Five Ways To Save Money and Learn New Skills at Home

Earning and saving money while learning new skills or a new trade can seem impossible at times, especially with the rising cost of traditional education. If you are looking for ways to save money while also expanding your knowledge, there are a few different methods available that can be completed from just about anywhere, including your own home. 

Read Free EBooks

Reading free eBooks online is one way to save money while learning new information or skills. There are libraries of thousands of free eBooks on everything from survival in the wilderness and canning food to understanding the mind and even neuroscience.

Browse Official Publications

Browsing official publications and documents that have been released online is another way to learn new skills without having to invest any money to gain the knowledge you are seeking. Be sure to verify the publications or documents you are reading are truly official and from a reputable source when learning a new trade or skill.

Learn With Videos

Learning with do it yourself, or "DIY" videos is another way to save money and learn new skills at home. Watching videos online is a way to avoid enrolling in paid classes while learning and picking up new subjects entirely free and from the comfort of your own home. When you want to get working around the home, there are plenty of DIY videos to get you started. With Garage Door instructional videos it has never been easier to get actively involved with DIY projects around the house.

Get Creative

Get creative and begin designing or working with photo-editing, programming and even web design. Working from home and saving money is possible by picking up computer-related skills, especially if you consider yourself to be somewhat inclined to technology. Find your passion and choose a niche to focus on.

Join New Start-Ups

If you truly want to immerse yourself in an environment from home that allows you to learn new skills, join new start-up businesses or online groups for entrepreneurs and self-learners. Becoming a member of online communities, message boards and social networks is a great way to pick up new skills without being required to attend traditional classes.

Knowing how to get resourceful at home when you want to learn anything new is a great way to save money while still enhancing your knowledge. When you put various resources to use online while you are learning new material it is much easier to find the experience enjoyable and more memorable long-term.

AUTHOR BIO: Tommy Mello owns Garage Door Nation, a website specializing in wholesale garage parts and providing helpful DIY videos. 

Five Helpful Tips for Starting a New Business Start Up

Starting a new business is a long process that involves a large amount of work. It is also incredibly rewarding when successful. Startups need to make smart decisions and plans even before the business is officially running. Good planning can avoid many common mistakes made by startups. Five tips will help anyone to start a new business successfully.

Create a Strategy

The first step when starting a new business is to develop a strategy and overall vision. This is normally condensed into a business plan that can be used to raise capital. The strategy should cover the first five years of operations. It should include capital expenditures, estimated income, overhead and labor costs as well as product marketing strategies. This business plan becomes the roadmap for the new company.

Define the Legal Structure

The next step should be to define the legal structure of the startup. Many options are available from sole proprietorships and partnerships to limited liability companies and private corporations. This step requires some paperwork especially if other people are included in the structure. You should consider hiring a lawyer in order to expedite the filing process and minimize any complications. According to a prominent Mullins lawyer, a lawyer can also help to clarify which legal structure is best for the startup.

Hire a Good Staff

Most startups will need some type of staff. This could mean an information technology specialist to run an ecommerce website or a salesperson to work in a storefront. It is important to hire only qualified and experienced people who can help the business. Individuals should not be hired based on friendships or the idea that a position will appear later. It is important to consider who will handle the finances of the startup, the payroll, distribution and customer service. Hiring experienced and talented staff will help to make the business successful.

Identify Potential Customers

It is important to identify potential customer segments in the market as early as possible. This involves looking at the type of people who should be interested in a product or service. Identifying target customer segments will help to drive marketing and advertising efforts. It also helps with brand development over time. Identifying customers can be done through testing, small online campaigns or even through analysis of competitors.

Outsource When Necessary

The final tip for a new business is to outsource different jobs when necessary. A startup is not likely to have the assets or the expertise to handle every single area effectively. Outsourcing elements like payroll, order fulfillment or customer service will reduce costs and provide superior results.

Making Money from Your Home

Chances are you spend much of your life in your house and whilst you’re paying for it through your rent or mortgage, it doesn’t necessarily give you much back. Yes, you’ve got a roof out of your head but you can actually use your home to make money in other ways too. Below are ten top ways you can make cash from your home.

Spare Room Lodger

The government has set up the potentially profitable rent-a-room scheme which gives people with a spare room the chance to earn up to £4,250 a year without taxes. You simply need to find a lodger who you’re comfortable living with and you’re onto a winner.

