But now you can also use social media to make money, especially on popular platforms like Facebook. With millions of people on the site, it’s easy to see how bloggers, website owners, companies, and even regular people can make money on Facebook.

Some even earn a full-time income using the platform. Even if you’re looking to only make a few extra bucks per month, Facebook may be a good place to do it.

There are several ways to get paid on Facebook. It’s the perfect side hustle for anyone who already spends a lot of time on the platform.

1. Get traffic to your own blog.

One of the easiest ways to make money on Facebook is by using it to generate traffic to your own blog.

Jon Dulin, from Money Smart Guides, uses this method. Like many bloggers, he shares his articles on his Facebook page but he employs a specific strategy. If a shared post does well on Facebook, he’ll use it as a paid ad to drive even more people to his blog.

“Otherwise it’s like trying to catch a fish in the ocean,” Dulin said about his strategy. “You’re paying money for posts that may never turn you a profit. By doing it this way, you are trying to catch a fish in a pond. It is more time-efficient to test ads with a popular post already.”

This strategy works extraordinarily well for Dulin. He’s currently making about $1,000 per month from Facebook traffic alone.

Related: How to Start a Money-Making Blog

2. Manage Facebook ads.

Thanks to the volume of Facebook’s users, ads have become a big part of its business. But many business owners don’t have the time or resources to learn how to use Facebook ads for their business. This creates an opportunity for you to step in and do it for them.

Just ask Tyler Philbrook, who took a course in managing Facebook ads while trying to grow his own blog. Instead, he began managing ads for other business owners and opened his new agency, Party of Three Productions.

“I focus on local businesses, so many of them are already advertising and don’t realize how cheap you can get Facebook ads running,” Philbrook said. “By explaining just a little, people will gladly pay you to do it.”

Today, Philbrook makes $2,000 to $5,000 per month managing Facebook ads for clients.

Related: How to Make Money Running Facebook Ads for Local Businesses  

3. Manage Facebook groups.

Facebook groups are hugely popular for online business owners. But they can take a lot of time to manage, especially once a group reaches a certain size. There might be problematic members or topics that are too controversial, and you may have to do a lot of moderating.

That’s why many group owners hire virtual assistants to manage the groups for them.

“On a daily basis, I approve/deny Facebook requests, respond to students’ questions, monitor for spam, and post weekly threads,” said Drew DuBoff, who earns $4,000 per month for managing eight Facebook groups.

“If you try this out for yourself, I’d recommend networking first,” said DuBoff, who scored his first gig after noticing a group he was in needed help with moderation. “I got booked because I made meaningful connections with course creators, so they were more at ease hiring me.”

Related: How to Become a Social Media Manager (Step by Step Guide) 

4. Sell your own product or service.

If you’re selling a product or service, you can also find customers directly on Facebook. Anything you can imagine can be sold directly on Facebook. You don’t always need to refer customers to an outside blog or website.

For example, Logan Allec from Money Done Right turned to Facebook while trying to find clients for his new CPA practice. He relied on a novel approach — offering his own services to anyone who had created a public post looking for CPA recommendations. He found those through Facebook’s search engine.

“Is this approach aggressive? Of course,” Allec said. “I was promoting myself and my services in someone’s Facebook post that they may have only intended for their friends to see. That said, their Facebook posts were public, and I truly believed that I could provide them with better service than they could find from any other accountant.”

Believe it or not, this approach worked. Allec was able to add $4,000 per month to his income from this method alone.

Chhavi Agarwal, who blogs at Mrs. Daaku Studio, also uses Facebook to find clients.

“I work as a freelance writer, so I’m a part of many Facebook groups where business owners post their requirements and ask for recommendations for a good writer,” Agarwal said. “I use these groups to network with potential clients and have been able to land a few clients in this manner.”

Thanks to her Facebook networking, she’s able to generate between $200 and $500 per month.

Related: 19 Digital Products You Can Sell to Earn Passive Income

5. Sell on Facebook Marketplace.

Facebook Marketplace allows you to sell almost anything on the site, from used baby clothes to cars. There’s no fee for selling, and because people use their Facebook profiles to buy and sell, it’s less spammy than Craigslist.

You have to meet up with people in person to sell your items, but that also means you don’t have to worry about shipping because all transactions are local. How much you make on the site depends on what you’re selling, the photo quality, and if you’re able to find a good local buyer.

Strategies for Upleveling Your Facebook Monetization

You’ll need to take a few steps to build up a reputable online presence so that people will feel comfortable buying from you.

1. Build your brand.

Chances are you already have a personal Facebook page. If you want to make money, you’ll need to establish a business account.

If you have a website where you sell products or services, consider setting up a Facebook page. But even if you’re selling your own services as an individual, it pays to make sure your online presence is professional. Adding a real logo, a headshot, and a succinct, clear description of your business will make you look legitimate. An official website and professional email address are also good to have.

Another tip: set your personal profile to “private.” This can prevent future clients from snooping in your personal life. Also, be mindful of what you say in public forums. You are the face of your brand and you need to be aware of the message you’re sending to potential clients.

2. Build a following.

Having a following is key when you’re selling something. Your followers are the ones who will buy your products, leave reviews, and recommend you to friends. You can even use them as beta testers. Giving them a free preview of your product makes them feel even more invested in it.

Build a following by creating useful and helpful content and engaging with your fans. Doing so will get them to click on your blog or website, sign up for your email list, or follow you on other social media platforms. If people only have one interaction with you, it’s unlikely they’ll stick around for you to sell your products or services.

3. Encourage engagement.

Followers who can’t wait to see your content provide social proof that you’re not just some random person on the internet. If other people trust you, a new client or buyer may too. Trust is a necessity for people to buy what you’re selling.

Facebook groups are especially useful for this. If you answer questions, host interactive Facebook Live seminars, or even start discussions, it demonstrates that you’re responsive, honest, and helpful. That will help you build trust and connect with your audience.

4. Learn to sell.

Now that you’ve got a receptive audience, the final piece is getting them to say yes to your offer.

What works well for selling to one audience may be too aggressive for another. This is where it pays to know who you’re speaking to. Knowing their fears, hopes, and the words they use to describe their problems will make your advertising and selling tactics more effective.

It also pays to network with other business owners to find out what’s working for them.

Related: 21 Inexpensive or Free Ways to Market Your Small Business

Building Group and Page Relationships Is Key

How much money you make using Facebook depends on the services you’re offering, the products you’re selling, and how aggressive you are with your networking and marketing. It also depends on your audience and how much they’re willing to pay for your offerings.

Remember, though, that if you want to make money with Facebook, it’s not as simple as setting up shop and asking for money. As our case studies have shown, it’s possible to make money, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Stay consistent, strategic, and focused, and you can generate anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per month.

If you’re serious about making money online, Facebook is definitely one of the best places to start.

The post 5 Realistic Ways to Make Money on Facebook appeared first on DollarSprout.

There’s Ryan Kaji, an eight-year-old boy who made $26 million in 2019, just by reviewing toys on his YouTube channel._[1] Actors like Darren Criss and Rachel Bloom have also found their way from YouTube fame to movies and TV.

If you love to explain topics, interview people in person, or just enjoy being on camera, you might want to consider starting your own YouTube channel.

YouTube can be a great way to make money. It’s not fast, and it’s definitely not as easy as it seems. If you need to make money in a week, there are better options.

But if you’re a creative person with a message to share and an interest in video, you can learn how to make money on YouTube.

Topics that Make Money on YouTube

One of the first things you’ll need to decide when starting up your own YouTube channel is what type of videos you’ll be producing. You can pick whatever you’re comfortable with, but there are a few popular types of videos that have an easy entry point.

Product reviews

If you have expertise in a certain topic and can objectively assess products, this can be another popular way to create videos. You can do this with all kinds of products like digital cameras, eyeshadow palettes, or dog toys.

The key is to pick a certain niche and stick to that. If you review educational kids’ games one week and a book the next, you probably won’t be able to build the following necessary to make money.

Related: 8 Ways You Can Get Paid to Test Products at Home

Tutorials

Tutorials are another popular way to help others with your expertise. You can walk people through common problems like how to sew a button, curl your hair, do your taxes, or cook a roast. People are constantly turning to YouTube tutorials for the simplest to most complicated DIY projects.

Make a list of your interests, skills, and credentials to figure out what kinds of tutorials and how-tos you can create.

Vlogging

If you’re constantly telling interesting stories, having exciting experiences, or just have a knack for discussing mundane observations, you might consider starting a vlog. Rather than writing down your thoughts, you’ll record and share them with your audience. This can be a great way to make money from your everyday life.

How to Start a YouTube Channel and Make Money

It’s easy to start a YouTube channel, but making videos and building a loyal following is harder.

Step 1: Create your YouTube channel

Creating a YouTube channel is as simple as logging in to YouTube and selecting the “Create Channel” link under your profile picture. From there, you’ll be taken to the Channel dashboard where you’ll find tools and tutorials for creating, uploading, and sharing your videos.

You will need to provide an email address so you have two options. You can create a separate channel using your personal email address, or you can create a separate email address to use just for your channel. If you like the peace of mind of having separate accounts so that you don’t accidentally cross-post personal with business, then choose the latter.

Remember to fill in all of the details in your profile, including the About section. Upload a catchy channel header image, and make sure it looks good on mobile and in a web browser.

Related: How This Teacher Turned YouTuber Makes $39,000 per Month

Step 2: Decide on a strategy

You could post videos on a random schedule with topics that don’t relate to each other, but if you’re trying to make money on YouTube, you need a specific strategy.

“Honestly, I’d say quantity and making sure you hit the fan favorites is the biggest part,” said Joseph Hogue, of the YouTube channel Let’s Talk Money. “One video a week used to be the baseline, but I feel like somebody really trying to grow their channel needs to be producing two a week now.” Hogue advises creating a schedule with a set time and day for each video that you put out. Once you set a schedule that you feel comfortable with, consider these factors as well:

• How many videos will you produce each month?
• What day and time will you post them?
• What information will you include in your video descriptions?
• Will you include details from your personal life or will it be more formal?
• What will your video thumbnails look like?
• How will you choose what video topics to produce?

To get an idea of what strategy will work for you, check out other popular channels in your niche. Don’t copy them, but use them as an inspiration for what’s working. If you see several channels repeating the same elements, that’s a clue you should consider doing it too.

Step 3: Develop a method for creating and uploading videos

To simplify and streamline the process, it’s important to develop a system or method for your videos.

Many successful YouTubers advise shooting several videos in one session and batch-processing them. That way, you can do all the work at once and then schedule them to be released in advance.

You can also develop things like step-by-step checklists to streamline the process even further. The popular tool TubeBuddy offers this feature and other helpful resources such as keyword research. Learning how to use keyboard shortcuts in your video editing program can also speed up the editing process. As you grow your channel and income, you can hire an editor or virtual assistant to help you with these tasks.

The main idea is to develop a system that works for you so you can almost run on autopilot. This frees up your energy for other things, like writing scripts, creating engaging videos, and other strategic planning.

Step 4: Adapt and revise

Take a step back every so often and assess whether you’re meeting your goals. You can look at your analytics to see if you’re reaching your target audience, how many views you’re receiving, which topics connect or don’t, and other metrics to help you figure out your channel’s performance. If what you’re doing isn’t working, you might need to step back and make some changes.

It also helps to join a community of other YouTube creators, especially ones in your own niche. They can provide feedback on your channel, and you can ask questions about what works for others, what systems or programs they use, or help with promotional strategies. This allows you to network with other creators, and you can learn and grow your channels together.

Related: 29 Best Work from Home Jobs for 2023

Ways to Earn Money from Your YouTube Channel

There are many ways you can earn money from your YouTube channel once you have an established following.

Adsense

This is the most popular way to make money on YouTube. However, you’ll need to hit two specific milestones before YouTube allows you to place ads on your videos:

• Have at least 4,000 hours of watch time on your videos in the last 12 months
• Have at least 1,000 subscribers

Given these strict requirements, many people are finding that ads are more of a supplemental rather than a primary way to make money on YouTube.

