Tag: #blog

How to Make Money with your Blog in 2019 | Why I stopped Ads?

Make money blogging

How to make money blogging? That is the beginner concern. Let’s face it, you heard about amazing stories of people making a ton of money with their blog. Indeed successful bloggers take home a good paycheck every month. It is a good passive income. Typically you will be advised to start with running advertisements then follow by the other income streams. In this article I will explain why starting with ads is the wrong strategy to start monetizing your blog.

How to start a blog

  1. Choose your domain name.

Frankly speaking, the domain name doesn’t even matter. So don’t spend hours reflecting, brainstorming on a name. When it comes to naming, the way you build your brand is more important. Host: Great blogging platforms such as WordPress are seamless. But you can find great hosting options. Blue host is definitely the most popular.

     2. Blogging platform.

It is essential to choose the right blogging platform. They are multiple platforms in the market place. Choose the right one will help you set things right. More it will provide you with a seamless experience. WordPress is undeniable the best blogging platform. Million of people use the platform for blogging and website.

  3. Design your blog with a theme.

Good, feel, simple and look help your blog stand out. You want it to look a specific way. You want it to feel exactly how you picture it without necessary writing a line of code. We recommend investing money and time to get the right theme. Then you will own it for life and benefit from good after-sales support. At edulers, we use  Hive from Pixelgrade. Head here to browse their amazing assortment of themes. There is something for anyone.

Once you’ve selected your theme, continue turning it. Till you get the look you are looking for. Set up google analytics to monitor your evolution.

 4. Select the best plugins for your blog.

Google Analytics for WordPress and Yoast SEO for start. If you really want to play around with some cool plugins, you can find them at wb beginners.

5. Content.

I will recommend before starting with your blog setting. Once you’ve identified the domain name. Prepare on the side some few contents. Compelling contents you want to talk about. Then start publishing immediately.

6. Promotion

Promote on social media, ask your family and friends to share your contents.

How to make money blogging | How run I stop running ads?

When I started blogging, I quickly ran into a roadblock. Despite my efforts, I made only $6 in total after 8 months in ads revenue. Granted, my traffic was not great. Probably this can be a possible explanation. But I was frustrated and angry. I followed all the instructions and the step by step manual on how to create a blog. Later, a step by step guide on how to create contents. Finally, in the manual how to make money blogging, the first step is to run ads. Usually, I was told the first 6 months you can expect at least $100.

Faced with the fact that it would take me forever to make a decent amount of money with my blog. At least enough money to pay for my blog expenses. I decided to embark into an exploration phase.

  • Exploration phase

I started looking around the web to see how many blogs actually run ads. First observation almost all the authority blogs I visited have a store or sell some sort of product. Whether it is by affiliate marketing or owned branded products. Some don’t even run ads and those who run ads have a premium version.

  • Analysis phase

After those observations, my next question was simple. More of an arithmetic appreciation.

    • What is the average conversion rate on a typical blog? 2% to 5% according to WordStream in this article.
    • So if you have 20 visitors per month chances are 2% could buy a product from you. That is 1 person.
    • I look at the revenue generated in 6 months and the number of total visitors approximately 3100 visitors. That is 62 customers that I didn’t capture. An average of 6 per month.

  • The awakening

Then I asked myself if I was selling any product online. I could have sold already 62 at 20% margin. In any circumstances that could be higher than my meager $6.

  • Redirection

I decided to add a product to my blog and stop running ads. Moreover, running ads ruin sometimes the reader’s experience.

Conclusion: How to make money blogging

I spent so many months working on building and developing great contents and improving my blog. While I could have spread my effort on building contents, focusing on selling a product or service as well. Those are lessons learned.

Definitely, nowadays a blog that builds its monetization strategy around advertisements will simply find it extremely challenging to make it happen.

The way forward: How to make money blogging

If you are thinking of starting a blog, or you have a blog but don’t make any money. Consider selling a product or joining an affiliate program or any other income stream away from ads on your blog.

Do that from day one.

