Tag: tips and tricks

5 (Must-Know) Tips for the New Blogger

Posted on by flipping Pennies Contributor

You’ve heard everyone talking about it on Pinterest, and like most people, you may be a little skeptical. Blogging is becoming one of the top paying stay at home jobs. Seriously. On average, successful bloggers make between $1000-$5000 dollars per month. Of course, there are blogs that  make up to $30,000 per month. If you are looking to bring home some extra money every month, blogging is absolutely a great way to do so!

Related Articles:

How to Start A Blog

How to Make Money Blogging

7 Easy Ways to Make Money Blogging

Blogging is known for being the most flexible way to bring home big bucks. Seriously, the flexibility is what inspired me to begin blogging! I started this blog as a “side hustle” while working a normal 9-5 desk job. I loved that I could hop on the computer before bed and make money writing! Eventually (after many many intense google research sessions) I was able to support my family solely off my blogging income. I cannot tell you how incredible it was to quit my desk job! Blogging has truly allowed me to be involved in my family members lives. I am no longer missing out on important events due to work! Of course, my journey to blogging success wasn’t always a walk in the park. Here’s what I’ve learned!


It is impossible to blog without a hosting company. Okay, well, it is impossible to blog well. A hosting company is what allows your site to stay online 24/7. Even with heavy site traffic! When you register for Bluehost through my link you get a free domain name (mine is flippingpennies.com). You will be astounded at how much more traffic your blog gets when your pair WordPress with Bluehost!

Use Pinterest. Pinterest is becoming quite a tool for small businesses. Use Pinterest to promote your blog to other readers. Pick a “pin style” that corresponds well with the style of your blog. The pin style is the image pinners see , and picking one is crucial!  When developing a “Pin Style” for your blog images, I recommend using longer images to create a long pin. Only pick the best pictures from your article to pin! Comment and interact with your favorite bloggers through comments, and shared pins! Group boards are a fantastic way to get your content out there (check out mine, here. I am always looking for new contributors!)

Affiliate marketing rocks. An affiliate is when you have an advertising partnership with a company. For example, if you joined the Amazon affiliate company, you would insert links to products bought on Amazon throughout your blog posts. You get a percentage of money each time someone uses your link to complete a purchase. There are so many companies with affiliate marketing programs. You are sure to find something that works for your blog. TIP: When using affiliate links, make sure that you are advertising high quality products that you love. After all, everyone is trusting your opinion.

Check out Google Adsense. Adsense is my best friend. Seriously. Sign up for Google Adsense after you have filled your blog with content, and created a following on Pinterest. Place Adsense ads throughout your blog, and get paid by Google! Bloggers will either get paid through PayPal, or will get a monthly check in the mail. The more traffic your blog receives, the higher your payout is!

Be Patient. Blogging is not a way to “get rich quick.” It takes time to build a following, write quality posts, and figure out what exactly works for your blog. While all of this could take longer than desired, it is important to keep in mind that great things take time.

Have any of you tried blogging? Share your success stories in the comments! I would love to hear how you did it!

5 (Must-Know) Tips for the New Blogger

5 Ways to Save $500

Posted on by flipping Pennies Contributor

Making money is virtually everyone’s favorite pastime. However, sometimes saving money is so much more satisfying than simply making money.  Just relax for a moment, and imagine what you could do with an extra $500 dollars every month. If you chose to save it, you could be on your way to a vacation in paradise. Or maybe, the extra $500 can be used towards getting out of debt. Sometimes, it can even be used to do fun activities with your family. Because lets face it, what’s life without a little fun? If you’re interested in saving a little cash each month, here are five ways to cut your spending, and increase your savings.

Avoid The Grocery Store

I know, this sounds completely insane, but it isn’t as crazy as you’d think! For one week every month, forgo your trip to the grocery store. Your family members probably think they’re going to starve, but with a little creativity, that just isn’t possible! Use this week to fully use any items you have leftover in your pantry or freezer. Make meals with the leftover pasta, those frozen fruits and veggies, and all of those soup mixes you swear you’d make (but never did). Find fun recipes online to put your old items to good use, it will be so much easier to get through the week if your meals are yummy! At the end of the week, your savings should be anywhere from $60-$100 depending on the size of your family.

DIY IT! 

Summer is here, and a pedicure may be hard to scrimp on. This can be an expensive luxury, especially if you’re getting multiple a month! Instead of spending upwards of $25 on your next pedicure, try doing it at home! Pick a fun polish, and have a girls day with your daughters or friends! Don’t worry if your painting skills aren’t quite up to par, you’ll be a pro in no time! Hair cuts are another source of monthly expenses, especially if you’re adding hair coloring into the mix! Instead of dropping $150 at the salon, consider making an appointment at a hair school instead. The students are professional, and always have supervision. You can get a cut and color for under $50. Seriously, and all for a cut exactly like the one from your salon!

Sell Something

Bring a little more money into your home by selling something you don’t use much anymore. This could be things like clothes, furniture, or old electronics. You know that old iPod that is sitting in the drawer, broken, because it was dropped in some water? Most times, many parts are salvageable, even if it does have water damage. You can sell old Macbooks (that are broken) for $475. What an easy way to make some money! Not only does selling these items help cushion your bank account, but because many of the parts are being used in other models, you’re recycling and cutting down on contributing these items to landfills.