“Ad rates (CPM) are also definitely down,” said Sarah Wilson of Budget Girl. CPM refers to cost per mille, or the rate advertisers pay to show their ad to 1,000 viewers. “Overall, we are getting paid less. YouTubers aren’t allowed to disclose CPM, but I track mine and can say it’s been lower this past year than in years past.”

That’s another reason why relying on YouTube for your sole income may be dangerous. You’re always at the whim of the platform. It helps to diversify your revenue streams by starting a blog or creating your own products.

Brand partnerships and sponsorships

Ads are a great way to earn passive income, but the real way many YouTubers make money is by partnering with brands.

You need to be careful with this method. It might be lucrative, but you can’t advertise or sell products that don’t make sense for your audience. If you do, you’ll lose their trust.

“Be very picky about who you partner with,” Wilson said. “No matter how great the company is, it dilutes your brand. So, charge accordingly and be prepared to do your own research into how the company operates. Also, if they mess up with one of your viewers, be prepared to hear about it.”

Make a list of your favorite relevant companies that pay to advertise and contact their marketing departments. If you’ve already made videos about those products, you can show them as proof that you’re a real user.

Affiliate marketing

With affiliate marketing, you still feature another company’s product in your videos, but instead of earning a flat fee, you’ll use a unique referral link in your video description and earn a commission for each person who purchases the product through that link.

“I try to mention [affiliates] when it fits naturally with the topic,” Hogue said.

You can even refine your affiliate marketing strategy. Here’s one Hogue is trying out.

“I’ll do a series of two or three videos in a topic with a natural fit for an affiliate,” he said. “I’ll then create a lead magnet and email series to get people hooked in, watching all the videos, and receiving the emails.”

Pick a product or service you’ve actually used and benefited from that you think your audience would love, then brainstorm some ways to create new content around that product.

Sell your own products and services

If you’ve already created courses, eBooks, or other products, mentioning them in your videos can be a great way to drive traffic to your offerings. Make sure you provide a link in the video description so users can easily find them.

Should you go this route, take care to not oversell your own products. You want it to feel like a natural recommendation to your audience.

Related: 19 Digital Product Ideas for Generating Passive Income

Ask for fan support

Another way to make money on YouTube is to ask for financial fan support through a service like Patreon. This can make sense for some niches more than others. For example, fan support is a common way gamers earn an income, while it might not make as much sense for someone with a personal finance channel.

“It’s not a place I personally put my money, so I would feel wrong asking it of my viewers while also advising them to cut costs,” Wilson said. “It would be an incredible compliment to know viewers supported me so much they were willing to pay a monthly fee just to root for me, but I’d never ask it.”

Making money off Patreon is a reality for many YouTubers, but it’s something you can only ask for once you’ve put out a lot of valuable content.

Will You be the Next Million Dollar YouTuber?

Making a million dollars on YouTube is unlikely, even for the most serious person, but YouTube can be a great place to build a persona and a brand that also helps your blog, coaching business, or course.

It can also be a great way to learn new skills, challenge yourself, and make money off your hobby. If you’re persistent, eager to learn, and have a passion for video, it can be a great side hustle. If you work hard enough, it can even become your full-time profession.

The post How Beginners Can Earn Money with YouTube appeared first on DollarSprout.

In 2019, an average of 330 million people used Twitter each month, according to the company. People use Twitter to check the news, interact with friends, and follow brands.

All of that interaction can also lead to potential money-making opportunities. There are many ways to make money on Twitter, but it requires a game plan if you want to get paid to tweet.

Can You Really Get Paid to Tweet?

Twitter doesn’t have as many opportunities to earn money as platforms like Facebook. There are no groups to join, and its ad system is less robust than Facebook’s.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t earn money on Twitter. In 2012, Kim Kardashian earned $10,000 per tweet, and celebrities and other influencers keep making money through their tweets._[1]

With fewer ads than other platforms, people aren’t as skeptical of sponsored or promotional tweets. And with fewer advertisers, that means more room for you to stick out.

4 Things You Must Do to Earn Money From Twitter

You need to take steps to prepare your account to be a money-maker instead of a random account. Treat making money on Twitter as a business or entrepreneurial venture. Experiment with different strategies and learn from people who are doing it successfully.

1. Build Your Brand

If you want to sell, you need to build yourself as a brand, not just an individual.

Even if you do use your own name as a brand, you still have to think of yourself as a corporate entity, not just a regular person. Businesses need to pay attention to what message they’re putting out into the world, both consciously and subconsciously.

Small details can have a big impact on how others perceive your brand, and how likely people are to do business with you.

As part of your Twitter brand, you’ll need to include the following on your Twitter profile:

• Your handle
• Your website
• A bio or description of your business
• A header photo

If you have a profile already, take a step back and look at each of these details. Do they look professional? Would you be proud to show this to someone you’re trying to sell to? Does it convey the message you want? Does the photo look grainy or is the description geared toward friends instead of followers?

Better yet, ask a few friends to take a look at your profile for you and ask them for their thoughts. You may view your brand one way, but other people might perceive it differently and that’s critical information to know.

2. Build a Following

After you’ve perfected your profile, the next step to making money on Twitter is to build your followers. You can’t make any money on Twitter if no one is hearing your message.

Here are a few ways to get followers:

• Share other people’s tweets
• Interact with other users in conversations
• Use relevant hashtags (hashtagify is a great tool for this)
• Follow people who are in your niche or who are similar to your target customers

It helps to stay active on the platform. Tweets don’t last very long, so posting frequently means you’ll stay in people’s feeds longer. If you only log in once a week, it’ll be harder to build a following.

Download the Twitter app on your phone to stay connected. Use random moments like when you’re in line at the grocery store or at the gym to send a tweet and start a conversation. If you don’t have a lot of time, you can schedule tweets in advance, but you will still need to login to respond and engage with your followers.

You can also hire a virtual assistant to help you.

3. Cultivate Engagement

You’ll need to get people engaged with the tweets you’re sending. This will elevate your brand presence and get people talking about you.

Some methods of making money on Twitter, such as selling paid tweets, will require you to have a proven track record of getting tweets noticed. No one wants to pay you to tweet if your message isn’t getting across to other people.

Some ways to cultivate engagement include:

• Holding Twitter chats, contests, and giveaways
• Asking questions to your audience
• Share interesting and thought-provoking articles
• Respectfully engaging in other Twitter user’s conversations

You can use one or all of these to create engagement on Twitter. Whichever method you choose, though, be authentic and true to the brand you’re creating.

4. Learn to Sell

Selling on Twitter can feel sleazy if you don’t know how to promote products without sounding like a paid spokesperson. You should try to focus on products you actually use, instead of selling anything that comes your way.

If you never use an item, it becomes harder to sell it and be authentic at the same time. That’s why people who only promote items they actually use do the best – because their followers can tell they’re being genuine.

Whichever strategy works best for you will depend on your brand and the type of product or service you’re selling.

You may send out tweets periodically to check out a referral link to a product you love. If you’re a freelance writer or graphic designer, you may share a potential client’s blog to show them you’re interested.

It’s also a good idea to try multiple strategies over time to see what works best. You never know what will connect with people until you try.

4 Ways to Make Money on Twitter

Making money on Twitter is a lesson in patience and persistence, especially if you’re new to making money online.

1. Get Traffic to Your Own Blog

One of the best ways to make money on Twitter is to send traffic to your website that offers your products and services. Used in this way, Twitter acts as an advertising and marketing platform for your blog.

It can be time-consuming to send out daily tweets about your blog. That’s why many bloggers use tools like SmarterQueue, Meet Edgar, or Hootsuite to schedule tweets in advance. These tools have free options so you can try them out before deciding if the paid version is right for you.

2. Sell Your Own Product or Service

You can also advertise your own products or services directly on Twitter. That’s what Riley Adams from Young and the Invested inadvertently did when he tweeted about tax season, the new tax laws, and how to prepare for both.

“In so doing, I was contacted by a company looking to publish reviews of tax software,” Adams said. “They saw my CPA credentials as an attractive element for writing an extensive review and follow-up posts with related content. Through networking, I made my first real money blogging.”

Adams earned $850 for these writing services.

“I would suggest being active on social media because you never know who reads your posts/tweets and the opportunities which could result,” he said.

You might not talk about something as specific as taxes, but you never know what type of business may contact (and pay) you based on your tweets.

3. Partner with Brands

You can also partner with brands to promote their products or services as a brand ambassador.

This is a popular option for celebrities, who can get paid thousands of dollars per tweet. There are even networks such as SponsoredTweets and Adly that allow you to find brands to work with and sell sponsored tweets to them.

For most people, this isn’t a viable way to make money. Unless you’re a mega-celebrity or have thousands of followers, most brands probably won’t be interested in working with you. You may find more luck in partnering with a brand for a more extensive brand sponsorship package, including things like sponsored posts, videos, and social media posts across a range of platforms.

The best way to use this route is to find relevant brands for your niche and approach those companies directly with a media kit. Your audience is your product, so never do anything to compromise their trust. Only recommend products that will truly help them, regardless of the payout.

4. Affiliate Marketing

You can also make money on Twitter with affiliate marketing, which means sending referral links to products and services your audience might like or benefit from. You get paid each time someone buys something through one of your referral links.

This is one of the easiest ways to make money on Twitter. All you have to do is sign up with an affiliate program, either directly with the company or through an affiliate network such as ShareASale or FlexOffers.com.

You’ll get a referral link to use for each product or service you promote. You can also use a service like Pretty Links or Bitly to shorten and clean up the links so that you’re not posting a long, garbled URL. These services are free, but also have premium versions that offer more upgrades.

It’s important to be transparent when tweeting out referral links because you’re essentially writing an ad. The FTC doesn’t issue fines to bloggers, but it’s still a good practice to follow. That means all tweets with affiliate links must have a hashtag identifying them, such as #afflink or #affiliatemarketing.

How Much Could You Make with Paid Tweets?

Twitter may not be the giant money-making platform that some other sites are. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get paid to tweet, either directly with sponsored tweets or indirectly by pointing people toward affiliate products and services.

There’s a good chance that your audience is on Twitter, and you can earn money online by strategically selling to them.

The post 4 Ways to Get Paid to Tweet (and How to Earn Money on Twitter) appeared first on DollarSprout.

If you’re one of the people who gave up traditional cable but still want to watch TV, know that you still have options. There are plenty of free movie websites for you to access that will replace those paid services, so there’s no need to stress about missing out on your favorite or must-see movies.

And while there’s always a concern that if you’re streaming content, it’s a bootleg rather than legitimate copy, there are plenty of lawful websites available to watch movies online.

11 Best Websites to Watch Movies and TV Shows for Free

Not all of the top free movie websites are the same. Some require you to watch a lot of ads or have inconvenient features. Still, it’s usually a small price to pay since you won’t have to worry about your cable bill anymore.

1. Amazon Prime Video

Membership in Amazon Prime isn’t free ($119 per year, or $12.99 per month), but if you’re already a member, you can also watch many movies and TV shows for free. If you haven’t tried it yet, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial and watch unlimited free movies for the next month.

Pros: Amazon Prime Video features a larger library of movies than any other free movie streaming website. If you’re looking for a specific title, chances are you’ll be able to find it already included with your membership for free on Amazon Prime Video. Even if you can’t, you can often pay a small fee of around $3.99 to rent it. The video quality is excellent, and there are no commercials. Amazon also produces a lot of original content, including several popular titles such as The Boys, Good Omens, and The Man in the High Castle.

Cons: You’ll need to purchase an Amazon Prime membership first.

Related: 6 Clever Ways to Get Free Cable TV

2. Popcornflix

Popcornflix is one of the most popular truly free streaming website services.

Pros: Popcornflix features a smooth, easy-to-navigate interface, and there is no need to create an account or login. You can begin watching movies within “two clicks” of arriving on-site, as Popcornflix advertises. Families will also appreciate PopcornflixKids, which features only child-appropriate shows.

Cons: Popcornflix features an impressive amount of free movies, although some categories are somewhat limited. For example, you can only choose from 52 options for stand-up comedy specials, and 12 of them are actually old Gallagher routines. In addition, you’ll have to watch commercials every 15 minutes or so, and the picture quality is not the greatest.

3. Crackle

Crackle is Sony’s free movie streaming platform. It’s widely available across platforms such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, and game consoles including the Xbox One and Playstation, in addition to your regular computer browser.