You need to make money to keep your blog running and keep you going. Waiting will not help you. Moreover, when you have a product online, it motivates you to drive more visitors to your site. Consequently, as you start thinking about creating a blog also put in efforts and time to come up with a monetization strategy. The sooner the better. The only exception here is a news blog. Even then it is important to have a monetization strategy away from ads revenue.

Recommended source of income from the first day of blogging:

  • Affiliate marketing
  • Online course
  • Sponsored advertisement
  • Sell a digital product
  • Speaking
  • Coaching
  • Books
  • Patreon
  • Request for donations with PayPal

In the nutshell be creative about your source of income and start planing that as you build your blog. Running ads on your blog should not be the first income stream that comes into mind.

5 extra tips to improve your income

  1. Use as many income streams you can reasonably manage. Diversification is key.
  2. Excellent content is the key to long-term success. There’s no way around it.
  3. Each blogger has a different combination of income streams. There is no “right” way and that’s the beauty of it. There are endless possibilities. Find a combination that works for you.
  4. Don’t be a clone of another blogger. Find a unique angle.
  5. Successful bloggers don’t start a blog just to make money. Instead, they blog about a topic they truly enjoy and can write about for years. They let the money grow out of that topic organically

How to Write a Check

A check is a legal written, dated, and signed instrument that directs a bank to pay a specific sum of money to the bearer. In addition, it is an indispensable skill every adult should master. Because it is still surprisingly very common even in today’s ultra digitalized world.

Writing a check is pretty easy, this article will show you exactly how to do it. Just follow the step by step guide. There is no specific order you can complete it in any order you like.

How to Write a Check: Step by step

  • Step 1: Write the date

On the upper right-hand corner, there is a dedicated blank space. Typically, you use today’s date to keep accurate records. However, always remember the date here should be the date that you sign the check.

  • Step 2: The name of the recipient or the payee

“Pay to the order of” write the name of the person or the company you are sending the check to next to that line. Also, do avoid any mistake, if you are not sure about the person’s full name ( first name, middle name, last name, ‘Jr’ or “sir”), please double check again before writing. If it goes to an organization write out its full name, not acronyms unless given permission.

  • Step 3: Numerical amount of the check to the right of the dollar sign

write the exact amount using dollars and cents in the small box on the right-hand side. Consistently, start with the last number on the left to prevent fraud. Finally, draw a line after the last digit.

  • Step 4: Amount in words below the “Pay to the Order of” line

The exact amount should have an equivalent in words to avoid fraud and confusion. This is the amount that would be paid. Yet in case of doubt with the numerical amount, the amount in words is legally abiding.

  • Step 5: Signature

Sign the check in the bottom-right corner. Use the same and the signature on file at your bank. The check will invalid if it is not signed.

  • Step 6: Memo section on the bottom left of the check.

Although this section is optional. It could be useful to write a note for yourself to remember what the check is for. In addition, some organization or landlords require additional information on the memo section.  For instance rent appartment#1 or ID number. Because it helps keep track and accountability.

11 Things to keep in mind

  1. Write a check when you absolutely need it. That is because it is time-consuming and it is not the most convenient way to move money. Furthermore, you can save money and time by not using a checkbook.
  2. Make sure you have sufficient fund in your account before writing a check or the amount will be available before the recipient cashes it to avoid a bounced check.
  3. Keep a record of all your checks: it would help you track your expenses and avoid bounced checks.
  4. Use a pen when writing a check to make it permanent and avoid any issues.
  5. No blank check: Don’t sign a check until you’ve filled in all the necessary information including the recipient and the amount. a blank check is basically given unlimited access to your account.
  6. Print the amount in a way that prevents scammers from adding to it or altering it.
  7. Get checkbook with carbon paper so you can automatically keep a record of every check you write.
  8. Always use the same signature for all your check and it has to be the same signature filed at your bank.
  9. Avoid writing a check payable to cash. It practically the same as a blank check.
  10. Write fewer checks. Use this method of moving money when it is absolutely necessary.
  11. When writing your check make sure nobody is recording. The goal is to avoid people imitating or forging your signature and your handwriting.

How to cancel a check

When you realized that a check was stolen or lost, there are some few steps you can take to ensure the check doesn’t get cashed by an unauthorized person.

