The circumstances in which one finds themselves living is not meant to be permanent. Every chapter of our life is equivalent to a different level and to grow you must level up. There is a strength from growing and gaining financially that people who have never struggled will never understand. I think to fully understand one, you must experience the other.
Awakening your prosperity is something anybody is able to do but few actually succeed in. It requires a little, old fashioned hard work and focus, which few have anymore. Those missing qualities have helped develop and maintain the bridge between the low income and higher income earners. Anyone is able to take their piece of the pie, but working for it and making smart decisions is the only way to get there.
You can grow money on your savings by investing in a high yield savings account or CD so that you will earn a return on your investments. They are easy to find online and some are free. The difference between the poor and the rich is that the rich always make sure their money is working for them.
You can also make, or lose, money by playing the stock market. If you decide to play the stocks, make sure you pick companies that pay a dividend. You can find this information by looking it up on the Internet. You can also find it, and much more information, in articles released daily regarding the stock market and business.
You can sell downloadable forms and/or content on Etsy. You can sell anything homemade on Etsy. I have a friend that made a large sum monthly on just digital forms this way. If you have a need for something, then others do too.
You can write for Medium or Vocal and earn money based on your output and popularity. This is something that takes time, much like compound interest. The more you put out, the more you will make.
You can submit receipts on apps that will let you cash out with money or gift cards. A few to name are Coinout, Receiptpal, and Fetch rewards.
I hope this list will provide the stimulation someone may need to get the ball rolling on creating extra income. I will not call it passive income because passive income is generated by no work at all, such as returns from being a silent investor, etc. It is a widely overused and incorrectly used description for what I term found money.
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As we all know, with freedom comes great responsibility. The teenage years are when your children will yearn for one of those with no desire for the other. So, unless you are a moron, we have to keep them on a tight but extendable rope. We, ourselves, have to walk a fine balance between giving them freedom and setting boundaries.
I love my children, but I will not be blinded to the fact that they can’t and shouldn’t be trusted. It is our job to question everything they do or say. We have to know what they’re doing and with whom. In the past, that would have meant covert surveillance at the spur of the moment and following them without being caught. Luckily, we are able to monitor them easier than ever now with all the apps that are available.
I suffer a terrible addiction to the app store. Anybody is able to build an app so new ones come out daily. There are even apps you can download to help you build an app. I have a few that are my favorites when it comes to parenting. Also, I am beyond appreciative that my teenage years were before all this technology and camera-based apps. It would not have been pretty.
Life 360
The person that invented this app needs a Nobel peace prize. This app lets you know where your child, or whomever you put on the app, is located at any moment you decide you want to check. It will also tell you what percentage their phone battery is and how fast they are driving! I have actually grounded my son twice due to this app. Once, for going 70 in a 45 and once for being somewhere that he was not supposed to be at.
This app is a 100% must have as a parent of a teen but, please note, it is not foul-proofed. They can leave their phone somewhere and go somewhere else. They can turn it off. I’m always looking for ways around things and this one has it. However, I haven’t seen my children without a phone near them or in their hand in years so, I think I’m okay.
Cozi Family Organizer
Everyone is on the same page, literally, with this app. This is a shared family calendar that anyone can add to or adjust as needed. You can all be kept up to date with one posting. It really is a time saver.
But, be on the lookout for kids erasing any dreaded appointments or un-enjoyable activities such as dental appointments or baby showers. Let my lessons, the ones I have learned the hard way most of the time, help you!
Homey
This is the app that you use to divvy out the chores. If you have a large household like I do, we are constantly rotating chores to reflect changes in the schedules and lives of all of us. You can list items that are to be done by every member of your household, no matter how many you may have. My spouse hates it.
You can make chore lists with just a few items up to literally hundreds. You can create a honey-do list that won’t get thrown away! The possibilities are endless. This app keeps the chores digitally listed and updated so that everyone is kept informed of any changes made and cannot feign ignorance as to why the socks have not been matched.
