Average Net Worth of the 1%: Here's how much the super-rich in the world are really worth!

 

Many people perceive being wealthy as having nice houses and a pleasure yacht. But the kind of money that the wealthiest 1% of the world's households has dwarfs this concept. This segment of the population large portions of major corporations, multibillion-dollar investment funds, islands in the Caribbean, and even rocket ships taking them into outer space.

The average net worth of the 1%, aka the richest 1% of the global population's households, has mushroomed over the past two decades. It now towers higher above the net worth of the average citizen than ever before. Here are some of the basic facts about how the 1% lives.

6 Investing Mistakes the Ultra Wealthy Don't Make

 

The ultra-wealthy, known as ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), make up a group of people who have net worths of at least $30 million.

The net worth of these individuals consists of shares in private and public companies, real estate, and personal investments, such as art, airplanes, and cars.

When people with lower net worths look at these UHNWIs, many of them believe that the key to becoming ultra wealthy lies in some secret investment strategy. However, this isn't usually the case. Instead, UHNWIs understand the basics of having their money work for them and know how to take calculated risks.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Ultra-high-net-worth individuals often understand the importance of savings, the basics of investing, and how to take calculated risks.

Concentrating portfolios with investments only from the U.S. and the EU is an example of an approach that overlooks potential opportunities elsewhere, such as the emerging markets.

UHNWIs do not try to keep up with their neighbors or compare themselves to others but focus instead on achieving their objectives and goals.

Periodically rebalancing portfolios is essential when trying to achieve the right mix of stocks and bonds over time.

UNNWIs often find opportunities in private markets that are overlooked by investors that focus only on public markets.

In the words of Warren Buffett, the No. 1 investing rule is not to lose money. UHNWIs aren't mystics, and they don't harbor deep investing secrets. Instead, they know what simple investing blunders to avoid. Many of these mistakes are common knowledge, even among investors who are not particularly wealthy. Here is a list of the biggest investing errors UHNWIs avoid making.

1. Only Investing in the U.S. and the EU

While developed countries such as the United States and those within the European Union are thought to offer the most investment security, UHNWIs look beyond their borders to frontier and emerging markets. Some of the top countries that the ultra-wealthy are investing in include Indonesia, Chile, and Singapore. Of course, individual investors should do their research on emerging markets, and decide whether they fit into their investment portfolios and their overall investment strategies.

2. Investing Only in Intangible Assets

When people think of investing and investing strategies, stocks, and bonds normally come to mind. Whether this is due to higher liquidity or a smaller price for entry, it doesn't mean that these types of investments are always the best.

Instead, UHNWIs understand the value of physical assets, and they allocate their money accordingly. Ultra-wealthy individuals invest in such assets as private and commercial real estate, land, gold, and even artwork. Real estate continues to be a popular asset class in their portfolios to balance out the volatility of stocks. While it's important to invest in these physical assets, they often scare away smaller investors because of the lack of liquidity and the higher investment price point.

However, according to the ultra-wealthy, ownership in illiquid assets, especially ones that are uncorrelated with the market, is beneficial to any investment portfolio. These assets aren't as susceptible to market swings, and they pay off over the long term. For example, Yale's endowment fund has implemented a strategy that includes uncorrelated physical assets, and it returned an average of 10.9% per year between June 2010 and June 2020.

3. Allocating 100% of Investments to the Public Markets

UHNWIs understand that real wealth is generated in the private markets rather than the public or common markets. The ultra wealthy may gain a lot of their initial wealth from private businesses, often through business ownership or as an angel investor in private equity. Additionally, top endowments, such as those run at Yale and Stanford, use private equity investments to generate high returns and add to the funds' diversification.

4. Keeping up With the Joneses

Many smaller investors are always looking at what their peers are doing, and they try to match or beat their investment strategies. However, not getting caught up in this type of competition is critical to building personal wealth.

The ultra-wealthy know this, and they establish personal investment goals and long-term investment strategies before making investment decisions. UHNWIs envision where they want to be in 10 years, 20 years, and beyond. And they adhere to an investment strategy that will get them there. Instead of trying to chase the competition or becoming scared of the inevitable economic downturn, they stay the course.

Further, the ultra-wealthy are very good at not comparing their wealth to other individuals. This is a trap that many non-wealthy people fall into. UHNWIs stave off the desire to purchase a Lexus just because their neighbors are buying one. Instead, they invest the money they have to compound their investment returns. Then, when they've reached their desired level of wealth, they can cash out and buy the toys they want.

5. Failing to Rebalance a Personal Portfolio

Financial literacy is a big problem in America, but everyone should understand the practice of rebalancing their portfolios. Through consistent rebalancing, investors can ensure their portfolios remain adequately diversified and proportionally allocated. However, even if some investors have specific allocation goals, they often do not keep up with rebalancing, allowing their portfolios to skew too far one way or the other.

A balanced portfolio typically includes the right mix of cash, stocks, and bonds based on a person's age and risk tolerance.

For the ultra-wealthy, rebalancing is a necessity. They can undertake this rebalancing monthly, weekly, or even daily, but all UHNWIs rebalance their portfolios on a regular basis. For the people who don't have the time to rebalance or the money to pay someone to do it, it's possible to set rebalancing parameters with investment firms based on asset prices.

6. Omitting a Savings Strategy From a Financial Plan

Investing is essential to becoming ultra-wealthy, but many people forget about the importance of a savings strategy. UHNWIs, on the other hand, understand that a financial plan is a dual strategy: They invest wisely and save wisely.

As a result, the ultra-wealthy can focus on increasing their cash inflows as well as reducing their cash outflows, thus increasing overall wealth. While it might not be common to think of the ultra-wealthy as savers, UHNWIs know that living below their means will allow them to achieve their desired level of wealth in a shorter amount of time.

10 Steps to Financial Security Before Age 30

Being financially secure before you reach 30 may seem out of reach for many people in their 20s, but it's possible. Working toward financial security need not be an exercise in self-deprivation, though many people assume it to be.

Attaining this goal even has some immediate benefits given that financial insecurity can be a serious source of stress.

The following are 10 steps to consider to achieve financial security before you turn 30.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Knowing how much you spend can keep spending in check.

Live within your means, don’t use credit to fund a lifestyle, and set short-term achievable financial goals.

Become financially literate and save what you can for retirement.

Take calculated risks, such as moving to a city with more job opportunities or taking on a new job that pays less but has more upside potential.

Invest in yourself by continually upgrading your skills and knowledge.

Strike a balance—working toward financial security doesn’t mean you need to deprive yourself. 

1. Track Your Spending

Knowing how much you spend and on what keeps your spending in check. A free budgeting app like Mint can help you do this.

You might discover that ordering in food several times a week costs more than $300 a month, or recurring charges for streaming services and subscriptions you never use are a waste of your hard-earned money. If you can afford to spend hundreds a month on ordering in—great. If not, you’ve just discovered an easy way to save money in addition to canceling those streaming services you forgot you had.

2. Live Within Your Means

Keep your standard of living below what your earnings can accommodate. As you advance in your career and gain more experience, your pay should increase. But rather than using this excess income to buy new toys and live a more luxurious lifestyle, the best move is to put the money toward reducing debt or adding to savings. If the cost of your lifestyle lags behind your income growth, you will always have excess cash flow that can be put toward financial goals or an unexpected financial emergency.

3. Don't Borrow to Finance a Lifestyle

Borrowed money should be used when your gain will outrun your borrowing costs. This might mean investing in yourself—for your education, to start a business, or to buy a house. In these cases, borrowing can provide the leverage you need to reach your financial goals faster.

On the other hand, using credit for a lifestyle you can't afford is a losing proposition when it comes to building wealth. And the added interest expense of borrowing further increases the cost of the lifestyle.

4. Set Short-Term Goals

Life holds many uncertainties, such as an economic crisis or the loss of a job, and much can change between when you are in your 20s and, say, 40 years later when you may retire. As such, the prospect of planning far into the future can seem daunting.

