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150 Quotes About Money That Will Change The Way You See Money

Everyone talks about money -- some because they don’t have enough, some wish to make more, and some are simply obsessed with it. It has always been this way, but nowadays, making money seems to be the main goal on everyone’s 'to do' list.We’ve never had so many options when it comes to products, technology and services, and salesmen constantly try to convince us that we need them all to live a happier and easier life. But do we?In the past, people didn’t have so much to choose from. Now, we want the blender with six functions that we don’t even use. We want the expensive clothes that we don’t even like, but they are “trendy” so we still buy them to impress others around us.In the pursuit of getting all the things we want, but don’t need, we lose precious time, relationships, and ultimately ourselves. Of course, money is a means to an end. We need it for comfort, education, medical procedures and so on, but we should always remember that there’s so much to this life.Here are 150 money quotes that will change your perspective on making money:Money motivation quotesAs mentioned above, we need money -- maybe for some of the things we’ve never had, maybe for basic necessities. Whatever our goal may be, money will be part of our lives, like it or not. We should strive for a better today for ourselves and our families, just as long we don’t forget that we’re on this Earth to make each minute count, and money isn’t everything.If you need a few words to get you going even when you don’t feel like it, check out our list of money motivation quotes:Rich people believe ‘I create my life’. Poor people believe ‘Life happens to me’. T. HARV EKERDon’t just make money, make a difference. GRANT CARDONEMoney moves from those who do not manage it to those who do. DAVE RAMSEYEarly to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (more Benjamin Franklin quotes)Money can’t buy happiness, but it will certainly get you a better class of memories. RONALD REAGAN (more Ronald Reagan quotes)Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will. NELSON MANDELARich people focus on opportunities. Poor people focus on obstacles. T. HARV EKERMoney has no grey areas. You either make it or you lose it. KEVIN O’LEARYIt’s not about the money. It’s about the life I want to live. UNKNOWNMake your goal more than money. Make it about helping people and creating a better future. MAXIME LAGACÉTo fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy. BETTE DAVISThe goal isn’t more money. The goal is living life on your terms. CHRIS BROGANYou have to be myopic and completely focused and unbalanced in every way. Once you’ve achieved success, you’re free to do whatever you like. KEVIN O’LEARYMy formula for success is rise early, work late and strike oil. J. PAUL GETTYIt is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. OSCAR WILDEFortune sides with him who dares. VIRGILOpportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. THOMAS EDISONI’m hard working, frugal, steadfast, willing to learn and to build a credible name. LI KA SHINGWhat matters is that you achieve success and become free. Then you can do whatever you like. KEVIN O’LEARYKeep your eye on the goal, keep moving toward your target. T. HARV EKERWhere the determination is, the way can be found. GEORGE S. CLASONI always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute. WARREN BUFFETTSaving money quotesSaving money should not be an option, it should be a rule. Regardless of how big or small your income is, you should make an effort in putting al least 10% away into your savings account. The unpredictable is part of our lives and you can’t never know when or for what you’ll need a certain amount of money. It is always better to have some at hand rather than searching for people who would loan you the amount you need.Save money for a brighter future, save for the sake of saving, or save for a beautiful holiday with your dear ones. Stop spending money on things you don’t really need, you’ll thank us later. Check out best saving money quotes.Stop buying things you don’t need, to impress people you don’t even like. SUZE ORMANI make myself rich by making my wants few. HENRY DAVID THOREAU (more Henry David Thoreau quotes)That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest. HENRY DAVID THOREAUMoney is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end. BOB MARLEYDon’t let making a living prevent you from making a life. JOHN WOODENIt is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. SENECAWe buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like. TYLER DURDEN (FIGHT CLUB)I don’t care too much for money, for money can’t buy me love. THE BEATLESMoney may be spent but never squandered.LI KA SHINGIf you didn’t get the deferred-gratification gene, you’ve got to work very hard to overcome that. CHARLIE MUNGERThe rich invest their money and spend what is left; the poor spend their money and invest what is left. JIM ROHNIt’s not how much money you make, but how much money you keep, how hard it works for you, and how many generations you keep it for. ROBERT T. KIYOSAKINever spend your money before you have it.THOMAS JEFFERSONMaking money quotesProbably, everyone you know is concerned about how to make more money. There is nothing wrong with that. But as a smart person you know you need to set up some goals first. And you need a certain mindset if you want to achieve your goals -- you need to think like a rich man, even if you have $20 in your pocket. How to change your mindset? Maybe some of the following making money quotes will teach you a thing or two about how to dream big. The rich invest in time, the poor invest in money. WARREN BUFFETT (more Warren Buffett quotes)If you make meaning, you’ll make money. GUY KAWASAKITrade money for time, not time for money. You’re going to run out of time first. NAVAL RAVIKANTIf it’s only about money we are hopeless. If it’s about people we are hopeful. MAXIME LAGACÉFormal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune. JIM ROHNThe best way to become a billionaire is to help a billion people. PETER DIAMANDISFocusing your life solely on making a buck shows a poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. And it will leave you unfulfilled. BARACK OBAMAWe don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies. WALT DISNEYMoney is not the only answer, but it makes a difference. BARACK OBAMAIf you can get paid for doing what you love, every paycheck is a bonus. OPRAH WINFREYSimply put: we don’t build services to make money; we make money to build better services. And we think this is a good way to build something. MARK ZUCKERBERGWe have always believed that it’s possible to make money without being evil. LARRY PAGECapital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed. MAHATMA GANDHIIf you cannot control your emotions, you cannot control your money. WARREN BUFFETTAnyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination. OSCAR WILDEThe funny thing is, the people who work really hard, they work really hard so they can sit on their ass – they just want to sit on their ass in nicer surroundings. KARL PILKINGTONI find out what the world needs. Then, I go ahead and invent it. THOMAS A. EDISONThere is gold everywhere. Most people are not trained to see it. ROBERT T. KIYOSAKILike Warren, I had a considerable passion to get rich, not because I wanted Ferraris – I wanted the independence. I desperately wanted it. CHARLIE MUNGERIf your goal is to be comfortable, chances are you’ll never get rich. But if your goal is to be rich, chances are you’ll end up mighty comfortable. T. HARV EKERRich people act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear stop them. T. HARV EKERRich people choose to get paid based on results. Poor people choose to get paid based on time. T. HARV EKEROpportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared. GEORGE S. CLASONIf you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die. WARREN BUFFETTI don’t want to make money. I just want to be wonderful. MARILYN MONROEIf you don’t get serious about your money you will never have serious money. GRANT CARDONEIt’s simple arithmetic: ‘Your income can grow only to the extent you do’. T. HARV EKERThe more money you make the more problems you get. CHRISTOPHER GEORGE LATORE WALLACE (NOTORIOUS B.I.G.)Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don’t have for something they don’t need. WILL ROGERSShort money quotesIn only a few words, the following short money quotes will definitely impress you. Most of them are from famous people who already know what it’s like to afford everything they want. Is money everything? Find out from our list of short money quotes that can also make great captions for your social media posts.The more you learn, the more you earn. WARREN BUFFETTEarn with your mind, not your time. NAVAL RAVIKANTThere are people who have money and people who are rich. COCO CHANELMoney is a great servant but a bad master. FRANCIS BACONAll the money you made will never buy back your soul. BOB DYLAN (more Bob Dylan quotes)When I had money everyone called me brother. POLISH PROVERBNot he who has much is rich, but he who gives much. ERICH FROMMWhoever loves money will never have enough. ECCLESIASTES 5:10When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion. VOLTAIREBe your money’s master, not its slave. PUBLILIUS SYRUSMoney doesn’t buy happiness – it buys freedom. NAVAL RAVIKANTIt does not take money to make money. ROBERT T. KIYOSAKIAll money is a matter of belief. ADAM SMITHA man in debt is so far a slave. RALPH WALDO EMERSONDon’t go broke trying to go rich. UnknownUNKNOWNMoney doesn’t change people. It unmasks them. UNKNOWNMoney grows on the tree of persistence. JAPANESE PROVERBIf money’s where you find happiness, you’ll always be poor. NFWords are the money of fools. THOMAS HOBBESMoney is power.UNKOWNMoney is like fire.P.T. BarnumWealth quotesMost people that have struggled in life think that money would solve all their problems. Most people that have enough money know that true wealth means more than just having loads of money. True wealth is also about having healthy relationships and people you can rely on because you know… at the end of the day, some things can’t be bought.There are a great many people accumulating what they think is vast wealth, but it’s only money. ALAN WATTSPossession make you rich? I don't have that type of richness. My richness is life, forever. BOB MARLEY (more Bob Marley quotes)The money you have gives you freedom; the money you pursue enslaves you. JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAUI think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer. JIM CARREYSpend your money on the things money can buy. Spend your time on the things money can’t buy. HARUKI MURAKAMIThe rich cannot accumulate wealth without the co-operation of the poor in society. MAHATMA GANDHIInvest in as much of yourself as you can, you are your own biggest asset by far. WARREN BUFFETTThe ultimate purpose of money is so that you do not have to be in a specific place at a specific time doing anything you don’t want to do. NAVAL RAVIKANTSeek wealth, not money or status. Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep. Money is how we transfer time and wealth. Status is your place in the social hierarchy. NAVAL RAVIKANTYou have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity. THOMAS WOLFEWealth is not about having a lot of money; it’s about having a lot of options. CHRIS ROCKMy favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time. STEVE JOBSThere is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else. SAM WALTONSuccess is having to worry about every damn thing in the world, except money. JOHNNY CASHRich people are committed to being rich. Poor people want to be rich. T. HARV EKERRich people think big. Poor people think small. T. HARV EKERSome people are so poor, all they have is money. UNKNOWNMoney is a way of measuring wealth but is not wealth in itself. ALAN WATTSA rich man is nothing but a poor man with money. W. C. FIELDSThe fools in life want things fast and easy — money, success, attention. ROBERT GREENERich people play the money game to win. Poor people play the money game to not lose. T. HARV EKERSomeone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. WARREN BUFFETTRich people have small TVs and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big TVs. ZIG ZIGLARWomen and wine, game and deceit, make the wealth small and the wants great. BENJAMIN FRANKLINWe make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we giveWINSTON CHURCHILLAn investment in knowledge pays the best interestBENJAMIN FRANKLINFunny money quotesIn the right context, jokes about money can be hilarious. Whether you’ve never had it and choose to share some of those experiences, or maybe you have just about enough and still find something funny to say about it. If your financial status is not at its best yet, don’t get offended when a rich person tells a joke. Remember, it’s all in the context.I’d like to live as a poor man with lots of money. PABLO PICASSOMoney is like manure. You have to spread it around or it smells. J. PAUL GETTYMoney is the best deodorant. ELIZABETH TAYLORLottery: A tax on people who are bad at math. AMBROSE BIERCEMoney, like vodka, turns a person into an eccentric. ANTON CHEKHOVI've never been a millionaire but I know I'd be just darling at it. DOROTHY PARKERDoes running out of money count as exercise? UNKNOWNIt’s amazing how fast later comes when you buy now. MILTON BERLEMost people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit. GEORGE CARLIN (more George Carlin quotes)A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it. BOB HOPEMen are like bank accounts. Without a lot of money they don’t generate a lot of interest. UNKNOWNTaking drugs and thinking that you are happy is like taking a loan and thinking you have money. THIBAUTThere’s no money in poetry, but then there’s no poetry in money, either. ROBERT GRAVESPeople say that money is not the key to happiness, but I always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made. JOAN RIVERSIf you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to. DOROTHY PARKERInflation is taxation without legislation. MILTON FRIEDMANMoney and women are the most sought after and the least known about of any two things we have. WILL ROGERSThe quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it in your back pocket. WILL ROGERSIf you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments. EARL WILSONGiving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. P. J. O’ROURKEMoney can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail. KINKY FRIEDMANWhoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping. GERTRUDE STEINI put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed. GEORGE CARLINMoney affirmationsRegardless of your current financial status, try to picture a future where you have everything you need: the house of your dreams, enough savings or a business that brings you the right amount of satisfaction, moneywise. It’s not impossible! You can always dream big then take the right steps that will lead you to so many accomplishments.The following money affirmations will help you set and focus on goals that you can later turn into actionable financial goals.I experience wealth as a key part of my life. UNKNOWNI am capable of overcoming any money-obstacles that stand in my way.UNKNOWNI can conquer my money goals.UNKNOWNToday I commit to living my financial dreams.UNKNOWNI want more money. And that's okay.UNKNOWNIt's easy and natural for me to be prosperous and successful.UNKNOWNMy life is filled with health and wealth.UNKNOWNAbundance is coming, I deserve and accept it.UNKNOWNI accept and receive unexpected prosperity.UNKNOWNI have more than enough money.UNKNOWNI deserve to make more money.UNKNOWNI am always discovering new sources of income.UNKNOWNMoney comes my way in both expected and unexpected ways.UNKNOWNI am open to receiving all wealth life brings to me.UNKNOWNI’m not poor, I'm just low wealth right now. That is changing.UNKNOWNI’m getting out of my own way when it comes to money.UNKNOWN

