But as I researched best practices, I learned that it’s better to pick a single niche and cover every possible angle within that niche. Armed with that knowledge, I started exploring how to brainstorm blog topic ideas quickly so you don’t have to constantly come up with new topics.

Now that I know how to find them, I have more topics to write about than I can cover in a year.

As you strive to fill your publishing schedule with content that your audience will love, tailor your blog post ideas to your niche and learn the strategies that will help you find an endless supply of new content that’s certain to rapidly bring in new website visitors. 

40 Blog Post Ideas for Maximizing Website Visibility 

If you’re not sure where to start, start with something basic. You can select the topics that make the most sense for your audience and turn them into the perfect blog post.

Not all of these ideas will work for every niche, but you can find at least one that will.

1. The reason you started your blog
2. How your readers can start a blog like yours
3. A list of goals you’ve accomplished
4. A list of goals you plan to achieve
5. The top ten problems that your readers face (and the solutions)
6. A past failure you’ve overcome
7. A book review
8. A movie review
9. A roundup of the top ten influencers in your niche
10. An Interview with a professional in your niche
11. An embarrassing story or event that taught you a lesson
12. Five strategies that didn’t work for you
13. Five strategies that worked for you
14. Compare and contrast two similar topics (products, services, strategies, etc.)
15. A review of the last product or service you purchased for your blog
16. A list of products or services that solve a problem among your readers
17. The steps to do a popular activity
18. A secret about yourself
19. A list of tips or hacks that make an activity easier
20. A gift guide
21. A roundup of your favorite resources
22. The top ten challenges you face (and a plan to overcome them)
23. A list of inspirational quotes and how they apply to your journey
24. The history of your niche
25. A captivating story that taught you a lesson
26. A rant about a topic you’re passionate about
27. The top ten pieces of advice that helped you succeed
28. The competitors in your niche and what you do differently
29. The steps that led to your current success
30. The top ten hobbies that help you decompress
31. The people who inspire you
32. A detailed overview of your daily schedule
33. A roundup of your top blog posts
34. A description of where you see yourself in 5, 10, or 15 years
35. The top ten tips that help you maximize productivity
36. Your opinion on a controversial topic
37. The top ten things you love
38. A 10-step method you’ve personally used to solve a problem in your niche
39. A checklist of actionable items that solves a problem
40. A roundup of expert opinions on a topic in your niche

Related: These 5 Millennials Started Blogging 12 Months Ago. Now They Make $1,000+/Month

How to Find Blog Post Ideas for Yourself

Even if you’re an expert in your niche, you might find yourself running out of familiar topics to write about. To make sure you always have content ideas, it’s essential to learn where to find blog post ideas that will resonate with your current readers and lure in new traffic. 

Check your Google Search Console for keyword ideas.

No matter how new you are to blogging, it’s vital to set up your Google Search Console (GSC). It’s a free tool that lets you discover the analytics of your blog like visitor clicks from Google’s search results, search position, and keywords.

The most prominent section in GSC is the Performance tab. On this tab, you can view a list of the keywords your blog posts rank for, the number of clicks they’ve received, and their average position in the search results (from #1 to #100). You can sort through the keywords to find new blog post ideas.

Finding keywords does two things at once —  it gives you topics to write about and it helps you attract Google traffic to your blog.

If you want more information, you can learn how to do this step by step in this free 6-day SEO Boot Camp.

Research your competitors.

You can get inspiration for new blog posts by reading through the content of other blogs in your niche. Take the competitor’s URL and search it on Ubersuggest.com to find which articles are bringing the most traffic to their site.

Don’t regurgitate the same information that your competitor shares. Instead, use the content to outline an even better article and then write a new piece from your unique perspective.

Ask your readers/followers/subscribers.

Ask your audience what they need help with the most. You can set up a poll on Facebook, email a brief questionnaire to your subscribers, or prompt readers to leave a comment at the end of your articles. 

You can turn the relevant responses into a new blog post or series of posts.

Use a blog idea generator.

A blog idea generator like the one by iMPACT populates fill-in-the-blank titles that work for any niche. Using the generator, you can turn a single word like “traveling” into a full post idea like “7 Major Packing Mistakes You’re Making Right Now.” 

With just one suggested title, you can find several different blog post ideas.

Review products/services in your niche.

Honest reviews can help guide your readers to make an informed decision on a future purchase. They can also be a great way to generate revenue for your blog if you review affiliate products and earn a commission from your referrals.

Don’t inflate your reviews with positive feedback unless it’s true. You wouldn’t want to encourage someone to buy a product or service based on your recommendation unless you believe it’s worth the cost.

Spin off of your existing content.

Choose the most popular article on your blog and read through it to find supporting content ideas. For example, if you have a list of 20 of the best parks to visit in your area, choose a single park from the list to write a detailed blog post about. As you publish each new article, you can link to it from the original list and give readers the option to read more about each park.

Read through niche forums.

Reddit is a popular platform where people discuss various topics and interests. Search the site for your niche and read through threads to get inspiration for new blog posts.

Quora is another platform you can use to generate blog post ideas. Follow specific topics to see what people are asking every day, and then answer those questions in a post.

Search Google for other forums that relate to your niche. You can use the content to inspire ideas and to help you write blog posts that solve the problem.

Check Google Trends.

Get a list of daily topics on Google Trends and address the subjects that relate to your audience. When you write a timely article, share it with your social media followers, and send the link to your email list requesting shares and opinions.

Note questions in Facebook groups.

Join Facebook groups where your audience hangs out. There are thousands of options from Mom groups to Disney fans to health and wellness support.

You can join the groups and interact or simply lurk. When a member asks a question that relates to your niche, you can turn your answer into a new blog post.

Stay up to date with current events.

Current events that affect your niche can turn into popular blog posts. Follow news sites and watch the news for ideas. When you find something relevant to your niche, write an article about it, and help readers navigate any struggles they might be having as a result. 

Round up your popular posts.

Choose three to ten of your most popular blog posts and tie them together into individual lists. Make sure the topics have a common theme, whether it’s a list of craft tutorials, travel hacks, or popular recipes.

Start a series.

A series of blog posts can last for one week to a month to a year or more. Once you decide on a topic, you choose the details of how you’ll develop the series.

Some examples of a series include monthly book reviews, different ways to accomplish a single goal (like make money), or similar projects that relate to your niche. Create a single landing page that lists all of the individual articles in the series to help your readers navigate the options.

Interview professionals in your niche.

Asking professionals to share tips can help build your blog’s reputation and authority. You can draft a questionnaire, email it to professionals in your niche, and publish each response as a separate blog post. 

You can do an interview series, or use the interviews to create a helpful roundup where readers can see the best tips in one place.

Click through Google’s related searches.

When you search a general topic on Google, you can read and click through the related searches at the bottom of your screen. Start by searching for your niche on Google like “health and wellness” and continue to click the related searches until you find one that inspires a new blog post.

The more times you click through the results, the more specific the suggestions will be.

You can click through as many times as it takes to find inspiration for your next blog post.

Pay attention to the comment section on blogs.

Visit the comment section on your blog and other blogs in your niche and take note of questions and comments. Use those ideas as opportunities to create content that will solve that problem or answer that question for other readers. 

Pay attention to what friends are posting on social media.

You can gather blog post ideas based on the interests of your friends. Watch the questions they are asking and the posts they are sharing on social media to find topics that might resonate with your readers.

Read for 10 minutes a day.