Rather than setting long-term goals, set a series of small short-term goals that are both measurable and precise—for example, paying off credit card debt within a year or contributing to a retirement plan with a set contribution each month. If you set goals, you'll have a better chance of achieving them than you would if you merely said you wanted to pay down debt, but failed to set a timetable. Even the process of writing down some goals can help you to achieve them.

 As you achieve short-term goals, set new ones. The constant setting and achieving short-term goals will help you reach longer-term goals, such as having a solid nest egg when you retire.

5. Become Financially Literate

Making money is one thing, but saving it and making it grow is another. Financial management and investing are lifelong endeavors. Taking the time and effort to become knowledgeable in the areas of personal finance and investing will pay off throughout your life. Making sound financial and investment decisions is important for achieving your financial goals.

6. Save What You Can for Retirement

When you're in your 20s, retirement likely seems a lifetime away, and planning for it may be the last thing on your mind. If you can take a few steps now to start saving, compounding will work in your favor. Even a small amount saved early in your life can make a big difference in your future. Building a retirement nest egg becomes more difficult the longer you wait.

Try setting up automatic monthly contributions to a retirement plan, such as an employer-sponsored 401(k) if you have access to one, or an IRA if you don't. You can increase your contributions when your income rises or when you've achieved more of your short-term goals.

 If you implement the pay yourself first ideal, you won't have to worry about how much you're contributing. The most important thing is to develop the habit of saving.

7. Don't Leave Money on the Table

If you work for a company that offers a 401(k), make sure to contribute at least up to the maximum of what your employer will match, otherwise you are leaving money on the table. In addition, you can deduct your contributions in the year you make them, which lowers your taxable income for the year.

If you don't work for a company that offers a 401(k), contributing to a traditional IRA will result in tax savings too because you can also deduct contributions.

8. Take Calculated Risks

Taking calculated risks when you are young can be a prudent decision in the long run. You might make mistakes along the way, but when you are young, you have more time to recover from them.

Examples of calculated risks include:

Moving to a new city with more job opportunities

Going back to school for additional training

Taking a new job at a different company for less pay but more upside potential

Investing in high risk/high return stocks

As people get older, some may assume more responsibilities such as paying down a mortgage or saving for a child's education. It's easier to take risks when you have fewer responsibilities.

9. Invest in Yourself

Look at yourself as a financial asset. Investing in yourself will pay off in the future. Your skills, knowledge, and experience are the biggest assets you have. Increase your value by continually upgrading your skills and knowledge and by making smart career choices.

Though this investment often starts with going to college or a trade school, keeping skills up to date and learning new ones that are in high demand can help make you a more attractive and higher-paid part of the workforce. Investing in yourself should continue over the course of your lifetime.

10. Find the Right Balance

Striking a proper balance between your life today and the future is also important. Financially, we can't live as if today is our last day. We have to decide between what we spend today versus what we spend in the future. For example, set a short-term goal to save for a trip to a destination you've always wanted to see instead of using a credit card to finance it. Finding the correct balance is an important step toward achieving financial security. 

How To Make $1,000+ Monthly: Everything You Need To Know

 

How can you earn more money?

You’d think a question this simple would have a simple answer.

Yet experts’ attempts to explain the nuances of earning — whether disguised as personal finance, business management, or the importance of education — could fill a file server.

You could read all the articles, watch all the how-to videos, listen to all the podcasts, and even attend the right business school, but still not know the best ways to make money.

Why is it all so complicated?

I have an idea: It’s because only you are qualified to answer the question of how you can make more money.

Think about it:

Just like our relationships, our time, our food preferences, and even our financial choices are personal.

What works for me may not work for you.

Likewise, I might not survive a day doing something you’d excel at.

And while education, knowledge, and experience matter a lot, they are only the ingredients.

You have to get into the kitchen to cook up your own recipe for financial success and independence:

Are you a people person? Then you should flavor your recipe with face-to-face interactions.

Are you an introvert? Maybe you need a dash of stay-at-home independence.

Are you short on time? Find a recipe with a short prep-time but an abundant yield.

Do you need a flexible schedule? Sprinkle in some freelance work — something like real estate or ad hoc computer programming, for example.

Whatever the case, your recipe must reflect the reality of your personal preferences, your daily challenges, and the way you live.

You can find ideas (and hopefully some valuable advice) in posts like the one you’re reading right now, but you’re the expert on you.

Also, take a look at the end of this article to learn more about our official guide to making money.

With that in mind, let’s get cooking (especially if you can make money doing it!).

Different Paths, But One Common Goal: Earning More Money!

As you know, finding your own path is essential, but let’s also make sure your path leads where we all want to go: a more profitable and financially secure future.

To do that, get to know more about your local economy (or the broader national or international economy) so you’ll know what skills or products are in demand right now and into the future.

In a dynamic economy like ours, any list of ways to earn money comes with an expiration date.

And, I could spend days listing all the possibilities for earning more money and still not include the one thing you’re looking for.

For those of you even vaguely familiar with stock options, you’re probably aware of how you can essentially turn a small sum of money into a sizable payoff if things go the right way for you.

As an example, if you bought out of the money call options on Apple a few years ago, the return would have been over 1000%.

What if you could apply this concept to your career and earning power?

You can!

Still, we need some kind of order for organizing possible paths to earning power.

I like the following three categories:

Entrepreneurship

Education-related

Side hustles

Let’s explore these categories as you determine where to begin or continue your journey toward making more money.

Earning Through Entrepreneurship

To earn your living by owning your own company is part of the American Dream. If watching Shark Tank doesn’t get your creative juices flowing, perhaps consider just re-assessing your skill sets and how you might build a business around it.

And we’ve all heard the legendary success stories about people such as:

Sam Walton, whose family barely survived the Great Depression. He opened his own tiny grocery store after World War II with financial help from his father-in-law. The store, of course, grew into Walmart (along with Sam’s Club and a few other variations).

Oprah Winfrey, who was raised in poverty and became one of the most successful TV stars of all time while also offering reading advice to millions.

Andrew Carnegie, who, as a child, worked as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill (before child labor laws prohibited it). He earned billions in steel and helped transform our economy for the industrial age.

Steve Jobs, a college dropout who likely invented the phone or the computer you’re holding right now.

You may be thinking: But these people are the exceptions.

Nobody ever mentions the thousands of inventors, industrialists, retailers, and entertainers who fell flat on their faces.

You’d be right, of course.

More importantly, though, I also didn’t mention the thousands of people who have enjoyed success on a more moderate scale — all the people who went from living paycheck-to-paycheck at a job they hated to supporting their families by owning a business.

This list is longer than you may think, and it’s full of people like you and me — ordinary people who had a vision for a better future and worked hard to make it happen.

I’ll spare you the motivational speech about how you can’t succeed without the possibility of failure, and about how even today’s billionaires can tell you about their ever-growing lists of failures.

Instead, let’s look at some possible paths to entrepreneurial success, all of which allow you to be your own boss and, in most cases, to make your own rules:

Franchising

Let’s say you love Five Guys Burgers & Fries, an East Coast hamburger place, but the chain doesn’t have a location near you.

As you drive along looking for someplace to eat, you may tell your significant other: “You know, somebody really ought to open a Five Guys on this side of town. They’d make a killing.”

Well, that “somebody” may be you.

You could look into franchising requirements for Five Guys (or whatever your favorite store or restaurant actually is) and open your very own location.

Most stores require some personal investment, and they may have some other requirements, too. You also wouldn’t have total freedom over every decision you make since the corporation you’re partnering with will have its own set of standards.

But, if you have a flair for business management but not necessarily a niche product that’s all your own, this could be your path.

Selling Stuff Online

If you need a lower bar for admission into entrepreneurship than opening a franchise, online sales may be your thing. It’s not all knitted scarves or unneeded football tickets these days.

People shop all the time on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, and countless other sites for used and new products.

To succeed, you need to be an expert on a product so you can make a profit by connecting others with exactly what they’re looking for.

If you’re an expert on guitars, for example, you could spend your weekends shopping garage sales, estate sales, and auctions. You’d see a lot of junk.

But, since you know your product line, you’d also recognize the vintage Gibson J-200 someone is selling for a song, and you’ll know how easy it will be to find a premium buyer online.

