Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor and do not guarantee that you’ll increase your money flow. Take what works and leave what doesn’t. You are 100% responsible for the information you accept or reject.

I dabbled in a few side hustles of couponing, surveying, and gig work related to home and pet services. I also tried my hand at youtube, blogging, affiliate marketing, print-on-demand, and selling digital products. Although I’ve had different successes in each area, the opportunity to grow any one of these businesses is still a possibility for me. I want to help you if I can and share what I know.

(Also, I’m open to all comments below regarding my experience or accumulated knowledge. I’ve gathered more information than I publicly use because of my moral conditioning. 🤣 Hey, I’m just being honest. )

Here’s some more honesty,…One time I was being evicted because I “couldn’t” pay my rent yet  I was still paying $175 a month for cable. My credit was approaching the 400’s. I was also fake-selling refrigerators o eBay 🤣🤣 My priorities were so out of whack! 

Budgeting and financial education have been the practical approaches that I attribute to being able to pay my own bills and still dabble in a few side hustles for extra spending cash for entertainment, vacations, and holidays or just to simply relieve boredom. I like to work.

Here’s how to budget and some of my random secrets. As always, take what works and leave what doesn’t.

My Online Selling Secrets

I’m kind of showing my age here, but I’ve witnessed the birth and rise of eBay and Amazon in my lifetime. I instantly saw the value in selling my unwanted things so I took advantage of it. 

At 16 I noticed that I loved the hunt for good deals on items I could resell. This was my introduction to business. 

Here’s what I picked up in my travels.

1. The customer is always selfish and does not care about you! 🤣 It’s true. They only want to know if what you’re selling will fit their need or desire and will also provide relief or satisfaction to their problem. The hard part is figuring out their problem and offering them a valuable solution. The best way to solve a problem with your product or service is to think of the customer’s pain or desire. You have to provoke it, and then be like “my product solves your pain” and boom you’ll have more sales. The wisdom here is to, make sure your product actually alleviates your customer’s pain or fulfills their internal desire beyond expectation.

2. Baby/Kid stuff, pet stuff, sports memorabilia, and name brands sell the best on eBay. Look, I know how it feels to give your baby’s stuff to another struggling mother when you no longer need it, and I’m the biggest advocate for charity and donations, however there is some wisdom here you may need to know. Charity is abundant in modern societies for struggling families with little ones. To be blunt: If you need to sell your baby items for money, do it, especially on eBay. There is a customer out there who is struggling with pride issues and they are on eBay. They’d rather buy a lot of kid clothes (with stains) over walking to the church to ask for help. It is what it is. So, if you’d rather sell your kids’ stuff for cash and then donate 10% of that, I would call it a win, win, win. 

3. Learn Sales & Copywriting Because There Are Sharks. This is a must-have skill that takes time to develop. If you’re selling online and youre struggling with sales, this could be why. Everything is done in writing and psychology is deeply rooted and heavily manipulated in the money game. It’s a bit sad to see, but the reality is that many businessmen and women are ruthless and will stomp on you to get to the top. My wisdom and approach to this is to be authentic in your sales. Dont sell a product/service that you don’t believe in and make sure what you’re selling is of real value to the customer.

My Housekeeping Secrets

If you looked at my entrepreneurial history you’d notice that Simply Clean Cleaning Services was started in 2013 by yours truly. Now there are various niches for housekeeping services. You can be innocent or go all the way into a Mature Audience type of deal. I personally stayed PG and began my start through church and family affiliations. I had great success being modest and providing quality service.

Spoiler alert. I’m a little bit of a clean freak and yes I was before the military. Cleaning is therapeutic for me. I just like order ok, lol. Anyway here are some secrets just in case you’re contemplating housekeeping for some extra money. 

1. The best customers are friendly wealthy middle-aged couples or individuals. I may be biased here but not every client will show you respect. Most will treat you like the help and may degrade you with comments, extra work, and little tips. Some won’t clean up after themselves and of course, the occasional sleaze bag will ask you to come clean and he’ll pay you very much to see some titties. The best clients are those who respect you and there is a mutual humbleness in exchange. 