Greenlight
This is the app I use for my kids’ debit cards. Money gets transferred upon completion of the chores. Mind you, the chores have to be approved as done by me. A thirteen-year-old has far-reaching boundaries as far as what is considered clean or done. It has to be completed according to my satisfaction.
I can also keep an eye on what they spend and how they choose to spend their money. As I do financial counseling, they would be wise to listen to me. But, as I’m also their Mom, I’m considered to be a nerd that doesn’t know about anything. Hopefully, I will have made a difference in their financial habits before I am kicked out of their business permanently.
I have been writing forever, but only a few months here on this platform. I have noticed a trend in articles about monthly earnings and content generation. And by a trend, I mean everyone is copying that one guy.
With that being noted, I have nothing much to contribute in regards to the earnings, so I will share some of the ways I come up with ideas.
Pinterest
Pinterest should just change its name to contact board because so many ideas are available right there for your grabbing. I’ll look in the today, following, and for you sections for inspiration.
Pinterest is also a great place to do research for articles that you might be playing around with in your head. It will need to be fact checked for sure, though.
Newsletter
Another good thing to use for ideas are newsletters that may come to your email. That’s why I sign up for as many as possible. My Apple newsletter is especially helpful in keeping up with current events. Reading another blog might stimulate an idea as well
I also like reading newsletters so I can know the minds of my competitors and, in one case, the super arrogant man I am determined to defeat on Medium.
Surroundings
I have used my surroundings many times to spark my creativity. I have used music, conversations, and scenery. My family, my experiences, and my extremely regular failures have also played a part in many of my musings. My amazing street cred, collection of hotel soaps,and former life as a gypsy fortune teller have also provided me with plenty to offer in my writings.
News
The news is full of current events, made up completely events, and past events that have been twisted to fit today’s agenda. You can take all of this garbage and put your own spin on it.
If nothing stimulates you or catches your fancy, just pretend something happened. Then write about it and maybe you can cause a viral or global panic. Fingers crossed.
My Sister
Not your sister, my sister. That’s right. I am offering her up for you to write about. There are so many things she does and qualities she’s missing as a human, that you will be ruminating for days on the possibilities.
That is the beauty of writing. There are so many common topics, but you don’t ever get the same exact opinions twice. Every writer has his or her own unique voice to lend to the situation. Even some morons that I’m tired of hearing from. Even politicians if they have had a few drinks.
I woke up in my forties and found myself adrift in a sea of yoga pants, identical personalities, and uninspired activities. Everything and everyone I encountered was interchangeable, bland, and boring. I decided I would never let that happen to me.
So, I took a good look at the people I was around on a consistent basis and noticed that they all were content but unenthusiastic and unmotivated. None of them were striving for more or continuing to grow in any way that I could see. Every day was the same as the one before it.
People that I formerly knew as outspoken leaders were now sharing the same opinions and beliefs as their spouses without knowing why. So much so, that they began to almost look-alike in addition to also sharing the same thoughts.
Robinson Recalde on Unsplash
I thought and pondered on this for weeks. I heard people who spouted their opinions straight from Fox or CNN, talk about brainwashed individuals. They could not see the irony.
I could see the authenticity had left them somewhere along their way. I wanted to make sure I never lost myself. I didn’t know how to prevent it though. Then I thought about what made me different than them.
Read
I constantly read from almost every genre. I believe that this keeps my brain healthy and is one of the reasons I am a critical thinker. I have always been a person to ask questions. I want to know why things happen. I want to know how things are done. And most importantly, I don’t offer an opinion on something I’m not educated about.
Try new things
Growth is about allowing yourself to evolve. I aim to learn something new every day, whether it is from another person, a lesson from something dumb I did, or from reading an article.
I also make it a habit to try new activities and go to new places as often as I can. In the last month, I have started shooting a bow, making mosaics, and started growing my own vegetables. Even if I hate it, at least I can say I tried.
Clay Banks on Unsplash
Teach
There is not a person alive that does not have insights or experiences to share with another. We are meant to pass our lessons on. At a minimum, share your experiences with your children and family as a legacy for them to have forever.