Along with expertise in your product lines, you’ll need great customer service chops and some patience as you get your business rolling.

Selling Your Advice

It’s not all about tangible products.

You can also sell your expertise, whether you are an expert in business, the arts, engineering, industry, retail, etc.

Thanks to Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts and similar services, you can even offer advice online, whether you’re teaching painting lessons or showing someone how to integrate a drone into their wedding videography business.

Just look at YouTube.

Whether you’re fixing a washing machine or changing your spark plugs, chances are you can find a video of someone else doing the same thing.

What do you know an awful lot about?

Whatever it is, someone else may need your advice. Whether you charge for one-on-one sessions or cast a wider net with more general videos, you can turn your smarts into a source of income.  

Offering a Service

Do you cut your own grass?

Shop for your own groceries?

Pick up your own dry-cleaning?

More and more people are turning to services to do these sorts of things, which means there may be a growing market in your community for someone to perform these services.

By developing a steady clientele and setting some reasonable limits (no 2 a.m. runs to Taco Bell, perhaps?) you can have your own courier service.

Start by placing an ad in your community’s newspapers or free weeklies, and mix in some patience, some flexibility, and a pricing plan that’s fair to you and your customers.

Other Entrepreneurial Ideas

We’ve hit some high points, but this is by no means an all-inclusive list. If you have a business idea, you’ve already caught the entrepreneurial spirit.

Maybe it’s time to start looking into financing, business partners, or marketing strategies. 

If you’re in the type of role at work where you have the ability to affect change or have some latitude in your responsibilities, you could morph an idea or concept into an entirely new business unit.

Sometimes you can parlay being in the right place at the right time into a leadership role of an entire organization or act as an “agent” to fill a need and collect a premium for doing so.

Not everyone is destined for business ownership, though.

Keep reading to learn about other routes to financial success.

Using Education to Unlock Earnings

For several generations it was almost a given: A college degree would open doors for the rest of your career.

Federal labor statistics showed (and still show) higher earning power for people with a four-year degree. So college became a rite of passage across the country.

But what happens if you’re not in a position to pursue higher education?

What if you already have a family and a full-time job?

Or, what if taking a bunch of English and philosophy courses just isn’t your thing?

There’s good news for you, too.

You can still unlock higher earnings through education without going the traditional college route.

Let’s take a look at some traditional and alternative educational paths to show what I mean:

Certificate Programs

College can teach critical thinking skills, helping you succeed in a variety of professions.

However, a four-year degree may not teach specific trade skills.

In many professions, employers value specific, hands-on skills over more general thinking skills.

I think it’s best to have both, but to provide employers with skilled employees, many community and technical colleges offer certificate programs for professions such as:

Welding

Dental assistants

HVAC

Web design

Nursing assistants

Plumbing

Electrical work

Auto technicians

Information technology

Cosmetology

Manufacturing

Certificate programs usually cost a lot less than traditional college courses, and they may require less of your time.

It’s also possible the community college in your area offers night classes and other ways to accommodate classes to your work schedule.

In many professions, getting “certified” unlocks higher wages.

Traditional College Degrees

Of course, skilled trades aren’t for everybody.

Some of us need more time to figure out a suitable profession.

One of the neat things about traditional, four-year college programs is the opportunity to learn a little bit about a lot of things, which means you may come across the right fit when you least expect it.

I remember a friend who started college with no firm plans for the future. She signed up for classes, got her parking pass, and all that.

Then, on the first day of classes, she became enamored with the whole concept of chemistry. She declared chemistry her major, graduated with a degree, and started a successful (and high-paying) career as an industrial chemist.

Most of us will need more than one day of college to find our calling. For some people, it takes two years to decide on a major. Others may go all four years without finding the answer.

For those folks, graduate school for advanced degrees may be on the horizon.

Advanced Degrees

Physicians, high-level business executives, researchers, college professors, and most lawyers have one thing in common, and it’s not necessarily their tax bracket: They hold advanced degrees in their fields of study.

Advanced degrees offer a level of specialization (and earning power) beyond what a four-year diploma or a certificate can give you.

People who research the effects of school nutrition on academic performance or who diagnose medical conditions using a microscope most likely have advanced degrees.

Usually, you need a bachelor’s degree before starting on an advanced degree and expect to spend upwards of $100,000 in tuition for some advanced degrees.

It could all be worth it, financially, when you land your first degree-specific job.

Little or No Post-Secondary Education

What happens if education beyond high school just hasn’t worked out for you?

All is not lost. Recent data shows 72 percent of people with only high school degrees had jobs in 2017.

You could start your own business, as I discussed above, or you could apply for more general labor jobs which don’t necessarily require a certificate or a diploma — jobs in traditionally labor-heavy fields such as:

Restaurant work

Assisting in construction sites

General manufacturing

Custodial work

Retail sales

Expect to start out in the lowest level at a company and with a lower pay rate. With hard work and by becoming a reliable employee, you may be able to start climbing the wage ladder.

But statistics tell a discouraging tale. Recent Pew Research data says people with a college education will earn, on average, $1 million more over the course of their careers than people with only a high school education.

What’s worse is that automation in manufacturing and the transition to online retail has made competition for these kinds of jobs more fierce.

Simply put, the economy is growing less friendly toward workers with little or no training.

Side Hustling Your Way to Greater Success

Let’s say you have a job, or you own your own business, and you’re pretty happy with what you earn.

However, you just can’t seem to stay ahead of the curve financially. In August, when the kids need school supplies, your whole budget gets knocked out of whack.

And at year’s end you have to decide whether to contribute to your IRA or buy your wife a Christmas present.

Maybe it’s time for a side hustle.

One side-hustle that has proven very lucrative for many people is running Facebook Ads for local businesses.

What is a Side Hustle?

When you start marshaling your free time toward making extra money, you’re working your side hustle.

My favorite side hustle ideas make the best use of your existing habits so you don’t have to think about work all the time.

For example, let’s say you work at a bank downtown and you paint houses as a side hustle. City Hall is near your bank branch.

So on your lunch break, you stop by City Hall to see who has taken out building permits for remodeling their homes. Someone who is remodeling, you think, may need to hire a painter.

In other words, you’d be able to generate job leads for your side hustle without going out of your way or making special trips.

That level of scheduling elegance isn’t a necessity, though. It matters more to be good at the services you’re offering, whatever they may be:

Real estate

Multi-level marketing

Contracting

Consulting

Freelance writing or editing

At-home manufacturing

At-home data entry or billing

Interior decorating

Video editing

This list could go on for days, but you get the general idea: Find something you like to do and find a way to fit it into your schedule.

Here are some other tips to remember:

Create business cards, which you can do easily online. You never know when you’ll come across someone who needs (or knows someone who needs) a service you provide.

Set boundaries to preserve your work-life balance. When things get rolling, it can be hard to tell a potential client “no.” But if you say “yes” to everybody, you may find yourself working around the clock.

Be upfront with your steady gig. Make sure your full-time employer or your business partners know about your side hustle to avoid misunderstandings. Avoid treating your co-workers like a built-in customer base, and don’t use your company’s copying machines or other office equipment to support your side hustle unless you’ve made prior arrangements.

Be transparent with your side hustle customers, too. Let them know you have a full-time job and are not necessarily available 24/7.

Keep up with your expenses and your earnings via receipts, invoices, or 1099 forms so you can report your figures properly at tax time. Ask a tax professional for advice before you start spending your earnings.

I also recommend setting some earnings goals.

How much you’d like to earn should influence the kind of job and the ferocity level of your side hustling.

For example…

If You’d Like to Earn an Extra $100 a Week

You could probably earn an extra $100 a week through Multi-Level Marketing (I’m not a huge fan, but hey, maybe it’s your thing) or by selling a line of products to your friends (think candles, beauty products, or environmentally friendly weed spray).

This kind of work takes an outgoing personality. If that’s not you, keep looking.

Some sort of at-home clerical work or light home repair, maybe.

Be careful about up-front costs, though. A lot of these opportunities — especially at-home clerical work or Multi-Level Marketing — require an investment, and if things don’t go well, you won’t recoup those costs.

