your order
Manage Orders: Keep track of every purchase you’ve made with Shop.co with one simple login.
Free Your Inbox: Keep all order related emails in your Shop.co dashboard, so you can finally clean up your personal inbox.
Link Your Accounts: Use all your existing retailer accounts so you won’t miss out on points or perks.
Stay Secure: We secure your data with state-of-the-art encryption methods and two-step verification.

The Shop.co Universal Cart from Shop.co on Vimeo.

I have been really impressed with Shop.co thus far and in doing even a bit more research I was excited to see that the company can be used to checkout at every online store in the US – over 170,000 in total!
That’s close to 1 billion products available for online purchases.

The company states that the average amount saved per order using Shop.co’s automatic coupon and
deal finder is $5. In using this myself I found this to be true as well, and many times I found I could save even more than that.

This definitely does save time. The company did a bit of research and found that the average time saved by checking out with Shop.co versus manual registration and checkout is 12 minutes. If you buy online once a week, that’s 624 minutes saved per year – or long enough to catch up on a full season of Game of
Thrones with time to spare for reading spoilers.

I highly recommend that you try the Shop.co Extension for yourself! If you would like to try it, download it for yourself here.

——————————————————————————————-

New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?

Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader

Questions?Drop me a line at [email protected]

20 Ways to Save Money You’ve Never Thought Of

June 19, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

When it comes to saving money, there is one very obvious solution: spend less. However, while this may be obvious, it isn’t always easy to put into practice! The good news is that you don’t need to give up your favorite things to save money; here are 20 creative money-saving methods you may not have thought of:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Instead of throwing out old electronics, turn them into something that you need to avoid having to buy new. An old monitor makes for a great home theater screen, while the ‘enable disk use’ function on old iPods means you don’t need to spend money purchasing dedicated backup or storage solutions.

Turn it Off

Even when off, electricals that are left in ‘standby’ mode still use energy; energy that you’re paying for! This ‘phantom power load’, as it’s called, can amount to between 20 and 40 Watts for each piece of equipment. It’s a good idea to use a power strip that allows you to turn your equipment off easily.

Use Coupons

There’s no shame in using coupons! There’s even dedicated voucher services now, highlighting the best Groupon deals on everything from women’s fashion to electronics. Just remember to only use coupons for products that you’d opt to buy anyway, as couponing can be a slippery slope towards overspending!

Switch Providers

Loyalty doesn’t always pay, especially when it comes to contracts for broadband or cell phones. Many providers offer the most attractive deals for new customers as a form of enticement, so you may be able to save money by switching. Comparison websites make it easy to get quotes from different suppliers.

Don’t Forget

It’s remarkably easy to spend money that you never intended to part with, especially in social situations. If you’re owed money by a friend, don’t forget! Handy features like Apple’s Siri now let you request money digitally through Paypal, helping you to ensure you never lose out on those all-important Dollars.

Discover Multi-Use Products

Instead of buying separate products for separate jobs, why not join the world of technological convergence? Cell phones with integrated cameras and video recorders are an early example of this, but today we also have comprehensive ‘black box’ systems which can work out to be more cost effective.

Turn Trash into Treasure

They say that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’, and it’s true! For example, instead of buying a home security camera, take a look to see if anyone local is getting rid of an old cell phone. Paired with the right software, the cell phone’s built-in camera is all you need to keep an eye on your property.

Enjoy Freebies

We all know that restaurants and stores often provide small freebies for special occasions, like a free cheesecake on your birthday, but there are other types of freebies, too. Sign up for product samples, or take a trip back to the early 2000s by downloading software and game demos (yes, they still do exist!).

Use Less Water

If you’re paying for your water usage, then it’s important to find ways to cut down. There are actually a number of clever devices which can help you to do this easily, such as cistern bricks for the toilet, and WaterSense faucet flows. These devices are recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Use Less Energy

There are a few ways to reduce the energy needed to run electronics. Research shows that dropping your monitor’s brightness level from the default 100 to a much more reasonable 10 can reduce energy consumption by 23W. You could also tweak your BIOS settings, and turn off unused wireless connections.

Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need

We’re talking extended warranties here. Believe it or not, if you’ve paid by credit card, you may already be covered for an extended warranty (check this with your card provider), or you could also set up your own warranty fund, which can be put back into the bank if you find that you don’t need to use it.

Learn When to Skimp

Expensive doesn’t always mean better quality. In terms of medicines, generics are often just as good as branded products because they contain the same active ingredient. It’s similar when it comes to gas, too, as fuel is a regulated product in the United States, so even the cheap stuff is sure to get the job done.

