15 Ways to Be Money Smart in the New Normal
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No one asked for it but our lives have changed this year and will affect us for a really long time, and for some, the rest of our lives.
“Normal” life just doesn’t exist anymore, so we gotta do our best to keep up with the new normal. Stay connected to your family and friends, check in on your emotional well-being, social distance, wear a mask, and of course make sure your basic needs are met.
But what about financially? We’re beginning to see what jobs can really be done from home, and which can’t. We’re also beginning to see what our previous spending habits were and how they can be dialed down. By adapting, we can make sure we can stay ahead of the game and money smart so here are some ideas to help!
1. Get Free Money Back on All Your Shopping Hauls
Check your pockets; check your purse. And keep receipts for your iPhone.
Just grab all your recent receipts from your coffee runs, grocery trips, restaurants, and gas station fill-ups, scan them into Fetch Rewards on iOS, and earn points for free money! Connect your email account, as well, to count DIGITAL receipts from Amazon, Instacart, and more.
Basically, snap a pic of your receipt from anywhere, and that’s it; you’ve got points for money. There’s no minimum spend, no need to select items manually, scan in any receipt from any store or gas station, and it’ll automatically reward you.
It’s free and easy to use and is a must-have iOS app for anyone who buys stuff!
2.
3. Please Spot Me Up to $2001, So I Don’t Get an Overdraft Fee!
We got you. Or, more specifically, Chime ® has your back; the award-winning mobile financial app and debit card will have you saying goodbye to overdraft fees!
That’s because their SpotMe®️ tool can literally spot you up to $2001 without charging a fee as long as you receive qualifying direct deposits.
You need qualifying direct deposits of at least $200 a month into your Chime Checking Account to qualify, and one of the easiest methods is to route your paycheck there so you don’t have to think about it.
Other perks:
- Get paid up to 2 days early3 with direct deposit
- Get 2.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY)4 with the high-yield Chime Savings Account5
- Access to a new way to build credit history with the Secured Chime® Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card6
- FDIC-insured up to $250,000 through The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.7 (it’s safe!)
- No minimum balance, no monthly fees, and no foreign transaction/transfer fees
Sign up for Chime and say goodbye to overdraft fees and other benefits!
4. Save Time (And Money) By Unsubbing From Marketing Emails
When the “unread” number in your email inbox is growing by the day, it’s time to wrangle it in.
There’s no doubt that our inboxes get slammed with a lot of marketing emails. And now, every corporation that we’ve ever given our emails to is expressing how they’re handling COVID-19.
Instead of wasting time unsubscribing one by one, just use Unroll.me, a free service designed to help clean your inbox by displaying all the email subscriptions you have in less than a minute.
You then have the following options to: Keep in Inbox, Unsubscribe, or Add to Rollup.
“Add to Rollup” is like a summary of the emails you might want to look at but don’t immediately have time for. Think of it as a daily, weekly, or monthly digest (you choose) of all the subscriptions you picked to be contained in one convenient, scrollable email (like a newsfeed).
It ignores all your personal emails and only looks at the commercial emails so save time and money (don’t be tempted by sales!) by getting rid of marketing emails.
5. Work From Home: Earn $20 Per Hour to Start Teaching English To Kids Online
The past few months have been rough on Americans and their livelihoods. If you’ve been considering a side gig to supplement your primary income or need a job working from home, teach English online to kids ages 5-13!
EF Online (Education First) is a teaching platform helping to connect students in China and native English speakers for 20+ years with their global network of 600+ schools. You’ll experience a flexible schedule where you can work from home, earn up to $20/hr to start, with all lesson materials are provided. While teaching experience is preferred, it’s not required. Earn extra rewards the more you teach!
Here are the requirements:
- Must be a native English speaker living in the U.S.A with a Bachelor’s degree in any field
- By the start of your teacher’s contract term, you must earn and submit documentation of a 40 Hour TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification (or higher)
- Agree to an online background check (no cost to you)
- Be available to work during a set range of hours
- Have a solid wifi connection and headset
- And lastly, be passionate!
Classes are 25 minutes each and since EF Online encourages repeat classes, you might be teaching the same students regularly. In addition, parents can book you up to 6 months in advance leading to a more stable income.
If you enjoy interacting with kids, this is definitely a rewarding and flexible gig from home!
Note: The following U.S. states are excluded from this gig – CA, IN, MA, NH, NJ, NY, and IL.
6. Empower Yourself Financially, Especially for Women
Whether you think about it or not, there are important realities in a women’s life.
Gender pay gaps where women make less than men, career breaks where women’s earnings drop significantly after having a child,(*) and longer than average lifespan meaning women need more money to live.
That’s why it’s vital to save for retirement and invest, especially if you’re female and why
Ellevest exists, an investment service and money membership created by and designed for women.
Men and those that identify as non-binary are welcome to join as well but it’s the first company to take on women’s unique set of obstacles when constructing an investment portfolio.
With affordable flat monthly fees starting at $1 and maxing at $9, you can be sure that your financial health is taken care of with personalized retirement planning (Plus and Executive memberships), investments with no asset management fees outside of your membership fee, and discounted sessions with career coaches and financial planners. Membership also includes an Ellevest debit card,* which gives you the option to round up spare change to help you save further** as well as unlimited ATM fee refunds.***
With the current world events, it’s even more important to make sure that your “future you” will be comfortable, so take advantage of the first free month and see how it can help you.
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