  • a. Call the bank to ask them to stop the payment immediately as soon as possible before the check is processed.
  • b. Prepare the following information check number, amount, name of the beneficiary
  • c. Make sure you send in within typically 14 days official paperwork either by mail or in-person to follow up with the verbal or electronic request. If no written confirmation is made within the legal time frame the stop payment will not be honored.
  • d. Be prepared to pay cancellation fees normally around $30
  • e. Close the account that has been comprised and reopen a new one to avoid unauthorized access to your account.

What to do if a stolen check has been cleared?

  • If a stolen check goes through, you can still be able to eliminate charges by contacting your bank in a timely manner.
  • Contact the recipient to inform the person or the organization about the incident and the necessary measures. Eventually, make arrangement to send a new check.
  • The cancellation also applies to a cashier check as well in case of fraud.

ORIGINALS

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3 Reasons Why Most Black Don’t Become Wealthy By Valerie Love

Why black families struggle to build wealth?. The answer is not so simple. Even though historical reasons certainly play a bigger role in generational wealth. Yet evidence has also pointed out different reasons.

In the video 03 main reasons identify are “Flossing or Ballin”, the lack of money understanding and the everything now attitude. Nevertheless, the goal is not to condemn black culture. But, the ultimate argument is to encourage more African American to be more money conscious and long term focus.

Takeaways:

Just by adjusting their lifestyle and community interaction. The African American community could easily be one of the most powerful. Yet it is worth noticing elements such as educational level, low investment in black communities and racial segregation.

Go deeper why most black struggle to build wealth nowadays?

This 2017 article from Huffpost, shed more about this topic with illustrative details. For example, the well-documented paper revealed statistics and empirical explanation about the real truth surrounding the limitation of black wealth.

Way forward

These simple tips if applied can help the black community build more wealth.

a. Pragmatism

Often time more African American don’t accept some hard fact evidence. As an illustration, if you live with the minimum wage why will you buy an iPhone? Why will you rent a $900 apartment if you earn $2000 a month? In essence, live either below your means or at par with your means.

b. Stronger community, stronger people

Across the country, most communities where the majority are black are invested with all sort of crime, decay, and destructions. Even though low public investments don’t help. Yet, some simple step could be taken to improve the situation.

  • Firstly, spreading more love within the community by supporting each other, organizing community cleaning up campaigns and
  • Also, team up to promote crime-free business opportunities.
  • Moreover, build solid black business networks and associations.
  • Finally, shop and buy black to encourage the community.

c. Behavior

African American need to be more optimistic and appreciate the opportunity of being American. In addition, this includes hard work and always thinking ahead. Also, the feeling of resentment and aggressivity only path the way for more social and racial clustering.

d. Education

More educated people equal more community elevation. By education, I don’t mean a college degree. I mean knowledge sharing, mentoring, and coaching. They are more important than a college degree.

 

 

 

 

Passive Income: stop buying into the idea By Gary Vaynerchuk

What is passive income?

Stop buying into the idea of passive income, Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the most prolific entrepreneurs and a well renowned public speaker came out with this amazing video to take part in the conversation of making money. In addition, this video published on Facebook, he uncovered the myth around the topic. Furthermore, he explains what it takes to make the money you need to get your financial freedom.

            “Anything that starts with I don’t want to work is already a problem”                                                                        Gary Vaynerchuk

Takeaways: Income stream

If you want to have financial freedom, you need to put in some hours and build the business. Nevertheless, he emphasizes from his opinion the only 02 alternative income options are real estate and the stock market. Moreover, from Gary’s views, those are the only two streams that he can recommend. Anything else will need time, consistent effort and commitment. An average of 7 years is necessary to build a good income stream.

Conclusion

In essence, Gary is not negating the idea of generating any incomes without putting in the same 9 to 5 schedule. He is pointing out the hard fact that nothing comes easily. Basically, Gary Vaynerchuk tells the audience there is no such thing as

How To Pay Off Student Loan : Useful tips

To pay off all your student loan, it will require some distinctive efforts and focus. Indeed student loans in the US are one of the most important debts crisis of the century. Some key statistics:

  • One in five adult Americans has a student loan.
  • The total amount of student loan debt is $1.47 trillion in 2018.
  • 44 million student loan borrowers in this country
  • 65% of college seniors who graduated from nonprofit colleges in 2017 had student loan debt.
  • Overall Student loan debt has seen almost 157% growth since the Great Recession and is the fastest-growing portion of the total household debt in the U.S.