Spend a few minutes each day reading news articles, books, or posts in your niche. Look for content gaps, unanswered questions, and inspiration for new blog posts. 

Make sure to keep a notebook, sticky note, or Google or Word document open so you can keep track of the ideas.

Respond to other bloggers’ articles.

If you have a different opinion on a topic that another blogger published, write a new article in response. You can address the previous blog post or keep it in the back of your mind to guide your writing.

Follow the top influencers in your niche on social media.

Social media is a powerful tool for bloggers to find new blog post ideas. You can easily follow popular influencers and spin-off new topics based on the posts they share. You can also read through the comments on popular social media accounts and posts to get more ideas.

Use Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” feature.

Type in any search term on Google and select the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button. Read the article or page that Google chooses for an easy way to get inspiration for your next article. 

Don’t analyze the results too carefully; instead, turn the idea into your own and write a new blog post on the topic from scratch.

It’s (Almost) Impossible to Run Out of Blog Post Ideas

Unless you have thousands of articles published on your blog, it’s nearly impossible to run out of relevant topics. And if you’ve covered all there is to know about your niche in just a few hundred posts, then consider broadening your target audience or expanding into a different niche.

You don’t have to come up with ideas on your own. In fact, it’s good to research what to blog about. That means you’re searching for blog post ideas that your readers will appreciate and connect with. When your audience is happy, it keeps you motivated to provide helpful content that also makes money for your blog.

The post 40 Blog Post Ideas for Rapid Traffic Growth appeared first on DollarSprout.

Little did I know there are more moving parts to blogging than just writing content.

It took me more than a year to see any significant income from that blog. But once I purchased my first blogging course and hired some help, I realized that my investments would directly drive my blog’s success.

If you’re unwilling or can’t afford to invest time or money into your blog, it can be difficult to turn it into a money-making business. Fortunately, there are plenty of free and affordable blogging resources that can help you start a successful blog.

Resources for Setting Up Your Blog

NameMesh (free): Domain name generator to help you choose the perfect name for your blog. Gives hundreds of available suggestions based on the words you search.

NameCheap (free, pay for domains): Website that sells domain names for as little as $8.88/year. Since domains with common words can be costly, NameCheap suggests alternatives using similar phrases and ideas.

WordPress.org (free): The best platform you can use to build your blog for free. WordPress.org and WordPress.com are two different things. The .org version gives you more control over your website.

HostGator (paid): An affordable website hosting company. You’ll need hosting to get your WordPress.org website up and running. You can use our step-by-step tutorial to start a blog using HostGator.

ManageWP Worker (free): Security plugin that protects your blog from hackers and allows you to save site backups to your Google Drive.

How to Blog Legally (article): Teaches the proper way to protect your blog with the right legal language and pages like privacy policy, terms and conditions, and legal disclaimers and disclosures.

Resources for Designing Your Blog

StudioPress (paid): Premium WordPress themes. These themes aren’t free, but they’re search engine optimized, mobile-friendly, and look professional.

Elementor (paid): User-friendly page builder that allows you to design your blog to your taste. Free version includes the drag-and-drop mobile-responsive editor with basic templates and widgets. There’s also a personal plan that offers additional widgets, templates, builder options, and more.

Elementor Astra Theme (paid): One of the most popular themes to use with Elementor. You can use this guide to get the Astra theme set up.

Canva (free option): Online design software for pins, Instagram posts, printables, etc. Premium option comes with a library of free icons and stock photos.

Pexel/Unsplash/Pixabay (free): Commercial-use image websites to enhance the visual design of your blog. Photo credit or payment is not required.

PowerPoint (or Keynote/Google Slides) (free): Alternative to Canva for creating visuals like pins and blog graphics.

Related: Blogging on Instagram: 6 Tips to Grow Your Blog and Get More Traffic

Blog Monetization Resources

How to Make Money Blogging (article): Teaches beginners how to monetize a blog at any stage using advertising, affiliate marketing, digital products, or services.

Best Affiliate Marketing Networks (article): Teaches bloggers how to earn a commission by recommending other companies’ products and services. Also includes networks you can sign up for to start promoting products on your blog today.

Google AdSense (they pay you): Google’s advertising network that approves new bloggers. It’s easy to set up and start earning cash by following the company’s step-by-step guide. Note, though, that payout can be low and you need to earn at least $100 before receiving a payment.

Mediavine (they pay you): Advertising network that accepts bloggers with at least 50,000 monthly user interactions, known as sessions, as recorded by Google Analytics. The company pays more per ad click than Google AdSense.

Pro Blogger Bundle (paid course): A discounted set of three blogging courses: Launch Your Blog Biz, Pinterest Traffic Avalanche, and Six-Figure Blogger. The course creators, Alex and Lauren from Create and Go, teach everything new bloggers need to know, from starting a blog to growing traffic using Pinterest to turning a profit.

Resources for Marketing Your Blog and Increasing Traffic

Google Analytics (free): Provides visitor insights from your blog, like number of page views and sessions, how long readers stay on a page, and how often they click to additional pages. The analytics can help you track and improve your traffic.

ConvertKit (free option): User-friendly email marketing tool starting your email list and emailing subscribers. Free plan supports a limited number of features and subscribers. If you exceed the subscriber limit, you’ll need to start paying for a monthly plan. Premium plans also come with the ability to create automatic sequences, sales funnels, unlimited reports, and more.

How to Use Pinterest for Business (article): Tips for how to set up and use a Pinterest Business account. Pinterest is a valuable source of traffic for many websites and can help you grow your readership quickly as a new blogger.

How to Get Traffic with Pinterest (YouTube video below): Alex and Lauren share their best tips on how to get traffic to your blog using Pinterest. They give all the details of their strategies in the course, Pinterest Traffic Avalanche.

Tailwind (paid): Post scheduler for Pinterest and Instagram that allows you to schedule content in advance. You can take advantage of the free trial to test their services before spending any money.

Grow by Mediavine (previously Social Pug) (free option): WordPress plugin that embeds social media share buttons above, below, or beside your blog content. This makes it easy for your readers to share your content with others and can help bring in new readers.

Google Keyword Planner (free): Generates lists of keywords based on simple topic searches. Shows the monthly search volume for each keyword.

KWFinder (paid): Search engine optimization (SEO) tool to find keyword ideas based on location and language. Each search shows lists of keywords with search volume and how difficult a keyword is to rank for on a scale of 1 to 100.

Yoast SEO (free option): WordPress plugin that evaluates blog posts’ on-page SEO. The basic version is free and tracks one main keyword per article, and the paid version tracks up to five keywords per article.

8-Step SEO Strategy (video): A 17-minute video that walks you through the most important SEO strategies to rank your blog posts on page one of Google.

Get Your Keywords Together (paid): A $47 step-by-step strategy to find keywords that can drive traffic to your blog using only free SEO tools.

Stupid Simple SEO: The SEO Starter Pack (free): Free 6-day video SEO training that walks bloggers through the basics of SEO.

How to Speed Up Your Blog (article): Five easy things you can do to increase the speed of your blog without hiring a web developer.

Facebook Blogging Groups (article): Joining free groups can be invaluable. You’ll make connections in your niche and can learn from fellow bloggers’ wins and mistakes.

Related: 20 of the Best Blogging Courses for Beginner to Advanced Bloggers

Tools for Writing and Creating Content

CoSchedule Headline Analyzer (free): Analyzes blog post titles based on elements like character count and choice of words to help you choose more click-worthy headlines.