Buy Refurbished

Purchasing refurbished goods is a great way to get the product you want for a more affordable price. Buying refurbished is so good that even Amazon have jumped on the bandwagon with ‘Amazon Certified Refurbished’ which resells returned products. You even get a 90-day warranty if there’s anything wrong.

Buy at the Right Time

You can easily save money by buying at the right time of year. Consumer Reports claims that electronics such as desktop and laptop PCs are cheapest in September when the new school year begins. Online price trackers, such as CamelCamelCamel now make price tracking very quick and easy to do.

Negotiate Work Hours

If your job is quite flexible, consider asking if it’s possible to arrive early, or leave late, ideally avoiding 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm. You may be able to save on fuel or score cheaper train tickets by travelling off-peak. Also, consider working from home; the NYTimes reports that 43% of Americans work remotely.

Take it Slow

If you do need to commute for work, then consider leaving a little earlier than normal and taking it slow. Even if you have a ‘need for speed’, zooming down the road at 65mph isn’t going to help you save money. Research shows that the average, mid-sized car enjoys best fuel economy at 55mph.

Use it Up

Try not to waste fresh produce. Instead, transform that wilting spinach and those slightly-bruised strawberries into tasty muffins for a quick snack. Additionally, if you can get a good deal buying in bulk, do it. Purchase a low-cost food dehydrator to preserve excess fresh foods, keeping them for a later date.

Cash Only

We’re a nation obsessed with plastic, but buying with cash can help us to save money. How? It’s all psychological. Using hard, physical cash makes us more aware of our money, and of where our money goes, while paying with a credit card often feels like we aren’t really spending anything at all.

Forage

Believe it or not, the United States is one of the best countries in the world for foraging. Why buy food if you can get it for free? Ohio pawpaws, Texan pecans, Michigan morel mushrooms, Montana huckleberries, and the prickly pear of Arizona are just some of the foods that can easily be foraged.

Get Crafty

If you’re in need of some new holiday decorations, it may work out cheaper (and more fun!) to make them, rather than buy them. Digital technology makes it easy to download templates if needed, and this is also a great way to get kids involved and start teaching them about great ways to save money.

Saving Over Spending

If you’re trying to save money, you’re not alone. In fact, 59% of Americans consider themselves to be ‘savers’ as opposed to ‘spenders’. Unfortunately, saving is proving for many to be easier said than done, with 34% having no savings at all. These 20 tips may seem small, but they can make a huge difference.

———————
Andrea Boffo is CEO of PlusVoucherCode & PiùCodiciSconto, free portals specialized in the research and broadcast of discount codes and special offers that help users to save in their purchases online.
———————

Money Opportunities You Can’t Ignore

January 10, 2014 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Money Opportunities You Can’t Ignore

Want to earn more? Save more? Increase your cash flow? Turns out there are a lot of money deals out there that most people aren’t taking advantage of. Here are a few money-making opportunities that you can’t ignore:

The CD Ladder

Investments are a great way to grow your money quickly, but some investments come with a few risks. If you’re investing in the stock market, you run the risk of losing everything; if you’re investing in something like a Roth IRAs, you have to put your money away for a long period of time. If you’re like most people, you can’t afford to let your money go away for too long; you’re going to need it for an upcoming major expense like school tuition or car repairs.

That’s where the CD ladder comes in. By building a CD ladder, which is actually a series of CD investments that are staggered to come due at regular intervals, you take advantage of a safe, 100% guaranteed investment while still getting money when you need it. If you don’t need the money right away, you put it back into the ladder to earn even more money for you.

Try this CD ladder calculator to see just how much money you could earn by putting your cash into CDs. Once you see how much of a money deal this plan is, you’ll be ready to jump right in.

Money cash (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

The Online Savings Account

Where does your money go when it hits your bank account? Are you just letting it sit around in a checking account? If you aren’t taking advantage of a highate online savings account, you’re losing money.

Online savings accounts can give you higher rates than brick-and-mortar savings accounts, because the banks are able to save money on overhead and pass those savings along to you. They’re also great ways for you to save your cash and grow your stash. The info page for Discover Bank online savings account notes: “Whether you’re putting money aside for a rainy day or saving up for something special, an online savings account pays a great savings rate with convenient access.”

Coupons and Groupons

This site is chock-full of money opportunities that are hard to ignore. Just a quick perusal over the options reveals that you can get significant discounts on cruises, gifts, spa treatments, and hotels. As with any coupon deal, make sure it is something that you really want, that fits into your budget, and that you are planning to use — otherwise, “spending money to save money” is just plain old spending money. But if you’re planning a vacation for next summer, a cruise discount combined with a hotel discount adds up to a pretty significant money deal.