Pros: Crackle has its own original shows such as Angel of Death and Throwaways, although you’re unlikely to see these shows at the Emmy Awards. You can also create an account on the platform to create a “Watch Later” list and save your progress across multiple devices, although creating an account isn’t required to watch free movies.

Cons: Crackle has periodic commercials and grainy picture quality. Finding movies in certain genres can be problematic, as there are only six categories to choose from: Action, Anime, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, and Crackle Original.

4. Facebook Watch

Facebook Watch is similar to YouTube in that users and brands can create and upload their own videos. It often winds up being a mix of random videos, but you can find some gems.

Pros: Facebook Watch does host some original shows like the TV series based on the Facebook page Humans of New York or Sacred Lies, a drama about a teen who mysteriously escapes a cult.

Cons: Just like YouTube, anyone can create and upload videos. However, the quality is lackluster and consists primarily of funny clips of kids and cats, unless you intentionally seek out one of Facebook Watch’s original programs. Don’t expect to find any full-length movies on here, either. You will need a Facebook account to view these shows.

5. YouTube

Most people are familiar with YouTube and know that you can watch illegally-uploaded movies on the platform. However, you can still use the platform to watch legal versions of movies and original content.

Pros: It’s not widely advertised, but you can buy access to affordable copies of movies through the YouTube Movies & Shows section of the website. For example, you can rent Men in Black: International for $5.99. YouTube also offers a limited selection of about 200 free movies, such as Super Size Me and Dances With Wolves. YouTube does create its own original content, although only some of it is available to people without a YouTube Premium membership.

Cons: You’ll need to put up with frequent ads if you view one of YouTube’s free movies. If you want to avoid the commercials and view the full range of original content that YouTube offers, you’ll need to purchase a YouTube Premium membership for $11.99 per month. However, this does come with a free one-month trial so you can try it before signing up.

6. Yidio

Yidio isn’t actually a free movie website at all. Rather, it’s an aggregator website that shows you where you can watch specific movies if you already have one in mind.

Pros: If you really want to view a specific movie, Yidio is a great website to check first to see if it’s available for free on an existing platform. Even if you’re browsing, you can choose to show only free movies, and Yidio has an extensive list of categories that you can browse to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Cons: Although Yidio itself is free to use, oftentimes it’ll point you to paid services such as Netflix or Hulu to watch a specific show or movie.

7. Vudu

Vudu is Walmart’s ala carte movie streaming service. There are no subscription fees, but you do pay a small fee for what you want to watch. Vudu offers an entire section on its website for free movies.

Pros: Vudu offers a large number of movies for free. You can also sort out these movies quite easily, such as by release year, Rotten Tomatoes score, and even the production studio. Unlike many free movie websites, Vudu is also constantly adding new free movies to the mix.

Cons: You’ll need to create an account and watch periodic ads in order to access the free content.

8. Tubi

Tubi is one of the largest free movie websites available. If you haven’t heard of it yet, consider checking out this website.

Pros: Tubi features over 12,000 movies and TV shows to watch. In fact, the company boasts that its catalog is twice the size of Netflix. It’s also relatively easy to browse niche topics, including unique categories as “Full Moon Features” and “Not On Netflix.”

Cons: Like many other free streaming websites, Tubi makes its money by showing commercials throughout the movies. It also doesn’t feature as many new releases or blockbusters as some other websites. While there are plenty of movies to watch, don’t expect to find a ton of newer, high-dollar productions.

9. Free Movies Cinema

Free Movies Cinema is one of the lesser-known names among free movie streaming sites, but if you want to watch a movie without a specific title in mind, it’s a good choice.

Pros: There are no ads and no registration is needed to view these movies.

Cons: All of the movies available are off-beat titles that you’ve probably never heard of before, such as The Fast and the Furious (1955), and Born of Hope, a pre-Lord of the Rings fan film. The user interface is also a little clunky and it’s hard to browse movies due to the small thumbnails and poorly-designed website. And, even though the website is titled Free Movies Cinema, some movies or shows require payment to watch such as the series Origin.

10. Top Documentary Films

Documentaries are particularly easy to come by on free movie streaming platforms. However, if you’re particularly fond of this genre, we recommend this website.

Pros: For true lovers of learning, Top Documentary Films offers the best way to view a range of documentaries. You can view a list of the Top 100 Documentaries on the site, or view by particular sub-genre such as Science or History. There aren’t any commercials, and you don’t need to subscribe to anything. Each documentary is also accompanied by a detailed write-up.

Cons: Top Documentary Films doesn’t host any of its own movies on the website. Rather, it’s an aggregation site that embeds documentaries hosted on other websites, such as YouTube. There isn’t anything available here you can’t find elsewhere for free, although, since they’re all in one place, it does make it easier to find documentaries quickly. The video quality can also vary a lot from documentary to documentary, depending on where and how they are originally hosted.

11. The Roku Channel

Roku is one of the most popular devices for streaming online content to your TV, but it also has a lesser-known Roku TV channel of its own.

Pros: If you have a Roku device, it probably came pre-loaded with this streaming movie channel that offers an impressive selection of 10,000 free titles. You don’t necessarily need to buy a Roku device to get access to the channel since it’s also available on the web, but it is easier to navigate The Roku Channel’s offerings on the device.

Cons: The Roku channel doesn’t have the latest box-office hits. You’ll also have to deal with commercials, although as the company points out, they are far fewer in number than on traditional ad-supported TV.

Related: Cable TV Alternatives: How to Cut the Cord and Save Tons of Money

Free Movie Site FAQs

Watching free movies is a potentially tricky area, and people often have a lot of questions. Here are some of the most common.

Is it safe and legal to watch movies online for free?

It depends on which website you use. Many free movie websites host pirated movie copies, and oftentimes malware and other viruses can sneak in with the files you’re watching.

That’s why it’s important to only stick with reputable websites such as the ones we’ve listed, rather than googling how to watch your favorite movie for free and picking a random option.

Similarly, never give a website your credit card number unless you’re sure it’s a legitimate site, such as Netflix or Amazon.

How do the sites pick the movies available?

Some of the larger free online movie streaming sites make deals directly with the production companies that distribute them. Other websites seem to offer a hodgepodge of assorted videos, with no explained reason as to why they picked what’s available.

Do I have to sign up to watch movies for free?

Some free movie websites like Facebook Watch and Amazon Video require you to register your account before you can access the free movies. You can watch others, like The Roku Channel and Top Documentary Films, without having to sign up first.

Make sure you never give a free streaming movie platform your credit card number unless you’re absolutely sure it’s a legitimate website.

Avoid Free Movie Download Sites and Bootleg Copies

Free movie download sites allow you to download pirated movie copies directly to your computer, but you can potentially face stiff fines for doing so. It’s unlikely that the government would come after every single person doing this individually, as users of Napster and Limewire may remember, but it’s still better to be on the right side of the law.

Besides, there are other pitfalls of downloading bootleg copies of movies. These sites are often run by criminals, and many of these files contain viruses and malware that can infect your computer and put you at further risk.

This is why it’s best to play it safe and stick with the reputable movie streaming websites that we’ve outlined here. By streaming the movies from reputable sites you’re not downloading or using pirated copies, so there’s no risk of infecting your computer with malware or viruses.

Related: 8 Ways to Get Cheap Movie Tickets

There Are Other Ways to Watch Movies for Free (Or at Low Cost)

Free movie websites aren’t the only place to find movies. If you’re looking for a unique title that’s hard to find, chances are it’ll be easier for you to find it through another route. Libraries are a particularly great place to find free movies. Even if your library doesn’t have the title you want in hand, you can often request it through the Interlibrary Loan feature.

Similarly, you can often sign up for free trials of websites like Netflix and Hulu. You can use these trial periods to see if the service offers the type of movies you like to watch, and if it does, these are low-cost entertainment options.

Finding free or low-cost options for movies might take a bit more workaround than simply purchasing an expensive DVD, but in most cases, you’ll be able to find whatever you’re looking for.

The post 11 Best Free Movie Websites for Your Next In-Home Movie Night appeared first on DollarSprout.

But if you’re really talented or interested, you might be able to turn your hobby into a side hustle, and maybe even a full-time business.

Just ask Alicia Shaffer, who makes $80,000 per month selling handmade clothes on Etsy. Alicia is probably an outlier, but since the craft business is estimated to be worth $44 billion, there’s room for you even if you only make a few crafts at home in your spare time._[1]

If you’re going to sell crafts online, you need to create a plan to ensure that you’ll be making money instead of spending more than you earn. Part of that plan involves where and how to sell your crafts, because this has a big effect on your costs and how many people will see your items.

Best Sites for Selling Your Handmade Crafts

Selling your crafts online is one of the easiest ways to get started. Most successful crafters choose several online selling sites to boost their chances of reaching customers. Remember, don’t choose more than you can manage on a day-to-day basis.

1. Etsy

Etsy is the most popular online craft marketplace. In 2018, over two million sellers sold their wares to more than 39 million buyers._[2], _[3]

Sellers create a “shop” that groups all of their items in one place. Etsy allows people to sell vintage and even digital items including printables, but you’ll also find a lot of physical, handmade goods.

One of the downsides of selling handmade items on Etsy is that you have to pay a $0.20 listing fee for each item, regardless of if it sells or not. You’ll pay an extra 5% transaction fee if it sells. Other fees include advertisements and, using Etsy’s payment processing system.

Related: E-Printable Side Hustle Course: How to Create and Sell Your First Etsy Printables

2. Shopify

Shopify isn’t a marketplace where people shop for handmade items like Etsy. Rather, it’s a set of e-commerce tools that let you create your own shop. You can customize how it looks and pick a custom domain name, so it looks more professional.

Shopify charges a steep fee of $29 to $299 per month depending on how many features your account comes with, but you can sign up for a 14-day free trial to see if you like it. This is only a good choice for high-volume craft sellers.

3. Your Own Blog

You can also sell things directly from your blog or WordPress site. This can be a little tricky because you’ll have to figure out a payment processing system, which is what many people use Shopify for. WooCommerce is a popular, less expensive option, but it does have a steep learning curve for beginners.

Starting a WordPress blog isn’t difficult, but you need to be tech-savvy to do so. That’s why many people choose an easier option such as Etsy. Selling crafts online through your own website may be cheaper in the long run and can also make you look more professional.

4. Handmade at Amazon

You can sell your handmade crafts on Amazon as well, but the process to get started is a little more rigorous. You need to fill out an application that’s individually reviewed to make sure you personally are the one making your items from scratch.

There’s also a more limited number of categories compared to other craft websites, but you’ll still find all the common ones such as jewelry, clothing, and personal care products.

Handmade at Amazon charges a high 15% referral fee (minimum $1) per transaction. You can take advantage of Amazon’s FBA program, which allows you to eliminate the hassle of shipping items.

5. Artfire

Artfire offers you a place to sell your crafts under seven master categories: Jewelry, Wedding, Clothing & Accessories, Childrens, Home & Living, Craft Supplies & Tools, and Entertainment. Artfire includes your items in Google search results, so if you’re an SEO whiz you could drive traffic and earn more selling crafts online.

Artfire is another marketplace that may be better for established sellers because of its fee structure. The lowest fee is $4.95 a month with a $0.23 listing fee per item, and a 12.75% commission when you make a sale.

If you sell more items, it may make more sense to pay a $40 monthly fee, which allows you to avoid listing fees and only pay a 4.75% commission. Either way, it’s an expensive site to use.

Related: 13 Best Places to Sell Your Jewelry Online

6. eBay

eBay attracts a large number of buyers and sellers, but it’s not exclusively focused on crafts. It’s a popular place to sell anything, especially if you need money now. Still, you might be able to take advantage of this platform if you’re selling a type of craft people are looking for.

eBay has a decent fee structure. There’s no listing fee, and you only pay a commission if your item sells. There may be extra fees if you have more than 50 listings per month, but this is still a good option for low-volume sellers.

7. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is another shop-creation platform for online businesses, similar to Shopify. BigCommerce allows you to create your own shop that you can integrate into your website, instead of having your shop hosted on another marketplace like Etsy or Artfire. You can also use BigCommerce to integrate your store directly with Amazon and eBay.

BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial, but it gets expensive after that. The company charges between $29.95 and $249.95 per month, and it doesn’t include payment processing. You’ll need to hook up your own third-party payment system, although BigCommerce does offer a discount with Paypal on credit card transactions.

8. Bonanza

Bonanza is an alternative to eBay. You can find all sorts of items on here, although handmade crafts seem to be more prevalent than on eBay. Bonanza even has an import feature so if you already have listings on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, or Shopify, you can import them directly into Bonanza so you can list the same item easily on multiple sites.

Bonanza’s fees are also relatively reasonable. There’s no listing fee, and if your item sells, you’ll pay a 3.5% commission (minimum $0.50) for items under $500, and a 4.5% commission for items over $500.

9. Folksy

Folksy is the UK’s version of Etsy, and it doesn’t allow non-UK crafters to set up a shop on the platform. The site claims to attract over 250,000 buyers every month, so if you live in the region, it could be a very lucrative platform for you.

You can sell your wares through a Basic account with a listing fee of £0.15 + VAT and a sales commission of 6% + VAT. If you plan on making a lot of sales and want to upgrade, you can also choose a Folksy Plus account for £5 per month, which lets you avoid the listing fees for each item.

10. AbsoluteArts

AbsoluteArts is a marketplace for people who specialize in making artistic pieces, such as paintings or sculptures. You can use AbsoluteArts as a portfolio to showcase your artwork or sell your art directly on the website.

Unfortunately, the site isn’t very well-designed, and it’s difficult to get information at times, but it does have an active community of artists.

AbsoluteArts offers three different levels: Free, Midlevel ($55/year), and Premiere ($100/year). If your artwork sells, you’ll pay a commission between 20% to 35% depending on your membership level, plus a 5% handling and processing fee.

11. iCraft

iCraft is a craft site based in Toronto, but you can open a store even if you don’t live in Canada. You can find all sorts of crafts on iCraft, including jewelry, handknit items, decorations, and more.

iCraft has one of the best fee policies. You pay a one-time $25 registration fee to get started and an ongoing subscription fee ranging from $10 to $15 per month depending on how many months in advance you pay.

After that, there are no listing fees, commission fees, or processing fees. All the money you make after you pay the registration and subscription fees is yours to keep.

Related: 150+ Best Side Hustle Ideas to Make Extra Money on the Side

12. eCRATER

eCRATER is a general online marketplace where anyone can open a store, similar to eBay. But it’s not an auction site. Anyone can sell anything they want from their storefront at a set price, with no room for negotiating.

eCRATER does have a “crafts” category, but the subcategories within this are limited to 17 options, most of which are actually craft supplies and not handmade items themselves.

Setting up a storefront on eCRAFTER is free, and there are no listing fees. If you make a sale through the eCRATER marketplace, they will charge a 2.9% fee.

13. Handmade Artists’ Shop

The Handmade Artists’ Shop is a small crafts marketplace and doesn’t have the same saturation as Etsy or other sites (currently, there are only 17 scarves for sale.) The site also seems to have more art and jewelry for sale than other types of crafts, but that doesn’t mean you should discount this website.

The Handmade Artists’ Shop has a lot of potential due to its low fee structure. You need to pay either a monthly fee of $5, or an annual fee of $50. There aren’t any listing or commission fees after this, so it’s another cost-effective way for selling crafts online.

14. Zibbet

Zibbet lets you sync your business across four craft-selling websites: Etsy, the Zibbet marketplace, the A.C. Moore marketplace, and on Stitch websites.

If you make a sale on one website, your inventory will be automatically updated on the other ones so you can avoid selling more than what you have in stock.

You can also edit all of your listings at once with Zibbet. Zibbet offers a 14-day free trial and costs $5 to $6 per month for each platform you sell on, depending on whether you buy a monthly or annual plan.

15. Hyena Cart

Sellers on Hyena Cart are focused on earth-friendly and family-friendly items, although there aren’t as many items for sale as on other websites.

Hyena Cart is specially designed for sellers who make popular items that sell out quickly or who have limited handmade crafts to sell. Hyena Cart charges a $10 setup fee, although it often runs promotions where you can get started for as little as $0.01.

After that, you’ll pay a $5 monthly fee. There are no listing fees or commissions, although you’ll have to pay the standard PayPal processing fee if you allow PayPal payments.

16. Facebook Marketplace

Facebook has a large number of users that you can reach through the Facebook Marketplace. The downside is that people on Facebook aren’t necessarily looking to shop for crafts, but you may be able to make some sales to people looking to buy locally.

There are no fees for using the Facebook Marketplace, so you don’t have anything to lose except the extra time it takes to list items for sale. Be warned that potential buyers can see your Facebook profile, so it may be a good idea to set it to “private.”

17. Social Media

Aside from Facebook, other social media sites are also promising if you want to sell crafts online. Some, like Instagram or Pinterest, even let you make purchases on the platform, and this can be especially lucrative if you’re good at taking Instagram-worthy pictures and have a good following. Pinterest may be a good option to drive traffic to your stores on other websites, such as Etsy or Shopify.

Related: 28 Best Selling Apps to Sell Stuff Online (and Locally)

More Sites for Selling Your Designs and Patterns

Selling patterns and designs can produce passive income because you don’t have to keep creating individual items. You create the design or pattern once and can get paid many times with no additional work.

18. Teespring

If you have good ideas for T-shirts, Teespring might be a good way for you to make fast money. Teespring specializes in custom T-shirts, but you can also create designs for other items like mugs, socks, and home decor.

Teespring items each cost a set price for creation and order fulfillment, with different pricing tiers depending on your monthly sales volume. For example, for people who sell less than 100 T-shirts per month, a unisex T-shirt costs $10.57 to produce and ship.

You choose the price of the T-shirt, and anything above the set price tag is yours to keep. If you price a unisex T-shirt at $15, for example, you’d keep $4.43 ($15 minus $10.57) from the sale.

19. Society6

If you like creating clever designs, you can pair with Society6 to put your art on products such as pillows, wall art, throws, comforters, and smartphone cases. You keep the rights to your work, and every time someone makes a purchase, Society6 will fulfill the order so all you have to worry about is getting a paycheck every month.

You will pay extra for the convenience. As an artist on Society6, you’ll only get 10% of each order. Still, this is a passive source of income, and you don’t have to deal with returns, shipping or talking to customers.

20. Zazzle

If you’re looking for a wide range of items to place your designs on, Zazzle is a good option. Zazzle offers hundreds of items that you can sell your custom artwork on, including skateboards, baby pacifiers, duvet covers, puzzles, and more.

Zazzle offers a unique fee structure because you name your own royalty price. For example, you can choose whether you make a profit of between 5% and 99% of the sales price, although Zazzle recommends a royalty price of 10% to 15%.

The higher your cut, the higher the sales price will be, which may drive away buyers. If you have an especially popular item, you can increase the royalty price so that you earn more.

21. CafePress

CafePress lets you sell your own designs on a wide range of items, such as mugs, cell phone covers, and water bottles. CafePress is one of the more well-known sites where people go to get unique items with cool artwork, so you may find a larger audience on this website.

CafePress offers two options for selling your own designs. You can sell your designs through the CafePress Marketplace and make a profit between 5% to 10% of each sale, or you can create your own shop where you can name your own price for each product. Each item has its own base price, so by setting up your own price you can essentially choose how much profit you receive.

22. Spoonflower

If you’re good at creating repetitive designs, then Spoonflower might be a good option for you. This website specializes in allowing you to sell patterns that can be printed on things like fabric and wallpaper to allow others to create their own custom crafts using your designs.

Spoonflower offers you a 10% to 15% commission for sales of your patterns. You can even opt-in to its “free design distribution services,” which allow your pattern to appear on other websites like Amazon or eBay so that you can reach even more potential buyers.

23. Redbubble

Redbubble is an Australian company, but you can still use the platform if you live in the U.S. Anyone, regardless of where they live, can use Redbubble.

It works like other design-selling websites, offering you the ability to upload your designs so that people can order them on tote bags, T-shirts, stickers, and more. Although you can sell any designs, Redbubble is particularly popular for selling pop culture fan art.

Redbubble sets your default commission rate to 20%, although you can change this at any time. Redbubble also has a $20 payment threshold, so you may need to wait a little while for payment if you’re selling low-cost items like stickers.

Related: 50 Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online Now

How to Sell Crafts Online the Right Way

It can be a lot of fun to turn your hobby into a business, but you need to treat it like a business to make a profit and turn it into a viable side hustle.

Take high-quality pictures of your items.

People can’t physically see and handle your items to judge their quality before they buy them, so good photos are key. Without multiple high-quality photos, people are less likely to buy from you.

“Good photos can make or break your product, but I do not think you need professional-level photos to adequately advertise your product,” said Jessica Underwood, who sells an average of $500 per month with her crochet pattern business Stitching Together.

“Good lighting and staging are the most important, and truth be told, I am still taking pictures with my iPhone and not a fancy camera.”

Keep track of your time.

Crafting can keep you happily occupied for hours. But when you’re a business person, time is money, and the longer you take to make something, the less return you’ll see.

For example, if it takes you 20 hours to knit a sweater and you sell it for $50, that works out to an hourly wage of $2.50 per hour, and that’s before taxes and expenses are factored in.

“I constantly have to evaluate what I am spending time on and if it benefits my customers and has a return on investment for the business,” Underwood said. “Trello is my favorite management tool besides my giant desk calendar.”

Ask for customer reviews.

Social proof is a powerful motivator for people to trust and buy from you. There’s no better way to prove to potential buyers that you sell good products than a five-star shop rating.

You can come up with creative ways to ask for reviews, such as including a hand-stamped tag attached to each of your items asking people to leave a review or including a handwritten thank-you note with every purchase.

Share your goods on social media.

The old slogan of “if you build it, they will come” doesn’t work for e-commerce. Instead, you need to become a marketing whiz and share your products on social media to help buyers find them.

“Pinterest is the biggest driver of traffic to my free patterns, however I haven’t had much luck driving traffic from Pinterest directly to any of my shops,” said Underwood, who sells printable PDFs of the free patterns on her website. “When I have a viral pin to a free pattern though, my sales on all three platforms – Etsy, Ravelry, and Shopify – jump!”

Related: 36 Best Places to Sell Your Shoes Online for Cash

There Are All Kinds of Crafty Things to Make and Sell from Home

The world of selling crafts online is as diverse as you can imagine. You can sell sewing patterns, custom sportswear, printable planners, religious items, ready-made crafting kits, and more.

“Making money online sounds like a breeze – slap a couple of patterns up on a website and you are good to go, right? It isn’t easy,” Underwood said. “It requires time, dedication, and so much learning and creativity. There is work involved that you won’t love, such as social media for me. But you are your own boss, and you can make something beautiful from this dream.”

The post 23 Best Places to Sell Crafts Online appeared first on DollarSprout.

But if you’ve never done it before, it can be overwhelming to get started.

By investing in an online writing course, you can quickly learn the skills you need to start your freelance writing business.

How much should you charge? What kinds of things should you be writing? Should you focus on one area only or be more of a generalist? How do you find — and more importantly, keep — good clients?

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are tons of other freelance writers who’ve come before you. Learn from them in some of the best online courses created by and for freelance writers.

4 Online Writing Courses for Freelance Writers

If you’re serious about making money with freelance writing, consider a paid course. It’ll be more extensive and useful than a free one.

It’s also a good idea to vet the course beforehand and make sure it covers what you really need. That way you’re not wasting your money on a course that won’t help in the area where you’re struggling the most.

Related: 12 Ways to Make More Money as a Freelance Writer

1. Get Paid to Write for Blogs

Who It’s For: Get Paid to Write for Blogs is a course with a broad overview of everything you need to know to become a successful freelance writer. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced writer trying to take things full time, this online writing course is good for you. It features eight modules with three to four videos in each.

This course starts out with beginner-level lessons including an orientation to the freelance writing world and how to create a portfolio. After the intro modules, this online freelance writing course provides more instruction on useful topics like how to develop confidence as a writer. It even has a module on the ins and outs of running a business.