Grammarly (free): Google Chrome extension that tracks grammar and spelling errors in your browser. Premium version offers more intense edit suggestions.

4 Essential Elements to Writing a Great Blog Post (article): Free guide from Jeff Goins, professional blogger and author, on how to write blog posts that capture your audience, starting with the title and ending with a compelling call to action.

Hit Publish (paid): Online course that teaches the details of writing great content in less time. Learn to write to your niche better than the competition, and engage your audience with a well-structured post.

Resources for Managing and Organizing Your Blog

Asana (free): Free project management software for up to 15 teammates to schedule the steps required to complete each blogging task from start to finish. Premium option provides additional features like a timeline view of projects and private projects. Even if you’re doing everything yourself right now, a tool like Asana can help keep you organized and hold you accountable with deadlines.

Slack: Chat platform to easily communicate with the people on your team (once you have one).

Toggl (free): Time-tracking software with the ability to switch on and off between different tasks. Helps keep you focused and productive. You can also track contractors’ times for hourly billing or time management purposes. 

Google Drive (free): Offers 15GB of free cloud storage for documents that can be shared in real time. Log into your Google account to access your documents anywhere.

Google Calendar (free): Create schedules for personal or team use. You can share each calendar with different teammates to organize responsibilities and project timelines.

Fiverr (pay for services): Platform to find and hire affordable graphic designers, content creators, tech support, etc. to grow your blog. Some services start as low as $5.

Dead Link Checker (free): Check your blog posts for broken links to remove or fix. Broken links can hurt user experience, which is a core driver of a blog’s SEO.

Blog Taxes for Beginners (article): Teaches you how to track your income and expenses from day one to make filing year-end taxes easy. You can also offset taxable income with legitimate blogging expenses (including any blogging resource you purchase).

The post 42 Best Blogging Resources for Beginner Bloggers appeared first on DollarSprout.

What if there’s a way to receive discounts on nearly everything you purchase from your favorite stores, including high-ticket items, without spending a lot of time or energy?

There is, and that’s where discounted gift cards come into play.

Why Buy Discounted Gift Cards?

Although most people think gift cards are for birthdays or Christmas, you can use them to save money on everyday items at the stores you already shop at.

Let’s say you’re shopping for a few new pairs of jeans. The prices are usually the highest towards the end of the summer, but you can still save money by purchasing a discounted gift card to your favorite clothing store. For instance, if you buy a $40 gift card for $30, you’ve immediately saved 25% on your next purchase.

You can stack these discounts with in-store sales or online coupons to maximize your savings.

Discount Gift Card Sites Quick Comparison

When deciding where to buy discounted gift cards, make sure you compare the different sites. Prices and discounts can change at any time, and one site might be offering a better discount on the deal you want. Below are the current features for the top five discounted gift card sites.

The terms and conditions are different for each website. Be sure to check things like the estimated time of arrival and where they ship. Some cards will ship to your address while others will be sent to your email, and some might even offer a sign-up or referral bonus.

1. Raise Marketplace

Raise is one of the largest discount gift card websites, with over 2 million buyers and sellers using the platform. Since 2013, card buyers have saved over $150 million.

The company also provides a different selling experience by allowing sellers to set their own discount percentages, keeping discounts competitive and affording gift card buyers a chance to grab steep markdowns. You will need to actively search the platform to find the best deals, but they’re not that difficult to find.

Raise also offers a 1-Year Money-Back Guarantee which issues a refund in the event that the card purchased is delivered as a different brand, isn’t received, doesn’t have the value promised, or is inactive. It covers the purchase price of the card but does not cover buyer’s remorse or cards purchased mistakenly.

Raise charges a 15% commission to sellers for every gift card sold on the platform. They also charge an additional $1 or 1% of the balance (whichever is greater) to the seller if the gift card sold is a physical gift card.

Related: Raise Review 2023

2. Gift Card Granny

You can buy and sell discounted physical and e-gift cards on this site. Gift Card Granny also acts as an aggregate site by collecting information from other sources and directing you to purchase there. You can also earn cash back when you buy a gift card through the portal.

Currently, you can’t redeem your earnings in the form of cash, but you can redeem them for e-gift cards to use online or print them to use in-store. Gift Card Granny’s cash-back program can still help you save money when you apply your cash-back rewards to something that you need or would’ve purchased anyway.

Gift cards are available for large national brands as well as local vendors.

Related: How to Get Free Gift Cards for Things You Already Do

3. CardCash

CardCash allows you to do three things: buy, trade, or sell gift cards. As a buyer, you can filter for gift cards to specific stores or brands by type, value, discount percentage, or price. Once you select and purchase your card, you’ll receive either an email with your card information or a physical gift card in the mail.

Trading your gift cards gives you the opportunity to exchange a card you’ll never use for one you will. For instance, if you have a gift card to Hooters but never plan to eat there, you may get the best deal by trading it for a card to a restaurant you will visit.

You won’t receive an equal amount when trading, but it’s likely your new gift card’s value will be higher than the cash offer you’ll receive. Selling gift cards to CardCash is easy, but you aren’t able to set your own price. Because CardCash sells gift cards to customers from their own stash, they set the rules when it comes to how much you can earn.

You can visit their website to get an instant cash offer for your gift card. There’s no obligation to accept the offer, and you don’t need to sign up for anything to learn how much your card is worth.

Related: The Top 10 Best Shopping Apps to Save Money on Everything

4. Gift Card Spread

Gift Card Spread only offers the option to buy and sell gift cards. They don’t offer trade-in deals, cash-back opportunities, or local kiosks to sift through. And there are no listing fees or commissions to worry about.

To sell your cards, you’ll submit a form with your card balance information and the price you’d like to receive for the card. Gift Card Spread will reply within 24 hours to let you know if your offer is accepted. If not, they will send a counter offer for you to consider.

If you’re buying a card, you can filter your search by price, card type, and category. You’ll see the discount on the search results. You can save an additional 3% for buying cards in bulk.

The company offers a 60-day return policy so that you can check your gift card balance upon receipt. If anything seems wrong with your purchase, return the card and they’ll refund your money. You’re fully covered as long as you haven’t used the card, it’s in the same condition as when you received it, and the information in your claim matches the original card.

5. Gameflip

If you’re a gamer looking to save money on gift cards, Gameflip has discounted cards available for PSN, Xbox Live, Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play. They also offer gift cards for companies like Netflix, Starbucks, Lyft, and Amazon, and you can even find ones for products like Microsoft Office.

To find what you’re looking for, you just have to search the website or mobile app. When you find one you’re interested in, click or tap on it to view the full listing. On the card listing, you’ll be able to review the seller’s rating, the type of delivery (auto or mail), the original amount of the card, and the percentage off. There’s even a method for asking the seller for additional information before you buy.

Cards are usually listed for 2% to 15% off the original amount and, thanks to the Gameflip Guarantee, your purchases are protected if something is wrong with the gift card you purchase.

Related: 14 Best Places to Sell Video Games

6. MyGiftCardsPlus

MyGiftCardsPlus works with Swagbucks to offer you both gift cards and the ability to earn Swagbuck points (SBs) for each card you purchase. When you buy a gift card through MyGiftCardsPlus, you’ll get SBs as a rebate which you can then use to redeem for additional free gift cards or PayPal cash.

You can choose from cards to over 100 retailers, restaurants, and other merchants, and the gift cards are delivered either electronically or via the mail.