Event Hot Spot

If you’re lucky enough to live near to a sports or festival venue then your home could net you a mini fortune when a big event takes place. Renting out your home during the Edinburgh or Glastonbury festivals or for a big sporting event such as the Masters Golf Tournament can be highly profitable. Plenty of Londoners made a killing during the Olympics.

Film Set

You could rent out your home to film and TV companies too as a location set. Registering with one of the companies should be easy enough and although demand is usually for large spacious houses, films are still made inside little terraces too!

Photo Shoots

If you have a home which has something a little different about it chances are you can rent it out as a photo shoot set. Photographers are always looking for somewhere unusual to snap their next shot and if you think your home is one of these places there are websites easily locatable where you can sign up.

Become a Host

Rent out your room to a student who’s in England from their home country for the summer or perhaps a school term. It’s a great way of providing a safe environment for a young person and earns you a little cash too.

Swap Houses

This isn’t exactly money maker but it is a way of saving cash. If you organise a house swap you can save cash on your holidays as you visit the home of the person you’ve chosen to swap with. There are opportunities worldwide.

Use your Office

Your home office is usually the least used room and perhaps you should start making use of it. Make money online by completing surveys. You collect points on many sites and when you’ve collected enough you’ll receive a cheque in the post.

Drive Way Cash

Listing your drive or garage online can give you a little extra pocket money to play with. You can rent out your drive when it’s not in use and people tend to earn between £50 and £300 month without having to do anything much at all.

Clutter Away

Sell your old stuff and reorganise your home. Sell your old, unused laptop for cash, rehome all those old books you haven’t looked at for years and enjoy a clean and tidy home without mess and junk everywhere. You can use the cash you make to treat yourself!

Mini Farm

If you have a large garden that you don’t make much use off why not consider turning it into a small holding? You can keep chickens and grow vegetables and then sell on your produce.

Buying Car Insurance for the First Time? These 4 Tips Should Make it Easier

Nearly every state in America requires drivers to have automobile insurance but despite that regulation, a 2009 survey from the Insurance Research Council found nearly one in seven drivers chose not to purchase insurance before they took to the roads. One of the reasons for that may be due to people feeling intimidated about all the choices available, and the fact that requirements vary by state.

Fortunately, there are some constants to rely on whether you’re buying insurance in Denver, Colorado or Charlottesville, Virginia. If you’re getting ready to purchase insurance for the first time, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed. In fact, the tips below should make your task more manageable.

Know What’s Required

There are two types of liability insurance available to buy: Property damage insurance and bodily injury insurance. As you might imagine, the first type covers damage to a person’s car or protects you during an accident in which you damage someone’s residence while driving. On the other hand, insurance against bodily injury means you shouldn’t have to bear the sole burden of hospital bills incurred by a person who’s hurt following an auto accident you were involved in.

Find out the minimum amount of each type of insurance you’re required to have, and if possible, buy as much coverage as you can afford. After an accident, you’d want to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing you won’t have to drain your bank account to cover damages suffered.

Consider Getting Additional Types of Insurance

Whereas liability insurance is often mandatory, collision and comprehensive insurance may be optional. Collision insurance gives coverage for your own vehicle in the event of a crash, and comprehensive insurance acts as a safeguard against things like weather-related damage and vandalism to your car. If your budget will allow, consider getting this extra insurance. Driving requires commitments, and choosing insurance can help you feel more confident every time you get behind the wheel.

Select a Logical Deductible

A deductible is the amount of money you pay out of pocket before insurance takes effect. When you’re able to financially manage a higher deductible, that usually means your insurance cost will be lower, but don’t become too persuaded by low monthly premiums with deductibles you can’t afford. It’s ideal to select a deductible amount you could pay comfortably if the need arose. By instead assuming you won’t need to depend on insurance, that could saddle you with a dangerous amount of debt.

Compare Your Options

Being adequately informed makes many tasks easier, and that reality certainly extends to purchasing car insurance. Take your time and compare quotes before reaching a decision. It’s now easy to shop online and contrast choices from home at any time of the day or night. Also be aware that you might be eligible for certain discounts, particularly if you drive a car that has many safety features, or you agree to successfully complete a defensive driving skills class.

Using the information you’ve just read, it’ll hopefully be possible to make your first car insurance purchase a simple one, and cause subsequent efforts to find new insurance providers to be hassle-free, as well. Good luck!

Writer Deanna Ford is a professional blogger. Check out her posts on car insurance denver world climate for more insurance tips.