Money (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

The Passive Income Side Hustle

What’s passive income? It’s a way of earning money without having to do any work. To be fair, a lot of passive income plans take a little bit of setup, but once they’re in place, they begin earning you money literally as you sleep.

One of the most common ways to earn passive income is by buying a rental property. Once you become a landlord, you earn money every month above and beyond the cost of maintaining your rental home.

Another common way of earning passive income is to create a website and then sell advertising space on the site. If you’re blogging right now and not including ads on your site, you’re leaving money on the table.

It’s also possible to earn passive income by creating a basic information product, such as a how-to guide, and then selling it online. If your product is a PDF, for example, it costs nothing to distribute and makes you money every time it is sold.

Check out lists of how to make passive income and see if any of these money-making opportunities fit into your life.

money (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

The Problem-Solving Opportunity

I’ll leave you with this story, from Lifehack.org. A professor asked his students how much money they could make, starting with only five dollars. Their responses surprised him:

“They ramped up their observation skills, tapped into their talents, and unlocked their creativity to identify problems in their midst—problems they experienced or noticed other

s experiencing—problems they might have seen before but had never thought to solve. These problems were nagging but not necessarily at the forefront of anyone’s mind. By unearthing these problems and then working to solve them, the winning teams brought in over $600, and the average return on the five dollar investment was 4,000 percent! If you take into account that many of the teams didn’t use the funds at all, then their financial returns were infinite.”

When you take advantage of opportunities around you, you can earn infinite financial rewards.

Teens and Their Parents Money #dadchat

December 18, 2013 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Teens and Their Parents Money
by Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC

‘Tis the Holiday Season, the beginning of the New Year and a new beginning for some is right around the corner. Budget discussions in Congress, as well as in the common home, seems to be the topic most likely to stimulate some thought as people everywhere gather during this festive season and look forward to what financially might be ahead for them next year.

Although everyone is concerned with the national debt and their own finances, in a recent poll, teens reported feeling very optimistic about theirs. It appears the reason they are so happy-go-lucky about their finances is because they are expecting mom and dad to take care of them until they are twenty-seven years old. What a change this is compared to twenty years ago when most kids couldn’t wait to leave home and get out from under mom and dad’s watchful eye.
The president of Junior Achievement USA, in a recent statement, said that teens expect to live with their parents longer because many of them are unsure about their ability to budget or use credit cards. Interesting too was the finding that 33% of the teens surveyed in the Junior Achievement USA said they do not use a budget, and even worse, 42% of that group were not interested in learning to budget. Although the majority of the kids polled thought students were borrowing too much to pay for college, only 9% of them were currently saving for college. One third of them hadn’t even talked to their parents about higher education.
Schools do not have time to teach kids about saving money, budgeting, or opening a savings account or any of the other issues related to finances. This has to come from parents because parents are still the number one influence on how their children save money, budget and pay for expenses. College costs and debt has reached an astronomically high number, and the average kids finish college now with at least a $20,000 debt. No age is too young to begin teaching your child the importance of money and saving. It all begins with a piggy bank, and expands with savings accounts, bonds and other types of investments.
Below are some suggestions of ways to help your child understand the value of a dollar, so they will be more realistic about their future and their money instead of depending on yours.

Begin when they are a baby. Saving money for college or higher education should begin with the first day of your child’s life.
Kids learn best when chores are rewarded with money, and teaching them that some of that money should go into savings. Parents who talk to their kids about saving some money raise kids who automatically have money saved.
No chores, no allowance. An allowance is sort of like paying someone for vacation or existing. Who does that in the real world? Why would you teach your child that lesson?
Set an example: You cannot have everything you want. Explain to your child that you have to earn enough to buy things you want.
Many parents parent with guilt instead of discipline when teaching their children about money. If you give your child what they want, you are telling them that you don’t think they can earn it. Confidence is built when we work toward a goal or desire and our hard work pays off.
Teach your children to price shop and also look for bargains. This can be taught by clipping coupons and checking prices from one store to another. It also helps your child re-evaluate how much they want something. Sometimes this alone will deter them from spending money on a frill they didn’t really want or need.
College debt is a huge problem in our country. Kids take out huge loans yet are never really prepared for what to expect in regards to their financial debt after college. Living within your means and teaching your children to do the same is part of parenting.

Lessons taught young correlate highly with adults who understand the importance of saving and budgeting. Your kids don’t need the “stuff” money can buy half as much as they need the time you give teaching them about how long it takes to save for that “stuff.”
Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com.