Although the gift cards aren’t discounted — you’ll need to pay full price unless you find one on sale — if you’re a Swagbucks member, it is a great way to earn extra points.

Related: Is Swagbucks Worth It? Here’s Our Official Swagbucks Review.

7. Cardflip

According to the site, “CardFlip.com is a discounted secondary gift card exchange created for you to SELL gift cards for top market value and BUY discounted Gift Cards for most brands, restaurants, and merchants.” In other words, the company buys gift cards in bulk so they can sell them to customers at a discount, and they allow individual sellers to sell their gift cards on the site as well.

You’ll find gift cards upwards of 25% off to places like Dunkin’ Donuts, the Disney Store, and Michael’s. They’re delivered electronically or via the mail, and you can pay using a credit card, direct bank transfers, or Bitcoin.

Additional discounts are available when you pay with direct transfers or Bitcoin. Cardflip also offers a 45-day guarantee that covers the cost of the gift card, but it’s unclear under what circumstances you would get a refund.

8. eBay

In addition to clothes, purses, and baby items, you can also buy discounted gift cards on eBay. Once you search for the gift cards you’re looking for, you’ll get a results page that shows a combination of discounted gift cards, cards being sold at face value, and those available through eBay’s auction process.

Once you make a purchase, the cards can be sent electronically or by mail.

Although eBay does set strict rules about what gift cards can and can’t be sold, buyers need to watch out for scams when purchasing discounted gift cards from the site. And if there’s a problem with your purchase, it is covered by eBay’s Money-Back Guarantee.

Related: 22 eBay Alternatives to Buy and Sell Goods Online

9. Costco

Bulk item retailer Costco also sells gift cards at a discount. You’ll find offers for various restaurants, fitness centers, and even travel. However, unlike other gift card sellers, the discounts from Costco come from buying the cards in bulk rather than individually.

For example, let’s say you’re buying a gift card to The Coffee Beanery. On other sites, you might pay $15 for a $20 gift card, but if you buy through Costco, you’ll spend $79.99 to buy four $25 cards. It’s a significant discount, but it only makes sense if you’re buying them as gifts or if it’s somewhere you frequently visit.

The cards are only available as physical cards, but you can redeem them online or in-store. If you buy the cards online, you do not need a membership, but you’ll need to be a member to purchase them in-store.

Which Discount Gift Card Site Offers the Best Deals?

The following chart is a snapshot of some discounts available on various gift card sites. The prices are accurate as of this writing, but they change daily based on demand and availability, so make sure you double-check before you make your purchase to get the best deal possible.

Discount percentages

Be sure to note if cards specify online or in-store only use. If you know that you’ll be visiting your local store, then you need to purchase an in-store discounted card. If you plan to shop online, you can use an e-gift card.

Stacking Your Savings Can Lead to Deep Discounts

Don’t limit your savings by viewing gift cards as just gifts. You can save a fair amount of money when you purchase gift cards for yourself at a discount — as long as you use them.

Try not to purchase cards you don’t need. Likewise, make sure you keep track of them. You’ll spend more money than you save if you buy cards you lose or don’t want just because they’re offered at a discount. And don’t forget to use other money-saving options like Honey or Rakuten, credit card rewards points, or using free Amazon gift cards to buy other gift cards.

You can save money using any of these apps and websites as long as you stick to a budget, combine your discounts, and only purchase gift cards you’ll use.

The post 9 Places to Buy Discount Gift Cards (Up to 33% Off) appeared first on DollarSprout.

But with the arrival of dropshipping, anyone can start a product-based business without having their own physical inventory.

Dropshipping has quickly become one of the most popular online business models, and for good reason. According to Statista, in 2016 there were 1.66 billion global digital buyers._[1] By 2021, that number is expected to grow to 2.14 billion.

Dropshipping lets people manage physical businesses without having a warehouse or full-time employees. It’s the 21st-century solution to building a flexible product-based business.

What Is Dropshipping?

Shopify defines dropshipping as “a retail fulfillment method where a store doesn’t keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when a store sells a product, it purchases the item from a third party and has it shipped directly to the customer. As a result, the merchant never sees or handles the product.”

In other words, when you use dropshipping, you can create and sell products without ever having to keep inventory on hand. Not having to buy inventory is one of the best parts of starting a dropshipping business.

It allows you to tap into the growing online market without making massive initial investments in product or finding space to store it. You can also skip the upfront cost of shipping materials and freight charges as a dropshipper.

To start a dropshipping business, all you need is a market, a buyer, and a way to reach your customers.

How to Start a Dropshipping Business in 8 Simple Steps

Starting a dropshipping business doesn’t need to take weeks or months of planning. With a little determination and persistence, you can launch within a few days.

1. Choose a niche.

First, you’ll want to select a type of business or niche.

Examples of niches include health and beauty, fashion, electronics, outdoor living, children and toys, or household products. As a beginner in dropshipping, it’s important to be specific with your business and test new lines before expanding your niche.

For instance, if you choose to enter the fashion industry, decide if you’re going to sell children’s, men’s, or women’s items. You can scale down further and sell women’s shoes or be even more specific and pick a certain type of shoe such as heels, flip flops, or sneakers.

Selecting a specific niche for your dropshipping business will help you focus on the right customer as you build your brand.

2. Choose a platform.

You can list products to dropship on a number of platforms including eBay, Amazon, Etsy, or your own website. List the same items on multiple sites to expand your reach.

Shopify is another popular option. You can integrate your Shopify account with your own website or a third-party site from Etsy. Shopify has affordable options for new dropshippers and also offers premium features like abandoned cart targeted marketing.

Even if your following is small in the beginning, you can decide to build your own website and use it to sell and grow an email list. At the same time, you can list your products on sites like Amazon or eBay to boost exposure. These platforms are popular and reputable, and people search them directly every day for products like yours.

Ultimately, building your own website and using a specific marketing strategy to draw customers to your storefront will give you the best profit margin. You won’t have to pay the hefty listing and seller fees that come along with Amazon and eBay.

Related: How to Make Money on Amazon

3. Choose a product.

Once you’ve selected your niche and where you’re going to list your items, it’s time to pick the specific products you want to sell. Use your niche to help you decide.

Are you going to sell wedding dresses, sunglasses, or toddler toys? Depending on your dropshipping suppliers, you might be able to list a whole line of items within your niche.

Don’t get too carried away at first. The goal is to start small and cater to one audience. In time, you can expand your products to fill in the gaps within a broader niche.

Related: How One Recent Grad Started a $2,000 a Month Shopify Side Gig

4. Build your brand and following.

Next, you’ll need to brand your items, unless you decide to sell under another company’s brand. It’s not a bad thing to find established brands that allow dropshipping. But if you choose this, you may struggle to scale your business in the long run because they typically charge a high percentage on each sale.

You can simultaneously build your own brand and your following on social media. Start by creating business accounts on various social media platforms and sharing relevant information daily. If you’re consistent, people will start to notice you and your brand. Take the opportunity to grow an email list to market your products as well.

The best social media platforms to build a following on include Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Find out where your target market spends their time online and grow your social presence there. Remember to engage with your audience by being genuine and authentic. That will help them connect with and trust you, which will make them more inclined to buy your products.

Related: How to Become a Social Media Influencer

5. Research your competitors.

New dropshippers often overlook this step and fail to keep up with their competition. The online market is massive, but that doesn’t mean it’s endless.