Who It’s Not For: If you’ve got all the basics down and are already a full-time freelance writer, this course may not provide as much value as it would if you were a new writer. That’s because it covers such a vast array of topics.

This course also assumes you already have marketable writing skills. If you’re looking for information on how to write compelling stories, this may not be a good fit for you.

Instructor: Catherine Alford is an award-winning writer who’s learned these writing skills from scratch after being uprooted to follow her husband’s career. Now, she helps others in similar situations looking for a location-independent career.

2. Write Your Way to Your First 1K

Who It’s For: Write Your Way to Your First 1K is an online writing course best for new writers looking for a deep dive into all you need to begin freelance writing. It contains seven modules, each with its own theme. Most of the topics covered pertain to people just getting started with clients.

The first module, “Laying the Foundation,” covers topics like how to get in the right mindset and how to think of yourself as a freelance writer already, even if you haven’t landed your first client.

From there, it continues with topics like how to word your pitches for maximum impact (including an archive of pitch templates the instructor has actually used), how to write engaging blog posts, and how to interview people for stories.

Who It’s Not For: If you’re an established writer, this may not be the course for you since it’s designed specifically for brand-new writers. This course also assumes that you have some basic writing skills and can learn how to adapt those skills for blog writing specifically.

Instructor: Elna Cain is another standout in the freelance writing world and has been around for a relatively long time. Cain is based in Canada, but the skills she teaches are applicable anywhere.

3. Killer Cold Emailing

Who It’s For: Killer Cold Emailing is designed to help you do one thing: boost your income by cold pitching. This method includes sending emails to potential clients you don’t know to see if they need a writer. In the freelance writing world, some of the best jobs come from cold pitching instead of applying to a job board.

This course teaches you how to perfect this method by organizing your emails and picking the right niche and the right clients to target. There are a lot of ancillary details that will also help you be successful in your cold pitching efforts, like improving your mindset and setting up a website that converts visitors to customers.

Who It’s Not For: This course isn’t for freelance writers looking for an easy route to success. Cold pitching is one of the more difficult methods of gaining clients because there’s a lot of rejection involved.

It’s also not for writers who need to beef up their basic writing skills, those looking for the business side of freelancing, or for writers looking for a broad overview of how to get started. This course covers how to be a successful writer who sends out cold pitches, and that’s mostly it.

Instructor: Jorden Roper teaches Killer Cold Emailing. Roper’s claim to fame is that she built a freelance writing career from zero to $5,000 per month after getting fired as a three-time college dropout.

Related: How to Get Paid to Write Reviews

4. Write a Blog People Will Read

Who It’s For: Write a Blog People Will Read is different from the other freelance writer courses on this list. This course teaches you how to do one thing — write good blog articles.

Thus, this course is best for writers who want to learn how to be better writers. It’s the essence of freelance writing, essentially. Without good words, grammar, formatting, and stories, you don’t have anything to sell. While the other courses on our list still graze over this topic, Write a Blog People Will Read is the only one that takes a deep dive into the subject.

This course is designed for writers who want to write blog posts and articles really well, but it’s also handy for teaching basic journalistic principles. Many editors come from traditional journalistic backgrounds, so knowing the difference between a nut graf and a lede will be useful and could help you stand out as a freelance writer.

Who It’s Not For: We don’t recommend this online writing course for those looking for a broad overview of freelance writing. It’s best for those who are serious about becoming a better writer.

This course is good for new writers, especially if you haven’t written much in the past. However, seasoned writers can also find plenty of things to spice up their writing.

Instructor: Donna Freedman is an award-winning former newspaper journalist. Freedman also has years of experience as a freelance writer for sites like MSN and Get Rich Slowly.

See Also: How to Become a Freelance Writer and Work from Anywhere in the World

Should You Pay for an Online Content Writing Course?

If you’re serious about becoming a freelance writer, taking a paid writing course can pay off many times over. There are a few reasons why paid courses are better than free courses if you’re trying to earn money freelance writing, especially if you want to do it full time.

The first reason is that it’ll force you to make a commitment. Research has shown that when you pay money for an item, you value it more. Paying money for a course makes it more real for you. Therefore, you’re more likely to follow through on your commitment.

Secondly, paid freelance writing courses offer the best material. Most free online writing courses give you some good information, but not enough to build a whole business. It’s not as helpful unless you put it into context with all of the information you need to know as a successful freelance writer.

Most freelance writing courses offer a limited guarantee. If you buy the course, give it a shot, and realize freelance writing isn’t for you, then you can often get your money back. Most of them offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you’ll want to get started right away. Make sure to check the details of whichever programs you’re interested in so you know the refund policy before you buy it.

See Also: How to Get Paid to Write: 10 Websites That Pay for Content

Not All Online Freelance Writing Courses Are the Same

There’s no shortage of online writing courses out there today. Picking the right one can be the most challenging part.

Many people choose a course that covers a wide range of topics from novice to advanced subjects because they think it’s the best value. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, but it’s a good idea to consider what you need help with.

For example, if you’ve never run a business in your life, you may want to pick a course with information on these topics. If you’re not confident in your abilities as a writer, consider investing in a writing-specific course. Then practice on your own blog for a while before you seek out paid writing opportunities.

No matter what your goals are, there’s a freelance writing course out there for you.

The post The 4 Best Freelance Writing Courses (According to Expert Freelance Writers) appeared first on DollarSprout.

Peer-to-peer lending relies on a crowdsourcing model where other people can fund your loan. Unlike GoFundMe, these aren’t people you know. These are third-party investors.

Peer-to-peer funding attracts two different types of people: borrowers who need money and investors who want to make money funding other people’s loans.

It’s a fast-growing model. In 2014, peer-to-peer lending platforms issued $5.5 billion in loans, and PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that peer-to-peer lending will grow to a $150 billion industry by 2025._[1]

Peer-to-peer lending offers a lot of benefit whether you’re looking to borrow or make money by investing in p2p loans.

What is Peer-to-Peer Lending?

Peer-to-peer lending relies on websites that serve as a marketplace to connect individual borrowers with lenders. The most popular ones are LendingClub, Prosper, and Upstart.

Some people think that peer-to-peer loans remove the middle man, i.e. the bank, from the equation. That’s not entirely true, however. A bank still funds and issues the loan. For example, WebBank, a Salt Lake City-based online bank, often funds loans from peer-to-peer lenders.

The difference with peer-to-peer lending is that individual investors buy a portion of that debt in the form of a note. Investors assume all the risk if a borrower defaults on the loan, but they get rewarded with interest if a loan is paid off. It’s a roundabout way of funding a loan.

For borrowers, using peer-to-peer lending may be cheaper than working with a bank or other lender. If you have a poor credit score, you may even be approved for a loan when other lenders won’t give you money, although you could end up paying high interest rates.

How Does Peer-to-Peer Lending Work?

A borrower first applies for a loan through a peer-to-peer lending site. If they’re approved, the website will then create a listing that individual investors can see, including the following details:

• The loan amount
• The loan’s purpose
• The borrower’s financial details, such as credit score and income

All identifying information is kept confidential. Investors can’t see your name, Social Security Number, address, race, or any other personal information.

They see what they need to make a decision on whether to back your loan or not. In some cases, investors may be able to sort loans by location, but that’s about as specific as it gets.

Your best friend could log in and fund your loan and they’d never know unless you told them you were applying for a loan. If you’re a borrower, you’ll never see any details about who’s funding your loan.

Websites usually allow listings to stay posted for a few weeks. During this time, investors can choose to fund your loan in increments as small as $25 on some platforms. They can also choose to fund the whole amount.

This is an attractive proposition for investors because this spreads their risk out so they’re not putting all their money into one loan.

Once a loan is fully funded, it will be dispersed to the borrower and paid back just like any other loan.

One of the downsides with peer-to-peer lending is that it’s possible your loan doesn’t get funded. If that’s the case, the website will usually offer you a smaller loan than you’ve requested, but you may reject that offer. This is a rare possibility, but it does happen.

Types of Peer-to-Peer Loans

Most peer-to-peer loans are issued as unsecured personal loans. You can generally use these for a wide range of purposes including:

• Vacations
• Weddings
• Debt consolidation
• Medical or veterinary care
• Home renovations and repairs
• Informal education, such as coding boot camps

Most personal loans don’t allow you to use the funds to pay for college costs, investments, or illegal activities.

Depending on the platform, you may also be able to get other types of loans, including:

• Auto loans
• Business loans
• Real estate loans for specific purposes, such as landlord renovations or bridge loans

6 Peer-to-Peer Lending Platforms to Look Into

There are many popular platforms where you can find P2P loans, but each has its own rates and rules.

1. Prosper

Prosper is the first peer-to-peer lender and began in 2005. Since then, it’s issued $15 billion in loans.

Prosper borrowers

Prosper offers personal loans for many purposes such as debt consolidation, engagement rings, and adoption. It also offers short-term real estate, auto, and small business loans. It will even be offering HELOCs soon.

• Amounts: $2,000-$40,000
• Term length: 3 or 5 years
• APRs: 7.95-35.99%
• Origination fee: 2.41-5%

Disclosure: For example, a three-year $10,000 personal loan would have an interest rate of 11.74% and a 5.00% origination fee for an annual percentage rate (APR) of 15.34% APR. You would receive $9,500 and make 36 scheduled monthly payments of $330.9. A five-year $10,000 personal loan would have an interest rate of 11.99% and a 5.00% origination fee with a 14.27% APR. You would receive $9,500 and make 60 scheduled monthly payments of $222.39. Origination fees vary between 2.41%-5%. Personal loan APRs through Prosper range from 7.95% to 35.99%, with the lowest rates for the most creditworthy borrowers.

Eligibility for personal loans up to $40,000 depends on the information provided by the applicant in the application form. Eligibility for personal loans is not guaranteed and requires that a sufficient number of investors commit funds to your account and that you meet credit and other conditions. Refer to Borrower Registration Agreement and all terms and conditions for details. All personal loans made by WebBank, Member FDIC.

Prosper investors

It’s easy to start investing in notes with Prosper because you only need $25 to buy a note.

You can choose each note yourself with filters or use an auto-investing feature with set parameters. Prosper charges a fee of 1% of the outstanding principal balance.

2. LendingClub

LendingClub is one of the largest and most well-known peer-to-peer lending platforms. It’s been around since 2007 and has issued over $47 billion in loans since then.

LendingClub borrowers

LendingClub’s biggest business is its personal loans, but it also offers auto refinancing, business loans, and medical and dental loans.

• Amounts: $1,000-$4,000
• Term lengths: 3 or 5 years
• APRs: 6.95-35.89%
• Origination fee: 1.00-6.00%

LendingClub investors

To invest in notes with LendingClub, you’ll need to deposit at least $1,000 into your investing account. You can select individual notes by filtering for credit risk, location, term length, loan purpose, or other features.

Each note is for $25, and you can choose each individual note yourself or use an automated investing tool to fund notes according to preset directives, such as risk level or term length.

Payments from your notes will be deposited back into your investing account. From there, you can choose to fund more notes or withdraw the money back into your bank account. LendingClub charges a fee of 1% of each payment received.

3. PeerStreet

PeerStreet is a new kind of peer-to-peer lending platform. It works with other lenders to let consumers invest in short-term real estate loans, like the kind that real estate developers and landlords use.

It’s not as much a platform for borrowers, so you can’t go here if you need your own personal loan.

PeerStreet investors

The advantage of investing in real estate loans through PeerStreet is that you may earn higher returns. PeerStreet advertises average returns of 6-9%, whereas personal loan lenders like LendingClub report returns around 4-7%.

PeerStreet only allows accredited investors on the platform, and the minimum investment amount is $1,000. The company charges fees of 0.25-1%.

4. Upstart

Upstart is a peer-to-peer lender founded by ex-Google employees. Its features offer a unique selling point. The platform uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to automatically make a lending decision for most people.

This unique approval process uses a wider range of factors and results in lower default rates than most other lenders.

So far the platform has issued over $3.8 billion in loans, and it has plans for aggressive growth.

Upstart borrowers

Upstart offers personal loans, business loans, student loans, and student loan refinancing. It may be a good platform to choose if your credit score isn’t the greatest, but you have other redeeming qualities such as your education and job experience.