2. Trust is huge in this type of profession and cameras can’t catch everything. Listen, people who have money guard it and protect it and this includes their personal items. I took pride in being a trustworthy and reliable housekeeper developing trusting and lasting relationships with my clients. This led to expansion through word of mouth and shortly I was able to work Part Time with Full Time Pay.

3. The Pay Is Decent And Always Negotiable. I’m not going to call the government on your earned wages. You did the work, you deserve the pay. I’m not here to preach taxes. However, every cleaning job is priced differently and I must advise you to operate your business legally. Now price (in context to Pittsburgh, PA USA cleaning a house with 3 baths and 4 beds that takes 3-4 hours for a mature couple) will be close to $150. Adjust the price according to geographical location, the house, and the job itself. Also add to the price for laundry, pets, detailed work, extra rooms, supplies, and equipment. There isn’t a set price for this type of work so it is a bit of trial and error, just keep in mind: do not sell yourself short and ask for what you deserve.

My YouTube and Blogging Secrets

I tried Youtube, this blogging thing, print-on-demand shirts and mugs, and digital products on various selling platforms. 

1. Dont Get Discouraged. There is still opportunity in these markets even though they appear oversaturated. However, your niche and uniqueness are required more than ever to stand out among the crowd. I personally invest in mentorship and education to help me find my unique voice because it is very hard when youre starting out. There are others who are better and there are others who are worse. Focus on yourself.

2. Inauthenticity Is Rewarded First. We live in a fake world of copycats. If you set out on social media influencing, understand that inauthenticity is rewarded faster than authenticity. Im looking at you Tik Tok. At some point you will feel this pressure to follow the crowd especially when you see stagnation in sales. You will most likely talk yourself into following a trend or two, because that’s what works. The wisdom is to, be authentic as must as possible and don’t go against your personal values. 

3. Going Viral Doesnt Lead to Financial Success, I’ve seen this over and over again. People follow trends and gain a lot of followers but then they can’t capitalize on them. That’s because the audience doesn’t think youre offering value in your product or service. They may be following you for cheap entertainment. (This is what we all do with our social media) Now, of course, the larger your audience the more likely you will get a sale from a devotee or someone who genially likes you, but that average is 1-3% of a following. Often times less. So if youre selling stuff cheap and have a lot of followers, you’d have to push a lot of products to get decent pay. That can be a full-time job in itself. The wisdom is: to focus on providing a product or service of high quality and value over novelty and notoriety. Open your mind to the fact that a financial transaction can be $5 or $5000 and that is not dependent on the number of your followers. It’s dependent on what problems you solve for the customer. 

Now that you have some wisdom and some things to contemplate, lets get practical and learn to budget, because if you can’t budget, you’ll always be broke.

How To Start And Stick To A Budget 

Budgeting can be intimidating, especially if you are new to personal finance. However, it is one of the most effective ways to take control of your finances and should not be ignored. 

A budget allows you to track your income and expenses, see where your money is going, and make informed decisions about how and where to spend your money.

Here are some steps to help you get started with a budget as well as tips for sticking with it. 

1. Determine Your Income 

The first step in budgeting is to determine your income, including your salary, (job) any passive income, (books, ads,) and any additional sources of income. (Child support, alimony, bonuses, commissions, tips, donations)

The goal is to track ALL money that comes in over a period of time, most commonly over a month, but depending on when you receive the money and your financial goals, you may want to track your expenses more frequently. 

2. List Your Expenses

Make a list of all of your monthly expenses, including fixed expenses (e.g. rent, car payment, insurance) and variable expenses (e.g. food, entertainment, personal expenses). Be as specific as possible to ensure you have a holistic view of your spending.

• Track ALL Your Spending 

Start tracking your spending for a few weeks to get a better understanding of where your money is going. You can use a budgeting app, or spreadsheet, or simply write down your expenses in a notebook.

• Categorize Your Expenses 

Once you have a list of your expenses, categorize them into categories such as housing, food, transportation, etc. This will help you see where your money is being spent and identify areas where you may be able to reduce expenses.