To figure out who your competitors are, do a quick Google search for specific keywords related to your products. Those that show up in the first 10 spaces are your biggest competition.

Take a close look at the categories and variety of items your competitors offer. Do they have in-depth content like a blog explaining how to use their products? You could start a blog to market your products as well.

Use the data on their websites to analyze your competition. You don’t want to copy your competitors, but you should learn how to make your product, brand, and website better by learning from established brands. You’ll find many strategies and ideas as you research your competition.

6. Choose your dropshipping suppliers.

Choosing reliable dropshipping suppliers is the key to your success. Be sure to research, test, and compare products when possible.

If you’re dropshipping from outside of your resident country, it’s imperative that you see and touch the product first. You don’t want to receive refund requests or bad reviews for selling low-quality products. A $35 vacuum is worthless if it’s a knock-off that doesn’t do the job.

See if you can get a sample of the product, which you can use in marketing photos and materials. Make sure to budget for this in your start-up costs.

You can get started with dropshipping suppliers like Alibaba or Oberlo. Research manufacturers directly to find out which one works best for you. Some might be willing to place your brand on the product and dropship directly to your customers.

If you’re not ready to brand products as your own, then consider distributing products on behalf of an established brand. Many manufacturers prefer to keep their brand on the product and have dropshippers market and sell them. This is especially helpful for new dropshippers to establish trust in their niche.

7. List your items and sell them.

Now that you’ve chosen a product, suppliers, and a platform, it’s time to list your items online and start selling. But there’s still more to do.

When you list an item on Shopify, Etsy, or any platform, you’ll need to write a unique title, create detailed bullet point descriptions, and choose a competitive selling price for every item. This is where your competitor analysis comes in handy because the data can make your product listings better.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t sell an item the first day you list it. Dropshipping businesses can take weeks or even months to take off. If you don’t have much time to put toward your business from the start, it could take a year or more. You’ll need to be patient and determined during this stage.

8. Watch your results and learn how to improve.

Just because your products are listed for sale doesn’t mean the hard work is over. In dropshipping, the competitors, demand, and product offerings are always changing. That’s why it’s so important to learn what works and what doesn’t.

You can continuously improve your dropshipping business to cater to your target audience and sell what they want. If you don’t know what they want, revisit your social media channels or email list and take a poll. It may help you think of new products to fulfill their everyday needs.

Listening to your audience and providing what they need is the best way to grow a successful dropshipping business.

Related: How to Start an Online Thrift Store or Consignment Shop

Learning How to Dropship the Right Way is Half the Battle

Dropshipping makes e-commerce seem easy, but it still takes work and persistence to see success. As long as you stick to the basics and don’t stray from your business plan, your work should pay off.

Choose a niche and stick to it. Don’t be afraid to list your products on more than one platform, inspect the quality of your product before going full scale, and learn from your mistakes and successes. Knowing how to dropship the right way can mean all the difference between a time-consuming hobby and a full-time, home business venture.

To learn more about how to get started with dropshipping, sign up for Shopify’s free training: how to start a profitable dropshipping store.

Related: From Law School to $1 Million Amazon FBA Business: Shaff Qureshi’s Story

The post How to Start a Dropshipping Business in 8 Simple Steps appeared first on DollarSprout.

How to do your own laundry, how to make new friends, and how to manage your time. You also learn how expensive college is. Not just the cost of tuition, but how expensive the other aspects of college, like textbooks, can be.

Textbooks are a necessary part of college, and they’re a pain to deal with. You have to spend hundreds of dollars when you buy them. When the semester’s over, most students end up selling them back to the university bookstore for a fraction of the price.

But what if there was a way you could sell your textbooks and recoup more money than reselling to the bookstore?

Fortunately, thanks to BookScouter, there is.

What Is BookScouter?

BookScouter is a free online platform that compiles buy-back prices from over 30 vendors. This lets students get more money back because they can choose the site that will pay the most. 

Note that it is an aggregate site; it provides data on vendors who will buy your books. It does not directly buy books from sellers and the quoted prices are from the vendors, not BookScouter. 

Is BookScouter Legitimate?

Bookscouter has a 3.8 of 5-star rating on Trustpilot and 4 of 5-star ratings in both the Google Play and Apple App Store. Users like the easy-to-use scanning feature, the ability to see multiple offers at once, and how easy it makes getting rid of unwanted textbooks. Complaints tend to focus on functionality issues with the app, not recognizing or finding ISBNs, and poor customer service. 

Since its inception, Bookscouter has been featured in major news outlets like BuzzFeed, Lifehacker, Consumer Reports, and The Huffington Post as a valid and legitimate way to sell books.

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Free Price Pro Tools available for $29/month

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BookScouter At a Glance:

BookScouter is an online buying and selling platform for textbooks. After inputting a book's ISBN, BookScouter will show different vendors and the price they're willing to pay for the book. It's free to use but you can pay for the pro tools, which can help you maximize your earnings.

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Pros

• Free to sign up
• Instantly compares prices for up to 30 vendors
• Easy-to-use website and app
• Scholarship program

Cons

• Can take a while to get paid
• App functionality is sometimes a problem
• Doesn’t accept all books
• Only available in the U.S.

How Does BookScouter Work?

You can use BookScouter’s website or app to input or scan your book’s ISBN and receive the list of buy-back prices from vendors including Amazon and Powell’s. You select which vendor you’d like to use, accept their offer, and ship the book to them for free using a prepaid shipping label.

BookScouter is integrated with a website called Zapier to help automate the book buying and selling process. You can use Zapier to set up an email notification to track pricing from a price-watching service for certain ISBNs, which means you don’t have to keep checking every few days. You can also set an alert for an ISBN whose price fluctuates frequently, along with a price threshold. If the book’s price goes above that, you’ll receive an email.

When you receive payment depends on the vendor and the payment method. According to the site, most payments are received within one to three days of receiving the book, and PayPal is the fastest way to get your money. You can request a mailed check, but that might take up to seven days to receive.

Review of BookScouter for selling used books

BookScouter makes selling books to vendors straightforward. After you’ve scanned or entered the ISBN, you’ll get a list of offers from roughly 30 vendors to compare and choose from.

While it’s important to compare the buy-back price, you should also read the reviews from other customers. Even if a vendor offers a high price, they might be terrible to work with or their fees might cut into your profit.

If the prices you’re seeing are too low, or you get a list of vendors all offering $0.00 for the book, you can sell your textbooks somewhere else. Selling your book via BookScouter may be fast, but you might not always get the highest price possible. And even though BookScouter aggregates prices from 30 vendors, you may find you can get more selling the book on your own on eBay or at a secondhand shop like 2nd and Charles.

Review of BookScouter for buying used books

If you want to increase your earnings with BookScouter, check websites, thrift stores, garage sales, and even your parents’ attic or basement to find more textbooks to sell on the platform.

One way to ensure you’re making the most profit is to use BookScouter to research the ISBN and see the going rate of each book before you purchase it. You can then subtract your purchase price from the offer price to determine your profit. If the margin is high enough, buy the used book and sell it to a BookScouter vendor.

When purchasing used books, be aware of the condition. That can make all the difference between a book that sells for a profit and one that costs you money. Books with an intact cover in good shape and pages that are free from water damage, notes, and highlighter marks command a higher offer price.

Package your items securely and carefully when you send them off. If they arrive in poor or damaged condition, they can revise their buy-back offer, and you’ll receive less money than you expected.