SMART Financial Goals Examples to Help Grow Your Wealth
Finance

SMART Financial Goals Examples to Help Grow Your Wealth

All of us have certain goals in mind that we wish to achieve. These can be long-term goals, ones that we hope to reach 20, 30 or even 40 years down the line, or short-term goals that we wish to accomplish before the year's or month's end. Financial goals can be both the hardest and most worthwhile of all the goals you could set. Why? On the one hand, planning for financial freedom in the future can mean making sacrifices in the present. However, seeing your hard work and effort pay off when those financial goals become a reality can be incredibly worthwhile.In this article, we'll define financial goals, explore why it's important to set SMART goals, and share examples of SMART financial goals to develop – and achieve – for yourself. What are financial goals?Simply put, financial goals are the touch points and milestones you wish for your money to achieve on a certain timeline. Financial goals can include building an emergency fund, saving for a down payment on a house, paying off credit card debt or student loan debt. (Kittiphan Teerawattanakul / EyeEm / Getty)Financial goals can also pertain to goals that aren't about reaching a specific dollar amount or negative debt balance but rather improving your financial situation overall. This can mean improving your financial literacy, understanding personal finance, or setting parameters for personal finances. What are SMART financial goals?If you've set personal goals before, you may be familiar with the SMART goal framework. Smart goals stand for Specific, Measurable, Achievable (or Attainable), Realistic (or Relevant and Time-Bound. Coined by George T. Doran in the early 1980s, this method was initially outlined in a paper titled "The S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management Goals and Objectives." The framework was meant to be used as a tool for companies to set and achieve goals. The SMART goal framework has been utilized and modified to help others achieve an array of goals – and can be especially helpful for financial goal setting. Here's a look at how to set SMART financial goals.SpecificWhat financial goal are you trying to achieve? What is your motivation? Drilling down on the specifics of your financial goal helps you realize what will need to happen for you to achieve it. When will you find the time to work on this goal? Who else needs to be involved in the process? What tasks need to happen before the goal can be reached? Having a plan starts with identifying specifics – which is why this step is crucial.MeasurableSetting a measurable financial goal makes it easy to track your progress, evaluate if you're on track, and pivot when necessary. For example, does your goal come with a certain dollar amount you're trying to hit? If so, this gives you a measurable starting point to determine progress along the way. For financial goals that are more education-based, such as improving financial literacy, consider measuring success with specific topics you wish to gain an understanding of, then plot your progress from a time perspective. AttainableSmart financial goals can be large-scale goals. But if they are not attainable, working toward it will likely feel frustrating and leave you with a sense of defeat. For a financial goal to be achievable, it needs to be attainable. Retiring with a million dollars is an attainable goal -- but if you're starting that retirement plan at 60 and wish to retire at 65, you may need to reevaluate. When setting financial goals, determine what you'll need to do for this goal to become a reality – whether that's an allotted amount of time, a level of education or a certain dollar amount saved. RealisticIs the financial goal you're setting possible to achieve? If not, what factors within your control are preventing you from hitting it? If you want to win the lottery, for example, you should know that math is not on your side. There's a slim chance of it happening, and chasing success means spending money you may never see again. If the motivation behind winning the lottery is to live without having to work again, consider setting financial goals that set you up to earn passive income to make this happen. (Kingfisher Productions / Getty)Timely Even long-term smart financial goals need to have a target end date to work toward. If saving for retirement is on your list, it can be tricky to know exactly how much you'll need to save to do so. The exact date may need to shift, but having a target end year or range of years in mind keeps your goal time-bound and helps to frame the necessary work and steps that need to take place for it to happen. When building your smart financial goal plan, try working backward from the date you want to achieve it. Then, create a framework that outlines the necessary steps and smaller measurable goals along the way.Is setting SMART Financial goals important?Setting goals is important for plenty of reasons. Having them to work toward reminds you of why you're making changes to spending habits, making you more mindful about saving money. Staying focused on the personal financial goals you have makes the pain of budgeting and saving feel more worthwhile, providing you with more motivation and insight on why you're doing so. Knowing how you want your financial future to look can also help motivate and improve happiness and overall satisfaction in various areas of your life. For example, perhaps your current job has started to feel monotonous. A recent search into salaries for your position and experience shows that you're being compensated well for your situation. Having a financial finish line to work toward can make your current job feel more fulfilling long after it's become mundane.SMART Financial goal examplesWe've defined financial goals, outlined the general framework and discussed the importance of setting goals to achieve financial success. Now, it's time to set smart financial goals of your own. If you're unsure of where to start, breaking out common financial goals by time frame can help inspire you to take the first step. Here are a few smart financial goal examples broken out by time frame.Short term financial goalsShort-term financial goals can be as short as a few months – or as long as two years. Short-term financial goals can be education-based. For example, you might be interested in getting tax advice from an expert, or learning more about investment options so you can select the right one for your financial situation. Short-term financial goals can utilize money such as an annual bonus or tax return to jumpstart. A few examples of short-term financial goals can include:Financing a home improvement projectHome improvement has become more and more essential over the past few years, with many employees working remotely. If there's a part of your home that needs an upgrade, get an estimate on what it would cost to accomplish, then build out a plan using the SMART goal framework.Building an emergency fundNo one likes to think about what may happen in the event of an emergency. While we can't predict or prevent emergencies from happening, having funds that are easily accessible can give us more peace of mind for the future. To calculate how much you'll need to save for this goal, calculate what six months of expenses look like for you and your family. Then, work on putting a manageable amount away each month to achieve it.Saving for a vacation/event(Noel Hendrickson / Getty)Whether it's a milestone birthday party, wedding or much-needed vacation, putting more money away for your financial journey (or to celebrate and enjoy life) are some of the most fun financial goals to reach. Working backward from your target date, determine how much you'll need to put aside each month to reach your financial goal – then see where you can save or cut back to make it happen.Mid-term SMART Financial goalsMid-term financial goals should be achievable in around 2-5 years. Unlike short-term goals, these financial goals require more planning, resources and time to reach. While short-term financial goal funds can be kept in places that are easily accessible (save money using a high-yield savings account for your emergency fund), a more optimal strategy for mid-term financial goal funds might be a Certificate of Deposit or CD account – which has a higher interest return rate but requires the funds to remain in the account for an allotted period. A few mid-term smart financial goals include:Purchasing a car(Carol Yepes / Getty)Leasing options and car payment plans make vehicles more accessible -- but this often comes with other headaches and hidden fees. Saving up to purchase a car in full is a worthy mid-term goal for those who wish freedom from monthly payments and additional expenses. Saving for a down payment on a homeThis is a worthy financial goal in any housing market but particularly useful today. There's no better time to start saving up for a down payment on a home than right now. Using the SMART goal framework, determine where you envision purchasing a home, get specific on the type of home you're working toward, and craft a realistic, attainable plan you can measure to achieve it.Long-term SMART Financial goalsLong-term financial goals are the hardest to achieve – but with dedication and proper planning, they can end up being the most rewarding. These financial goals are the ones that require five years or more to achieve. Options for where you allocate funds for long-term financial goals are plentiful – investing in Roth IRAs, a 401k, or even an investment portfolio can help grow your money without requiring any effort on your part. Some long-term financial goals to consider are:Saving for retirement(Halfpoint Images / Getty)Investing for retirement is just as important as saving is. For this type of financial goal, it can be beneficial to work with a financial advisor to determine the best way to grow your money over time. Paying off a mortgageCompleting your mortgage payments sooner than later frees up funds to use however you'd like – which makes this long-term financial goal a powerful one. Consider ways to pay more than the monthly allotment when possible and work back from your goal deadline to determine how you'll measure success along the way.SummarySetting smart goals is important for our overall happiness and securing and preparing for the future. Financial goals can be difficult to set and stick to. But if you work within the smart goal format, achieving money goals becomes more attainable and will feel less like a burden. Set time aside to assess your financial situation and set your sights on what you want to achieve for your short-term, mid-term and long-term financial goals.