Before spending any of your own money, make sure you’ve talked to some other people who have given it a try. Online message boards can also give you some insight into the real cost of doing business.

Other ideas for earning about $100 a week:

Become a tutor: So you’re good at math or you’re a history buff? Put those interests to use by helping students in your neighborhood excel. Ask the staff at your local schools, put some cards out at the library, or put an ad on Craigslist or Facebook to get started.

Sell your stuff: Do you have boxes of books or DVDs you don’t really need? Find a used book store and sell your extra stuff. If you run out of stuff, go to some yard sales to get more or offer to help your neighbors go through and sell their extra stuff for a commission. You can also sell clothes, yard equipment, or children’s toys. The list goes on and on.

Clean someone’s house: Cleaning up isn’t much fun, but earning extra money is. If you can get a couple regular customers, you’ll likely earn $100 or so a week. Be sure to factor in the cost of cleaning supplies.

Become a mystery shopper: Do you have a keen sense for detail? Put it to use as a mystery shopper. Essentially, you’re sharing your experiences as a customer with retail store managers. 

If You’d Like to Earn $1,000 a Month

We’re getting more into part-time job territory here, but with side-hustling, you’re limited mainly by your time and determination.

You can take the $100-a-week ideas above and do them more aggressively — tutor more children, clean more houses, sell more stuff, etc.

Or, you could…

Start a blog about a topic you enjoy, be it cooking, yard work, interior design, reading, train travel, computer networking, music, appliance repair, electronics reviews, mountain climbing, parkour, gardening, water conservation — you get the idea! Develop an audience and monetize it. See my post about starting a blog here.

Be someone’s virtual assistant. Not all administrative support staff work on-site and take notes in-person at meetings. You can also help an executive from the comfort of your home by scheduling appointments, typing letters, ordering supplies, and preparing presentations. Zirtual may be able to connect you with someone who needs your help, though it may ask for a fee to get you started. You could also send some emails to companies near you offering your services.  

Become a substitute teacher. It’s a tough job, but if you like variety in your schedule and work locales, and you enjoy working with children and teens, check with your local school district; most districts have frequent openings. If you can find six or so hours a couple of times a week, it could be worth your time.

If You’d Like to Earn an Extra $10,000 a Month

There comes a point when a side hustle becomes your main hustle. If you’re shooting for $10,000 a month, maybe you’ve reached that point.

If you’re serious about it, though, here’s something to keep in mind: To earn this kind of money on the side, you may need more inspiration than perspiration.

Can you think of a new way to do something which will make an existing process more efficient?

If so, your new knowledge will be worthwhile to others:

Can you develop an app to make car shopping more seamless?

Can you find a chemical process to make composting easier and more efficient?

Can you add a new layer of automation to an existing manufacturing process?

Innovations like these — combined with good business sense and the right kind of marketing — can put you on the map as an earner/entrepreneur.

Sometimes, You Just Need More Money

For most of us, more money equals more freedom.

Some people can cut costs to come up with more flexibility in their monthly budgets. You can do things like:

Getting a basic phone to avoid cellular data charges.

Cutting the cable TV bill and getting a cheaper streaming service.

Putting off that new car to avoid a regular payment and higher auto insurance.

Keeping the AC set to 75 degrees to reduce energy bills.

Sometimes, though, you just need more money, plain and simple.

If your need is immediate, a side hustle may be the way to go.

Who knows? Your side hustle may turn into your full-time business.

If you’re planning the next 10 years and have some career goals, consider mixing in some education. Getting the right certification, diploma, or advanced degree should open some doors.

And, of course, if you’ve caught that entrepreneurial spirit, you may already have the skills you need.

Maybe it’s just a matter of getting the right financing to start your business growing.

Whatever your case, make sure you’re making a plan to meet your specific needs — financially, personally, and professionally.

I’ve heard it said, and I’ve found it to be true: Once you find your true calling, you no longer feel like you’re working.

Instead, you’re just turning what you enjoy doing into a steady flow of earned income.

6 Steps to Becoming Incredibly Intelligent Like the World Richest Man: Elon Musk

Elon Musk, a man constantly making waves at the forefront of innovation. Driven by his boundless curiosity, the key trait he utilised to establish industry-leading companies like SpaceX, Tesla, PayPal and many more within a scant few years.

So what is the secret behind Elon’s genius? You may have wondered how this man can seem so smart, well here are 6 steps you can take to follow his way of thought.

1. Open up to new perspectives

Many think that specialising and becoming an expert in a particular field is the way to success and the forefront of development, Elon Musk begs to differ. Rather than becoming an expert in a single field, Elon Musk is an ‘expert generalist’ with deep knowledge in multiple fields of different disciplines.

Here are some of the things you should do to be as knowledgeable as him:

Look for a subject that interests you and don’t be afraid of the difficulty in learning it

Challenge the established status quo. Look for new opportunities rather than ones people are already fighting for.

Elon Musk is living proof that going above and beyond to chase what others consider a pipe dream and succeeding is possible. Becoming the sole pioneer and leading expert in an undiscovered industry is possible if you follow the same principles.

 

2. Start from the basics

If you want to speak English well, you need to learn the alphabet before you start with sentences. This simple rule applies to everything, building up your basics before doing anything complex prevents you from making dumb and basic mistakes. To innovate, you need to know what isn’t known or what isn’t being used.

Elon Musk once said, “It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree — make sure you understand the fundamental principles, for instance, the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to.”

In practice, you can apply the ‘semantic tree’ concept in these ways:

Obtaining a complete understanding of the fundamentals before moving onto more advanced topics

Pay attention to the details, even if they seem insignificant to others

Compress and organise all your notes neatly, make them easy to understand for yourself

 

3. Focus on what you learned and know

It took Elon Musk just 2 years to pick up rocket science and learn enough to launch SpaceX as a leading pioneer in space transportation, the most successful private enterprise for space exploration and transportation ever made.

So how do you follow in Elon’s footsteps? Start by learning from many other people as much as you can, so you can have an idea of what you are getting into before you dive in.

It can be said that knowing how to get reliable and true knowledge is one of the most important steps on this path. Being able to filter out false information is something many people overlook despite their education.

 

4. Link each field of study together

Once Elon Musk has his basics covered on multiple subjects, he utilises the knowledge of different subjects to support and launch creative ideas. Making use of multiple fields of knowledge to achieve a goal while making it less academic and more realistic.

Here are some of the benefits of doing this:

You will be able to put knowledge to practical use much easier and more frequently

You can come up with new and creative ideas, thinking out of the box will be much easier when you are not limited to a box that is a single field or subject

 

5. Branch out your knowledge

This man believed that knowing just one thing is not enough. The more we learn, the more we see the world from a broader perspective. By gaining more knowledge in different fields, you can spot more possible connections and interactions that have not been explored or documented in depth before.

 

6. Putting knowledge to practical use

Action is the key to success. If you don’t come up with a way to take the knowledge you gained and apply it to practical use, then you’ve wasted your time studying. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, failure is the best teacher you will ever have. The lessons you learn from the pain of failing can be used to improve your next attempt, it helps develop your ability better than any other way.

 

Anyone can be a smart thinker like Elon Musk

If you’ve read up to this point, then you’ll understand why Elon Musk’s way of thinking has allowed him to achieve worldwide success and become a renowned person. We can all apply his philosophy to ourselves and be able to not only improve our creativity but also be unafraid of challenging the established norm.

5 Easy Ways to Make $2,000 Every Month from Twitter

 

Twitter is a key part of any social media marketing campaign.

However, you don’t have to have a blog in order to make money through Twitter.

There are several ways that you can make money through the social network without trying to sell your own products or services.

Twitter is a powerful platform unto itself, not just a conduit for marketing another site. You can create a Twitter account around a profitable niche — making money online, online education, or motherhood, for example — and amass a large number of followers interested in that niche. Then you can tweet links to interesting content from around the web, offering your followers something of value without ever having to create content yourself.