Rent your books

If it’s still too expensive to buy a book with BookScouter, they also have an option to rent textbooks. To do so, all you need to do is search by ISBN, compare prices from 20+ vendors, and pick the one that works best for you. Make sure you check the cost for the rental period and note the return date. You might find that buying a used book, although cheaper up front, might wind up being more expensive over time, especially if you need to renew the book or you return it late. 

BookScouter also offers the option to buy and rent eBooks.

How Much Can You Make Selling Your Books on BookScouter?

I put BookScouter to the test by researching the buy and sell prices for some required reading at my alma mater.

First, I looked up some classes I took as an undergraduate. Next, I found the required reading for each and the lowest rate you can buy it for on BookScouter. Then I compared it to the highest selling rate on BookScouter. Here’s what I found.

I was surprised to see that a few books sell on BookScouter for more than you can pay to buy them through the site.

Based on these numbers, I would say that it doesn’t always pay to buy and resell your books on BookScouter. However, if you can find a good deal on eBay, Craigslist, or around campus, reselling your used books on the site can definitely turn a profit, or at least help you make back a chunk of your original costs.

One thing I found to be consistent is that BookScouter generally offered a lower price than the university bookstore. For example, the first book in the table above, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Law and Strategy, sells for $24.93 on BookScouter. At the university bookstore, you’d pay $94.50 to buy a used edition:

BookScouter Scholarship Program

In addition to helping students earn money by selling their textbooks, BookScouter provides a quarterly $500 scholarship to offset the cost of books. It’s open to any student enrolled in an accredited college or university program.

To apply, you’ll need to complete an online application and provide a short video, no longer than one minute, discussing the most expensive textbook you’ve had to buy and why you needed to buy it. If you’re selected for a scholarship, you will also need to agree to participate in an interview about yourself and your future plans. 

Related: How to Get a Free Laptop (from Colleges, the Government, and More)

Review of BookScouter’s Pro Tools

For $29.99 per month, you can register for BookScouter’s Pro Tools. These are geared towards high-volume sellers and are intended to streamline the book-selling process. If you’re curious about the Pro Tools, you can try the service for free for 3 days.

BookScouter’s Pro Tools aren’t mandatory for successfully flipping books online. The tools help simplify the process of searching ISBNs, identifying price points, and researching which books are in demand, but you don’t need them to make a profit with BookScouter. If you’re looking to sell books regularly or in bulk, Pro Tools may be a wise investment. But if you’re only trying to sell a handful of books every once in a while, the basic options are enough.

Pro Tool 1: Deals

BookScouter’s Deals is a useful feature for book flippers. Using a unique sorting algorithm, the tool identifies books that have the lowest vendor purchase price and the highest vendor offer price.

For example, using this tool, you can learn that one vendor is selling a book for $20 while another is buying that same book for $40. You can then reserve your $40 offer for the book right before purchasing it for $20. That’s a $20 profit for very little work.

Pro Tool 2: Bulk Lookup

BookScouter’s Bulk Lookup is another useful tool to look up multiple ISBNs simultaneously and get the results on one screen (with some limits).

The tool allows you to filter out the lowest offers to see how those affect the average offer price, and you can also export the results as a CSV file to a spreadsheet so you can analyze the data however you want.

BookScouter Review Summary: Turn Your Textbooks into Money

There’s definitely a market for selling books online, and BookScouter provides a simple solution to help gauge the cost of books and identify places where you can turn a book into a profit.

Its free tools make it easy to determine from whom you’ll get the most money, and the process for sending the books and receiving payment is straightforward. With BookScouter, you might be able to turn your passion for books into a way to generate income.

Related: 17 Best Alternatives to Amazon for Buying and Selling Your Things

The post BookScouter Review 2024: How to Flip Textbooks for Cash appeared first on DollarSprout.

But when you’re struggling to get by or working toward bigger financial goals like paying off debt or saving for an emergency, all you can think about sometimes is how to save money on Christmas. It’s hard to stay on track with your goals when the temptation to spend is all around.

According to a recent US News & World Report survey, 42% of people expect to go further into debt for holiday spending._[1] A humbling trend when considering that the average consume reports that they’re likely to spend 5% more in 2023 than they did in the previous year._[2]

But there’s good news: debt isn’t the only option. Here are some savvy ways to save money on Christmas shopping while still checking off everyone on your list.

1. Earn cashback on holiday purchases

If you’re committed to purchasing Christmas gifts for your loved ones, you can absolutely do so without breaking the bank. It also helps when you scoop up rewards each time you shop online.

If you shop at Walmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s — or any popular retailer, really — odds are you can save in several different ways. Browser extensions and cashback apps are the two of the most simple.

Related: 15 Festive Ways to Make Extra Money for Christmas 

2. Use discount gift cards

Any time you’re shopping online (or in-store), don’t forget to look for discounted gift cards on popular gift card exchanges.

The premise is simple: people don’t want or need a gift card from a particular retailer, so they sell them for cash.

For example, someone has a $100 Lowes gift card they know they’ll never use. They then sell it to a site like Raise.com for $85. They get cash for the card, even if it isn’t at face value, and they go on their merry way.

Raise will then flip the gift card — for more money, of course — to interested parties that need a Lowes gift card.

If you know you’re going to make a purchase from a specific retailer, quickly search one of these sites to see if you can snag a discounted card.

The flat discount rate you see highlighted in green in the image above is just what Raise is currently offering for Lowes, but those percentages can reach as high as 30% at other retailers.

In this example alone, you can get the advertised 2.7% discount, plus an additional 10% off since it is your first gift card purchase. All of a sudden a $100 Lowes card only sets you back $87, and that’s before you use a browser extension and/or cashback credit card on the eventual purchase.

3. Be wary of marketing tactics

Neuromarketing has made tremendous advances in the last twenty years. Unfortunately, you — the unsuspecting Christmas shopper — are usually the victim of those advancements.

Advertisers use all sorts of tactics to get consumers to open their wallets.

One-time offers, BOGO deals, free shipping on orders over “X”, time-sensitive “deals”, flashy colors and beacons on websites, remarketed coupons sent to your email, or that pesky Facebook ad you keep seeing.

They’re all designed to get you to spend, not save, money. Advertisers recoup the savings they offer you in one of many dozens of ways. They’re the ones coming out ahead here. Resist the temptation to spend more on things you normally wouldn’t have bought just because something seems like a deal.

Related: 5 Signs You May Have a Shopping Addiction

4. Go for practicality over price

If money is tight, then purchasing needed items for each person on your list will allow you to put something under the Christmas tree while still respecting the budget.

Unwrapping a new toothbrush, gloves, or slippers can be just as exciting as unwrapping a new toy. It’s the surprise element and the love behind the gifts that most children truly appreciate.

“Needs” that make great gifts:

Related: 33 Christmas Gift Ideas Under $25

5. Write down your own “nice” list

Just like Santa does, curate your own list of people who make the “nice” list. Metaphors aside, writing things down helps you save money on Christmas in several ways.

First, it’s more likely you won’t forget about someone. Awkward.

Second, a list allows you to plan your purchases ahead of time. A secret weapon against impulse spending, especially if you have the tendency to overspend.

Lastly, a list helps you visualize who will be getting a gift, and set an anticipated budget for each person. Rather than browse through stores and pull the trigger on the first item you find, no matter the cost, having a preset budget guides to the plausible gifts that fall within that range.