Prorate Utilities

If you notice that your utility bill seems to spike during certain months or seasons, it may be time to prorate your service. When you prorate your service, you are able to predict your monthly utility bills. This allows you to budget more effectively, and gives you a heads up when there is a spike in your bill. Depending on the time of year, you could save hundreds with this method.

Cell Phone 

Don’t worry, we aren’t telling you to completely ditch your cell phone. We are telling you to ditch the expensive phone plans! It sounds like a headache, but it could really be worth your while. Downgrade to a lower plan that could save you between $10-$20 every month. This is perfect if you find that you aren’t using all of your monthly data, why pay for an expensive plan if you don’t even use all that is allowed? There are tons of plans out there that cost $30 per month for a basic phone plan and data limit. Also, don’t upgrade your phone every two years. While this seems like a killer deal, there are tons of hidden fees!

Saving $500 a month has never been so easy with these tips. What are some other ways you save money every month?

5 Ways to Save $500

15 Work at Home Companies that Pay $12 an Hour or More

Posted on by flipping Pennies Contributor

There are a lot of different ways to work from home, and I listed a lot of different companies that will allow you to do so on the post 25 Companies That Pay You to Work From Home. A lot of those ideas are temporary or extra side money, but I wanted to make a list for those of you who are looking for a good job making a decent extra income from home. So, here are 15 companies that you can work for from home making at least $12.oo or more per hour (Some are repeated from my other article).

Brighten Communications– They hire telemarketer callers, and pay between $12-$18 per hour. You need high speed internet, a land-line that can call long distance, a printer, and fax machine.

The ACT– They are always looking to hire readers to read and score the essay portion of the ACT. Pay is based on experience, but starts at $12.00 per hour. You do need at least a bachelor’s degree, and they prefer teaching experience, but it isn’t required.


Hilton Worldwide– Work for this well known hotel chain from home doing reservations and customer service. They are a very reputable company and offer great benefits for employees!

Blue Zebra Appointment Setting– Cold calling appointment setting. Start at $15-$25 per hour based on experience!

Executive Scheduling Associates– Work from home scheduling appointments for financial wholesalers starting at $12 per hour.

American Express– Visit their page and search “virtual” in the “search for job” box, and all of their work from home options will appear. I have heard a few of them start at $16 per hour.

Working Solutions– They hire independant contractors to do sales, technical support, and customer service. Looking for experienced and well educated employees, and start you at $20 per hour!

Virtual Office Temps– Hire virtual office assistants, and pay up to $28 per hour. Looking for committed, long term, part and full time employees.

Panda Tree– Starting at $12 per hour training students in Spanish and Mandarin.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel– A travel company that hires you to help customers with their travel plans. Starts at $15 per hour.

Harris Connect Fundraising– Pay $12-$15 per hour for at home fundraising and sales.

Alorica– At home agents doing customer service calls. It’s not an hourly rate, but you get paid a per minute, or per call rate.

Rosetta Stone– Work from home as a language coach. Pay is about $17 per hour.

Zero Chaos– Conduct search evaluation ads and quality ratings. Pay is $15 per hour.

Blooms Today– Assist customers with their purchases. Earn an average of $15-$25 per hour with unlimited potential based on performance.

I have said it before, and I will say it again… The best way to earn a living from home is to start a blog.  You are in complete control of your income and you have a flexible schedule.  You can work when you want to and do something that you love.  If you are more interested in working from home for yourself, visit How to Start a Blog and learn how to Make Money Blogging.