As of 2018, roughly 1 out of 10 people with student loans were late with (or completely missed) their payments. That’s the highest 90+-day delinquency rate of all household debt—outranking auto loans, credit card debt and mortgages. So how can you pay off your student loan? This article will cover some helpful tips.

Takeaways: How To Pay Off Students Loans

To pay off your student loan, you have a couple of options. You can earn more money, save more money, leverage your environment, leverage your negotiations skills or credit card short term strategy.

A. Earn more money

Typically you can’t pay off your loan because you don’t earn enough money to keep you running. Every hundred dollars taken away from your paycheck puts you under hard stress to meet up with your bills. So a great solution will be to earn more money. Many options are available but you can either change job, request for a promotion or find a side hustle. Gaining extra income comes with more sacrifices. Either it will take away your free time, or you will need to invest money. Likely it is going to be a combination of both. However if well manage it could be very profitable, you could make a couple of thousands of dollars per month.

B. Save more money

Another very interesting approach of getting the financial space you desperately need to pay your students loan is to reduce your living expenses and to live within your means. Cut off all unnecessary expenses, trim your bills to save money. Another simple way is to adopt a minimalist lifestyle. You will have to let go of some of the threads and perhaps your gadgets. It is not easy but you have to keep in mind the main objective of paying off your students. It will certainly push you towards some hard time, maybe your loved ones will hate you, and probably you will be anti-social. Eventually, you will no more be as cool as you are now. But who cares the most important is your financial health. So stay focus and resist all the discounts, sales, promotions and the sweet talks encouraging you to be trending.

C. Leverage your community

The community approach in paying off your student loan is a collective approach that relies on tools such as saving circles, or lending circles (you can get a loan for zero interest rate). The community implication is also extremely critical as your relationships, connections, friendships can really support you towards achieving your goals. You could even team up with another person for motivation. Get a roommate or live with your parent so you can share bills and put it towards paying off your student loan. Of course, you will sacrifice your freedom and independence but you will gain in the long run. Nothing worth than having some extra dollars in your account.

D. Career

Check out for job opportunities that include or negotiate a sign-in-bonus, performance bonus and eventually a commission if you are in an industry that promotes that. You can take full advantage of money-making opportunities available at your company such as hiring referrals, or mission nobody wants to do. Plus you can also sell your side hustle to people around you in your company. Finally do not hesitate to change job, field or career if you realize the company or the industry will not take you where you want to go.

C. Credit card strategy short term

This is a very risky strategy but if well managed can be worth the shot. You can max out your credit card to pay part of your loan, then pay your credit card monthly payment. Because of its minimal, you won’t have that much pressure financially. That will give you space to breathe and strategize for the long term. It is a short term strategy that works pretty well if you put in the discipline required.

D. Credit Card Rewards

Every time you use it you are accumulating points. You can turn out and maximize those options by asking your roommate/family every month to do purchases and accumulate rewards with a single card. The credit reward is then redeemed and utilize the money to pay off student loan monthly payment. You organize it as a circle with each member of the community waiting for their turn every month.

Nonetheless, you need to read the fine print to understand the terms and conditions of your cash rewards program.

E. General

Here are some simple tips that you can apply to pay off your student loan.

  • Drive a cheap car if you absolutely need a car. If you don’t stick to public transportation and ride-sharing when it is necessary.
  • Buy use phone or cheap phone for less than $450
  • Avoid friends who are always thinking about spending money or refusing to grow up
  • Get a partner or get married to a person that is willing to support you through the process.
  • Cut off all unnecessary subscription plans
  • Stop taking vacations or travelings

In addition to the above, there another legal way you can take advantage of to avoid paying your student loan.

Extra: 4 Legal ways to stop paying your student loan

1. Income-driven repayment

Typically you will start paying your student loan only when you reach a pre-defined income threshold.