So how do you make money? The same way you do on a blog: Selling advertising, sponsored links, and affiliate marketing. Here are a few programs that can help you make money on Twitter:

Tip: To make money on Twitter, you would also need an efficient way to publish, schedule, monitor, listen, comment, and so on. Jeff uses Agorapulse to maximize all these in less time.

#1. Sponsored Tweets

Sponsored Tweets is a well-known ad service for Twitter allows you to set your own price-per-click for ads that you tweet. You can choose the ads you tweet from a list of available ads that are updated regularly. You must have at least 50 followers, 100 tweets, and an account that is at least 60 days old to sign up for this service.

#2. MyLikes

MyLkes is an extensive ad platform can be used on Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, and your blog. You get to choose ads from thousands of advertisers, and you get to schedule the time the advertisement will be tweeted from your account. You can earn as much as $0.42 per click, and you can get a payout weekly.

#3.  Ad.ly

Ad.ly is another ad service that lets you send out advertisements in your tweets. However, you don’t get paid-per-click. Instead, you create a profile of your interests, then advertisers can choose your account to publicize a campaign. You agree to send out a specific number of tweets on a specific schedule, and you get paid a lump sum.

#4. Rev Twt

Rev Twt is a  Twitter-based advertising service and is a pay-per-click platform. The more followers you have and the higher reputation you have, the greater access you will have to higher-paying campaigns. Payout is made via Paypal when you have reached $20 in earnings.

#5. Twittad

The Twittad  platform claims to be one of the first sponsored-tweet networks. You are able to set your own cost-per-click, but you have to wait for advertisers to accept your bid. You will also have to identify your niche so that advertisers can match their products with you appropriately. Payment is made via Paypal when you have reached $30 in earnings.

There are many other ways you can make money with your Twitter account, including selling banner ads on your profile page, setting your own rates and selling direct sponsored tweets, charging to send a personal message to your followers, or charging for access to your private list of followers. These advertising services can also help you make money through pay-per-click advertising, which can be especially lucrative if you have a large following.

What About You?

Do you have any experience with any of these ad platforms? Were you successful with any of them?

Tell us about your experiences in the comments! Look forward to hearing your stories

TIP: If you are too busy, you can always hire a Twitter expert or a freelancer on Fiverr.

Author: Carlina Yepinski is the primary researcher and writer for networkmonitoring.org. Her most recent accomplishments includes graduating from Kentucky State with a degree in communications and computer science. Her current focus for the site involves server monitoring and it monitoring software.

How to Drop Bad Habits and Encourage Productivity in Life

At first I was going to call this article, “10 Tips for a Productive Work Day.” But the more I thought about it the more I felt like productivity isn’t just about work. I like having a productive weekend or night at home too. (But, of course, I love a good vacation day spent doing NOTHING as well!) I would really like to have a productive life, but it’s sometimes a bit of a struggle. Here are ten tips that help me stay on track.


1. Make a to-do list. 

I am absolutely lost without a to-do list! I (try) to write out a list every morning just before I begin the day. I’ve also found that if I’m feeling overly anxious about a big project at work or looming deadline I sometimes make my to-do list the night before. This makes me feel like I’m getting a jump start on the day.

2. Give yourself small rewards for completing big tasks. 

I don’t know about you, but I am all about rewards. It might be something as little as, “Once I finish getting through all my emails I’ll go make my afternoon cup of coffee.” Little rewards don’t have to be about money or things, get creative and find small ways to motivate yourself to hustle. 🙂


3. Find ways to break up your workday (or night). 

I feel like I have a pretty decent attention span, but I’m not super human or anything. It’s good to break up tasks that take a long time or that are physically demanding in any way. For example, let’s say you’re a photographer and you have about five hours of editing to do one night. Work for three hours then give yourself a snack or paint your nails. 

4. Avoid addictive time wasting activities. 

I recently confessed my love for Candy Crush Saga. I’m no stranger to time wasting activities. Facebook can be a trap. Smartphone or internet games can also get super addictive. Avoid these when you’re trying to get something done. Check your FB during the last five minutes of your work day (maybe as your reward?). Also set limits for mini “time wasting” sessions. It’s ok to need a mental break, but don’t get sucked in. For example, next time you go to check Instagram while you’re suppose to be working look at the clock first. Give yourself only 2-3 to scroll through your feed then stop.


5. Get as much done as early in the day as you can. 

It’s a ripple effect thing. Personally, I’m sort of morning, sort of not a morning person. You know? I have a hard time getting up in the morning! But I’ve noticed that when I do get up and get rolling on my to-do list for the day I already feel so accomplished by nine or ten in the morning that I feel confident about the rest of the day. Start your day with a bang! The momentum will keep you rolling. Then you have the evening hours to relax and unwind.


6. Tackle that really tough to-do first. 

I know. You don’t want to. Me neither. But once it’s done it’s done! I find that I’ll often leave a really tough or bummer to-do at the bottom of my list for days and days longer than it should have been there. And it’s just looming over me the whole time. Just do it. You’ll feel better. And then you’ll only have the easy stuff left to do.

7. Showcase your success.

This is motivation fuel for the future. It’s ok to feel super pumped and proud when you complete a tough goal or finish a super long to-do list. Tell your significant other. Instagram that finished project. Call your mom. Pump your fists in the air. Celebrate—you did it!

8. Tell someone your goals. 

Now they are your accountability partner(s). Boom. I don’t know about you, but I am WAY more likely to finish a goal if I’ve told someone else about it. This can be as public as you like. You could tell your sister a personal goal. Or you can start a monthly blog series where you share your goals for the month (like 4 Simple Goals) and then you share progress. You decide who you want to tell, just tell someone.


9. Be realistic. 

We all need breaks. Plan to come back to difficult or frustrating tasks later. Sometimes things don’t come together like we’d hoped. Sometimes a task turns out to be way more physically demanding than we thought. Be honest with yourself. Take a break if you need. Just be sure to make a specific plan to come back to the project, maybe seek out some help if you need.

10. Make goal setting a habit. 

Maybe the whole to-do list sounds annoying, or cheesy, or overwhelming to you. Find what works for you. And don’t worry if it feels weird or even scares you a little at first. It will start to feel like a normal part of your daily life. And you’ll start to feel weird/off if you miss it. It’ll become habit, like brushing your teeth. It’s not overwhelming or annoying to remember to do this simple task twice every day. But it wasn’t always a habit, probably your parents had to remind you a lot at first. Let goal setting become a routine and positive part of your everyday life.

How To Make Millions With Affiliate Marketing On Pinterest

There are some doubts as to Pinterest’s money generating capabilities, however, making money with this social media is quite possible nowadays. So, it’s time to change your mind about this platform, as it is not just a photo-sharing network. It can become your personal promotion board.

One of the most common ways to make money on Pinterest is through an affiliate program with brands. It may seem to beginners that this is a difficult task, but everything is very simple and you will discover the best tips and strategies next.

Why you need to stop your choice on Pinterest

Pinterest is a modern visual search engine that is used to make purchasing decisions. The number of users has reached 335 million per month. Most of the users of this site are female, and they use this platform to make decisions about diet, dress, interior design, and where to go to rest. Such a platform becomes an attractive place for affiliate marketing.

Everyone knows what an affiliate program is and that it takes a lot of time and skills to promote partners’ links. You have to write reviews, helpful articles, and so on. Pinterest makes this whole process easy. In short, you have to create an attractive Pin with an affiliate link. Sounds simple, right? Below you will learn about the three main ways of Pinterest affiliate marketing.
Tips before you start making money on Pinterest with an affiliate program

If you asked yourself such a question as “how to earn on Pinterest”, then most likely you are new to this site. Before we start considering the main tips, you need to do the following:
Registration and audience gathering: Define your niche in which you would like to sell products or services. For example, you may be fond of confectionery and know a lot in this area. So, you need to define your target audience. If we follow the example, then most likely women are your target audience. 

Create a profile on and make a board that will attract women who are interested in cooking.
Choose a company for affiliate marketing on Pinterest: Pick up a company based on the interests of your audience. Offer companies cooperation and indicate the statistics of your account. By the way, if your board gains a large number of subscribers, then such companies can find you themselves.
Use tools to shorten URLs. For example, such an application Bitly allows you to shorten the URLs of links and also track their activity. As you understand, you will know how many clicks were on your Pins.