15 Work at Home Companies that Pay 12 an Hour (or more!)

4 Good Reasons You SHOULD Be Using Credit Cards

Posted on by flipping Pennies Contributor

I am going to play devil’s advocate here.  WHAT IF… credit cards were good?  So often we hear all the bad and dangers about credit cards.  Today, lets focus on the GOOD associated with credit cards and the reasons you should be using them, responsibly. 1. Credit Cards Establish Credit History There are many ways you can create credit history, but the easiest is definitely by using credit cards.  For ten years, our goal in marriage was to get completely out of debt and we accomplished this at the 10 year mark- yay us! We were debt free (minus the mortgate) and we were so excited!  We didn’t have any other debt.  In fact, I didn’t even own a credit card.  I am so responsible!  Long story short, after applying for a store credit card for an enormous discount on school clothes, I was given a $200 dollar limit, which was just insulting.  I was shocked and a little confused.  I should have stellar credit!  The truth, is that I had NO credit.  My name wasn’t on most of our previous loans, to make financing simpler.  So we applied for a skymiles credit card and started using it in our everyday life.  All the bills were automatically charged on the card and I pay it off monthly.  My credit score has dramatically increased and I am establishing a credit history, which will make other financing or other things a little easier. In order to qualify for a home loan, or other financing, you will need a credit history to get approved. Credit history is different from your credit score because it shows how long you have had credit, and whether or not you are using it. So, the best way to create a credit history is by using your credit cards and then paying them off each month before you acquire interest. 2. Simplicity If you don’t have a credit card, it can make life a little tougher.  You can’t even reserve a rental car without a valid credit card (yes, some will take debit cards.) If you have a credit card, you can use it to pay all of your bills, set up automatic payments, etc.  I am weary of having automatic payments charge my debit cards.  I have had companies maker errors and take out more money than expected, and it can really mess you up if the money comes out of your checking account when you aren’t expecting it.  I like to be able to review my charges and be sure everything looks right and then pay my statement. Using a credit card for all of your purchases makes paying bills so easy and great!  Each month, you check your statement, review your purchases and pay your statement, and you are all done!  This is a method you should only use if you are very disciplined and do not spend more than you have budgeted each month.  If you aren’t careful, you can find yourself with a balance.  Only do this if you spend less than you make and are good at keeping your expenses less than your income.  It can get away from you pretty quickly, if you don’t pay attention and spend like a sailor, only to find that you are short at the end of the month. And if you can do this, congratulations.  This shows great self-control and responsibility. 3. Improves Your Credit Score When you have and use a credit card, it will help you raise your credit score.  As long as you are careful and pay your bill each month on time and are careful not to be late,  your credit score will improve.  Also, if you keep your balance below 50% of your credit limit, and pay regularly, you will have a higher credit score than if you didn’t have or use a credit card at all.  As I mentioned above, it is important to have some sort of credit history.  Don’t let your cards sit dormant.  Use them, pay them off and keep them active.  Be careful not to apply for a million cards, hoping to improve things “quicker.” Each time you apply for a credit card or loan, your credit takes a small hit.  So be thoughtful in which cards or loans you apply for. 4. Credit Card Rewards  Yes, yes and yes!!  I can’t believe I missed out on credit card rewards for most of my life. About a year ago, I got a Capital One rewards card.  I put absolutely every expense we have on my new rewards card, and we will be able to take my family of 6 on a pretty great vacation next summer, using only our rewards.  If you are spending money anyway, you might as well get paid for it.  I have all of my monthly bills, excluding my mortgage automatically charged to my Capital One rewards card and I get 2 points for every dollar that I spend.  School shopping, Christmas gifts, and oh so many medical bills the past year.  My only regret is not having done it sooner.  If you are wondering what the best credit card rewards program is, you can see my summary of the different offers here. Be sure to read all terms and conditions and use the card the way it is intended.  If you rack up a balance and pay lots of $ each month in interest, it isn’t really worth it.  I only use my card for the purchases I make each month anyway, and then I pay it off on payday each month.  That way, I pay no interest but I get the rewards.  It is perfect for someone that is disciplined enough to spend that way and budget to be sure the money is there to pay off when the statement arrives. Remember I am not discrediting the warnings against using credit cards. They are a common pitfall for acquiring unnecessary debt. If you can be financially responsible and use credit cards in a positive way, they can benefit you in many ways. Read more about credit cards, budgeting and more in my Getting Out of Debt Series below:

15 Legit Ways to Make an Extra $1500 a Month

8 Reasons to Get Out of Debt Right Now!

20 Things You Are Forgetting to Budget

12 Expenses You Should Never Put on a Credit Card

10 Useful Tips for Using Credit Cards

12 Ways to Reduce Your Utility Bill

54 Side Hustles to Make Extra Money

10 Personal Finance Tips That Could Will Your Life

4 Tips to Improve Your Credit Score

15 Mistakes People Make When Paying Off Debt

Posted on by flipping Pennies Contributor

Paying off debt is going to be unique for each person and situation, there isn’t one right method that will work for everyone. However there are definitely some universal methods that will help anyone get out of debt, if followed.  Avoid these 15 mistakes when trying to pay off your debt, and you’ll be debt free before you know it!