6. Celebrate Christmas for 12 Days

Christmas gifts don’t have to be wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree. In fact, spending quality time together as a family, couple, or friends can be even more meaningful than presents.

If you plan free family gatherings, movie and game nights, and celebrate the magic of Christmas for multiple days, everyone will feel like Christmas is much more than just one day.

Spend time together as a family. Go Christmas caroling, drink hot cocoa, and tell Christmas stories. Christmas is far more than opening a few presents on one morning of the year.

Here are some other cheap or free activities to spread over 12 days of Christmas:

• Make and decorate Christmas cookies together
• Drive around neighboring towns and enjoy Christmas lights
• Go window shopping at the mall
• Make DIY crafts and gifts for family and friends
• Decorate your house for Christmas
• Read Christmas stories
• Watch Christmas movies
• Go Christmas caroling at the nursing home
• Write letters to Santa or visit him at the mall
• Have Christmas-themed family game night
• Watch for other local free Christmas events in your area

Related: 10 Worst Christmas Gifts People Need to Stop Buying

7. DIY the gift wrapping

Have you ever noticed how expensive wrapping paper and gift bags can be? Instead of purchasing new gift wrapping this year, try reusing gift bags from previous years.

Another option to really save on gift wrapping is to decorate newspapers with bright markers or paint to wrap gifts. Have the family help and make this one of your 12 days of Christmas activities!

If you’ve run out of time, you can even go with the black-and-white look of plain newspaper or use the comics section. Add a fun bow or ribbon if you have something around the house.

More ideas for gift-wrapping substitutes:

• Construction paper
• Paper bags
• Decorated scrap paper
• Fun patterned scraps of fabric
• Layered plastic tablecloths
• Blankets or sheets
• Unwrapped gifts placed in decorative baskets from thrift stores

Related: 5 Cheery Ways to Celebrate Christmas on a Budget

8. Look for social media exclusive offers

Brands will frequently offer deals to their most loyal social followers (their repeat buyers!). Occasionally check your favorite retailers around the holidays for deals that don’t require a minimum purchase or something in return.

Retailers count on consumers to bite off more than they can chew when it comes to shopping online, but if you can stick to your guns and select only Christmas gifts you were on the market for, a social freebie is never a bad thing — especially if you can unfollow or mute their notifications after the holidays are over.

9. Buy gifts in bulk

If you have a lot of people to buy presents for, try buying items in bulk to save some extra money on Christmas gifts.

Food or snacks are often a crowdpleaser when purchasing gifts for large groups of people. Whether you have a large family, a crowded office, or a lot of friends on your Christmas list this year, food items are very reasonably priced when purchased in bulk.

Ideas of items you can purchase in bulk to save money:

10. DIY your gifts

It might be time to get creative. If you’re pressed for gifts but just can’t come up with the funds, a small DIY gift could be the answer.

Anything DIY can appear elaborate while not costing much. You can even have the kids make things for each other and for extended family and friends.

Here are a few DIY Christmas gifts to try:

• Mason jar recipes (cookies, bread, trail mix, etc.)
• Homemade candles
• Home or office decorations
• Knitted scarves
• Fragrant soaps
• Homemade snack boxes
• Bath bombs
• Movie night gift basket
• Homemade board games
• Handwritten or printed coupon book

11. Organize a Secret Santa gift exchange

The only thing that beats personally saving big bucks on Christmas is when your entire family gets to save big bucks too.

I have my living parents and two siblings. Each sibling has a partner and multiple kids. We’re talking over a dozen gifts if I were to purchase even something small for every member of my immediate family.

Fortunately, they share my same penchant for penny-pinching, and for years now we’ve thrown names in a hat, and buy whomever we draw an anonymous gift.

It’s literally the perfect scenario. One gift instead of a dozen. Anonymity so there’s no pressure to overspend. And lastly, a ton of humor as we open the gifts in front of one another around the holidays.

This likely saves each of us hundreds of dollars, everyone gets a gift, and we get to spend quality time together.

12. Shop around for lower prices

If you prefer to shop in-store this Christmas season rather than online, that’s okay. You don’t need to shop online to get good deals.

Visit a few stores and compare prices. Saving $5 on gifts here and there really adds up when you have multiple people to shop for. You might find that the same toy is $40 at one store and $35 at another.

13. Shop secondhand

When you think of thrift store items, you probably imagine broken toys, games with missing pieces, or clothes with holes in them. But many people donate new or slightly used items to thrift stores.

Browse your local secondhand shops and look for items that your loved ones would appreciate. If something is of nice quality but doesn’t have a tag on it or shrinkwrap around it, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad gift. Think of ways to wrap the item so it’s more presentable and fun.

Shopping for secondhand gifts is an amazing way to buy Christmas presents without spending exorbitant amounts of money.

Ideas for secondhand gifts:

Related: 75 Creative Ways to Save Money

14. Donate your time, not necessarily your money

If you’re in a financial position to give back, I encourage that. But in the absence of surplus, giving your time to someone in need could be the greatest gift they receive this Christmas season.

Better yet, forego the costly family outing everyone had planned — for just this one year — and donate that time and money to someone in need.

You’ll make memories that will last a lifetime, help someone less fortunate than you, and emulate selflessness to the younger eyes in the family.

15. Be honest with your loved ones

If it comes down to purchasing gifts for extended family and friends or feeding your family, you need to draw a line. Skip Christmas gifts if they’re not in the budget this year.

If you’re able to purchase cheap gifts for your immediate family that double as “needs” this year, then that’s great. But simply tell your extended family, friends, and coworkers that you would prefer not to be included in gift exchanges this year if possible.

Don’t let gifts put you into debt. Your loved ones will understand.

Cheap Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Care

Whatever season in life you may be going through, know that it’s okay to cut back on spending. Christmas will come and go this year as it always does and spending time with your loved ones is all you need to make it a wonderful holiday.

These ways to save on Christmas will help get you through the season. Do as much as you can for your family, but always remember that saving money on Christmas gifts can be done without making a dent in the joy that comes with the Christmas season.

Related: 5 Financial Mistakes to Avoid This Holiday Season

The post 15 Easy Ways to Save Money on Christmas This Year appeared first on DollarSprout.

That’s exactly what thousands of people are doing to earn extra money each month.

The companies that pay these “mystery” shoppers need feedback for their business, and they pay mystery shoppers to collect it.

What Is a Mystery Shopper?

A mystery shopper is a person who’s paid to act like a regular, everyday shopper, and then provide feedback on their experience.

Reputable mystery shopping companies give secret shoppers a list of tasks to complete, such as asking specific questions about a product or receiving a service (e.g. an oil change).

After the tasks have been completed, the mystery shopper reports feedback on things like the store’s cleanliness, the employees’ helpfulness, and other details about their experience.

Companies pay secret shoppers for providing this information. In most cases, they also reimburse shoppers for any expenses incurred.

Related: 18 Best Sites for Taking Paid Surveys

How to Become a Secret Shopper (and Find Mystery Shopper Jobs Near You)

Becoming a mystery shopper is simple. All you do is sign up with the best mystery shopping companies in your area, choose your tasks or assignments, and start shopping.

You can sign up with as many mystery shopping services as you like. The more companies you sign up with, the more opportunities you have to make easy money.

One secret shopper worked for 75 companies (at his peak) and made $14,000 in one year just from performing mystery shops on weekends, during his lunch break, and on the way home from work.

29 Best Mystery Shopping Companies to Work For

Need money now and wondering where to find the best mystery shopper jobs nearby? Check out these companies.