You’ll still need a credit score of at least 620 or 580 if you live in California. If you don’t have a credit score, Upstart may still be willing to work with you.

• Amounts: $1,000-$50,000
• Term lengths: 3 or 5 years
• APRs: 4.68-35.99%
• Origination fee: Not disclosed

Upstart investors

You’ll need to be an accredited investor to use Upstart’s platform. If you’re eligible, Upstart has much lower minimums than other peer-to-peer lending platforms. You can get started with as little as $100.

Once your account is funded, you’ll set up rules for automated investing in notes. This means you won’t be able to individually pick which loans to fund like you can with other platforms. Upstart also charges slightly lower fees, just 0.5% of the outstanding loan balance.

5. Peerform

Peerform’s website seems a bit dated compared to its flashier competitors, but it’s still a decent option for borrowers and investors. This company offers personal, auto, business, and medical loans. Peerform has been around since 2010.

Peerform borrowers

You’ll need a credit score of at least 600 to be approved for a loan. There’s not much that differentiates Peerform from other lending platforms.

However, its maximum APR is slightly lower than the other lenders. If you think you won’t qualify for a low rate, it could be worthwhile to apply with Peerform first. It’s still worth shopping around and checking your rate with multiple lenders.

• Amounts: $4,000-$25,000
• Term lengths: 3 or 5 years
• APRs: 5.99-29.99%
• Origination fee: 1.00-5.00%

Peerform investors

Peerform isn’t as forthcoming with details about how investing works on its platform compared to other peer-to-peer lenders. It doesn’t disclose what fees are involved or what the minimum investment is.

You need to be an accredited investor to invest through Peerform.

6. Funding Circle

Funding Circle only offers business loans. There’s a huge market for business loans since business owners applying for a traditional bank loan face tedious application requirements and high rejection rates.

This platform offers business loans in several countries and has been around since 2010. It’s issued $10.2 billion to 72,000 small businesses.

Funding Circle borrowers

Funding Circle offers business loans to different types of businesses with just a few exceptions like weapons manufacturers and marijuana dispensaries.

You can use the funds for almost anything as long as it’s business-related, such as buying inventory or expanding to a new location. These loans are secured with your business’s assets and a personal guarantee.

• Amounts: $25,000-$500,000
• Term length: 6 months-5 years
• APRs: 4.99-22.99%
• Origination fee: 3.49-6.99%

Funding Circle investors

Funding Circle requires a much larger investment than other peer-to-peer lenders. You’ll need to be an accredited investor, and have committed at least $25,000 to Funding Circle to open your account.

The minimum investment is $500 per note in loans that you choose or you can select notes through an automated investing tool. Funding Circle charges a fee of 1% of the outstanding loan balance.

P2P Lending from an Investor’s Perspective

Anyone can become an investor on a peer-to-peer lending platform as long as you pass certain criteria, such as having a certain annual income or net worth. These requirements are determined on a state-by-state basis.

In most states, you’ll need to have both a net worth and an annual income of at least $80,000, or $85,000 in California. If you don’t have that kind of income, you may also qualify if you have a net worth of at least $280,000.

Some peer-to-peer lending platforms also require you to be an accredited investor. This is an SEC-defined status, and to get it you’ll need to have an annual income of at least $200,000 for the past two years, need to have that income or more for this year, or a net worth of at least $1 million.

Peer-to-peer lending offers an attractive way to diversify your portfolio. You can invest in individual notes with as little as $25 in most cases.

Peer-to-peer lending platforms aren’t meant to be your sole investment vehicle, but they can offer you a way to potentially earn big rewards outside of investing in the stock market.

Those rewards vary with the types and number of loans you fund. The riskier the loan, the higher the returns you’ll get because that borrower will, in turn, be charged higher rates. However, the riskier a borrower is, the greater the chance that they’ll default and pass that loss on to you.

That’s why investing in more notes, including notes of varying risk profiles, can lower your own risk. According to LendingClub, investors who invest in fewer than 40 notes generally see returns anywhere between -10% and +13%. Investors who fund 1,000 or more notes, on the other hand, typically see annual net returns between +3.85% and +6.08%.

P2P Lending from a Borrower’s Perspective

The biggest advantage of taking out a P2P loan is that you may get cheaper rates than with other lenders. That’s because some peer-to-peer lending platforms take into account other factors besides your credit score when deciding to approve your loan.

Your exact rates and terms will still depend on your credit score and income. Peer-to-peer loans may not be the cheapest option in all cases. You might find cheaper rates with another online lender or with your local bank or credit union, so it’s important to shop around.

For many people, peer-to-peer lending offers a cheaper option. And in most cases, it’s certainly much cheaper than paying interest on a credit card or a payday loan.

One of the downsides of a peer-to-peer loan is that it can take longer to get your money compared with other lenders. That’s because it takes time to fund your loan, and once funded, it can also take a few days to show up in your bank account. There’s also a remote possibility that your loan won’t be funded at all or will be funded with a smaller amount than you’ve requested.

Related: 4 Reasons You Should Never Lend Money to Friends or Family

Is Peer-to-Peer Lending a Good Idea?

Whether peer-to-peer lending is a good idea for you mostly depends on your own finances and what other options are available.

As a borrower, you may find that you can get a better offer with peer-to-peer lending. However, you should still compare traditional loan offers before making a decision. For investors, peer-to-peer lending can offer a way to diversify your portfolio, but you’ll need to be careful about how you invest.

Peer-to-peer lending is a tool like any other financial product. Consider peer-to-peer lending in relation to other lending or investing options available to you in order to determine whether it’s the right decision for your financial situation.

The post Peer-to-Peer Lending: The Ultimate Guide for Borrowers and Investors appeared first on DollarSprout.

It’s estimated that more than four out of every five American households subscribe to Amazon Prime, and for good reason._[1] Besides all of the other features of Amazon Prime such as Prime Video, Prime Reading, and Whole Foods discounts, you can save a lot of money on shipping costs. If you order from Amazon frequently enough, the free two-day shipping alone is worth the price.

At the same time, Amazon Prime isn’t cheap. A yearly membership costs $119, or you can pay a recurring monthly fee of $12.99.

There aren’t a ton of ways that you can nix this cost, but there are a few if you’re crafty and willing to put in some work.

How to Get a Free Amazon Prime Membership

You may be able to get free Amazon Prime for a short period of time. Even if it’s not permanent, a few months of free Amazon Prime puts a little bit of money back into your budget.

1. Sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial.

Anyone can get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime if you’re not already signed up for it. You can only qualify for one free trial with your account, however, so use it well.

When you register for your free trial, you’ll receive access to most of Amazon’s features including free two-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, and access to the Kindle Lending Library. Try to use all of the services available to you so you can really get a feel for how they work and if they provide content you want and will realistically use.

Remember to add a “cancel Amazon membership” reminder to your calendar in 30 days. This way, you’ll avoid getting charged if you don’t like Amazon Prime.

Related: How to Watch Netflix for Free

2. Join Amazon Student.

If you’re a college student, you can get a free trial membership of Amazon Prime Student for six months. After that you’ll pay half the normal price, meaning that it’ll cost you just $6.49 per month, or $59 per year. This membership lasts for up to four years, after which time your subscription will automatically be renewed for the regular full-price Amazon Prime membership.

You don’t necessarily need to sign up for free Amazon Prime for Students with your school email address, although you will need one in order for Amazon to verify that you are a student.

Is there a difference between Prime Student vs. Prime?

No. However, if you’re on the free six-month trial of Amazon Prime Student you may not have access to certain features, such as the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library which lets you borrow certain Kindle books for free. Once you transition to a paid Amazon Prime Student membership, however, you’ll have access to these features.

How to get a Prime Student refund (if necessary)

If you’re not happy with your Amazon Prime Student membership you can request a refund. You’ll need to speak with a customer support representative to request a refund, which you can do by either calling Amazon or using its online chat support.

How to cancel your Amazon Prime or Prime Student trial

You can easily cancel your membership at any time by logging into your account and finding the “Your Account” section. Click on the “Prime” button at the top of this section. Finally, once you reach the main Amazon Prime page, select “Manage Membership” and “End Membership.”

If you cancel an Amazon Prime Student membership you won’t be eligible for another six-month free trial after you cancel. You can still pay for an Amazon Prime Student membership as long as you still qualify, however.

3. Get a Sprint cell phone subscription.

If you have a Sprint Unlimited Premium cell phone plan, you can get a free subscription to Amazon Prime provided by Sprint. If you have another type of Sprint plan you can still choose to get an Amazon Prime subscription. However, Sprint will charge you $12.99 per month, which is the normal price any other monthly Amazon Prime member pays.

This does allow you to bundle two of your bills together so you don’t have to worry about paying for Amazon Prime separately, but it’s a more expensive route. A $12.99 monthly fee will cost you $155.88 per year, which is $36.88 more per year than if you just pay for a yearly Amazon Prime membership on your own.

4. Sign up for a Metro by T-Mobile phone plan.

If you sign up for Metro by T-Mobile’s Unlimited cell phone plan, you’ll automatically get a free subscription to Amazon Prime. At $60 per month for one phone line, that’s a pretty good deal.

Amazon Prime for a year on us when you switch to MetroPCS and get a FREE Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime. Thousands of & ! https://t.co/RvdvejINEO pic.twitter.com/CKLcumPQGX

— Metro by T-Mobile (@MetroByTMobile) November 16, 2017

After you sign up for the phone plan, Metro by T-Mobile will send you an activation code for your free Amazon Prime subscription. If you already are an Amazon Prime member, you’ll need to cancel your membership first, wait for it to expire, and then reactivate it with the code provided by MetroPCS.

5. Use your company’s Amazon Business Prime account.

Amazon Business Prime accounts don’t come with some of the regular Amazon Prime features, such as Prime Video, Prime Reading, and Amazon Fresh. But if all you need is free two-day shipping on your Amazon purchases, it might be worth asking your employer if you can use its Amazon Business Prime account, provided it has one.

If you’re self-employed, you may be able to write off the Amazon Business Prime expense as a business cost. The smallest Amazon Business Prime account for up to three users costs $179 per year.

6. Get a free month of Prime if a package is late.

This method isn’t guaranteed, but it can be worth a shot. If you already have an Amazon Prime account and a package you order arrives on your doorstep after its scheduled time, you can contact customer support and request compensation in the form of a free month of Amazon Prime.

If you’re courteous, descriptive, and persistent while talking to the customer support rep, you may be able to boost your chances of being successful. Make sure to describe how you’ve been a loyal Amazon Prime customer, and how your late package inconvenienced you.

If you don’t get a free month of Amazon Prime as compensation, you may at least get something else such as an Amazon gift card applied to your account or a refund on your order.

How to Get a Cheap Amazon Prime Membership

If you can’t get free Amazon Prime, you can try to get it for a reduced price.

1. Split the cost with friends.

You might be sharing Netflix and Hulu logins with friends, but did you know that you can share the same Amazon account as well and ask friends to split the cost? You can actually have multiple addresses and credit cards on file so that each of you can pay for and have packages shipped to your own homes with free shipping.

Each person will need to add their own credit card number to the Amazon Wallet section of your account. Rest assured that once you enter it in, there’s no way that others can see your full credit card number. They’ll only see the name on the card, expiration date, and last four digits.

Make sure that everyone remembers to use their own card and address when checking out. Otherwise, you may inadvertently be charged for one of your friend’s purchases or receive a surprise package on your doorstep.

2. Sign up for Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card.

The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card doesn’t offer a free Amazon Prime membership, but it does offer 5% cashback on all of your Amazon purchases. You’ll also get 2% cashback at restaurants, gas stations, and drug stores, and 1% cashback on all other purchases.

If you only used the card to earn cashback on your Amazon purchases, you’d have to spend $2,380 annually on Amazon to pay for an Amazon Prime Membership. That’s almost $200 per month, which might be above what you’re willing to spend.

Still, even if you only use this card to offset some of the cost of an Amazon Prime membership, it may be worth it. In addition to the cash-back bonuses, there’s no annual fee. Just make sure to pay the card off in full each month so you don’t have to pay interest on your balance.