Top 3 tips that will definitely work

Now let’s look at the simplest but most effective ways to promote affiliate links on this site. After you have followed the previous tips, it is time to start building the foundation for successful earnings with the help of an affiliate program.

1. Don’t forget to add a partner’s link to your Pin
If you already have a PIN, just edit them and add the desired link.
Create new Pins and don’t forget to always add links to them.
Don’t forget to create a high-quality and attractive product photo.
Create a text that will explain what this product is and why subscribers should choose it.
If the product is not physical, then create a mockup or corresponding picture to promote the service.
Add relevant keywords.
Do not forget to indicate that you are using an affiliate link.

2. Reboot blog traffic

If you are already promoting your affiliate program through blogs or social media, then it’s time to use Pinterest to increase your potential customer traffic. You can use the articles that you already have, as long as they are popular.
Choose from 5 to 10 successful publications.
Find images that match each existing post.
Create new pins and link them to these posts.

3. Discover relevant group boards to increase clicks

It is an excellent way to reach a large number of users, but there is a pitfall you should be aware of. The point is that many group boards do not allow placing pins where there is an affiliate link. Read the rules carefully before joining such boards.

Next, your task is to find boards that match your individual ones. There is a little secret for the search to be effective. Find bloggers in your niche and join whatever boards they have. This will save you time and find boards that fit your individual needs.

This method takes time as you have to wait for approval. Also, try to send applications to as many groups as possible, so out of 10 boards, less than half can approve you. This is okay! Be patient and take some time.

The Final Thoughts

Now you’re convinced that Pinterest is more than just a place for researching ideas or sharing photos. This is the place that will allow you to generate additional income. Undoubtedly, these are not all ways of earning money, but they can be safely considered basic and the simplest ones that are perfect for those who are completely new to both Pinterest and affiliate marketing. You can easily check it in practice. Do not waste your time and earn your first money right now.

How to Earn Money Online from Forex Trading

Earning money has generally been linked with and limited to traditional ‘offline’ routes. With the Internet advancing and being a major part of our daily lives, the majority of individuals are searching for methods to earn money online in order to augment their finances. This turns into secondary or passive income that can facilitate them to manage their expenses.

If you are looking to earn passive income through an online source, then the forex market arena is a possible method to get profits. So how can you earn online? Forex is a lucrative market with a net worth of approximately $2 quadrillion. It is also a highly liquid market, however, you will need to know the right techniques and strategies to be profitable in this market.
Understand the Market

Prior to executing profitable strategies and putting plans in motion, it is essential that you completely understand the market and the possible risks involved in trading forex. This trading technique is mainly done online, allowing a trader to gain profits or lose money. The trade ensues by purchasing instruments in one currency and then selling it in another. These are known as currency pairs. Knowing when to invest in a particular currency pair is how you can earn online.
Find a Suitable Forex Broker

To be a success in the forex market, it is essential that the broker you partner with complies with the prevailing regulatory framework that conserves the integrity of forex markets. In this market, there is a serious chance of falling victim to brokers who are a scam. There have been numerous occurrences where the traders close their operations after the transaction costs rise and the investor begins to lose their life’s worth of savings. So avoid opting for brokerage firms that have such practices. When you come across a good broker or platform, make sure to research their reputation by reading reviews and how people perceive them online. Best forex brokers shows the pros and cons, and the background of XM brokers. They are reliable and regulated brokers who support webinars and research materials. These permit traders from various international countries to engage and begin earning online.
Practice through Demo-Account Option

Novices in forex trading must take their time to practice using the free demo-accounts that the majority of trading platforms provide before investing real capital. The situations created reflect that of the real forex market. Moreover, it offers an excellent chance for learners to get comfortable with currency trading, recognizing patterns in the market and looking through a variety of trading methods. In addition, traders can extract information, advice and educational videos regarding forex trading when using the demo account. After you have mastered the trading skills on a demo account, then you can get big gains by investing real capital.

Having more than one income stream is essential in this highly expensive world. There are multiple earning sources online. A lot of individuals are opting for online earning methods because it does not require a 9-5 duty time and can lead to major profits.

How to Get Rich in 2022: 11 Bold Moves That Guarantee Wealth

Have you ever asked yourself, “how can I become rich?” Everyone has dreams about winning the lottery and how to become rich overnight. People want to get rich. Just do a search on Google Books and you can see that it’s been a rising trend since the 90s.




Many people are looking for ways to get their first 100K, or ways to invest for a better retirement. Some are trying to succeed as entrepreneurs. People want to have enough money to buy beautiful homes, powerful cars, and great vacations. But not many know how to become rich. How do you become rich?
Being rich is more than about the dollar amount.

Being rich is a state of mind. In a sense, you could be rich but still poor, and vice versa.

You can define “rich” in different ways. There are a lot of people who simply consider it as having a lot of money. For them, rich is equivalent to a being a millionaire.

But rich can also be psychological richness. It is an achievement of being able to live without the worry of money. You don’t necessarily need to own a castle to be considered rich. Everyone can be rich as long as we are able to do what we desire freely and to have the fulfilment in life. The key of it is to live with or even less than what you have. To be “normal” even when you are financially capable to do a lot more.

You might have your own preference on which definition suits you better, but here are some ways on how to get rich. It may help you achieve either (or both) of them.
If you want to become really really rich, make bold moves.

It’s an ambitious goal to become wealthy, and if you’re aiming for that, here are simple ways to get rich.

1. Exploit your skill as a self-employed expert and invest in it.

Make it your goal to do one thing better than anyone: Work on it, train it, learn it, practice, evaluate and refine it. You may find most sports-players or entertainers are millionaires, and that is because they are utilizing their skills fully. If there’s something you’re good at, it is likely you can reap considerable rewards out of it.

It is the same concept of being the top of a particular field. When you are the best at something, you find that opportunities come to you. To become an expert of something, it is crucial to never stop improving. Successful people invest time, energy, and money in improving themselves, and it might just be the most rewarding investment you can ever make.

To get started, figure out what skill you want to cultivate. Make a list of the world’s ten best people at that one thing, and use this list to define criteria and track your own progress toward becoming the best.

If you’re a writer, for example, you might consult the New York Times Bestseller list, and identify the ten successful authors that you admire the most. Learn more about these writers, what they did to be successful, and read some of their work. Invest the time and energy in improving your own craft, by looking at successful past models.
2. Hit $100K, then invest the rest.

Everyone wants to get rich fast. But a goal like this isn’t something you can easily achieve in a short period of time. Instead of thinking of how to get rich fast, aim at saving $100K first.

The small amounts you save daily are powerful. You might only be able to put away $5 or $10 at a time, but each of these investments are your financial foundation.

3. Be an inventor and consider it as an opportunity to serve.

Stop thinking about getting rich fast and start thinking about serving a lot of people. If you think about what people need, or things that could improve society, your insights will have more impact. Not only that, you could be the first to produce a trending product in the future.

When you start to serve a lot of people, the effect of word of mouth is magnified – not to mention, you’ll have much more helpful feedback to improve what you do.

Having the patent of a popular invention could be the fast-lane ticket to prosper. Just look at Snapchat.

It would definitely be challenging, but consider it to be a way of serving, to benefit those who actually need your invention. No business is successful without the support of the public. Rather than squeezing every single dollar out of your customers, show them you are actually working to make them better.

4. Join a start-up and get stock.

Using the same potential consideration of start-up in the above points, owning stocks of one or more start-up companies could be a valuable investment if the company thrives and either floats or is sold to a larger enterprise.

Only a small minority of start-ups succeed in realizing large capital gains, so the odds are not good. However, you can use your judgment to see which business idea and which management team are likely to succeed. Early employees in Apple, Google, and Microsoft became millionaires on this basis.

5. Develop property.

Buying, developing and selling property has always been a major way for people to accumulate capital.

Borrowing could be a key element in this method. Say you borrow $200,000 and put in $50,000 of your own to buy a property for $250,000. Then you develop the property and sell it for $400,000. The property has increased in value by 60% but your $50,000 has now grown fourfold to $200,000. You have to select the right properties in the right areas and develop them wisely.