Socially Responsible Investing: A Complete Guide
Finance

Socially Responsible Investing: A Complete Guide

Everyone knows about stocks, bonds, currency exchanges and mutual funds. But socially responsible investing (SRI) is not just about financial performance. Instead, SRI has a twin set of goals. One is financial gain. And the other? Social impact, also known as doing good.Doing good surely sounds like something you want a piece of, but may also sound like an easy way to complicate traditional investing, which is already complex enough. But once you realize it’s more of a new way of thinking than new way of investing, you’ll be sold. Or you’ll be buying, more accurately.Making money doing goodYou already practice social responsibility, and likely in myriad ways. You vote for elected officials whose values mirror yours and whose integrity you trust. You don’t shop at stores or dine at restaurants managed by companies known for practices of which you disapprove, be they matters social, ecological, ethical, and beyond. You follow laws that help maintain the social fabric, from stopping at red lights to respecting private property to using the crosswalk. You don’t litter. And on it goes.But when it comes to investing, you may accidentally be helping prop up organizations whose values, integrity, and ethics are anything like yours simply because you don’t know where all of your money is invested. It’s entirely possible that your money, if it’s in a 401(k), an exchange traded fund (or ETF) managed by third party investment management firms, may well be tied up with just the sort of businesses and investment strategies you would never patronize directly. they may even be indirectly helping support politicians whose politics you loathe via corporate donations.The solution isn’t to ditch investing entirely and hoard your cash in a mattress, nor do you have to sacrifice sound investment in the name of sustainable and responsible investing practices. While bringing values and ethics into play with impact investing does add a layer to the investment process, it need not hamper your financial success.In other words, you can commit to socially responsible investing and still be focused on all the standard matters of personal finance, from a focus on growing your nest egg to figuring out how to save money when possible to making an impact on others based on where you put your money.And you can get started just as soon as you have a better understanding of socially responsible investment practices. After all, there are registered investment companies that provide socially responsible mutual funds, community investing and sustainable investing strategies, and plenty more that will help you do good things with your money. What are socially responsible investments?Some say that socially responsible investing is not activism. Furthermore, they would say that SRI is not to be confused with “activist investing,” which is a whole other thing, and one rarely associated with social responsibility at that.However, from another perspective, socially responsible investing and activism can go hand-in-hand, and ultimately all actions are political. Putting investments in ethically, environmentally, trusted companies can indeed represent a very progressive or political act.The popularity of socially responsible investing has grown in recent years, and while socially responsible investments trends often align with political and social mores of the day, the move toward SRI is steady and lasting – note the numbers of the VFTAX and NEXTX funds below as evidence. And in some cases, SRI is not even about growing one’s own wealth, but instead is an investment in a greater community. In these cases, the moves represent a strategy where the return on the investment is calculated not in dollars, but in betterment of the human condition in a given population.And that’s pretty powerful stuff, when you think about it. Community investing institutions have great potential. Sustainable investing: An SRI definitionWhile of course it’s always best to have a plethora of information when the topic at hand is an important one – and being as we are talking about your money and about social responsibility, this here is an important one – it can be helpful to have a concise definition of a term to make sure everyone is on the same page.So going forward, even as we broaden and deepen our understanding of socially responsible investing and get into some of the specifics of the practice, let us use this as our shorthand definition of socially responsible investing:SRI refers to any financial investment considered socially responsible when the nature of the business or fund into which the money goes is fully understood.Think of it like this: you know which friends you can trust with a secret (or a loan). You know which you probably can’t. And you know you’re not quite sure of others. Guess which group represents the socially responsible organization. Correct, only the first.The types of investments to avoid when going the SRI route We are not going to name names here – you can do that on your own just fine, no doubt – but we are going to highlight a number of the types of companies most people interested in socially responsible investing are most interested in avoiding.Firearms and fossil fuels(spooh / Getty)Some of these organizations are ones it’s obvious you’ll want to avoid, such as a company that makes firearms, a fossil fuels extractor, a clothing or textile brand known for exploitative labor practices, a petrochemical company, or any brand known to be affiliated with political, religious, or other types of institutions to whom you are personally opposed. (Or at least not looking to actively support.)Other times, it can be harder to glean when a company does not fit the SRI criteria. Maybe they seem like a decent enough lot, but when you look deeper, you’ll see their supply chain is a serious cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Or that they lobby for causes that are anathema to your worldview. Or that they have a reputation for poor treatment of employees. All of these and many more are more than good enough reasons to put your money elsewhere.Also, don’t think simply not proactively buying shares of a gun manufacturer, an oil giant, a cheap clothing provider, or a chemical company guarantees that your portfolio is squeaky clean from an ethics standpoint: if you are already invested in many single stocks and/or in funds, you may be holding shares that run against your moral code. You may well have some divesting to do, in other words. The good news is that you turn those shares into cash as you say goodbye to those less than “good” investments. Or even better than cash, you can parlay the money you make from selling unwanted stocks into sustainable fundsWill SRI hurt your overall portfolio?It doesn’t have to. At all. But it will require more work, as you both have to make smart moves and righteous moves, so to speak. And you are indeed cutting a lot of potential sources of revenue out of your purview, so you’ll need to pick up some slack.If you’re worried about what could be fairly called “investment FOMO,” FOMO of course an acronym for “fear of missing out,” the best way to allay your fears is to increase your information. Go right ahead and follow all those stocks and funds in which you have made the moral choice not to invest – chances are good that you will see their numbers rise and fall in much the same patterns as the values of the socially responsible places in which you invest. The rising (and falling) tide of the market affects all ships, if you’ll allow the metaphor, so you may as well have the moral high ground.And if you take comfort in numbers, here’s one to note: $17.1 trillion. With a T, trillion – that’s how much money is invested in socially responsible assets in the United States alone, according to a report from The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. And that figure represents a five trillion dollar increase in SRI assets in America when compared to a report issued just a few years earlier, showing this is hardly a bubble or passing trend, but rather an ongoing and ascendent model for prudent and ethical investing. Understanding socially responsible investing on a personal levelAs with all investment, the first thing you have to understand about SRI is why you are doing it. That may sound simple but it’s anything but, because it means understanding your personal financial goals, both short- and long term, and that alone can be a Herculean task. You need to account for the expenses you face now, that you will incur in the next few years (a new car or a down payment on a house, perhaps?), likely expenses in the next few decades (tuition costs for the kids or cash to start a business, maybe), and you need to think about how, where, and when you want to retire. And that’s not to mention any legacy planning.Assess your values Then you need to honestly assess your own values. Do you want to support causes affiliated with religion, or to eschew them? Are you a diehard supporter of social justice? Are you in favor of a more conservative approach that maintains the status quo? Do you care deeply about the environment? Are you a supporter of unregulated, free market capitalism above all else?There are no right or wrong answers from an objective viewpoint, there are only rights and wrongs as they pertain to your own beliefs and values. Once you have your house in order, morally and ethically speaking, then you can go out looking for companies and funds that line up.Or better yet, you can sign up with a group of investment professionals who will manage your socially responsible investing for you.Socially responsible investing examplesOne way to practice socially responsible investing is to hand-pick stocks of companies you know to be aligned with your values. If you care deeply about the fight against deadly diseases that unfairly impact the underprivileged, you may want to invest in a company like Gilead Sciences, for example, as they are widely respected for their commitment to improving global health. (Mohammed Hamoud / Contributor / Getty)If you care deeply about cleaner, greener energy, consider buying shares of a clean energy company like First Solar, a company with sustainability and social responsibility baked into its business model. Or you can take a longer approach and buy bonds that will help prop up a community you care about.And on it goes. The problem for the individual investor using this approach is that to create a truly successful, dynamic socially responsible investment portfolio, you may well need to make doing so something of a full-time job. Or at least a busy part-time gig.So instead, consider signing on with an investment advisor or manager willing to take your direction to only invest ethically. Responsible investors will factor in your values while striving to put your money where it can do well for you financially, as of course they have a vested interest in its performance as well – the better their investment decisions do for you, the better those investment dollars do for them, too.ESG funds: What they are, what they doThree key issues often on the minds of those interested in socially responsible investing are matters environmental, social, and of governance, often referred to as ESG investing for short. Those are big topics. Colossal, really – indeed they are in the minds of many the most pressing issues of our day, given the slow but severe damage climate change is having on the planet, the strife that has ripped through civil society in recent years in the wake of police violence, protests, and the push for rights and representation, and then of course the divisiveness of the present political climate.Frankly, it can be overwhelming to plunge into matters of the environment, the civil and social discourse (or lack thereof), and the governance of our nation even without the added lens of financial matters. Which is why it’s good news that you can turn to experts who devote all of their professional time to ESG investing. These fiduciaries do their best to increase the value of your investments while at the same time ensuring that your money is tied to causes that you value.ESG funds are simply specifically established to bring together myriad socially responsible organizations and financial instruments. An SRI mutual fund or an SRI exchange-traded fund will work just the same as any other fund, it has simply been vetted and created with a unique perspective. A few SRI fund examples include the Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund, or VFTAX, and the Shelton Green Alpha Fund, which is known as NEXTX on the stock ticker. For reference, the Vanguard VFTAX fund has nearly doubled in value in the past few years, while the Shelton Green Alpha Fund has more than tripled in less than half a decade.SRI can give you powerInvesting in socially responsible companies and funds is a good thing because it does good things, and because it can grow your wealth. But that’s not all SRI can do for you.Money talks, we all know that. And when enough people put enough money in the same place or places, it can speak volumes and be loud enough that the powers that be are forced to listen, respond, and adapt. By investing in companies committed to producing green energy, to the manufacture of sustainable products, to ethical treatment of workers, to transparency in all aspects of their operations, to ethical corporate governance, you help bolster those companies already doing the right things, and you offer proof of concept that may help convince other organizations to amend their practices, seeing that the responsible approach is working elsewhere.Shareholder engagement can be the best way to direct the moral compass of a company, so get engaged, both by investing as well as by voting and making your voice heard, be that via calls or comments or by spreading the word. And also don’t forget that another power play is dumping the shares of companies or funds that you think come up short in terms of social responsibility.Final thoughtsLet’s be crystal clear here: if your only goal for investing is to make money for yourself, then socially responsible investing is probably not the right avenue for you. But if you’re the kind of person who will pay a little extra for locally sourced this, ethically produced that, or fair-trade certified the other thing, then chances are good that SRI is the right move for your portfolio and your soul. And for the world at large, too, of course, to which you and that soul of yours are connected.