2. Join public serve

After a certain number of years of working in the public service, you can be eligible for a federal forgiveness program.

3. Serve your country and take advantage of forgiveness program for people who have served the military.

Joining the military has numerous advantages. One of those advantages is free tuition and the opportunity to get part of your complete loan taking care off.

4. File for bankruptcy

This is the ultimate decision, depending on how you will take things forward. If it comes to the point where you can’t afford to pay your student loan anymore then you can file for bankruptcy.

How long does it take to pay off your student loan?

There isn’t any miracle solution. Maybe if you win the lottery, receive an inheritance, donation, or apply for debt forgiveness. Perhaps you can find legal ways to stop paying your student loans. But, in essence, the time will depend on your ability to be focused and committed to getting out of debt. Some people get out debt two years after graduation, others 10 years. Some never. It all depends on you.

Conclusion: How To Pay Off Student Loan

Student loans are a pain in our finances. The negative impact on us goes beyond our imaginations. It affects our ability to buy a house, get married, or to leave in a certain comfort with our family. That is why the more you get out quit the better you will be. More importantly, money management skills are critical don’t hesitate to learn and ask questions on how to get out of debt.

How To Make Money Working From Home

The ability to make money working from home is most people’s dream. However, the outcome depends on how much time and effort you put in. Efforts can go from some few minutes to a full-time position. Either way, you could leverage your skills to earn money in a way that meets your needs and availability.

Takeaways: How To Make Money Working From Home

Some tasks will help you make some few dollars while with others you could expect to take home a very good paycheck. In fact, I know some people that make over 6 figures working from home every month. here are some ideas that could help you achieve the same level of freedom whether you are a homestay mom, dad, student, a senior or just looking for a career change.

  • Slow-income generation task:

it is considered slow income generation because it would take some time before you could actually make some substantial income.

Take online surveys: It is a very simple and easy way to make money online., But it takes a while to make a hundred dollars. The ratio of time vs income is extremely low. However, if you put 24h/7 you could end up with more than $200 according to certain personal finance blogs.

Monetize your website: If you have a blog or website, let it make some money for you while you are at rest. Programs like Google AdSense allow advertisers to bid for your ad space. It’s free and doesn’t have to add to your workload. Ads run on your blog and you make money when visitors click on them. With good web traffic, you expect to take home a very interesting paycheck. In addition, you could either request for donations or sell a physical product or a digital product on your site.

Youtube/Vimeo channel: If you have a passion you could put it to work by creating video content around your passion. Then you could monetize it by either selling your most creative video content to your audience worldwide or running ads on your piece. Nevertheless in the case of ads you need to reach a threshold on youtube to get good money out.

  • Fast-income generation task

It is considered a really fast way to make regular money.

Freelance: Chances are you have specific skills or technical ability or even good knowledge about a specific topic you will like to share. You could join websites like Fiverr or upwork that connect freelancers to businesses and sell your skills.

Remote jobs: You could actually get a full-time job working from home. Indeed such job type could range from, virtual assistant, scheduler to more technical jobs such as data entry. Also, websites such as flexi-jobs or indeed could help get the perfect match.

Home restaurant: The trend is growing across the country. By taking advantage of the space in your house, you can make money cooking at home.

Choosing the best method that works for you is essential. Just make sure you keep records of all your dealings in case something goes wrong or you need to file for taxes. Regardless, working from home provides you with so much freedom and flexibility.

 

 

How To Save Money on Phone Bill

Learning how to save money on your phone bill will put extra cash in our wallet.  That is because if you are not careful your bill can quickly escalate and take out a hefty part of your monthly paycheck. Can you actually find a way to save money on phone bills? An appropriate answer to the question can be daunting with little knowledge. However, here are some options available that can help you lower your bill.

9 tips to save money on phone bill

1. Add lines: At first, it might sound odds because add lines will actually increase your bill. But splitting with other people will reduce what you each pay. Moreover, the more line you add the better overall price you receive.

2. Use wifi when you can: Data coverages can add up quickly, and some providers charge a premium. Yet make sure you stay within your monthly limit. Consequently try to use wifi connection whenever it’s available at home, work, coffee shops or malls. If you are on the go don’t use your data to download, stream video, music or listen to podcasts.