You are at risk from booms and busts in the property market. However, in the long term this remains a proven way to accumulate wealth.

6. Build a portfolio of stocks and shares.

If you can make steady investments in stocks over a long period, choose wisely and reinvest the dividends then you can build a large store of wealth. Of course stocks can go either way and many small investors lose heart when their portfolio plunges.

But over the long-term, equities are as good an investment as property and much more liquid. Stock market crashes represent great buying opportunities for those with cash and strong nerves.

7. Start your own business and eventually sell it

More and more startup have seen success with great return in recent years. If you can find a new approach towards a specific corner of the market and build a business that addresses that need, then you have a potential of success in it.


It literally can be anything: a cleaning business, a food delivery service, or a blog. It will probably take years of very hard work to build up the enterprise. All entrepreneurs will have to endure great risk and stress. But if you can pull it off, the potential rewards are huge. This is how many of the seriously wealthy people did it.
If you want to become wealthier and live a better life, build simple habits.

If you’re aiming for a stable life with enough money to support a living, start with the everyday things you can do.

8. Find a job in the right vehicle.

Choose a job of your interest – do what you love and love what you do. No one succeeds in doing what they hate.

You might have to start at the bottom and work your way up. But chances are, if you love what you do, it’s easier to make that happen. You’ll actually enjoy the process of getting to the top.

Earn the experience through different levels of work and when you feel like you have gained all that you can from it, consider moving on in other companies would widen your horizon on different business cultures. Putting more experiences in various positions would make you a more valuable asset for companies and making you a better option for higher rank duties.

Consider how the rich are able to get in with the right companies, where there are plenty of opportunities for growth. Seek places where you can grow your skill and are able to multiply your monthly income many times over.

9. Cut your expenses.

The biggest problem in some people’s path of getting rich is that they always spend more than what they earn. Living below your means will be the easiest to get rich.

Consistently track your progress on how much you’re spending. Use an app or simply an Excel spreadsheet to make sure you always know how much money you have what where it’s going. This gives you a proper place to review and refine what does and doesn’t make sense in terms of your spending.

Start cutting the unnecessary spendings in your life. Do what you can to reduce your bills: make sure you turn off the lights, plan meals to save at the grocery store, and be disciplined about eating in. Focus your life with only the necessities and in no time you will be saving a lot more than what you previously did.

10. Save it in your bank.

Set savings goals and routines to support those goals. Figure out ways that work for you in saving money, and refine what doesn’t.

Many banks have the option of creating separate savings accounts, as well as automatic withdrawals. By setting up these automatic transfers, you save passively and have to make an effort not to save.

Another thing you can try is to increase the amount of savings by 1% in every interval you wish. At first, it will be an insignificant change, but as time passes, you will notice a big difference.

Give yourself a reason and motivation to save as well. It is always important to plan for the future and saving for retirement could be a great point to persuade yourself to stay away from excessive spending.

11. Make investments wisely

Investment is much more than pure luck. One investment mistake could tear away a large chunk of your assets. So make sure whenever you are making decisions on investments, whether on properties or stock, think twice. It will be better for you to consider opinions from professionals and experts.

To give you some ideas, legendary investor Warren Buffett suggested to put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund, so that if the market crash, you will still be fine by cashing the 10% rather than selling the stock with a bad price.

Getting Rich the Wise Way

There are a lot more important things in life than accumulating wealth. Who wants to end up rich, unloved, lonely, and in poor health? However, if you can enjoy a balanced life and at the same time become rich, why not do so?

Taking combinations from the above suggestions may not guarantee you a prosperous future, but it will surely eliminate a lot of financial troubles in your life. With one step at a time, maybe you will also become the one you dreamed of.

8 Great Ways to Make Millions From Home

As the normalization of remote work continues, you can take advantage of a range of ways to make money from home. From selling items online to starting a podcast to offering your services as a virtual assistant, there are lots of opportunities to earn an income without leaving the house.

If you’re seeking a more traditional job format but still want to work from home, you’re in luck. Remote job postings—which doubled for some online recruitment sites during the pandemic—continue to rise. Regarding the remote positions available, tech jobs are among the most prevalent, but work-from-home opportunities have also risen in therapy, finance, and law.1


Where to begin when searching for remote work? “I’d encourage the job seeker to start by reflecting on their interests and career goals,” Indeed Senior Career Coach Jamie Birt told The Balance in an email.


Next, Birt recommended taking into account the jobs that are commonly performed remotely, such as copywriting, graphic design, and software development. Adding the term “remote” in job search engines can give you an idea of what’s available.


Last, bridge your career goals with the remote jobs that are available, Birt advised. When you find remote positions you like, take note of your current skill set to identify translatable skills, as well as any gaps where you’d need additional training or upskilling.


We’ll discuss eight remote moneymaking opportunities that can help make working from home a reality.

Sell Your Used and Unwanted Items

Clearing out and tidying up your home will likely leave you with piles of things you no longer need or use. You can bring in some extra cash by selling items online that are in good condition.

There are lots of virtual marketplaces where shoppers can go to find a variety of things. eBay is a popular place to sell just about any used item online. Other sites may be more specialized, such as thredUP, which is clothes-specific, or Decluttr, which focuses on cellphones, tech, CDs, DVDs, games, and books.

If you prefer to keep your sales local, you could check out sites like Craigslist, or keep things offline by having a garage sale or taking your items to a consignment store.

When listing items for sale online, you’ll want to include good photos and an accurate, detailed description.

Start a Podcast

“Podcasting is replacing blogging as the moneymaker for a lot of people working from home,” Joseph Hogue, who runs the site My Work From Home Money, told The Balance in an email. He added that advertising dollars are shifting from text-based to podcast sponsorships.


While it can take some time to grow an audience for your podcast, there are several ways to make money podcasting, including selling advertising time, adding affiliate marketing links, offering subscriptions, throwing live events, crowdfunding, selling merchandise, doing speaking gigs, or coaching others on how to host a podcast.


Make Money on YouTube

Momentum has been picking up in video monetization, said Hogue from My Work From Home Money. He suspects that vlogging will take over from podcasting once high-speed internet is universal.


Popular ways to make money on YouTube are monetizing ad views, running paid promotions, and being part of the YouTube Partner Program, among other opportunities.

 

Affiliate Marketing

If you have an audience through a website, social media, or other platforms, you can generate some extra income by including affiliate links. Affiliate marketing is when you earn a commission on the sale of someone else’s products. A common way is to have a link to another company’s website or product in your own content—if a reader clicks on your link and buys the product, you get a cut of the sale.

The Amazon Associates Program is a well-known affiliate network; you can find other affiliate marketing opportunities on platforms like CJ Affiliate, Rakuten LinkShare, ShareASale, and many more.

Familiarize yourself with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Endorsement Guides before starting with affiliate marketing. You’re required to disclose when you have a financial interest in a product or service mentioned on your site, along with other obligations.
Become a Virtual Assistant

As the workforce transitions to remote work, the demand for virtual assistants is expected to continue to increase. Virtual assistants, or VAs, work remotely to help with administrative tasks—they can work for individuals, teams, or companies. The workload of an administrative assistant usually involves tasks such as answering phone calls and taking messages, running social media accounts, scheduling appointments, and doing research, among other duties.

When starting a VA business, it can be challenging to land your first customer. VAs can find clients through social media channels like LinkedIn or Facebook groups, at virtual or in-person networking events, by word of mouth, or on freelancing platforms like Upwork.


Sell Your Photos Online

Make money online from home by selling your photography, video clips, vectors, and illustrations. Upload your content for individuals and companies to buy for use on their websites, platforms, or other needs. Try listing your work on sites like iStock, Dreamstime, and Adobe Stock.


Offer Your Expertise

If you’re an expert in something, consider creating resources to teach other people. Once you’ve made the initial effort of putting together the content, it can act as a passive income stream.


Online courses, webinars, and ebooks are all common ways to share information. You can build and promote the resources on your own or use educational platforms that already have established communities, such as Udemy or Skillshare.