Side Hustles for Women: The Complete Guide
Career Growth

Side Hustles for Women: The Complete Guide

Whether you work a full-time job or have something part-time to pay the bills, there's not a person out there who doesn't want to earn some extra money. Whether your side hustle idea is to be a freelance writer, a food delivery driver, to cut lawns or start a wedding photography business, there really is no reason not to use your spare time to make a few bucks here and there. And while most or all of the side hustles on this list can be done by both males and females, we're dedicating this article to side hustles for women. Why? Because even in 2021, the gender pay gap still exists. No matter what skills you possess or how much extra time you have on your hands, this list of side hustles for women has something that'll fit every woman's needs and skill set. Ready to start making more money? Let’s go!How to find the right side hustle For many women, determining what kind of side hustle to look for can be the hardest part of the process. There may be many side passions you're interested in exploring – but you're not sure how to leverage that side hustle idea into extra income. Or maybe you know exactly what type of side hustle would suit your needs – but you can't seem to find anyone who's hiring, or know where to look to get started. If you're seeking clarity on the best side hustles for women that fit your own individual needs, skills and interests, here are some questions to ask yourself before you get started supplementing your full time income on your own schedule.How much time do you have for your side hustle?Knowing how many hours per week you can dedicate to your side gig is a significant first step. While it's called a side hustle for a reason, some do require more time upfront spent signing up for a particular platform or learning a new skill that the side job may require. For this reason, it's wise to break out not only how many hours per week you'll have once you start your side hustle but also how much spare time you'll have when you're first starting. Remember, the first few weeks (or even months) of your side hustle might call for some additional time spent getting started. Making extra money: what daily or weekly tasks do you enjoy? When it comes to choosing side hustle ideas, you might be surprised at how many people will pay to have specific tasks completed for them regularly. Think about the chores you do daily, weekly and monthly. Do you love organizing your monthly calendar? Maybe you look forward to your weekly trip to the grocery store or your turn to drive the carpool. (Getty)Make a list of tasks you enjoy most -- it'll come in handy when zeroing in on the right side business ideas for you. What do people come to you for?Are you the friend in the group who always gets asked to read over a resume or cover letter? Do the parents in your kid's classes ask where you got your child's clothes from or the recipe for those birthday cupcakes you made? Pay attention to what the people in your life ask you about most often -- this can help guide you toward the right side hustle and help earn you extra money for it. If you have a skill that others covet and appreciate, you might even consider building and selling online courses to teach others.What skills can you leverage outside of work for extra cash?With so many opportunities to make money online, knowing what skills from your current job translate to other side hustles is essential. For example, have you taught online classes or seminars? Does your current role involve online marketing or writing? Make a list of tangible skills you'd be able to employ at a part-time job -- this will help you identify the right business idea to pursue. 7 easy side hustles for womenYou've determined how much time you have, what you enjoy doing, what people come to you for and the transferrable skills you possess. Now, all that's left to do is find the right side hustle for you! If you're looking for a side hustle that'll be a breeze, here are a few side hustles for women that you can do without any prior experience.Grocery shoppingThis one is an especially easy side hustle for women who find themselves at the grocery store often. While you're picking up groceries on your list, why not get paid to shop for someone else at the same time? Companies like Postmates and Instacart offer flexible hours and competitive rates – plus, you'll earn tips. This is the perfect side hustle for women who know their local grocery store like the back of their hand -- the more orders you're able to fulfill, the more you'll earn. Consumer researchDid you know you can get paid to answer questions about your experiences and product usage? Participating in online surveys and focus groups can pay anywhere between $50-200 dollars an hour, depending on the topic. To get started, sign up with sites like User Interviews or Respondent. No prior experience is required; select which surveys/studies apply to you!Rideshare driverLove to drive? Know all the shortcuts in your neighborhood? Driving for rideshare apps like Uber or Lyft is a great side hustle for women who are always on the go – but have time to spare between carpools or commuting. As long as you have a vehicle and pass a background check, you can get started in no time. Drivers can earn between $90-$140 per day in their spare time!Cleaning serviceIt's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. (Justin Paget / Getty)Signing up with a cleaning company or through sites like housekeeper.com makes this an easy side hustle for women who find cleaning a breeze and know the tricks of the trade for getting even the most challenging surfaces clean. Pet sittingLove animals? Get paid to hang out with them. Whether you are a cat or dog lover, sites like Rover and Meowtel make this side hustle for women simple to sign up for and start. While these sites may require background and reference checks, once you've been approved, this side hustle is not only fun but flexible. Standing in linesYes, you read that right. A great side hustle for women with lots of patience, being a line sitter at the DMV, for a new video game release or even for the latest and greatest restaurant in your area can earn you around $15 an hour. If you were already planning to snag that new Playstation or meal, why not get paid to do it for someone else, too, while you're there? Making money online doing surveysHave some spare time? Survey-taking can be a great side hustle for making extra money in just a few extra minutes. All you'll need to do is watch a short video and answer a few questions to start earning extra money. 8 high paying side hustles for womenFor many women, time is money. If you're looking for the most bang for your buck, these side hustles for women will help you earn so much extra money. They just might become your main hustle.Virtual assistantVirtual assistant roles are a lucrative side hustle for women. Many detail-oriented and organized women have succeeded in part-time virtual assistant roles, earning extra income that can total up to $32 per hour. What do virtual assistants do? Some virtual assistants help small businesses with tasks like social media management, data entry or communicating with clients. Some individuals may hire a virtual assistant to keep track of their appointments, arrange travel reservations and respond to emails. You don't need prior experience to become a virtual assistant – just a skill set that's task-oriented. Online teachingYou don't have to have a degree in education to teach an online course and start earning extra money. In fact, teaching an online course is a great side hustle for women who have a unique skill or topic that they can educate others on. For example, sites like Teachable or Udemy allow users to create their own online classes, then earn money by charging others to take them. Think about what you can teach others, then make your online course. For example, do you have a knack for doing taxes? Can you teach simple coding or online marketing to the masses? Resume writingDo your friends often come to you for help with their resumes? Do you often get interview requests after applying for a job? (Brothers91 / Getty)Or maybe you've worked as a hiring manager at some point. Resume writing is a lucrative side hustle for women, with many resume writers reporting an income of $100 per resume. If you're just starting out, freelance sites like Upwork are a great place to start. Freelance writingLove to write? If so, there are so many ways to make money online as a writer. If you like to write for fun, setting up a blog and subscribing to Google Adsense allows you to earn extra cash each time a reader clicks on an ad that appears on your site. Depending on your following, you can also offer sponsored posts from brands that want a more dedicated presence on your page. If you're not interested in writing a blog but want to leverage your writing skills, sites like Fiverr and Upwork connect writers with clients on an as-needed project basis. Sign up to write articles, tweets, email newsletters and more. Get paid to proofreadProofreading is a great side hustle for women who have an eagle eye for proper grammar and spelling. As long as you have spare time and a computer, you can start making money proofreading everything from white papers to novels, court reports and legal documents. Part-time proofreading jobs can be found on many online job boards, and many are on a project basis, so you'll be able to apply to whichever opportunities fit best with your schedule.Flip furnitureIf you're creative and handy, flipping used furniture can be a lucrative side hustle. Thanks to local Facebook groups and online marketplaces, there's no shortage of free or nearly free furniture that people are eager to give away – which can easily be turned into something new and trendy with just a few coats of paint, some new hardware and time. Furniture flippers can bring in thousands of dollars a month by selling their furniture flips at flea markets or online. Local tour guideDoes your neighborhood have something exciting to offer? Hosting a local food tour or nature excursion in your area for visitors and tourists is fun and easy – not to mention a lucrative side hustle for women. (Jordan Siemens / Getty)Offer your tour through local Facebook groups, or for more exposure, partner with Airbnb Experiences to sell your unique tour to the visitors who are already visiting their platform. Tour guides offering local experiences report making around $50 per person -- which can really add up depending on how many people attend!Become a resellerDid you know you can sell old books, electronics, clothes and even vintage toys online? Many women have earned extra cash simply by cleaning out their closets. Have a ton of textbooks left over from your kid's high school days? Sites like BookScouter will connect you with buyers who are in need of a copy. If your wardrobe is overflowing, selling used clothing on sites like Poshmark can be an easy side hustle for some extra income. Still haven't parted ways with your old cell phones? Download the Gazelle app to exchange them for cash. How to balance a side hustle with everyday lifeMany women have successfully earned extra money through side hustles. But adding more to your to-do list with a side job or part-time job can be a tough transition to make. Once you've found the right side hustle for your needs from our list of side hustles for women, it's time to figure out how to best fit this new income stream into your schedule. Here are a few tips for managing your side hustle to make more money. Work in time blocksSo many of the side hustles on this list can be lucrative for those who spend just a few hours of their spare time on them per day – or even per week. To ensure you're able to bring your side hustle idea to life, evaluate where in your workday you'd have a solid hour of time or more to sit down and dedicate to your side hustle. Set weekly side hustle goalsMany women who have successfully earned money online through side hustles didn't have success overnight. While there are many options on this list of side hustles for women that can start making you money instantly, most require time spent creating an account, as well as some online marketing of yourself and your services before the big bucks start rolling in. Set weekly goals and milestones you want to hit to stay on track and earn the extra income you're after. Maybe your first few weeks involve learning more about the side hustle you want to pursue. Or, your first few weeks might be creating accounts and signing up for the platforms where you'll earn extra money online. Some of the most lucrative side hustles are a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself accordingly.Celebrate small winsWhat goals do you have for your side hustle? Maybe you're saving money for an upcoming trip or working on a side hustle to help you pay off debt. Or maybe there's a particular item you're hoping to splurge on when your side hustle starts earning you more money. While working toward a big goal like a trip or shopping spree can be motivating, taking time to treat yourself along the way can help keep you motivated to continue your side hustle and keep you focused on building it further to increase the amount of money you make online. Consider setting small milestones for your side hustle idea, then treating yourself in a small way with the money you've made. This can be as simple as having dinner out at a restaurant or a trip to your local ice cream store with the family. Lean on others for supportMany women who have started their side hustles have sought out support – both from the people in their network and the online community. So many side hustlers have come before us and paved the way. (Getty)So whether your interests lie in becoming a part-time virtual assistant, proofreader, writer or shopper, chances are there's an online community or local Facebook group that can help get you started. SummaryMany women have been able to use side hustles as a way to earn more money. Though many side hustle options do take time and require at least a little bit of learning about the industry and demand, making extra money with a side hustle doesn't have to require lots of time or effort. As remote work and online jobs evolve, there are sure to be many more side hustles for women and everyone available for the taking. Stay up-to-date on what's happening in your industry and areas of interest to get your foot in the door early. And don’t forget, it’s not all about you! If you want to help your kids find some work and develop the kind of habits that will benefit them in the long run, don’t hesitate to check out our blog detailing online jobs for teens!WORK HARDER TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROWAre you ready to go that extra mile?