1. Not creating an accurate monthly budget.

We all know and have heard how crucial a monthly budget is when wanting to pay off debt (and it is), but we often make the mistake of creating an inaccurate budget. Figure out what you are actually spending and go from there.  Decide what you should be spending or what you want to be spending.  Creating a budget isn’t necessarily just writing down what you spend each month, although that is a great place to start.  You need to make sure that you have a very realistic budget, and have a plan for the money that is planned to be left over each month.  If you don’t have a plan to “save” or invest it, or to use it to pay off other debts, often it will just get sucked into the abyss of extra spending to never be heard from again.  Be sure to budget for life.  This means that budget for birthday gifts, car repairs that might happen, etc.  If you never allow for anything extra, you will continually get frustrated when those expenses come up. Remember, those “unexpected” expenses, are actually “Expected” in life. 2. Not Using a Debt Snowball A debt snowball is when you take your smallest debt and pay as much as possible to that debt, while still making minimum payments on other debts, until it is paid off. Then once that debt is paid off, you take the amount you were spending on it each month and add it to the payment of your next debt. This will give you the confidence of getting rid of your debts one at a time, and help you to pay more than the minimum payment.  This is tried and true and works for many reasons.  First, it gives you momentum and takes the “guess” work out of figuring out how much to pay on each thing.  It will also reduce the amount of interest you spend overall, because the sooner each debt is paid off, the sooner you are no longer paying interest on that card. 3. Using your Debit Card For Everything I know that debit cards are much better to use than credit cards, but there have been studies that show that we almost always overspend when we use a card vs cash. This doesn’t mean you need to cut up your debit card and never use it, but find those areas of your budget where you tend to overspend and create a cash envelope. Groceries are usually at the top of the overspending list. If you take a cash envelope with your allotted grocery budget to the store, then you can’t go over what you have planned.  If every time I wanted to go out to eat, I brought cash, I would probably order differently.  Truth. 4. Paying the Payment It’s easy to set up automatic bill pay, and pretend like those debts aren’t there. If we only pay minimum payments, with interest accruing, it will take years to pay off even the smallest of debts.  Find ways to pay more than just the minimum amount.  Work a side job or make money online from home to allow yourself some extra money to knock out the loans or debts.  Minimum payments are what make credit card companies rich. 5. Losing Momentum. This happens to everyone.  Getting out of debt is hard and it can take time.  Sometimes, we lose momentum and the motivation to stay on top of it.  I know for my husband and I, when we were paying off our debt, we had to still allow time and money for some dinner dates and a few other extras or we started to get crazy.  We also found that after a really long “financial fast” we would binge-buy something unnecessary.  It was an emotional response to feeling trapped.  What you need to remember is that debt is the trap and you are actually working toward freedom.  Track your progress, write down your goals, and consistently talk about your goals and work toward each milestone. Consider creating a debt sheet, and cross off the payments made, or the accounts that are paid off. The debt snowball is another way to stay motivated as you see your debts disappear one by one. Find something that works for you. 6. Forgetting to cut lifestyle expenses. Budgeting is more than just knowing the amount of money you are spending in each area of your life. We actually have to cut back on our expenses, if we want to meet our debt goals.  Stop eating out, go on free dates, create a limit on birthday and Christmas gifts, etc. That extra money to pay off debt is not going to come from thin air…you have to create it by spending less.  If you have to go out to eat, consider sharing a meal (this works at some places, not others) and order water.  There are ways to cut back on expenses without being miserable.  Find a balance. 7. Wasting food. This may seem silly, but grocery bills add up quickly. If you are smart with meal planning and buying, you can save so much money! Be smart with that food you buy…don’t buy too much of things that will go bad, freeze what you can, EAT LEFTOVERS!! Any time you throw away food, you are throwing away money.  There are a lot of recipe websites that will give you new ideas for leftovers, which are pretty cool!  Use up your extras by making it into new things.  Use the rest of your roast and make beef tacos the next day, etc.  This takes a little bit of planning, but once you are in the habit of it, it makes dinner easier, because half of the work is done! 8. Adding to your debt. This is an easy mistake to make. We are excited to put extra money on the credit card and we pay all of our bills and are left with… not enough money to live on the rest of the month.  Enter: credit card.  Don’t do this!  If we are trying to get out of debt, don’t even use your credit cards.  It is a slippery slope and a dangerous habit. Don’t leave yourself without the money that you need each month, or you will find yourself charging things again to pay for your basic needs. 9. Not Setting Goals I am in love with goals. Without goals, I would be nowhere.  I set goals and make task lists and it is what keeps me going.  If you don’t have goals, you don’t know where you are headed.  IF you don’t know your destination, you won’t know what path to take.  It is simple, but life-changing.  Set debt goals.  Maybe you want 2 store credit cards paid off by the end of the year.  Maybe you want to pay off your car by your birthday.  Set clear, specific, realistic but uncomfortable goals and lay out a path to get there.  If “I want to pay off my car by my birthday.  In order to do that, I need to pay ($fill in the blank$) amount each month until then.  I don’t have that much extra money each month, so I need a side gig to make some extra cash.” We need to think about our long term goals and plans, so we know where we are headed and we can track our progress along the way.  This is extremely motivating and will keep you on the right path.

Related Posts:

10 Ways to Earn a Living on the Internet

How to Make Money Blogging

How to Start a Blog or Website

50 Ways to Earn Extra Money on the Side

54 Top Side Hustles to Make Extra Money on the Side

10. Paying bills late.

Be sure that you are still paying minimum payments on time as you pay off your debts.  Don’t focus so much on one debt that you forget about the due dates on the other ones.  Late payments create late fees and increased interest rates.  Whenever possible try and set up automatic bill pay to ensure that you are always on time. 11. Taking the saving too far. Now I mentioned earlier about “really cutting back” but I also want to give a word of caution about this. Yes, cut back but be realistic as well. If you cut back too much then it won’t take long for an explosion to happen. It’s like when someone goes on an extreme diet, and they do good for awhile, but pretty soon they can’t take it and they splurge on an entire chocolate cake. Instead it’s better to live in moderation. 12. Forgetting that this is a team effort. If you are married, or in a relationship where your finances affect each other, then you cannot do this alone. You need someone to support you and keep you accountable to your goals. You also want to be there to encourage each other and get excited about your progress.  You also need to be on the same page with how much you are spending and where. So talk together and figure out a plan of attack that you are both okay with. 13. Having a good reason to be debt free. This comes back to goals.  Why are you getting out of debt?  Is it to live life more freely?  Is it to prepare for retirement?  Is it to reach your next set of financial goals?  We all know that being debt free is good, and that we should do everything we can to pay off debt. You have to find YOUR motivation for being debt free. What motivates you? When it becomes a big desire that you have and not just “what you should do” that’s when the real changes are going to happen. 14. Not using extra money. Chances are you’ll eventually get a tax return, a raise, birthday money, etc. So, you can go out and spend the money, or apply it to your debt and pay it off that much faster! The choice is yours.  No judging here 🙂 15. Forgetting to enjoy the journey. Finances are stressful… and they can be really stressful. It is so important to be smart about your money and budget, and pay off debt……but you still need to live.  Find joy in the journey and be happy.   You can find joy in life even when you’re in debt believe it or not! So be creative with your saving and frugal living and make it enjoyable!