Pick Up Freelance Work

Platforms such as Fiverr, Freelancer, and Upwork are popular online marketplaces that connect freelancers and clients. You can list your services on these sites and check out the opportunities available. You can do freelance work in several different fields—for example, writing and editing, marketing, graphics and design, programming, and translation.

Many remote moneymaking ventures can be started with little or no money, said Hogue from My Work From Home Money. You don’t have to spend hundreds for an online course or mentorship; you can find the information you need for free online or at a low cost through an ebook.

The Bottom Line

Growing your venture takes time, and you’ll likely need to put several different income streams together. Find ways to incorporate different moneymaking aspects into one business model. For example, you may be focused primarily on making money through blogging, but you also bring in funds with affiliate marketing and an online course you created that teaches others how to build their own YouTube channel.

There are lots of opportunities to make money from home; don’t be afraid to try out different options to determine the best fit for you.

10 Top Digital Marketing Tools for Small Businesses

Marketing tools are the great push for a small business. Nowadays there are plenty of impressive top digital marketing tools for small businesses. With marketing pertaining to everything from SEO to social media to PPC, you can’t do it alone. Fortunately, there are plenty of impressive top digital marketing tools you can use to help create a more effective solution for your small business.

If you work for a small business, it’s particularly imperative you find tools to help you manage the wide scope of your marketing demands.

Google Analytics

Want to comprehensively track your website performance? Google analytics allows you to analyze in-depth details about the visitors on your website, where they came from, the pages they spent the most times viewing as well as other details on your website performance.

These data if properly utilized would help you plan better strategies for your marketing campaigns.

Google Data Studio and Google Sheets is part of the Google Analytics 360 Suite, you can use these online software to create beautiful and explanatory reports for your clients. If you need a software for data visualization, I would recommend Google Data Studio and Google Sheets.

Some of the data points that Google Analytics makes available to you include:

• The number of visitors to your site by day, week, month, or any time period you choose
• Where these visitors are coming from – referrals from other website, organic search, ads, social, or direct
• The keywords people are using in Google to find your site
• The demographics and interests of your users
• How long each user spends on your site and which pages they visit

All this information is interesting, but it’s also vital knowledge that can help you to optimize your website and marketing campaigns.

For example, you might notice through Search Console or Analytics that you’re getting a lot of traffic from a keyword that you lack content covering. Write a blog post optimized for that keyword and watch your traffic and engagement levels rocket.

Getting loads of visitors from Facebook but none from Twitter? Maybe this is a sign you should concentrate your marketing efforts on your main channel.

It’s all about the insights – not just the analytics.

Semrush

Another SEO tool that is used for keyword research, tracking the keyword strategy used by your competitors, running SEO audits of your blog, looking for backlinking opportunities, and much more, Semrush is trusted by big and small businesses across the world. The company has a huge database of over 120 million keywords and 46 million domains.

Some of the areas it tracks are the organic position of a domain or landing URL on Google’s SERP, copies of AdWords ads and their position, competitor analysis, CPC ads, and others.

When it comes to eCommerce, you can optimize your online store from every angle by auditing your site to correct meta information and making your content unique.

You can also take your ad campaigns to the next level by exploring PLA copies and the keywords which trigger them. Finally, you can also manage social media and your reputation online.

Canva

Canva is a drag-and-drop design studio for folks who can’t afford professional graphic design. Canva is a subscription service for people who need web design to be easy and might not have the budget for a full-time graphic designer. Optimized for mobile, Canva makes design easy for amateurs with its visually appealing drag-and-drop features.

You can create shapes, logos, charts, graphs, and your own presentations with custom fonts using the design tools available in Canva. If you’re an employer, you can also check on the status of projects assigned to your employees on a deadline.

It has millions of images in its library and access to them is right at your fingertips.

Hubspot

Hubspot built their brand around inbound marketing (e.g. attracting potential customers by creating valuable content and experiences tailored to them), which is probably the most effective digital marketing strategy for small businesses.

HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing software solution that enables you to bring all your different marketing channels together, and optimize for more traffic, a higher conversion rate, and better ROI.

The tool includes optimized templates that are ideal for creating landing pages along with other features like live chat and user action events which ramp up your engagement and convert more visitors into customers.

Other features of HubSpot include:

• Content optimization tools
• Optimized landing pages
• Email templates
• Marketing automation
• Lead management
• Analytics
• Social media management

The full version of HubSpot has a hefty price tag but small businesses on lower budgets can get started with their free or basic package.

HubSpot has also made the switch from an inbound marketing tool to a complete CRM platform, now offering free and paid sales hubs, customer service hubs, and content management (on top of the free/paid marketing hub).

However, the complete content management platform is only available in paid versions.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media scheduling tool in the vein of MeetEdgar and Buffer that allows you to plan and pre-schedule your social media posts. This enables you to post whenever you want on a 24/7 cycle to reach international audiences.

All of the social engagement functions operate within the system dashboard, so you can stay in Hootsuite without switch back-and-forth between services. You can also identify key influencers and hashtags

The one-and-done social media online marketing tool with a post scheduling tool and analytics and monitoring features.

Paystack

Paystack is an online payment platform that makes it easy for merchants to accept card payments online from customers. It is easy to setup and the great part is, you don’t need to own a website to create a Paystack payment link for your business.

WordPress

WordPress is an open source website creation tool written in PHP. But totally simplified for use by those with little or no knowledge in coding, it’s probably the easiest and most powerful blogging and website content management system (CMS) in existence today.

WordPress is also a blank canvass for building any kind of site you want. If you’re looking to write a search engine optimized blog, WordPress is the way to go. Fun fact: 60% of websites on the internet are built with WordPress.

Slack

In the world of digital marketing tools, the success of any project hinges on the ease of communication between teams. That’s why you should invest in easy-to-use software that provides your team with uninterrupted interaction and data sharing.

One of the most popular team collaboration platforms is Slack. This sweet tool has won the hearts of many digital marketers thanks to its simple data sharing and easy message search options.

Most importantly, Slack can integrate with all major project management, office management, sales, productivity, design, and developer tools, making it easier for you to stay on top of every aspect of your digital marketing campaign. Better for SEO than other platforms like Squarespace.

Yoast SEO 

What use are all the hours you spend researching keywords and topics worth if you don’t properly optimize your content? Even the best of us forget things once in a while.

Yoast is one of the best digital marketing tools for optimizing content for SEO because they offer an awesome free version. Yoast will tell you where to place your keyword, how to improve readability, and perhaps most importantly, let you know what you’re doing wrong so you can improve.

With the paid versions, you can add related keywords, search for semantic keywords within the plugin, get instant internal link suggestions, insights, and more.

Try the free version of Yoast for a while to familiarize yourself with the features and audit your site’s content. When you’re comfortable, upgrade to the paid version to boost your content even further.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a marketing automation platform and an email marketing service which manages your email list and automates your email activities.

With mailchimp, you can design email newsletters and share them to a mailing list of your customers or prospective customers, mailchimp also lets you track your email marketing results by giving you a comprehensive information on your email subscribers, those who receive as well as read your emails.

Social Media Marketing Tools  

Social media tools make it possible to post constantly and organize your social media presence. They’re especially helpful for scheduling posts in advance so you’ve got a steady stream of content ready to go in your queue.

You don’t need any special tools to be on Facebook, Twitter , LinkedIn or Clubhouse. But it’s hard to get the most out of these platforms without social media management tools. (Quick note: Clubhouse does not yet have a third party management tool , you can read more about Clubhouse clubs to follow and how to use it for business on our blog).

Social Media Management Tools help you:

• Schedule and automate social media posts.
• Grow your following.
• Organize leads from social channels.
• Share content.
• Coordinate your social and content marketing.
• Use A/B testing to determine what’s working.

To survive in today’s competitive digital marketing landscape, you need to be intuitive, social media-savvy, and persistent.

Most importantly, you need to be a jack of all trades. Apart from knowing all the digital marketing tips and tricks, you must learn and use a wide range of digital marketing tools to save time and make your work more efficient.

 

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