Easy Ways to Make Extra Money
Mindset

Easy Ways to Make Extra Money

In these uncertain times, finding your financial footing can be tough—and stressful. Maybe you have student loans to pay, a family to take care of or just want to sock away some extra cash for your own peace of mind. If you’re looking for ways to make extra money, we’ve got you covered. Whether you can work from home, have a certain expertise you can monetize or are just willing to take any paying gig, the following compiles the best of the best ideas for generating extra cash—on your own schedule. You might be ready to start your own website or your own pet sitting business as a side hustle, fill out online surveys, or even take the leap into a passive income opportunity. However you make that money is up to you. Whatever your specific circumstances are, there’s a way to make more money that will work for your lifestyle and goals. Take a look at these different means to earn extra money, and in just a few minutes you may be inspired to get to work!What is passive income? When people talk about the ways to make extra money, the conversation usually includes the term “passive income.” Generating a passive income is when you make money without having to exert a lot of effort over the long run. You put in some time upfront and then you continue getting paid after the initial time investment is over. One way to create passive income, using a big-scale example, is by having a rental property. You buy a second home, fix it up, and then post it to AirBnb or another platform. While you will need to do occasional upkeep or property management, you won’t have to put in a lot of time day after day to make some good money. Passive income can help you make money without a lot of time investment, allowing you to do other things, like spend those hours making extra money doing something else or relaxing. Typically, the higher the investment in time and money on a passive income project, the higher the reward (and, also, the higher the risk if things don’t work out as planned). There will be more ideasbelow to show some of the different ways to make a passive income. What’s the difference between passive income and a side hustle?To learn how to be successful you need to know this difference. The opposite of a passive income is a side hustle, or an active income. In a side hustle, you’re working hourly or project to project to make extra money by providing goods or services to other people. This could be working at a grocery store in your spare time for a few dollars or flipping pokemon on the internet. The point is, with a side hustle, you can’t just sit back and let it run in order to make money. You need to actually do the thing to keep the cash flowing in. Side hustles can be lucrative because you get to decide how many hours you work or how many projects you take on. While there is a finite amount of time each week, you can typically set your parameters for work time versus downtime and play with that balance until you find the right schedule for you. As you establish yourself in your side hustle, you might be able to increase your hourly rate or flat fee as you get more experience, meaning you can make more money the longer you’re doing it.. What should you use your extra money for?When you make extra money, you want to make sure it’s going to good use and building your savings account. While having extra spending money is great—and you should reward yourself with fun purchases from time to time—when you earn cash on the side you should have a dedicated use for it worked into your budget. This will help you understand how much money you want to ideally make and keep you focused on a specific money goal. Here are some of the best ways to put that extra money to use:Taking care of everyday expenses For many people, any extra cash you make will just go toward life. There’s no shame in this game—when your job and your side hustle take care of your day-to-day, you’re making life happen for yourself and those who depend on you. Tackling student loansOftentimes, student loan debt looms large with high interest rates and long repayment periods. Use your extra money to start chipping away at these loans so you can get your principal down, meaning you’ll pay less interest over the lifetime of your loan. Paying off debtSpeaking of debt, if you have credit card debt, car loans—any money you owe that’s earning interest—use your extra money to get these down to zero. There are two schools of thought for going about this: One method suggests paying off your loan with the highest interest rate ASAP, so that you don’t end up owing more money over time. The other method is to pay off your smallest loan ASAP so that you can feel like you’ve accomplished something. No matter what you choose, paying off loans is always a good idea.Building emergency fundIf you don’t have any debt or you feel solid as far as paying off loans goes, make money to create a just-in-case fund, and build those bank accounts. Typically, financial advisors will suggest tucking away three to six months of living expenses, but this is usually out of reach for most people. Put away as much as you can comfortably so that you can cover unexpected expenses, like a pet getting sick, needing new tires on your car or a home repair you weren’t expecting. Saving for a big ticket itemIf you’re looking to buy a home or a car, your extra cash could get funneled directly into an account to save money for that high-cost item. By making extra money on the side, you’ll get closer to your goal even sooner than you might have initially expected. Investing your extra money You can make your extra money work for you by investing it. Open a no-fee checking account with a high interest rate or put your money into bonds, low-risk mutual funds or any investment that offers a fixed rate return. This way, the extra money you’re making and saving can turn into even more extra money. How to balance making extra money with your current jobWhen you’re working a job (or two) and then want to also make money on the side, it’s easy to get burnt out quickly. Before you dive in and bite off more than you can chew, decide how many hours a week you can devote to your extra endeavours. Will you work at night? On the weekends? Early in the morning? Once you’ve figured this out, start off with half of those hours devoted to your side gig to see how working this extra time actually fits into your current schedule. This way, you don’t let logistics, or exhaustion, keep you from success. Another thing to consider is if there are any conflicts of interest with your current gig and your side hustle. If you’re a writer working for a magazine in your day job, for instance, you may have a clause in your contract that says you can’t sell your work to other magazines or even to any other publication. Make sure to read all of your onboarding paperwork to ensure that you won’t get into any kind of legal trouble with your side gig work. Ending up in court, or without a job, would be a poor way to make extra money. Easy ways to make money from home There are a number of ways to make extra cash and never have to leave your own home. (If the current pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that many jobs can actually be done from the comfort of our kitchen tables, wearing sweatpants.)If you make money from home, that means you don’t need to pay for an office space or store front. When you don’t need to use too much of your own money to get started, you’ll end up with more extra cash in your bank account. Here are some ideas to think about if you’re interested in taking on a side gig:Become a virtual assistantThese days, you don’t need to be in-person to assist someone with their business. A virtual assistant can take calls, plan schedules, upload content to websites or social media—you name it. (d3sign / Getty)This kind of job can also give you valuable experience in a field you want to break into. So, if your current 9-to-5 isn’t your passion, you can use a virtual assistant position to start planning for your dream career, build your resume and skills, and make extra money at the same time.Teach virtual classes There are a number of online platforms for teaching, so if you have an expertise in a certain subject you can get paid by sharing your knowledge with others. Teachaway provides a platform for remote teaching positions while sites like Udemy allow you to create your own online course that other people can take. You can also create a YouTube channel with how-to videos and build an audience to collect revenue from ads. Building a library of classes that people can take is a form of passive income: You make the initial time and financial investment in creating the courses, then you put them online for people to see. Since these classes can be taken again and again, you don’t need to do anything further to reap the financial benefits. Give language lessonsTeaching people a language online has become a great side hustle nearly anyone can do to earn money. Various online platforms seek out English speakers, bilingual speakers and more, allowing users to learn a new language or refine their skills. Consult or do freelance workWhatever your expertise is, chances are that you can get paid to do these special skills hourly or on a per project basis. If you’ve worked in a particular field for a long time, you can do consulting work and help new companies and entrepreneurs with start-ups. Or you can pitch one-off projects or offer services to the masses through sites like Fiverr, where people look for experts in anything from web design to copy writing to business advice. Sell items on Craigslist or eBayResale can be a lucrative way to make extra money when you sell furniture, collectibles or clothing you no longer need or use. You get the benefit of making additional cash, as well as decluttering your current space. If you’re creative, you could even scour garage sales or Goodwill for low cost items that you can fix up and then sell for a profile to earn money.Type notes or transcribeIf you’re a fast typer, you can get hired by the hour to type meeting notes or minutes, or to transcribe interviews, videos, podcasts or any audio that someone needs to have a transcript of. You can charge by the hour for these services and increase your regular free for rush jobs. Rent out gearIf you have a stockpile of specialty items, like tools, baby gear or wedding and event accessories, you can rent them out to people who need them, charging a fee for the time used and for delivery. You’ll need to pay for the listings on rental sites and for upkeep of the items themselves, but you won’t have to work at an hourly rate to earn the extra cash, making this a nice form of passive income. Easy ways to make money onlineThere are a number of ways to make extra money online by taking advantage of unique websites and programs. Here are some ideas to get you started: Create an online storeIf you’re a crafter, you can list your items on Etsy to make money online using your creative talents. Graphic designers can earn passive income by creating printable materials, anything from wall art to calendars, that people can pay to download digitally and then print out themselves. Join shopping rewards programsEarn cash back by shopping online through platforms like Rakuten (formerly Ebates). Instead of buying items through individual store websites, you can earn small amounts of easy money by using these sites, which you can then cash out. Sell photographsIf you’ve got an eye for photography, upload your best work onto a stock photo website and earn extra money when people want to use your images. This is another example of passive income because once you take the photos and get them up online you don’t have to continue working in order to make money. Take surveysSites like Survey Junkie will pay you for giving your opinion on various brands and services by participating in market research. While the fees are relatively small, doing the surveys is easy and mindless, making this side gig an easy and stress-free way to make money online. Be a user experience testerBusinesses need people to test out their products, websites and apps to ensure that they’re easy to navigate and understand. And they’re willing to pay you to be a tester through platforms like UserTesting. You can make anywhere from $4 for five minutes of your time to $120 for a live interview about a product or service. Easy ways to make money by providing servicesMaybe your area of expertise can’t make you money from home or online. Or perhaps you aren’t able to work at home because you don’t have the space. Or maybe you’re just passionate about being around people and making in-person connections with others. Whatever the case may be, there are many ways to make extra money by providing various services outside of the home. While most of the following ideas are all examples of active income—as opposed to set-it-and-forget-it ways to make extra money—they can all help you succeed in your side gig goals. Use these examples to help you brainstorm what side gig would work best for you so you can start making extra money: Walk and watch people’s petsIf you love animals, consider becoming a dog walker or pet sitter to earn money. (Maskot / Getty)Many pet daycare centers and hotels charge high per day rates so if you price yourself right below these businesses then you can easily find yourself a steady clientele. Take care of kids or elderly peoplePicking up a few hours a week as a babysitter or caretaker can be rewarding and help you earn extra cash at the same time. Become a food delivery driverWith the pandemic still ongoing, many people continue to be wary of eating out, especially indoors, and would prefer to have restaurant quality meals delivered to their homes. Driving for UberEats, DoorDash or a locally-run food delivery platform in your area gives you the chance to make extra money and can be done completely on your own schedule. Run errands for peopleWhile some people have always relied on others to do errands for them, the pandemic has made this side hustle more in-demand. You can pick up groceries for people through platforms like Instacart or get hired to do various errands or tasks via TaskRabbit. Even in the post-pandemic world, chances are that many people who started using these platforms will continue to do so when things return to normal after realizing how convenient they are. Become a driver for a ride share serviceIf you enjoy driving, consider working for Uber or Lyft to provide rides for people. While you’ll need to be sure your car is clean and comfortable, after that there’s minimal investment.House sit Use a website like Nomador to find house sitting assignments. You can live in other people’s homes rent-free and spend the rest of your time working and relaxing. This side gig is great for anyone who wants to travel or doesn’t mind not having a home base. Get certified as a fitness trainerIf exercise is your passion, get certified as a trainer, yoga instructor, CrossFit instructor, whatever type of workout you love. You can train people in their homes, at a local park or even online. If you film your classes or training sessions and post them online, you can even create a passive income side of your business, allowing you to bring in even more extra money.How could making extra money change your life?Hopefully you’re feeling inspired by the different ways to make extra money, both from home and from providing various services. While there’s certainly more to life than making money or working, it’s a fact that money can make big changes possible in your life, and for your family, too. When you’re considering a side hustle or setting up a passive income opportunity, figure out your why first—why do you need to do this and what changes will this extra money bring you? This way, when doubt creeps in or the hours get long, you’ll be inspired to keep going.