Here are a few other related posts to getting out of debt:

12 Expenses You Should Never Put on a Credit Card

8 Legit Ways to Make Money From Home

10 Bad Credit Card Habits and How to Avoid Them

10 Ways to Earn a Living on the Internet

15 Mistakes People Make WHen Paying Off Debt

How to Budget when You Don’t Make Enough Money

Posted on by flipping Pennies Contributor

Learn to Cut Back

Make a list of the money you have flowing out into different expenses. If you have cable, or streaming networks you pay for, such as Netflix or Hulu, put those on your list next to how much money it costs you each month. If you have smartphones in your family write those down as well. List magazine subscriptions, gym passes, art classes, or anything that comes to you as a regular expense. Then you need to look at your list and decide how to cut back. Maybe you can just eliminate a few things, or maybe you need to cut it all out for a little while until your bank account becomes more stable. There is no point in paying for a huge cable bill, or random magazine subscriptions that you never read, while you’re struggling to make ends meet. The more you cut the better off you will be.

Get into Survival Mode

Don’t spend money on things you don’t need. You have to get into a survival mode and focus only on the essentials. Avoid eating out, shopping sprees, going out to movies or events, or anything that is unnecessary. If you can control your spending habits and you can cut back on these things, you will be amazed how much money you save. It doesn’t mean you can’t have fun though. Start making a fun meal plan with ingredients you already have at home, look online for free date ideas that can still get you out of the house, and find ways to mix and match pieces in your closet to wear them in ways you never have before. Overall, just make sure you are only spending money on the things you have to have to survive.

Make More Money

To help you feel more fluid in your budget, you’ll need to find ways to make more money so that you can attack your financial situation from both ends. There are a lot of ways to make money from home on the side.  You can pick up extra shifts at work, or get resourceful and see if any of these 50 Ways to Make Money on the Side are good options for you.  If you don’t have a job that pays well enough and you are having hard time getting ahead, consider finding a new job, improving your skills or even getting educated in a new trade or field to improve your quality of life.

Related Posts:

How to Start a Blog

How to Make Money Blogging

8 Legit Ways to Make Money From Home

Top 54 Side Hustles to Make Extra Money on the Side

Prioritize Your Bills

If you have a lot of bills to pay, make sure you decide which ones have to be paid off first. Hopefully you cut back on everything from the list you made, but now it is time to sort through what important bills are MOST important. Take care of things like your house payments and energy bills first and then keep moving down through the things that are most important for you to keep surviving and having your basic needs met.

Keep a Positive Mindset

Overall, remember to stay positive. Of course this is easier said than done, but it is so important when trying to get out of a financial bind and start to plan effectively. Negative thoughts are destructive and won’t help you moving forward. Try to think each day about good things that happen to you, opportunities that come your way, connections you have with other people that could help, and really anything that keeps you positive and focused on your ultimate financial goals. If you can’t master a positive mindset, you other strategies could fall apart.

How to Budget When You Don't Make Enough Money

What is the Half Payment Method and How does it Help?

Posted on by flipping Pennies Contributor

The half payment method is where you take a regularly occurring payment you have and you divide it in half. For example, let’s say you have a $300 car payment you need to make each month. Instead of sending in $300 at once, you only send in $150 and then set aside the other $150 (or whatever half of your bill is) at the beginning of the month. You then make the other half of the payment toward the end of the month. By the end of the month, you will have sent in the full $300 by the due date, but you will have been able to break up the payment into two smaller payments. If your creditor allows you to do this, as long as you get both smaller payments in on time, it may be able to benefit you. Here is a break down of how it works if you receive a bi-monthly paycheck (using the $300 car payment example from above): Paycheck #1: $600 Half payment for car payment: $150 Total left from paycheck #1: $450 Paycheck #2: $600 Half payment for car payment: $150 Total left from paycheck #2: $450 What is the purpose behind using this system? Take a look below at what happens when you don’t use the half payment method. Paycheck #1: $600 No half payment Total left from paycheck #1: $600 Paycheck #2: $600 No half payment Full car payment: $300 Total left from paycheck #2: $300 Although you may not think there is much of a benefit from paying the full bill now or doing half payments twice a month, the half payments can actually be really helpful. If you pay the full amount on your payment (like option two above) you have lost an additional $150 from your second paycheck. You can argue that in your first paycheck you would gain $300, but that means there is so much fluctuation in your incoming and outgoing money. When you pay off an entire payment all at once, you are more likely to spend more money because you think you have a lot to spend. Using the half payment method, you would have your car payment taken care of and also not feel like you have to scrape by at the end of the month. Overall, your finances would become much easier to manage.

