Smart Money Links 4U

We’re coming out of quarantine, but the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we spend and save. That’s why, as we adjust to this new normal, it’s important to re-evaluate the way we’re managing our money. If you’re working with the same budget from your pre-pandemic days, it’s time to make some adjustments. After all, budgets should not be treated as static systems. They should evolve to fit with your household’s changing needs and desires.  If you haven’t updated your money management system lately, here are four ways to adjust your budget in response to COVID-19. 1. Stick With Temporary Savings Strategies Business closures and stay-at-home orders have forced us to embrace frugal living practices by default. We tried doing our own hair instead of going to salons. We recreated dishes from our favorite restaurants at home. We realized we could catch up with friends without spending money on pricey drinks. Check your bank statements and dig through receipts from the last co...

As school districts around the country make plans for the fall school year, many parents continue to fill the childcare gap with in-home care through a babysitter or nanny. While becoming a babysitter can be a lucrative employment path with flexible hours), there are some key considerations anyone seeking to be an in-home caregiver should consider right now, says Carrie Cronkey, Care.com’s chief marketing officer. Here’s what you should know about becoming a babysitter or nanny during the pandemic. What the Child Care Field Looks Like in 2020 In the U.S., there are more than 1.1 million childcare workers , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which includes those who work in childcare centers, in their own homes or private households. The median pay for caregivers last year was $24,230 per year , or $11.65 per hour. (The median annual wage for all workers is $39,810.) “Approaching summer, families became more comfortable bringing a sitter into their home, resulting in a ...

When the rent is due, you don’t have time to wait for the grinding gears of government. So could an emergency loan help? If you’re among the 31.5% of out-of-work Americans who say they couldn’t last a month without the extra $600 a week from unemployment, your budget can’t accommodate a lapse in unemployment benefits without some kind of help. Here’s all of our coverage of the coronavirus outbreak , which we will be updating every day. And while we recommend building an emergency fund , finding a bridge job and tightening your budget , if you need the money this week, an emergency loan may be the lifeline you need to keep your head above water until the next unemployment or stimulus check arrives. We’ll break down loans that can get money in your hands fast, including what you need to qualify, what kind of interest rate you’d be facing and which offers to avoid. How to Get Emergency Loans If it seems like the more you need the money, the harder it is to get it, you’re not ...

Telecommuting technology as we know it has been around for at least a couple of decades, but it’s only really taken hold in about the past five years. If you’ve been working in an office, it’s understandable that you’d be a bit miffed — and more than a bit annoyed — by the tools you suddenly have to use just to talk to your co-workers. I’ve been working from home for about 10 years, so I’ve gotten the hours of frustrated troubleshooting, frozen facial expressions and panicked reboots behind me. Now I’m happy to share some tips and tricks to soothe your work-from-home headaches. How to Master Virtual Meetings If you’re starting the work-from-home life like, “What is a Zoom, and how do I Zoom?” you’re not alone. Video conferencing apps have baffled employees for years. Figuring one out at home on your own doesn’t sound like a treat. But these tools are actually great if you know how to use them. Here are some tips from my experience and a few tricks for common video conferencing ap...

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2017. One of my first jobs out of college was working at a nonprofit, organizing an after-school program and supporting the program behind the scenes. It was a small office, so most projects relied on an all-hands-on-deck mentality. My roles included fundraiser, volunteer coordinator, event planner and social media manager. Eventually, grant writing fell into my lap, too… and now it’s my full-time business. Could it be a fit for you, too? Here’s how to become a grant writer. How to Become a Grant Writer Grant writing is the process of developing a detailed application for funding from a specific entity. Your job is to make the argument that your nonprofit’s work deserves funding. You do that by showing the organization’s past successes, details of current and future plans, expertise and overall ability to change the world. By showing off what your nonprofit can do, you help the funder understand how you’d spend their dolla...

Ever asked yourself where all your money is going? Then you could probably use some help from an expense tracking app. A digitized log of your spending easily shows you how you’re spending your dollars. Most apps go beyond a simple spending diary though. They sum up your expenses by budget categories and prompt you to create spending limits. With an expense tracking app, you can identify unhealthy spending habits so you can make necessary changes. If you’ve been in denial about how much of your paycheck is going to takeout meals, for instance, an expense tracking app will tell you the truth. Maybe then you’ll be convinced to cook more at home to save money. We’ve summed up 10 of the best expense tracking apps so you can find the right one for you and take better control of your spending. 1. Clarity Money Clarity Money is a free budgeting app backed by Goldman Sachs. Expense tracking is done automatically by linking your bank, credit union or credit card accounts. The app doesn’...

The signs are on utility poles everywhere saying they’ll buy your house, even if it’s ugly. These cash-for-your-house companies promise a fast sale or a way to unload a less-than-desirable property. “The houses are distressed and needing revamping or revitalizing,” says Kate Story, known as Real Estate Kate . She works with a Tampa, Florida, company that buys and sells so-called ugly houses. “It’s usually a distressed condition too for the people who are selling them.” Who Buys Ugly Houses? The people who are advertising to buy houses for cash are usually real estate investors who plan to buy the house cheaply, fix it up, and sell it for a profit. “Those of us who market with such tags as ‘We buy ugly houses’, ‘cash for houses’, etc., are really looking to get in direct contact with homeowners and do business directly with them, versus the traditional method of the seller going through a real estate agent and having to pay for commissions, dealing with looky-loo buyers, delayed cl...