Influencer CEO Defies All Expectations By Sharing Profits With Employees Instead Of Paying Herself
Uplifting News

Influencer CEO Defies All Expectations By Sharing Profits With Employees Instead Of Paying Herself

We always hear pushback about raising the minimum wage, but the story of this store owner in Los Angeles proves how unfair the current system really is.She walks the walkMadeline Pendleton is a popular Gen Z influencer who owns a clothing line that focuses on size inclusivity, sustainability, and economic equality, explains God Daily Dot. She also owns a vintage shop in Los Angeles called Tunnel Vision and hosts a podcast, Pick Me Up, I’m Scared, which often talks about labor exploitation.In a recent TikTok post, Pendleton proved that she practices what she preaches.“How would your life be if you and your employees didn’t earn the same?”Madeline PandletonShe makes as much as her employeesIn the post, Pendleton explained that she has a total payroll of close to $600,000 per year filled by 7 full-time employees and 4 part-time employees. She also revealed her own wage, $70,200 per year, the exact same as the other full-time employees."It still feels very rich to us because we are used to being poor," she said. But then Pendleton explained what would happen if she paid her staff the minimum wage in LA, $14.25 per hour, and kept the rest. That would drastically drop her payroll expenses to $177,000 per year, leaving her a wage of $420,000. "This is what most bosses are doing," she concluded.She used profits to buy her staff new carsIn a second video, Pendleton answered a response in the comments that accused her of keeping all the profits as the owner."I have the same salary as everyone else," she replied. "When there are extra profits throughout the year, we do things for everybody."Things like buying everyone in the company a car who wanted one."After we netted a huge profit from a recent sale, we bought everyone who needed one, a new car, paid off the remaining car loans for everybody else," she added. "We also put an option for people who didn't drive, telling them: 'Hey if this changes in the future, and you want to drive, we got you." So ya, we do sh*t like that and get as close to zero as possible. There's no profit leftover and we're distributing it all year long."This needs to changeYes, some small business owners struggle to pay their staff with the humble profits they make, but others hoard their income, perpetuating an unequal system. By being transparent about her pay, Pendleton is showing this exploitation inherent in capitalism and proving that owners have a choice. Hopefully, others in her generation will listen and bring forth the necessary change that previous generations have failed to do.More uplifting stories:Man Defends Mother Who Got Body-Shamed By Rude Plane PassengerWoman Unceremoniously Dumps Toxic Boyfriend After Constant Body ShamingTarget Employee Receives $30K Of Donations After Public Shaming By CustomerBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

How to Get Out of Debt: A Comprehensive Guide
Mindset

How to Get Out of Debt: A Comprehensive Guide

To say that Americans are overwhelmed with debt is a vast understatement. Old, young, rich, or poor, many of us don't just find it hard to save money, but we find ourselves floundering in debt incurred by mortgages, credit cards, personal loans, bills, and student loans—to name just a few. In fact, last year, the average American owed approximately $92,727—the highest debt level on record. Since you’re here reading this, chances are you’ve got debt too.While it’s true that debt can easily start to feel “out of control,” making a get-out-of-debt plan is not only possible—it may just be the best choice you’ll ever make. Anyone willing to make the commitment that goes along with this choice is sure to see positive results, even if they have a low income. The good news: it gets easier with time as you get organized, build better spending habits and even learn from a credit counselor or credit counseling agency. How debt can negatively impact your lifeBeing in a large amount of debt can be extraordinarily stressful and therefore bad for your emotional health. A full 50% of Americans spend time worrying about how they’ll save for the future let alone pay the bills. Not to mention, financial stress can make it even more difficult to find the focus needed to budget and plan. On a purely logistical level, debt can also make qualifying for loans more difficult. For instance, if you want to purchase a home, most lenders require a debt-to-income ratio of 43% or less. Making the minimum credit card payments monthly is not good enough. You may feel you’re drowning in debt and that hope is long gone, but here’s the thing: the emotional burden caused by debt can actually blind you from finding solutions, and paralyze you from taking action. Know this: getting yourself out of debt can and will boost your health and happiness, because financial confidence boosts morale and opens up better opportunities to save and plan for the future.How to get debt free quicklyWhen it comes to paying down debt, we all know faster is better, because a) no one wants to pay off endless interest, and b) the quicker you find yourself debt free, the happier you’ll be. It’s that simple. So—how to pay off debt fast? Do you start with the largest debt? The one from the financial institution you use? Do you use what’s called the “debt snowball method,” paying off the smallest debts first and working your way up? Here are a few tried and true ways of cutting down your debt as quickly as possible. Stop borrowing(Getty)Yes, it’s easier said than done. Particularly if this is what got you here in the first place, a little brain rewiring may be in order to help you curb or eliminate your borrowing. Stop using credit cards and paying minimum payments, taking out loans, or doing anything that will create new debt. Make a promise to yourself to subsist on cash alone while you pay down your debt. You might even go the dramatic route and cut up your credit cards (keeping one for emergencies only) so you won’t be tempted to use them.Track spendingUnderstanding where exactly your money is going is crucial to deciding where to make budget cuts. Track all your monthly bills, from grocery bills to transportation costs to the size of your multiple student loans. Getting an idea of your daily spending for at least a month will help you get some clearer answers. A few common ways of tracking spending include: using free money management apps, banking app trackers, as well as keeping detailed notes and receipts. Whatever works best for you, make sure it’s a method accessible and easy enough for you to use daily. The tracking will show you where you’re overspending and where you can make cuts.Make that budgetUsing your tracked spending to guide you, find a budget worksheet that works for you and create a budget that takes your needs into account. Since there may be cuts you should make but don’t feel you’d be happy making, it’s important to find a balance you can live with. Start by putting it all in writing, and don’t forget to include a list of your financial goals, as they remind you why you’re doing this, and increase your chances of success. It’s also important to create a budget with enough flexibility to support you in an emergency. At the same time, don’t be too flexible. Depending on your relationship to money, it can be a slippery slope toward wayward spending. (mapodile / Getty)Ultimately, the more sacrifices you’re willing to make, the quicker you’ll extricate yourself from debt, and put more money in your wallet over the long term.StrategizeFinancial experts often recommend two payoff strategies: the avalanche method and the snowball method. The avalanche method entails paying off high interest debt first, while paying the bare minimum on all other debts. Conversely, the snowball approach entails tackling the smallest debts first and paying them off completely, one by one. As you pay off more and more debt, your extra funds snowball, while the amount of money you allot to repaying debt stays the same! Many consider the latter to be a more progressive and empowering approach, but both approaches have pros and cons, so it’s important to do what makes the most sense given your personal situation.Pay more than the minimum—if possibleDevoting as much money as you can toward reducing your debt each month is the best way to pay off debt fast. Every opportunity you have to make higher payments brings you closer to your goal of being debt free. When you sit down to create your budget, outline the minimum