3. Swap phones with your community: Some plans include the price of a new phone. Try to keep your phone longer and resist calls for a new phone. If you need a new phone just try and swap with another person that might be looking for a new phone but don’t want to pay for it. You can start by leveraging your family, friends and immediate environment.

4. Get a corporate discount: Chances are your company has a partnership with a specific mobile carrier, try and take advantage. Usually depending on the size of your company you can get a very good deal. Nevertheless, the challenge will come from the carrier choice and the duration and the terms of your commitment.

5. Cost-share with an employer: You could conduct business on your personal phone for your employer. This could include phone calls, email, and others. Or you could simply use the business phone for your personal business. Obviously, you want to make sure the company has a cost-sharing policy in place or your employer participate in phone reimbursement.

6. Switch to paperless: Nowadays, companies offer some discount if you switch to paperless billing.  The amount save typically around $5 might look negligible but it can quickly add over the long run.

7. Do you need all the extras?: This is an essential question you have to ask yourself.  That is you have to be careful when you are signing your mobile bill contract. Think of insurance, extra data, streaming services, international calls, and other add-ons. They can climb up to $20 per month. That is exactly what I save on my phone bill when I cancel everything.

8. Go without data: This is a more radical approach especially nowadays. But you can evaluate your lifestyle and check if you actually really data 24/7. If you really need data perhaps you can go for the plan you really need. For example, I managed to survive more than 2 years without data. It was challenging but I made it. I simply took advantage of all the free wifi at work, coffee shop, home and etc…

9. Expensive phone: Not sure you really need that. One of the most critical components of a phone plan is the price of the phone. In some cases, it represents more than 40% of the total of your bill. So reevaluate and resist the sweet sales talk and ask yourself if you really that trending phone with those amazing features. More if you can keep your phone as long as possible you are up to save good money.

10. Keep your phone longer: Indeed with today’s pressure on phone companies to keep up with the competition. So they are making new releases practically every month. It could be challenging for the average consumer to resist the trending temptation of changing phones all the time. However the longer you keep your phone the better deal you can get if you absolutely need a new phone.

11. Don’t buy a contract phone: contract phone is extremely expensive. The monthly plan might seem cheaper at first sight. But in the long run, when adding up interest rate it becomes expensive.

12. Switch carriers: Shop around and see who can give you a better deal that fits your budget. You’ll probably find a good offer at less known, smaller carrier. Most of them have some links with the big guy. So chances are you are still going to keep the same benefits. So do your research and shop around.

Takeaways: How To Save Money on Phone Bill

The above tips are not exhaustive but reflect edulers’ contribution to the topic. By implementing those you will be able to save money. As usual, financial empowerment is central to our actions and ideas.

Conclusion:

Choose the right phone plan, is often not regarded as a critical decision. As a  result, people don’t take their time to assess every corner of the decision.  You will want to evaluate many factors when going after a plan especially if you want to save money.

  • Try to determine how much data you can use monthly
  • How many minutes of calling you can approximately do per month?
  • The carrier network coverage
  • The cost of the phone
  • Your monthly budget. I will recommend your cellphone budget shouldn’t be more than 15% of your total revenue.
  • In addition, always monitor your bill.

 

How Do I Get Paid on Venmo: Step by Step Guide

 

This article teaches how you get paid on Venmo. Venmo is a financial peer to peer money transfer app. But contrary to Square cash it is built around the social interaction. Indeed you can send or request money via emoji-studded text messages.

Step by Step Guide: How Do I Get Paid on Venmo?

  1. Open the app on your IOS or Android phone. If you haven’t logged into Venmo. you can do that by using your email and password when prompted. If you haven’t registered for a Venmo account, sign up here.
  2. Hit the “Pay or Request” icon on the app. Or look for the icon below

Pay icon

  1. Select a recipient. Write the name of the person to whom you want to send money. If you have multiple people to pay on iPhone, tap the first person’s name, tap the person’s name in the “To” field, and then tap each subsequent person’s name to add them to the list. On Android, long-press the first person’s name, then tap each subsequent person’s name.
  2. Enter the amount

Make sure you have sufficient amount of money available in your venmo account or in your credit, debit card or bank account.