See Other Debt-Related Posts Below:

How to Budget When You Don’t Make Enough Money

12 Surprising Ways to Save Money

How to Make Money Blogging

50 Ways to Make Extra Money on the Side

7 Easy Ways to Add $500 to Your Income

This system will work even if you are just paid once a month by making quarter payments or small payments every week. It is easiest to start using the half payment method if you start by doing this with your lowest regular payment. Once you have the habit of dividing your payments in half with that item, move on to the next lowest regular payment you need to make and keep continuing with that trend. For information on other payoff methods such as, The Snowball Method, please read this article.
What is the Half Payment Method and How Does it Help

8 Legit Ways to Make Money From Home

Posted on by flipping Pennies Contributor

So, you’re looking to make a few extra bucks, but you are hesitant to get involved with an online money making scheme. Your concerns are valid, there are “bad businesses” everywhere,and it can be difficult to weed out the good from the bad. Fortunately, we have researched these websites for you, and now it is our duty to share these wonderful opportunities with you.

Ebates

Ebates doesn’t exactly make you money, it helps you to save money! Merchants pay Ebates to refer customers to them. Then ebates used the money from the merchants to offer discounts and deals to their shoppers. Visit the ebates website before making any purchases online, and use the link that ebates provides. When you do so, ebates will pay up to 25% of whatever you purchase.  It is free to sign up, so get started!!

Inbox Dollars

Inbox Dollars is basically an online rewards system that offers cash payouts. All you have to do is use their search engine, print coupons, and online shop. You get money each time you use their search engine. Really, what could be easier? You even get an instant $5 bonus just for using your email address to sign up!  Of course it is free to sign up, so sign up now and start earning at Inbox Dollars.

NCP Nielsen

NCP Nielsen pays you to scan your grocery store purchases to your phone. Start your free account and scan the barcodes of the items you buy at the grocery store. Record where you shopped, how much you spent and NCP will reward you with points that are redeemable for money.

Ipsos Isay

Sign up for free and take surveys over the phone on different sorts of products. You take surveys, earn points and then cash them out for rewards via PayPal.

SwagBucks

This is a free site that gives you rewards (points redeemable for money, gift cards, or other rewards) for answering polls, taking surveys, trading in old video games, and playing games on their website. They’ve paid out over 78 million dollars to their reviewers.  This is totally legit and a great way to earn extra cash.  Register free for Swagbucks here and get started.

 Blogging

Start a Blog focused around your likes and passions. Focus in on this niche, and use it to make money. Successful blogs receive thousands of visitors every week, and you can use affiliate networks and ad networks, such as Google Adsense to earn a really great income blogging from home. For more information about blogging, please read our step by step instructions on how to start a blog for only  how to start a blog for only a few dollars a month.

Sell Your Products Online

If crafting is your passion, consider opening an Etsy shop. Etsy is a place where individuals can sell their homemade goods and shop for unique items. Many shop owners do so in their spare time, and some can even turn it into their main source of income.

Sell Yourself

This isn’t as bad as it sounds! Offer your skills as a freelance writer, public speaker, or blogging guru. Charge for your services by the hour or by the session, don’t sell yourself short! Your opinion matters! Use social media platforms to promote yourself and create a strong website base.

If none of these things interest you, maybe there are other ways you can side hustle extra cash and stay legit.

50 Ways to Earn Extra Money on the Side

7 Easy Ways to Make Money Blogging

15 {Legit} Ways to Make an Extra $1500 a Month

5 Popular Ways to Make Money From Home With Amazon

How to Make Money Blogging

How to Start a Blog

How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs

8 Legit Ways to Make Money From Home

How to Start a Blog

Posted on by flipping Pennies Contributor

How to Start a Blog

Blogging has quite literally changed my life.  My husband graduated with 25k in student loan debt (which I realize is even on the low side!) and I was staying home with our daughter as we both looked for a job in 2009, a long time before the job market had recovered.  I started blogging as a hobby, and very soon I was making a 6 figure income working from home while raising my (now) 4 children.  Check out my Income Reports here!  You can earn thousands each month by blogging and working from home.  Here I have included discounted pricing on hosting and domains through ” data-wplink-url-error=”true”>Bluehost that can help you set up a WordPress blog for just a few dollars to get started.  If you are considering this, you should be quick and start soon, because these prices probably won’t last long!  

Start your blog on wordpress here, and then I will personally walk you through each step to get set up with your new WordPress blog.

Blogging has completely changed my life.  It is truly a dream come true to work from home, doing something that I love.  I can work on my own schedule (bedtimes and naptimes!) as well as travel and work from any location.  My schedule is flexible and I make more money than was ever possible at my “real job.”

Anyone can make money blogging.   is something anyone can do, as long as you get started the right way.  A lot of people that start to dabble in blogging want to start out as inexpensive as possible, which I totally understand.  But pleeeease, resist the urge to sign up with a a free platform like Blogger.  The problem with this, is that it really limits the money that you can make on your blog.  Many money-making blogs started out there, and they had to go through the laborious process of switching their website to a self-hosted WordPress blog in order to really be able to monetize their blog.  It is an extra step and a pain in the neck.  If you want to start a blog, you definitely want to make money from it.  You need to start out on the right track.  