amount that you’re committing to put toward your debt each month and never dip below that baseline. This amount should represent roughly 20% of your income. That said, if you have a chance to increase that amount—even if just for a month or two—do it. No matter what your situation, do everything you can to pay more than your minimum payment, and you’re sure to start seeing those numbers drop. That’s the dream, after all.How to get out of debt with no moneyYou may be struggling to make ends meet with little to no income. If this is you, you’re not alone. But the questions remain: how to pay off debt fast? How to get out of debt with no money? These are valid questions, and ones you shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask. Here are a few strategies specifically catered to a low income situation, but they can be helpful regardless of your income level!Try to avoid debt consolidation loans and balance transfersIf you’ve got 99 payments and not enough income, you may have considered a debt consolidation loan or balance transfers to get rid of those extra payments faster. But—it’s important to be very cautious with strategies like these. Debt consolidation loans, which lump the balances of multiple credit cards, can be an attractive idea, but if you don’t combine it with strict budgeting, lifestyle changes and sizable on-time payments, you may find yourself worse off than before. Not to mention, there can be hefty initial and monthly fees associated with consolidating debt. Likewise, while transferring your credit card balance to another card often comes with a very low introductory rate, it also tends to come with an upfront fee. There are other ways to transfer debt as well, such as using home equity to pay off debt, but this involves putting your home at risk and should be avoided. Instead, you might consider using a debt management plan to make one monthly payment while also gaining access to expert advice when needed.Request credit card debt settlementCredit card debt is the only debt that can be reduced with a phone call, and yet most people are unaware of this! Yes, it is possible to renegotiate so that you’re paying a lump sum rather than monthly payments. This is called debt settlement. (MoMo Productions / Getty)Get this: all you need to do is ask (and ye just may receive). Simply call up your creditors and request a lower interest rate. If your payment history is good, you stand a chance. If they’re not willing to establish lower interest rates, you might request that they waive some of your recurring fees. Most companies will want to keep your business and will offer you options which, in one way or another, reduce your credit card debt. At the very least, it’s certainly worth a try.Mistakes people make when paying off debtGetting out of debt means making payments, yes, but it goes way deeper than that. It often means changing ingrained attitudes, lifelong spending habits, learning to budget wisely, becoming more aware of how much you actually owe and to who, and prioritizing debt payments over other expenses. In other words, there’s a lot going on when you consciously decide to pay off your debt once and for all, and you’ll likely make mistakes along the way—because you’re human. Here are some of the most common mistakes you’d do well to avoid!From student loans to credit cards: not paying off one debt at a timeIf you have multiple sources of debt, whether it is the combination of student loan debt, credit card debt, car loans, or a personal loan, it’s understandable to want to try cutting them all down at once by paying into each of them monthly. The only problem with that strategy is that it often prolongs the time you’ll need to spend paying down your debt, and leads to more interest in the long term. See the “Strategy” section above for better approaches to paying off debt faster.Not setting aside emergency savingsLife is unpredictable by nature, which is why every home needs an emergency fund. Experts recommend putting 3-6 months’ worth of expenses aside in case of an emergency. And yet, close to 40% of Americans don’t have $400 in the bank for emergency expenses. Even if your focus is paying down your debt, it’s important to include an emergency fund in your monthly budget.Not changing spending habitsWe’re human beings, and we love our creature comforts, which means habits are hard to break. But when it comes to learning how to save money, changing your spending habits often means changing your lifestyle too. (PeopleImages / Getty)You may need to reevaluate the stores and restaurants you frequent and the car you drive. You may need to spend more time at home, cook more, and eat out less. You don’t have to go without—it’s just a matter of tweaking your perception. You might allow yourself X “reward” meals out per month—chances are you’ll enjoy them way more than you ever did before!Not asking for helpIf you’re the person in your household who is responsible for finances, chances are no one else in the family knows the financial situation. But if you’re going to be successful, it’s important to be transparent and get everyone on board, working together. Tell them about the debt, share your plan to pay it off quickly, and make sure they all understand they have a role to play. Although it may be challenging to broach these subjects with kids, if handled well, these conversations can equip them with exceptional personal finance skills that they may not have learned elsewhere. Keep your whole family involved in the budgeting process: where there is team spending, you need a team effort to get rid of debt.Not keeping accounts open once they’re paid offWhile it’s understandable to want to close an account once you’ve paid off a given debt, it can be beneficial not to because your credit score is reliant not only on how much you owe, but how much credit you have available. In other words, if you have credit available but are not using it, this can nonetheless still improve your score. This of course only works if you can exercise self-control and not build up your debt again.Not saving for retirement simultaneouslyYou only have so much money to put aside each month, and you’re prioritizing your debt, so your retirement fund can wait, right? Wrong. The earlier you start contributing to a retirement fund, the better off you’ll be. Try contributing at least 5% of your monthly income to retirement savings regardless of your debt elimination efforts.Not checking your credit report for errorsNever assume your credit score is correct and doesn’t need verifying. Mistakes are made, so be sure to check your credit report thoroughly for errors or inaccuracies. This is a worthwhile endeavor, as it may affect your ability to buy a house or car—or not. FYI: you’re entitled to a free credit report from each of the major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, so take advantage and get one!Get professional debt helpFact: it’s possible to get out of debt no matter how unlikely or impossible it may seem right now. It’s also important to remember that how much money you make isn’t everything: plenty of high-income people can remain in debt their entire lives, and plenty of low-income people live with zero debt. If you feel like you’re in over your head and could use some professional guidance on how to get rid of debt, know that there is help out there geared at helping people become more financially savvy and teaching more in-depth strategies for reducing debt over time. You don’t have to figure it out by yourself or study these money quotes to get a better idea, as there are highly skilled financial coaches able and willing to help you make a sound debt repayment plan that works for you personally!Bottom line: if you can’t get out of debt, you might need to declare bankruptcy, but this ruins your credit rating and renders you ineligible for loans or credit for years to come. On top of all that, declaring bankruptcy may not affect student debt at all. Really, this should be a true last-ditch option. If you follow the advice outlined here, most holes are not so deep that you can’t climb out of them and land yourself debt free on the other side. And when you do, chances are that building up more debt in the future will be so unattractive that you’ll avoid it at all costs.Final thoughtsUltimately, living life while deep in debt can have a very negative effect on your wellbeing and your ability to save and plan for a better future. (MoMo Productions / Getty)But guess what? You deserve a glorious future, and the best way forward is to pay it forward today.Need some extra inspiration to get started paying off that debt?