Making the Unfamiliar Familiar: Tips for Transitioning Kids to a New Home

Moving with kids is much more difficult than moving on your own. While adults tend to adjust quickly, realizing that their world is not ending, children aren't so quick to fall in love with their new homes. According to the staff at The Child Study Center of New York University, there are things that parents can do to help transition kids to a new home.

1.Get Out of the House

As busy as you are unpacking, organizing and decorating, do your best to get the kids out of the house. Exploring your new city can help children get used to their new place quicker. 

In fact, experts say that the act of exploring a new city gives children a place to go home to: their new house. It may be a mental game, but your children's' emotional stability is what you are most concerned about. 

2.Mini Decorators

It's tempting to paint your kids' rooms, put their things away and get them organized. Try to resist getting so hands on unless your children are simply too young to be of much help. For school-aged children, decorating can be just the thing that's needed to make a new house home. 

Let your child pick out a color for the walls, new bedding or even new toy shelves. The more you allow your children to make their new rooms their own, the faster they're going to fall in love with the new house.

3.Get the Group Together

If you haven't moved hundreds of miles away, invite your children's "old" friends for a sleepover. Let your child show his old friends around his new neighborhood. 

If you did move hundreds of miles away, contact parents and ask them to allow their children to Skype with yours. Even a video chat can help kids touch base and feel better about moving so far away. 

4.Sports

No matter what time of year you move, you can get your kids involved in sports, clubs or activities that involve their peers. Sports, clubs and other activities give your children the opportunity to connect with their peers. 

Your children don't feel pressured to come up with things to talk about; the mere act of participating in the same thing provides ample fodder for conversation. 

5.Patience

No child adjusts at the same rate. Your support and patience will mean more to your children than anything else you can do for or with them. Don't lose your mind when your kids don't adjust as quickly as you think they should. 

Instead, sit down, talk to them, and find out what you can do to help. Moving can be a time of very real grief for your child, and grief comes with stages. Unless you know where your kid's head is at, you can't help.

Moving is stressful for you in more ways than one. Not only do you have to worry about packing, moving and unpacking, but you have to worry about fitting in at work, meeting new people, and finding new activities to participate in. 

On top of all of that, you have to worry about your kids. Try to remember what it was like for you as a child when you had to move house. Offer your support, be patient, and take your children on new adventures; they'll feel at home before you know it.

Robin Knight just relocated to San Francisco and used Movoto.com to shop for his new home.

Suffering from Bad Credit? 5 Tips to Recover That Credit Score

If you find that your financial history involves a foreclosure, a long string of continuous past-due payments, or accounts going to collection, your credit score probably took a major hit. However, just because you currently suffer from bad credit, you can take control to rebuild it. The five tips below can help you recover that score and begin improving your financial health.

#1 Begin the Pay Down

Begin paying down on your debt, and avoid incurring any new debt. If you find you are loaded with multiple cards, begin paying off those with the highest interest rate, while you continue to make a minimal payment on all the remaining ones. Once the card with the highest rate has been paid off, start paying down on the one that has the next highest rate. As soon as all of your credit cards are balanced to zero, your credit worthiness will begin to rise.

#2 Keep Score

It is important to know exactly what is on your credit reports to ensure they are free of errors. Any mistake can have a dramatic negative impact on your score. Dispute every obvious error by providing documentation sent directly to the credit bureau. This will allow them to promptly fix any outdated or inaccurate information.

#3 Begin Using Cash

Simply because you have credit cards does not mean you need to use them. When deep in debt, it is important to put a spending freeze on every single credit card. This will provide the ideal breathing room you need to save money to pay down your debt balances quickly.

#4 Create a Budget

Creating a budget is a quick solution to understanding what is causing you to fall deep in debt. Only purchase items and services you need and can afford. Stop wasting money eating out, watching cable TV, or paying for unnecessary cell phone service.

#5 Pay Every Bill on Time

Creating a bill payment calendar is an easy way to ensure that every bill is paid in a timely manner. Missed payments will lower your score and generate late fees, even if the payment arrives just a few days late. Set up a bill payment online through your bank. This usually free service eliminates costly mistakes.

While credit provides the opportunity to make life easier, it can create tremendous anxiety when not handled properly. When your financial trouble is overwhelming, a bankruptcy attorney Omaha firm can assist in restoring financial health to get you back on track.



Brionna Kennedy is native to the Pacific Northwest, growing up in Washington, then moving down to Oregon for college. She enjoys writing on fashion and business, but any subject will do, she loves to learn about new topics. When she isn't writing, she lives for the outdoors. Oregon has been the perfect setting to indulge her love of kayaking, rock climbing, and hiking.