When you start any business, you want to do it as inexpensive as possible.   ” data-wplink-url-error=”true”>Bluehost is probably your best bet when it comes to hosting services that are both reliable and cheap.  

*If you are wondering “What is hosting?” then you are not alone.  If you have never had a website or blog before, you may not know.  I remember actually googling the term “What is hosting” when I was starting my very first website.  We are all at a different place in this process.  Some are just starting, some have had blogs before, and some people don’t know where to start at all.  This is where I come in:)   I explain all the blogging lingo in THIS post.

Bluehost is one of the best options for a hosting company.  The hosting is reliable, customer service is prompt and it is definitely the cheapest program out there, especially for new bloggers. I have had a great experience with Bluehost.  They have given my readers a very special rate and you can ” data-wplink-url-error=”true”>start your own blog for as low as $2.95 a month with my link!  That is crazy low and I don’t know how long it will last.  If you are considering starting a blog, this is the best deal you will find. Register your domain with them using my special link, and get a fantastic discount!  Bluehost and their 24/7 customer service line saved my life when I started blogging. I was full of questions, and they had all of the answers! 

If you ever want to make money on your blog, you must be self-hosted.  You can run advertisements, affiliate links, work through sponsorships and any other advertising that you wish.  When you are self-hosted, you have the power to make those choices.  I know it can be scary to put money into something, hoping it will work out, but hosting plans at Bluehost are so cheap, that it is easy to earn that money back and so much more.

Blogging, for me, started with a self-hosted website.  I have never had to make the switch, but have many blogger friends who have.  It is a huge pain.  If you start out on the right track, you will be ready to make money blogging much sooner, without all the hassle.  It is so inexpensive to use Bluehost (they are even giving a free domain with my link this month!) that you can make that money back so fast, and it is well worth it.  If you are wondering what kind of money can be made blogging, check out my Income Reports page.  I will report my monthly income blogging, each month with a breakdown of how it is made.  I will also be interviewing other bloggers, to get their tips and tricks to making 6 figures blogging.  I will also report on other bloggers’ income, so you can get a feel for the community, and what is working and what isn’t.  I hope this is helpful.

If you want to know more about hosting and other website and blog lingo, read my post Blogging Basics-Starting From Scratch.

Bluehost is super easy to set up.  There are a ton of reasons that I choose to recommend Bluehost and there are a few:

  • Chat support that goes above and beyond.  There are times that I had a question about my site that I thought was related to hosting, and even if it had nothing to do with them, they have pointed me in the right direction.  I love their chat support and I rarely wait very long for a representative.
  • Self-hosted blogs are the best way to make money blogging.  Definitely get a hosting plan instead of a free platform.
  • WordPress comes with Bluehost hosting, so there is no charge.  You get WordPress for FREE!!
  • Bluehost will walk you through the entire process of setting up your hosting and installing WordPress.  It is so easy!
  • Bluehost is the best option for cheap web hosting.  Hosting plans through other providers can be as much as $8-15 a month, and Bluehost is offering it to my readers for only $3.49 per month.
  • No Risk!  I always trust companies that allow you to cancel at any time.  There is no contract and you can cancel and move to another hosting company any time you want.  This tells me that they stand by their service and trust that you will stay, based on having a good experience.  It is cheaper to pay for a year at a time, but you can still cancel any time, even if you choose to do that.

The Process is super easy, so click here to get started.

” data-wplink-url-error=”true”>Bluehost get started now

First things first, what is your blog name?  This is the fun (and kind of hard?) part!  What do you want your blog name to be?  This is where you choose your domain. I recommend doing something that is easy to spell, with no hyphens or unusual spellings, unless you are already well-branded.  It can be a pain to have to spell your blog name every single time you tell someone.  I know, my last name is spelled CRAZY!  It might as well have a silent 7 in it.

Step 1

Register Your Domain Name

Choose something timeless.  Choose something that you like to say (strange, but you say it so much!  Make it easy!)  Also, it can be tricky to find names that are still available.  I have come up with a few *what I thought was* original names, only to find out they were taken.  So, you probably won’t get your first pick.  But keep looking.  Don’t be tempted to do anything but a “.com”- for a lot of reasons.

You can get your domain from Bluehost and then the process of setup is extremely easy.  You can even get a free domain through my link, which usually costs about $15 or so.  You get a cheaper monthly price on hosting the longer you sign up for, so consider that when choosing your package.  To check if your domain is available, just go to Bluehost and type them into the domains section to check.  It will tell you if it is already taken or available.

Starting out, the basic package should give you everything you will need.  As traffic increases and your needs become more complex, they can upgrade your plan anytime.

Bluehost Plans

Here is the detailed information for when you are comparing packages.

Bluehost Package info

Once you have your domain, you are ready to buy hosting for your blog.

Step 2

Buy Hosting for Your New Blog

Hosting is the first (and most significant) expense for blogging.  The cheapest route to go is to sign up for a 12 month plan, which gives you the free domain as well as the cheapest price per month on hosting that you will find.  There are add-ons that you probably won’t need right now, but I definitely recommend doing the Domain Privacy Protection.  This is very cheap, and keeps your personal information from being public (associated with your domain.)  Some may not mind, but I like to have that protected, when I am already putting so much out there on my blog:)

The basic plan is all you really need, so I would just choose that for now.  As I mentioned before, if you need more later (and let’s hope you do) you can always upgrade your current plan with no penalties.