Related: 16 Best Apps to Earn Cash Back on All Your Purchases

3. Check your American Express card.

If you have an American Express card, you may be able to get Amazon Prime through a special promotion. American Express changes these offers periodically, so even if you don’t have a special offer for Amazon Prime membership now, you may find one in the future.

To see if this is currently available to you, simply log into your American Express account. Once in, scroll down to the “Amex Offers and Benefits” section, where these special deals are detailed. Check the fine print to see if an offer for a free or discounted Prime membership is available.

Generally, these offers require you to purchase the membership with your American Express card, but the statement credit you receive makes it free.

A Free Amazon Prime Membership Requires Some Work

It is possible to get a free Amazon Prime membership, or at least get it for a reduced price. Still, it’s not entirely “free” since you’ll be trading in your time to cut the cost. At some point it may not be worth the work and easier to simply pay the annual fee.

Additionally, Amazon already offers a lot of free services. For example, you can get free standard shipping without a Prime membership if your purchase is at least $25, and you can pay separately for Amazon Video.

But if you truly want a free Prime membership while still needing to penny pinch, it is possible as long as you put in the effort.

Related: 25 Ways to Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards

The post 6 Legal Ways to Get Free Amazon Prime appeared first on DollarSprout.

But that often keeps you sitting in one place, working on a computer, driving a car, or using an app. And while it’s great for earning extra money, it’s not necessarily the best thing for your health. 

That’s why many people look for ways to earn money while staying active. The easiest way to do this is simply by walking, because you can do it anywhere, it’s free, and it’s low-impact.

Oddly enough, there are several apps you can download where you can actually get paid to walk. It might not be as lucrative as other side hustles like freelance writing or delivering for Grubhub, but it can still be a good way to earn a few extra bucks here and there.

13 Legit Apps That Pay You to Walk

If you’re going to use one of these passive income apps, it’s best to pair them with a fitness tracker like a Fitbit or an Apple Watch. You can use the tracker on your smartphone, but you might miss some steps if you don’t have your phone on you while you walk.

Furthermore, these devices often pick up steps better if you’re in a building where your smartphone may miss steps altogether. To temper expectations, you shouldn’t expect to make a significant sum of cash on a daily basis using any of the below apps. That said, it’s perfectly reasonable to net a few dollars a day across several of the apps if you’re consistent about checking in. Consistency that can pay off to the tune of several hundred dollars per year.

Related: Get Paid to Lose Weight with These 5 Apps

1. Achievement

Rating: 4.0/5.0 

You can earn points with Achievement by syncing your fitness tracker, and it pays you $10 for every 10,000 points you earn through the app.

For example, you’ll earn six points every day you record your weight, body fat percentage, sleep, steps, food intake, water intake, and heart rate through your Fitbit.

Periodically, Achievement will also give you the ability to earn extra points by reading certain articles. Each of those articles you read is worth three points.

Because this app operates in the background, is easy to use, and gives you credit for so many different activities, it’s a great way to earn a small amount of passive income.

2. StepBet

Rating: 4.0/5.0

With StepBet, you make a $40 bet that you’ll be able to reach customized daily step targets for six weeks. StepBet uses your own step history to generate this, adding on a bit more than you usually walk each time to challenge you.

If you don’t meet these daily goals, you’ll lose your $40 bet. But if you do, you’ll win back your original $40 plus a share of the winnings. Winnings are calculated based on the amount of participants who didn’t win their bet, and are split up among those who did.

You can only play one StepBet game at a time with a basic membership or you can pay a $50 yearly fee to play up to three games at a time.

StepBet earns a four-star rating because as long as you’re successful, you can expect to win around $10 per six-week game, or a 25% return on your investment.

3. Charity Miles

Rating: 4.0/5.0

If your budget doesn’t have enough money for charitable donations but you’d still like to contribute to causes that are important to you, Charity Miles is a great option. You won’t get paid directly, but you can choose from 40+ charities to walk and earn money for.

You’ll earn up to 25 cents for each mile you walk or run for your chosen charity, or 10 cents if you choose to bike instead.

You’ll need to start the app before each walking session because Charity Miles uses your phone’s GPS or accelerometer to record how far you’ve gone, so make sure you keep your phone with you to track your miles.

Since this app makes it easy to donate to charity and meet fitness goals at the same time, it gets a four-star rating.

4. Walgreens

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Most people use the Walgreens app to fill prescriptions and earn rewards from purchases. But there’s also a lesser-used area of the app that allows you to set personal four-week physical or lifestyle challenges, such as hitting 10,000 steps or eating more fruits and vegetables.

For each week you’re successful, you’ll earn 100 Balance Rewards points, which is worth 10 cents towards a Walgreens purchase. If you’re successful for all four weeks, you can spin a prize wheel for a chance to earn up to 2,000 Balance Rewards points (equal to $2).

This app that pays you to walk gets three stars because while it does offer up rewards, they won’t get you very far and they require you to make a purchase at Walgreens in order to use the points.

Related: 12 Companies That Pay You for Your Data

5. MapMyFitness

Rating: 3.0/5.0

MapMyFitness is a great app for tracking your runs and walks. And while this app doesn’t offer you a way to earn money for walking, it does offer the possibility of earning prizes.

To have a chance at winning a prize, you’ll need to sign up for a Featured Challenge, which appears to be MapMyFitness’s language for a regular challenge.

Unfortunately, these challenges are more for fun than a serious way to get paid for walking. For example, in October 2019, there was only one Featured Challenge offered and that was the chance to win a prize for running 1019 total kilometers in all of 2019.

If you sign up now, this challenge isn’t worth it. Not only are the prizes not specified, but the year is almost over and there’s no guarantee that you’ll win anything.

If you like fun challenges to keep you motivated, this might be a good option for you but if you’re looking to get paid to walk, it’s probably not your best choice.

6. Sweatcoin

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Sweatcoin doesn’t pay you directly in cash, but rather in a proprietary virtual currency called Sweatcoin. You can use Sweatcoins to get discounts on products or even pay for purchases within the app.

Unfortunately the selection is limited to just a few choices at a time, such as a discounted BarkBox subscription or designer clothing. But if you keep an eye on the ever-changing rewards, there’s a good chance you’ll eventually find something valuable to you.

Related: DollarSprout’s Sweatcoin Review

7. Lympo

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Lympo offers a proprietary currency, known as LYM coins, that you can earn by participating in step challenges, referring new users, and by watching ads from sponsor companies.

You can redeem LYM coins for discounts or purchases of certain products in Lympo’s store. There are a few more options than on similar apps like Sweatcoin, but the choices are still fairly limited. For example, the “digital goods” section currently only offers discounts off protein shakes, women’s athletic clothing, and supplement snack bars.

This app gets a two-star rating because like Sweatcoin, you can only redeem rewards for walking for a select number of items or discounts on those items. You may not like what’s offered, and the discounts mean you still need to pay for the items.

8. PK Rewards

Rating: 2.0/5.0

PK Rewards is an app you can download to track your workouts and then convert those efforts into “coins” that you can redeem for rewards like gift cards and travel discounts.

The app also gives you the ability to join and create groups with friends and family to stay motivated and accountable to your goals. However, you do need to input your phone number in order to gain access to the app features and rewards listings, and the app integrates with Facebook so if you have privacy concerns, this might not be the app for you.

If using your phone number or Facebook account doesn’t bother you, PK Rewards can be a good way to earn rewards for walking and discounts for working out.

9. Higi

Rating: 1.0/5.0

Higi is a company that makes the automated blood pressure measurement stations you see outside of many pharmacies. If you download its app, you can participate in monthly challenges that offer the possibility of winning a $50 Visa gift card by earning over 600 watts throughout the month.

You can earn watts by checking your blood pressure (50 watts), your weight (50 watts), or both at a local Higi station. Checking in at a gym on Foursquare will net you 15 watts. You’ll also earn watts by syncing your fitness tracker with the app, although Higi doesn’t say how many points you’ll earn per step.

We gave this app one star because you aren’t actually guaranteed anything, only the possibility of winning a $50 Visa gift card. In addition, the app is not transparent about how many steps translate into watts.

10. FitFetti

Rating: 1.0/5.0

FitFetti claims to offer you rewards for meeting certain step goals, but the details are light and the app is confusing. For example, you can get sponsors or sponsor someone else, but it’s not clear how this works or what the benefit is.

It’s also not clear how the step goals are set, or if you can change them. Finally, the rewards section in the app is locked from view when you first sign up, so you can’t see what is available to help you make an informed decision about using this app.

Related: 22 Apps to Make Money on Your Phone

Other Ways to Get Paid for Walking

While the previous apps reward you for your steps, these apps help you earn money by walking dogs, which can also be a lucrative side gig.

11. Rover

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Rover is a popular pet care app that allows you to offer pet care services, including taking dogs for walks. You can create a profile, and set your own schedule and rates through the app. In certain larger metro areas you can also find jobs directly from clients through the Rover Now feature.

Rover does take a 20% commission off your rate, but if you’re charging $20-$30 per visit, this is still a great way to get paid to walk.

Related: 6 Ways Dog Lovers Can Make Money with Their Canine Pals

12. Care.com

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Care.com is a web and app-based marketplace that connects people for a wide range of care services. You can set your own hourly rates on Care.com rather than a per-walk rate. This means that if someone wants their dog walked for longer than the standard 30-minute walks, they have an easier way to pay you for that extra effort.

To find clients, you can create and list a profile for dog owners to contact you, or you can apply to a dog walking job posting. This may make it easier to find a steady dog-walking gig, rather than one-off dog walks that might be more common through other apps.

13. Wag!

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Although Wag! has expanded and now allows you to offer multiple kinds of dog care services, it’s still primarily a site for dog walkers to find gigs. And it offers more features than other apps, too. For example, owners can request a Wag!-branded lock box that holds a key you can access while the owner is away from home.

However, Wag! isn’t exactly transparent about how much you’ll earn per walk or who gets to set the prices, but it does say owners can choose to tip you and you keep 100% of all tips.

No Extra Effort Needed

We’d recommend these apps to just about anyone as a way to walk and earn money. If you already walk a lot as part of your daily commute, it’s an easy way to earn a few extra bucks on the side. If you don’t move much, you can use it as a way to reward yourself for staying active.

Either way, apps that pay you to walk are an easy way to knock out two goals at once. You can take care of your physical health while you make money from home at the same time.

The post 13 Legit Apps That Pay You to Walk appeared first on DollarSprout.

Debt can claim a large amount of your income, making it harder to balance your budget. And it’s an increasing problem among Americans. Almost 30% of Americans don’t have any emergency savings at all, according to a 2019 Bankrate survey._[1]

If you don’t have any savings, you might need to rely on things like credit cards to pay for emergencies. According to a ValuePenguin study, the average U.S household debt is $5,700 and among credit card balance-carrying households, that number jumps to $9,333._[2]

That means that many families are spending spend hundreds of dollars per month on debt repayment, and thousands of dollars per year on interest

There is a solution to these problems that’s becoming increasingly popular — Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps, a seven-step process for getting out of debt, saving for emergencies, and improving your overall financial picture.

Who Is Dave Ramsey?

Dave Ramsey is a financial expert who learned how to manage his money after being stuck with a large amount of debt from real estate failures when he was younger.

He took the lessons and principles he learned and launched his own business coaching others and self-published his book Financial Peace University.

His business grew from there, eventually rebranding to Ramsey Solutions in 2014, but the focus on teaching people how to get out of debt and take control of their finances remained the same. 

Dave Ramsey does this through his books such as The Total Money Makeover and Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money, and radio call-in show, The Dave Ramsey Show.

He also spreads his message through Financial Peace University, which are online or in-person financial classes held in churches around the country.

Ramsey also broadcasts his radio show as a YouTube channel.

Dave Ramsey has helped thousands of people around the world get out of debt. He blends together tough love, religion, and money management advice that helps people fix their financial habits and choices.

What Are Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps?

The cornerstone of all of his teachings is the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps. These are a series of actionable steps that you complete one by one to progress toward a healthier financial life.

Baby Step 1 – Save $1,000 in an emergency fund

One of the reasons people get into debt is because they’re not prepared to deal with emergencies. Thus, by saving up a small emergency fund, you can buffer yourself against having to rely on credit cards or personal loans the next time your car breaks down or your cat gets sick.