He Could've Been A Billionaire - Instead, He Gave Away His Fortune And Is Exposing The Wealthy
Uplifting News

He Could've Been A Billionaire - Instead, He Gave Away His Fortune And Is Exposing The Wealthy

The philanthropy most billionaires do, and the taxes they pay, are a pittance compared to how much of their wealth they should be giving away, according to author Chuck Collins.Why he gave away his inheritanceBorn into the multi-million dollar meat and cold-cut corporation Oscar Mayer, Chuck Collins grew up wanting for nothing. But when he was 26, he came across a trailer park where tenants were about to lose the land their homes were on.All the tenants needed was $35,000 to buy the property — chump change for Collins. But before he had the opportunity to offer them any money, they banded together to buy the land as a collective.“It made me think, ‘I want some of what they have,’” Collins said during a 2017 lecture, according to The Heights. “‘What they have is a community that stands up for each other and that’s all in for each other. That’s the kind of world I want to live in.’”So, Collins gave away his inheritance to support local New England causes.Now, he's the director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies and targets America's rich who avoid paying their fair share of taxes. How billionaires are hiding their moneyIn his upcoming book, "The Wealth Hoarders," Collins explains how billionaires hide their money by buying property, holding wealth in "artport" shipping containers, and through tax havens including ones in US states like South Dakota, Wyoming or Delaware."The thing I think we don't understand is we are now the tax haven," Collins told Business Insider in an interview about the book.He said that while billionaires claim to be philanthropic, they're not really giving away enough."I would say the overwhelming cultural message for someone growing up in my class was 'protect and preserve.' You can do quirky things with your income, but don't touch the corpus. Don't touch the asset, let it just keep growing," Collins added.The US government has helped the richDuring Donald Trump's presidency, corporate taxes were cut to the lowest levels since 1942, and nearly 100 Fortune 500 companies were allowed to avoid paying federal taxes. Meanwhile, the share of wealth controlled by billionaires grew, with the 50 richest Americans now controlling as much money as the country's 165 million poorest.Collins says that with Joe Biden's election victory and the Democrats' outspokenness about taxing the wealthy the rich are quickly trying to move their money into "new forms" so they don't have to pay their fair share."I feel like we're kind of in a moment where this industry has been growing and growing and accelerating really in the last 15 years — the number of family offices, the number of planners, the number of dynasty trusts," Collins told Business Insider. "And it's reaching this pinnacle moment, because, for the first time in a long time, there's a meaningful discussion about taxing the very wealthy." Collins added that some of America's rich may went to pay more in taxes, but when they talk to their financial advisors they're rebuffed because there's a culture where people are encouraged to find loopholes to pay fewer taxes."There's probably people out there that fundamentally think that they should pay more taxes, but their advisors — just, it's unthinkable, right?" Collins said.A 'reform train' is comingCollins' book comes as the Biden Administration plans new legislation to raise the corporate tax rate, crack down on international tax havens, and beef up the IRS. Collins said billionaires will do their best to dodge the new rules, but he thinks they could eventually be reigned in within the next decade."This is totally fixable," he told Business Insider. "Start with enforcement, outlaw the bad trusts, increase transparency in reporting and disclosure, and then join with our global partners to clean up the global system. We could reverse it in 10 years."Using individual privilege to make a difference It is absolutely appalling that there are people in America who can't afford to feed their children breakfast before school while a company like FedEx — which has obviously profited during the pandemic — pays $0 in federal taxes. It is long past due that billionaires and rich corporations pay their fair share of taxes — and giving away a little bit with philanthropy isn't always enough.Hopefully, the government will start doing a better job at collecting and distributing tax money, but it's already a positive development that it's becoming more common for America's rich — or formerly rich like Collins — to speak out and use their privilege to help make a difference.More uplifting stories:This Billionaire’s Goal Was To Die A Broke Man – So He Gave Away His $8 Billion FortuneMeet The Science Teacher Billionaire Mackenzie Scott Just MarriedDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

Why We Need To Talk About Ryan Phillippe's Joke About Reese Witherspoon
Celebrities

Why We Need To Talk About Ryan Phillippe's Joke About Reese Witherspoon

Actor and producer Reese Witherspoon proves that misconceptions about gender continue to permeate our society -- but that it's important to challenge them. An awkward Oscars momentBack at the 2002 Oscars, Witherspoon was fresh off the release of Legally Blonde when she took to the stage with then-husband Ryan Phillippe. The speech was planned, but Phillippe went off-script to quip: "You make more money than I do."On the HFPA in Conversation podcast, journalist Margaret Gardiner asked Witherspoon about Phillippe's comment."You're reminding me of that!" said Witherspoon, who's now 44, on the podcast according to EOnline. "I forgot that ever happened. But you're right, he did say that, and no, it wasn't scripted, and he didn't tell me he was going to say that before it happened on air. So I was a little bit flummoxed in the moment, too."Don't be ashamed of your successWitherspoon went on to discuss how women can feel embarrassed or get criticized for making a lot of money, as she said she was when it was revealed she made a reported $2 million per episode of Apple TV's "The Morning Show.""There's so few women that make a lot of money that sometimes they're shamed for it, and sometimes they are expected to give more and do more and be more to others in the same position that, say, a male movie star would not be expected to," Witherspoon said. "But I do think gender norms have changed quite a bit since that moment in 2000 or something."Witherspoon described how her own daughter, Ava, was criticized by her classmates back in second grade, saying her mom is "one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood."This left, Ava, who's now 21, feeling "so embarrassed." At the time, Witherspoon recalls saying: "Don't ever feel ashamed of a woman making money. There are women all over this world who don't have an opportunity or an education or the ability to make money. And the more women who make more money, will give more money away, will take care of their societies, will take care of their communities, will do more with that money.""So don't ever feel bad about your mom making money, and don't ever feel bad if you make money, and don't be embarrassed or ashamed if it's more than your partner.'"WitherspoonWitherspoon added that she has "an interesting relationship with the word 'power,' and all I can think of is I just hope in my lifetime, I can help more women make more money. Financial stability is freedom."Financial success is worth celebratingWitherspoon is 100% right. Misconceptions about gender continue and no one should apologize for their success, as long as they've been ethical about it.More inspiring celebrities: Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant Are More Than An Unconventional CoupleWhy Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith Felt Like They Didn’t Know Each Other After 22 YearsKelly Clarkson Had Never Felt Attracted To Anyone Until She Met Her HusbandKate Winslet Suffered Two Major Heartbreaks Before Finding ‘The One’