  1. Add a note. This is “The what for?” Text box below. It is not optional you must type a note before you can send any money.
  2. Determine who can see your transaction. You can use the privacy function to adjust your settings.
  3. Tap pay

Once you tap the pay button the money is immediately sent to your recipient Venmo account. However, if you want the money to be deposit directly into your bank account, 02 to 03 business days are required. You can use the app for purchase or to pay for ride sharing. For instance, Uber ride can be paid with Venmo.

Conclusion

Venmo is very easy to use an app, that offers great functionalities. The interface makes pretty simple to receive money instantly from another user. Beyond the app is adding more functionalities for convenient.

 

 

 

 

How To Save Money in College

How To Save Money in College

College life is challenging, every penny count so learning how to save money in college is essential to have a balanced experience. In this article, I want to share some useful tips, I used when I was in college. I hope it helps you achieve your financial objectives.

Save on shopping

  1. Group buying: team up with classmates to share textbooks and other materials. I wrote an article to explain how to save money on grocery shopping.
  2. Grow your own food: it is amazing how much money you can save if you can grow crops like basil, green onions, or tomatoes.
  3. Buy in bulk: always buy things in bulk they last longer and save you a lot. In college, my apartment was always packed with boxes and bags of food.
  4. Make your own coffee and your own food: you will save good money from making your own food.
  5. Look for volunteer opportunities: when you volunteer in nonprofit organizations, you can take home some perks such as free foods or valuable connections.
  6. Coupon: use coupons as much as possible for shopping. Websites like Groupon are very effective.
  7. Don’t go fancy go practical: it is amazing how much money you can save when you start prioritizing practicability over fancy things.

Save on experiences

  1. Shared an apartment: Make your housing budget less expensive by splitting the cost with a roommate. Go even further by choosing an off-campus accommodation that provides all utility in the rent.
  2. Don’t go for activities: that is a very hard one because at the same time when you are in college you need to make time to network and connect with your fellows. Rather than anticipating outing prioritize apartment events or outdoor activities that do not require money. Chances are they plenty of free stuff to do in the city.
  3. Walk: walking is good for you and your health. Always make to cover some short distance walking. A rule of thumb when a distance can be covered within 1hour forget ride-sharing app and go walking.
  4. Take public transportation: forgo a car, when you factor in the lease, the cost of parking, insurance, gas, maintenance, and unexpected repairs, you can break the bank. You can always use a Zipcar, get around or rent a car if you need to go a long distance with friends or relatives.

 

How To Save Money On Groceries : Group Shopping

How To Save Money On Groceries

Saving money on groceries is a top priority every time we receive our paycheck. That is because it is an uncompressible expense. Even though they are many strategies to reduce your grocery budget. We felt empowered to share with you the below strategy that revolves around building a strong community. Indeed group grocery shopping if well though with reliable people can be a win.

How does it work?

  1. Find a reliable person or group of people. It could be your roommate, your neighbor, your co-worker or your family member.
  2. Agree on a routine shopping date
  3. Set an individual shopping list
  4. Analyze the list and check common products such as toilet papers, fresh produce, rice, meat, etc…
  5. Make a separate list of common products.
  6. Determine the quantity each need and prorate the budget accordingly. For example, you can buy a box of paper towel then proceed with various allocations.
  7. Choose a leader who will do the purchase on behalf of the group
  8. The bill is split according to the group agreement
  9. After the purchase, you can start sharing with due respect to each person’s requirement and needs.
  10. Evaluate how much you have saved yet the tradeoff is higher because you put in the time and energy.

Takeaways: Saving Money On Groceries

  1. The strategy will enable at least 10% savings on grocery shopping. Nevertheless, it would be extremely hard to convince people to join. By showing upfront all savings they can make, chances are the mindset will shift. It is all about value.
  2. You will save money and the environment because it will eliminate or reduce waste as an unintended strategy.
  3. You will be exposed to additional options and more products possibilities because of the saving realize.
  4. An increase in your disposable income.