Give
Religion did not teach me this, but I live my life as a servant to others. Serving and giving are the two things that I get the most reward out of doing. I love seeing the downtrodden realize that someone cares or the shunned know that someone will stand up for them.
Give without expecting anything in return, but the feeling you are rewarded with. It is more than enough.
Noah Bücher on Unsplash
Laugh
The theme of my life has been and always will be laughter. I think my best quality is being able to find something to laugh and joke about on an almost constant basis. I don’t understand people that take themselves so seriously. Lighten the f*&k up. We only get one life, or so I’m told.
Be Yourself
Whoever that you believe created this world did not put you here to be a replica of everyone else. I am completely original, and so are you. Stop trying to fit in and love who you are!
The world needs more people to push boundaries and defy the ordinary. That could be you if you stopped being a sell-out.
Have a creative outlet
I am considered to be a stoic person by certain members of my family. I don’t get overly emotional outwardly. But, despite what many think, I do have feelings and care deeply about plenty. I’m just awkward as hell at showing it.
Years ago, my former therapist recommended I take up a creative hobby as an outlet for my feelings. I don’t know if writing, making mosaics, or painting is getting the brunt of my emotions, but I do enjoy doing it.
It really does help me relax or calm down when I lose my cool, or I’m stressed out more than usual.
Reduce Stress
Being a walking ball of anxiety, I have a hard time with this even though I try hard to do it. Relaxing is something that has never come easy for me. I don’t watch TV, and I am usually running around working, parenting, or cleaning. When I do sit down, I fall asleep almost instantly.
With that being said, I have tried mediation, mindful breathing, stress exercises, drinking, and much more to reduce my stress levels. I haven’t found anything that worked much for me, but I am still optimistic. If I ever find a way to relax, I will really feel like I’ve made it in this world.
Xan Griffin on Unsplash
Buy Less/Do More
You will, most likely, never regret an experience with a loved one, but you will consistently regret material purchases. When faced with the choice of an item or an experience, always choose the experience. Memories will be the only thing you take with you when you pass on.
Most importantly, as I have recently learned the hard way, Memories are the only things left behind for us as well. Treasure the moments you are making them.
As a parent of six kids, it is very hard to spend one on one time with each of them. However, it is essential that I make the time. I created a schedule where I try to go on a date night or day with one or two of them every two weeks. It’s as good for me as it is for them.
In this article, I have listed a few ideas that have helped us bond, have fun, make memories and become closer by going on these dates. I have also made this about girls because I tend to do different things with my boys. I will write about that later.
The older my children have gotten, the more they have tried to get out of spending time with me. I may let them get by with this if there’s a special event they want to go to but otherwise it is mandatory.
My daughters are night and day in both looks and personality. What they can agree on is that they love animals so usually both of them will pick the pet store to go to at least once a year.
My oldest daughter loves puppies, kittens, or anything fluffy and cute. She is a lot like me in that respect. She is now 21 and lives on her own with three very large dogs that she calls my grand dogs.
My youngest daughter likes reptiles. She wants to be a veterinarian and specialize in reptiles. I, personally, do not care for them at all. She has a pet lizard and turtle at home and she does a great job of taking care of them. That is a good thing for her because the alternative would be me releasing them into the wild immediately. I don’t do reptiles.
Mini Golf. This is something that my youngest daughter has chosen once or twice. We had a great time playing the mini golf and the arcade located inside
Update: She now despises mini golf which is apparently a new side effect of PMS.
Unlike my boys, who never read unless forced, both of my girls are avid readers like myself. They both are extremely happy to go and get a new book when they get the opportunity. All three of us are able to spend hours in a bookstore to relax, browse, and read.
The local art workshop is also a mainstay. My youngest daughter is my creative child so often do creative activities such as this. The place we go is a local business where you can go pick out a piece to paint. You can take it home or paint it there at the store.You can also sign up for a lesson on how to paint with acrylics on canvas. Either way, it’s a good time for all.
Being a mother is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t change a thing. And if I could go back in time, I would not let any precious moment pass me by.
Kylie’s Rants 