In this step, Dave Ramsey recommends saving up a starter emergency fund of $1,000. This isn’t meant to be your long-term emergency fund if you lose a job or become unable to work. That step comes later, but for now, this smaller emergency fund should do.

The things you need to do to complete this step will set the stage for your success further down the line. You’ll learn how to budget to make sure you’re earning more than you’re spending, allowing you to save the money you need for your emergency fund. This will also help you break out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

Dave Ramsey is a big proponent of becoming “gazelle intense” from here on out. This means cutting every last little expense you can, living frugally on meals of rice and beans, and cutting cable and other entertainment expenses.

At the same time, you’ll do everything in your power to increase your income. Dave Ramsey routinely recommends selling whatever you can and finding a second job. He even suggests that busy parents deliver pizza or drive for Uber on the side.

Baby Step 2 – Pay off all non-mortgage debt using the Debt Snowball

For many people, Baby Step 2 is the biggest challenge and the step that takes the longest time. In this step, you’ll focus on paying off all of your debt except for your mortgage using a technique known as the debt snowball.

To implement the debt snowball method, you make a list of all of your debts and organize them by balance, with the smallest one at the top of the list and the largest at the bottom. After paying your basic living expenses every month, you put all of your extra money toward your debts, starting with the smallest debt first.

This helps you build quick wins, and keeps you focused and committed so that you don’t lose sight of the goal while paying off your larger debts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Remember making snowmen as a kid? You would start with a small snowball, then roll it along the ground, picking up more snow until you had a massive snowman belly. That’s the concept behind the debt snowball.⁣ ⁣ While you are paying off debt, you make minimum payments on all but one debt account. ⁣ ⁣ Why is it called the debt snowball? Because the amount you put towards principle (your balance) snowballs every month. You keep putting the same amount of money towards your debts, even as you pay each one off, increasing the amount that goes towards principal over interest. ⁣ ⁣ Do you have a method for paying off your debt? Have you ever tried the snowball method?

A post shared by DollarSprout Personal Finance (@dollarsprout) on Sep 21, 2019 at 7:36am PDT

If you have a lot of debt, you may be working on this step for a long time. But remember, the more you cut your expenses and the more you increase your income, the faster you’ll get through this step.

Baby Step 3 –  Save 3-6 months of expenses

Once all of your debt is paid off you can then focus on saving up a larger, fully-funded emergency fund. This will help you in case of a major emergency, such as having to replace the roof on your home or losing your job. Ideally, with this fund in place, you’ll be prepared to handle just about any emergency without having to rely on taking on debt again.

The changes you’ve made by lowering your expenses and increasing your income in earlier steps should help you complete this step even faster. You’ll need to have a budget set in place to complete this step, for example, because you’ll need to know exactly what your monthly expenses are.

Ramsey recommends setting aside 3-6 months of expenses, not income, because your expenses are what you’ll be paying in the event you lose your job. Besides, saving up 3-6 months’ worth of expenses feels less intimidating than saving 3-6 months’ income.

A good place to store your fully-funded emergency fund is in a separate, high-yield savings account online where you can still access it quickly, but where you can also earn interest

Baby Step 4 – Invest 15% of gross income into retirement accounts

Now that you’re debt-free and have a fully-funded emergency fund, Dave Ramsey’s next step is to start saving for retirement.

If you have a workplace retirement plan, this can be as simple as speaking to your HR department and getting set up for automatic withdrawals. If you’re self-employed or your workplace doesn’t offer a retirement plan, you’ll need to figure out how to do this on your own.

Ramsey recommends investing in four types of mutual funds: growth, growth and income, aggressive growth, and international. This step is overwhelming for a lot of people who aren’t investing professionals, and Ramsey maintains a network of investment advisors to refer people to for more help.

It’s important to note that Dave Ramsey’s picks of investment advisors aren’t entirely unbiased, as these professionals need to pay a fee to Dave Ramsey in order to be endorsed by him. 

Baby Step 5 — Save for kids’ college

Many parents want what’s best for their kids, even if that means footing the bill for their college tuition. Taking on student loan debt can saddle your kids with heavy payments and limit their employment options after they graduate. Many parents want to prevent this, so it’s important that they save now to pay for college later.

Ramsey recommends saving money every month in a 529 college savings plan or an ESA (Educational Savings Account) in order to get a tax break.

This also keeps your money more protected from withdrawing it for non-college uses, since you can generally only use the money in these accounts to pay for approved college expenses rather than a last-minute vacation.

You can do this step with Baby Step 4 if you have money left over after contributing 15% to your retirement account. Even though your kids are important, Ramsey advocates prioritizing your retirement savings first. Taking on debt isn’t ideal, but it’s an option for your kids to attend college. You, on the other hand, can’t take out a loan for retirement.

If you don’t have kids, you can ignore this step and move on to the next one.

Related: How Your Parents’ Finances Could Become Your Liability

Baby Step 6 — Pay off your home

Mortgage debt works differently from other types of consumer debt, making it easier to put aside until after you’ve got other healthier financial habits in place. You’ll still be continuing Baby Steps 4 and 5 in this step, but now you can focus on getting rid of this last hurdle.

If you’re still paying off your mortgage, now is the time to get rid of it. As you did with your debt in Baby Step 2, you’ll put all of your extra money toward paying down the mortgage on your home.

This allows you to own your own home outright so that you don’t have to worry about mortgage payments as you head into retirement.

Baby Step 7 — Build wealth and give

The last step is to create a legacy by giving back with your money. That can look like helping out friends and family or donating to charitable causes that are meaningful and important to you.

You can also focus on building wealth to live a more comfortable life in retirement, create an inheritance for your kids, or create a foundation to continue your legacy after you’re gone.

It’s your call on how to use your money now that it’s not obligated to debts.

How to Stay Motivated While Working the Baby Steps

These steps seem simple at first, but it’s crucial to have a support system in place to make it past even the first step. You’ll need people around you to keep you determined and focused to make the sacrifices necessary and to work on changing your habits.

Determine your why

You can’t change the way you’re currently doing things unless you have a compelling reason to make those changes. Even if what you’re doing now isn’t working for you the way you want, it’s a familiar routine. To change that requires getting uncomfortable, at least until you’ve established new habits.

So, the first step is to decide why you want to change.

Maybe you see how crippling student debt has been to your life and you want something better for your kids. Or maybe you’re embarrassed about how your credit cards keep getting declined when out with friends. Maybe you’re frustrated that you aren’t able to buy your own home with a nice yard for your dog.

Everyone’s “why” looks different, and it’s personal. Yours doesn’t have to look the same as anyone else’s, but it does have to be something that keeps you motivated to progress.

Use visual reminders

Finances are easy to ignore, which is why many people run into problems. Instead, during this process, try bringing yours out into the light

Debt Free Charts are a fun and easy way to track your way to your financial goals. You can also try other creative things, such as creating a paper chain of your debt and removing links as you work your way through Baby Step 2.

You can also hang up pictures of the things that are motivating you to change, such as places you’d like to travel to or homes you’d like to buy someday.

Finally, setting up a budgeting app such as Mint or YNAB on your phone can provide you with alerts and notifications about how you’re spending money throughout the month. These notifications will help you figure out your spending habits and triggers, and can help you change some potentially self-sabotaging behaviors.

Celebrate small wins

Paying off debt can be a long slog. You don’t need to go crazy, but each time you pass a milestone give yourself permission to spend a small amount of money to celebrate it.

Some things you can celebrate are paying off individual debts, or chunks of larger debts. For example, if you have a $50,000 student loan, you can throw a mini-party every time you pay off a $5,000 or $10,000 chunk of that debt. After all, every little step gets you closer toward your debt-free goal, and it’s important to recognize your hard work and accomplishment.

However you choose to celebrate, whether it’s with a massage, fancy dinner out, or a new wallet, the important thing is to have fun with it. These small celebrations give you the momentum and incentive to keep going.

Build rewards and splurges into your budget

When you’re working hard to complete the Dave Ramsey steps, you’ll be living on a tight, “gazelle-intense” budget. This means that you cut every expense you can so that you can put as much of it toward completing each Baby Step as possible.

This isn’t sustainable in the long run, especially if you’re dealing with a large amount of debt on a low income. To make it sustainable, build small rewards and splurges into your budget. These give you something to look forward to and a reason to keep working toward your goal.

The key here is “small” rewards and splurges. For example, you don’t need to forego vacationing for the next several years until you’re entirely debt-free. Instead, you can choose a more cost-effective vacation such as camping or visiting friends and family members.

You can also create a small line item in your budget for movie tickets, buying books, or whatever your hobbies are. Try substituting your expensive habits, such as dining out, with cheaper ones like going out for a happy hour or one drink or using Groupon to save money.

Find a support system

Going through all of Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps is difficult if you’re doing it alone. That’s why it’s a good idea to find people who can support you, whether they take part in celebrating your wins or act as an accountability buddy who is doing the program alongside you.

This is one reason why many people prefer to do Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University in-person with their local church. Going through the program together with other families, learning about the techniques, and growing together can be a very powerful motivator to help you keep going when things get tough.

It can also help to spend time around people doing the same thing as you, who can encourage your new habits and choices, rather than those who encourage the behaviors that put you in your situation.

Related: How to Avoid Lifestyle Inflation When Your Salary Increases

Why People Love the 7 Baby Steps

The strength of Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps is that it’s broken down into a one-size-fits-all action plan that almost anyone can do. It’s time-tested, and many people have used this plan as a guide to become debt-free over the years.

The backbone of Dave Ramsey’s plan is that it’s easy to follow, easily accessible, and eliminates much of the heavy decision making involved in getting a handle on your finances. He tells you step by step what to do and the order in which you should do it. You can also access online tools and calculators to help keep you on track with his Baby Steps.

There’s no shortage of available information and connections.

You can find a large community of people who follow Dave Ramsey and are going through the program. You can connect with them online through social media, in community forums, or even in-person if you go through Financial Peace University. This support group helps carry many people forward.

There are also live events to attend to connect with other fans and followers of his Baby Steps plan.

Overall, it’s a simple, accessible plan. You follow the steps in order and you’re debt-free. There’s nothing else to do or consider.

What the Critics Have to Say

Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps face a lot of criticism, especially from financial professionals. Most of the complaints stem from the fact that following a one-size-fits-all plan leaves no room for customization or individual circumstances. And since not everyone’s financial situation is the same, not everyone can use this type of financial plan.

It might get you toward your goal, but it might not be the fastest, most cost-effective, or financially sound way to do it.

For example, Ramsey recommends that you avoid saving for retirement until you’ve paid off all of your non-mortgage debt, even if that means foregoing a company match on your savings. That’s a big no-no among financial professionals because you’re essentially giving up free money. You’ll fall further behind in your retirement savings at a time when most people already aren’t saving enough.

He also makes no distinction between good vs. bad debt, only that debt should be avoided at all costs. This can be a costly mistake if someone has the aptitude for a high-earning career as a doctor or software engineer, for example, but can only do it by taking out student loans that they’d quickly be able to pay off.

Finally, Dave Ramsey frequently comes under fire for recommending only a small $1,000 starter emergency fund. For many people, such as those living in high cost-of-living areas, with large families, or with fluctuating income, this isn’t enough money to protect them while paying off debt.

Although his plan is simple, it’s not without its faults, and you need to weigh those against the ease of following the Baby Steps.

Who Should Use Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps?

Dave Ramsey provides a color-by-number solution to improving your financial life. He recommends that people strictly follow his plan to save money, with few or no allowances.

This might work for some people, especially those who are confused about determining the best solutions for their financial situation. Since this describes many Americans, it helps explain why Dave Ramsey is so popular. It’s easier to be told, step-by-step, what to do rather than combing through the available advice and information and making a decision.

The reality, however, is that, even if you disagree with some of his advice or the order of the steps, you can use and adapt Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps for your own situation. You don’t necessarily need to follow his steps exactly or precisely. If you would feel more comfortable with a larger starter emergency fund, for example, or using credit cards to responsibly earn rewards, you can do so.

You can choose to use his advice as a guideline or roadmap rather than an exact plan, but his advice is a good starting point for anyone looking to take control of their finances.

The post Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps: What Are They and Do They Actually Work? appeared first on DollarSprout.