3. Create a Budget

Now that you are aware of your income and expenses, the next step is to make a budget so you have more money coming in than going out.

Based on your income and expenses, create a budget that allocates money for each category of expenses. Make sure you allocate enough money for necessities such as housing and food, and try to avoid overspending in discretionary categories such as entertainment or dining out.

• Monitor Your Progress

Regularly review your spending and compare it to your budget to ensure you are staying on track. Make adjustments to your budget as needed.

• Be Flexible & Allow Adjustments

 Remember that a budget is a guide, not a strict plan. Life happens, and unexpected expenses will arise. Be flexible and adjust your budget as needed to ensure you are still on track to meet your financial goals.

After you’ve created your spending plan, take a look at your spending for the past month. Were there any categories where you overspent? Were there any expenses that you could cut back on? Make adjustments to your spending plan as necessary to ensure that you’re living within your means.

With these steps, you can create a budget that works for you and helps you to achieve financial stability.

How To Stick To A Budget

Budgeting is often seen as a tedious and time-consuming task, and tracking every financial transaction can feel boring or challenging. However, knowing how to budget is essential for financial stability and reaching your financial goals. 

You may consider taking some shortcuts like relying on your bank’s expense tracking services or downloading a budgeting app, however, taking personal control of your budget can be an enlightening experience. 

Here are some tips and tricks to make budgeting easier and help you stay on track toward achieving your financial goals.

1. Make It A Habit: 

Budgeting should be a part of your daily routine. Set aside time each week to review your spending and make adjustments to your budget as necessary.

Set a reminder on your phone, ask someone to remind you, read this article & print out free pdf habit tracker to help keep you on track. 

2. Be Realistic: 

Your budget should be realistic and achievable. If you set unrealistic goals, you’re more likely to fall off track and give up on budgeting altogether.

Don’t expect your spending habits to change overnight. You will most likey continue to overspend or purchase unnecessary things in the beginning. Don’t beat yourself up. Change takes time.

3. Prioritize Your Spending: 

Make sure that you prioritize your spending on the essentials, such as housing, food, and transportation, before spending money on discretionary items.

Rent, mortgage, bills, and debts should be paid first before buying new clothes, shoes, jewlery, games, etc. 

4. Avoid Emotional & Impulse Purchases: 

Impulse purchases can quickly blow your budget. Before making a purchase, ask yourself if it’s a necessity or if you can live without it.

Dont let your emotions dictate your purchase. This may be a hard one for most people, but a necessary skill to master regardless of your income. 

5. Stay Flexible: 

Life happens, and unexpected expenses may come up. Be flexible with your budget and make adjustments as necessary.

Understand that unexpected expenses happen and if you dont have enough in your savings account, this can cause a lot of stress. 

6. Celebrate Successes: 

Celebrate your successes along the way and stay motivated to stick to your budget.

Celebrate your successes often! No matter how small or insignificant you may think your progress is, a little bit goes a long way. 

      7. Finally, review and adjust your budget regularly. 

Your financial situation is likely to change over time, so it’s important to regularly review your budget and make adjustments as necessary. For example, if your rent goes up, you’ll need to adjust your budget accordingly.

Bonus: Debt Isn’t The Devil

I personally believe that a healthy relationship with debt does not look like demonizing it so here is a bonus about how to look at debt, just in case you are in debt or need temporary financial relief.  

Debt is Normal: The belief that taking on debt, such as credit card balances or loans, is a normal and necessary part of life sometimes.

You have to be wise when it comes to debt. Debt can be used as a tool to help you make money, but it can also have negative consequences if you’re not managing it properly.

Typically for entrepreneurs, debt is used to invest in things that add more value or can generate income. Such as real estate or business investments. However, many people still use credit cards or loans to pay for everyday purchases and some still struggle to get out of debt.

If you’re finding yourself struggling with consumption rather than investment or feel a deep burden that leads to financial stress, then seek financial help beyond this blog post.

Managing your money more effectively and cutting back on expenses will help ease the burden you feel.

So, while debt can help people make money, it’s important to understand the potential risks and to use debt in a responsible and strategic way.