You can sign up for a 12 month, 24 month, or 36 month hosting package, but don’t worry!  There is no contract, but you get better rates the longer the package.  I would definitely sign up for at least a 12 month package, to get the better monthly price.  The 36 month package offers the very best price and you won’t find a better price anywhere else.  This also comes with the free domain, which pays for itself very quickly, with the savings from the more expensive plans.

You can always get a refund, but I don’t think you will need one:)

It is time to buy hosting for your blog!  Here is how you do it.

1- Go to Bluehost now, and click on the “Get Started Now” button

2- Click on the Basic package, or whichever package you are interested in (again, just getting started, basic is probably sufficient.)

3- Enter your domain name that you already registered or get your domain name here.

4- Fill out the forms with your contact info as well as payment information

5- Choose a password

Step 3

Choose Nameservers

***This only needs to be done if you Register your domain through another provider.  Skip this step if you Registered your domain through Bluehost***

You might be thinking “…nameservers, whaa?”  This is where you connect your domain name and hosting plan.  It is basically pointing your domain to your hosting plan and communicating between each other.  Sounds complicated?  It’s not:)  It is super easy.

First, You need to go to “manage domains” wherever you bought your domain.  Again, if you bought it on Bluehost, skip this whole step.

Once you go to manage domains, you want to “set name servers” and you want to change these to the nameservers that you get from Bluehost.  There are 2, ns1.bluehost.com and ns2.bluehost.com.  Once you log in to your Bluehost hosting account, you can add this as an addon domain.  It is very easy to do.  Just follow the steps and you are set.  Also, if you run into any trouble along this way, this is the best time to chat with Bluehost.  They will personally walk you through the whole process.  If you still need help,  feel free to email me.  I would be happy to help:)  Honestly, nothing makes me happier than to help someone start a blog that helps lighten a financial burden or helps pay off debt, etc.  It has really become a passion for me!

Step 4

Install WordPress

One of the things I love about ” data-wplink-url-error=”true”>Bluehost is how easy this process is.  It is so easy to create a WordPress blog and it is free, too!  You can literally be a blogger and have the opportunity to create a very substantial income with only a few bucks a month!  Once you have registered your domain name, and bought a hosting package, you are ready to install WordPress and start blogging:)

Check your “welcome” email from Bluehost and click on the link that will take you to your cPanel

Click on the “One Click Install” button

On the second page, you will see a section that is named “Blogs.”  Find a button that has a WordPress icon and click on that.

Start the installation process.  Choose your domain from the dropdown box (maybe the only one there, unless you are ambitious and want to be a super blogger!)

Click on the “Advanced Options” button and choose your login info for your WordPress blog.  Admin is the common “default” but don’t use that!  You want it to be something secure.  Choose something you will remember, but that isn’t too common.

Choose “Automatically create a new database for this installation”

Click “Install Now”

Congratulations!  You now have your very own WordPress blog!  How easy was that?  Be sure to save passowords and any info that you need to login to your CPanel, as well as your WordPress site.  I have made a super secure doc that I keep with passwords and usernames, etc.  Hopefully, you are logging in enough to remember it after a while, but I hate it when I can’t log into something!

If any of these steps are confusing or hard, Bluehost chat is SO helpful.  Also, I am so happy to help point you in the right direction, as well.

If you want to learn a few tips about WordPress, read WordPress Tips for the New Blogger.

Here are a few highlights:

  1. After signing into your WordPress Blog, you can now choose a “theme” or template.  There are thousands upon thousands of themes.  Some you can purchase, and some are free.  To find themes, go to appearance and click on “Themes” and then choose “add new” at the top.  You can scroll through many themes to choose something that has the layout that you want.  I have used Genesis in the past and really liked it.  Be sure to pick something that is user-friendly or has good reviews.  And don’t be afraid to change it once you get started, if you decide that it doesn’t work the way you want it to.  Some themes have a lot more options than others.
  2. On the left side, you are going to see a lot of options.  “Posts” is where you will be adding your blog posts.  It is really intuitive, almost like a Microsoft Word document.  To add pictures, use the “add media” option at the top of the post.  There are bullets, page breaks, font sizes and more.  You can add links by highlighting a word and clicking on the “link” button above, and copying and pasting the URL that you want the link to go to.  There are endless options, so get in there and play around with it!
  3. Widgets will add items to your sidebar, header, etc.  There are a lot of widgets there to help you achieve the look and function you are going for.

And now that you are a bonified blogger, you may want to start researching and learning everything you can about blogging!  I have been blogging for 7 years+ and have recently been earning between $60,000 to $75,000 per month blogging, and I want to help you!  Here are some other blogging posts that can really help you, too.

Blogging Basics- Starting From Scratch

How to Make Money Blogging

10 Ways to Earn a Living on the Internet

I hope this helps someone out there!  I was all on my own trying to figure all of this stuff out, and there is a lot to know!  Email me or comment with questions, I would love to help!