1. Ath Power Consulting

Some mystery shopping companies have a wide variety of gigs, while others focus on a certain niche. Ath Power Consulting focuses on the financial and banking industry.

If you complete a mystery shopping gig for the company, you’ll likely have to go into a bank and describe your experience. It also has some jobs that involve going into an airport; these are only available if you already have security clearance.

Ath Power Consulting is a member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) and is an Elite Member for the fifth consecutive year. Its website says the company offers more than 10,000 mystery shopping jobs a month and has more than 500,000 mystery shoppers registered.

Unlike some other mystery shopping companies, Ath doesn’t pay out right away. It only pays twice a month instead of immediately following a shopping gig.

How it works:

1. Sign up to work for Ath.
2. Create an account using your email address.
3. Fill in your personal information such as your name, address, and demographic details (i.e. race, income, level of education).
4. Read its privacy policy.

Related: 11 Best Shopping Apps to Save Money on Everything

2. BARE

BARE hires mystery shoppers to do in-person or over-the-phone customer chat or video visits. The company was given a Shopper’s Choice award from the MSPA in 2019.

This award is voted on by people who complete mystery shopping jobs, and it means BARE was one of their favorite companies to work for.

When you sign up to work for BARE, you’ll be able to list five area codes in which you want to mystery shop in. This is helpful if you work and live in different area codes and want to maximize your earnings.

How it works:

1. Sign up to be a mystery shopper.
2. Choose your language.
3. Enter your email address.
4. Pick your country.
5. Enter your demographic information.
6. Read the privacy policy and contract.

Related: 50 Ways to Make Money Online for Free

3. Secret Shopper

Secret Shopper is a well-established company that helps clients improve their businesses using mystery shoppers to gather data.

It has been around since 1993 and are very credible with many awards, including the MSPA Elite award for 2018. It’s free to sign up, and you set your own hours.

How it works:

1. Sign up to shop on the company’s website.
2. Choose your country.
3. Read and agree to its Shopper Basics rules and guidelines.
4. Complete the basic certification test that verifies that you read all the rules.
5. Fill out your personal information, such as your name, address, date of birth, etc.
6. After entering your personal information, you’ll receive your shopper ID and password. Use your ID and password to log in, then view and schedule available shops to complete.

Related: 16 Ways You Can Get Paid to Shop for Others

4. Market Force

At Market Force, you’ll complete mystery shop requests for banks, restaurants, and stores. You’ll provide feedback for things such as cleanliness, product selection, and customer service.

Market Force has been awarded MSPA Shopper’s Choice Award, voted on by real mystery shoppers, four years in a row.

How it works:

1. Create a Shopper Force Account.
2. Answer several questions about your criminal background.
3. Sign and date the Terms of the Agreement.

5. Pinnacle

Pinnacle has been around for 20 years. It assists financial institutions by helping them improve service and sales quality.

Its secret shoppers work solely with credit unions and banks, making it a great choice for anybody interested in finance. It’s completely free to become a mystery shopper with Pinnacle.

How it works:

1. Click the button that says New Shopper Sign Up.
2. Enter your email address.
3. Add your basic personal information, including bank account details (so you can get paid).
4. Answer demographic questions to help Pinnacle find the best jobs for you.
5. Agree to the terms.

6. A Closer Look

A Closer Look has won several awards from the MSPA, including the “Elite Company” award for 2018 and the Shopper’s Choice Award in 2019. It specializes in industries such as restaurants, specialty retail, senior living, hotels, and entertainment.

How it works:

1. Click the red button that says Become a Mystery Shopper.
2. Provide a current email address.
3. Once your email has been approved, you’ll receive a link to the application page (the link expires within 48 hours).
4. You’ll have to fill out personal and demographic information, and write a sample essay with “a minimum of two full paragraphs describing your last casual or fine dining restaurant experience.” This essay will be partially used to determine your eligibility, so try to do a good job on this.
5. Submit and wait for a response.

7. Quest for Best

Quest for Best provides mystery shopping opportunities in over 40 states in the US, mostly concentrated in the Midwest and Southwest states. You can see its full map here. Its opportunities include things like eating at a restaurant, bowling, and going to a movie theater.

How it works:

1. Click the Become a Shopper link.
2. Read the Independent Contractor agreement.
3. Fill out the Online Shopper Profile, including contact and demographic information such as gender, which languages you speak fluently, if you have camera access to do hidden video shops, and if you have airport security clearance.
4. If there’s a job in your area, Quest for Best will give you the info for the shop. If not, it’ll store your profile until a shopping opportunity is available for you.

8. IntelliShop

IntelliShop serves an extensive list of over 50 industries, so you’re bound to receive mystery shopping jobs that interest you.

The company also received a 2019 Shoppers’ Choice Award from the MSPA, as chosen by actual mystery shoppers. This means they voted IntelliShop as one of the best mystery shopping companies to work for.

How it works:

1. Click the button that says “Go” on the Shopper Sign-Up page.
2. Enter your email.
3. Read the independent contractor agreement.
4. Add your basic personal information, including your bank details (so you can get paid).
5. Complete the demographic questionnaire.
6. Enter your tax information.
7. Agree to the terms and contract.

9. Perception Strategies, Inc.

Perception Strategies, Inc. focuses on healthcare mystery shops. The company has performed over 150,00 healthcare mystery shops since 1998.

Its mystery shopping gigs range from calling a doctor’s office to get a quote for a particular service, doing an in-person visit without making an appointment, or completing a full-length visit.

This mystery shopping company focuses on giving healthcare providers the feedback they need to make their patients’ experience the best possible. It has a list of the cities and areas where it needs mystery shoppers the most.

How it works:

1. Visit the Shopper Application.
2. Check out the list of immediate openings.
3. If your location doesn’t have an immediate opening, you’ll be notified of any that come up once your application is on file.
4. Fill out the information in the application such as if you’ve ever had a felony or worked for a healthcare provider, and submit.

10. Sinclair Customer Metrics

Since 1987, Sinclair has helped thousands of businesses improve their overall customer experience. It offers a wide variety of tasks, including video, phone, and in-person mystery shops. Sinclair is a member of the MSPA.

How it works:

1. To sign up with Sinclair, enter your name and email.
2. Read the provided Information for Mystery Shoppers document.
3. Review and agree to the Independent Contractor agreement.
4. Fill out the secure online application.
5. Take the Sinclair New Shopper Challenge.
6. Take the New Shopper Survey.

11. Ipsos (formerly GfK)

If you live outside the US and are looking to mystery shop internationally, check out Ipsos. Your secret shops will be either in person, by phone, through email, or using web chat.

Ipsos secret shoppers perform mystery shops ranging from gas stations, to banks, to restaurants.

Supported countries include:

How it works:

1. Sign up here.
2. Enter your email, country, and ZIP Code.
3. Enter your address, contact information, and gender.
4. Fill in more personal details such as height, weight, marital status, occupation, and the type of equipment you have.
5. Read its agreement.

Related: DollarSprout’s Ipsos i-Say Review

12. BestMark

BestMark is one of the largest mystery shopper companies and has been around since 1986. It’s a member of the MSPA and offers 10,000-plus mystery shop assignments each month for restaurants, hotels, and resorts. The payment will differ based on the assignment that you choose.

How it works:

1. Click the “Sign Up Now” button on the right-hand side of its become a shopper page.
2. Fill in your basic personal information, demographic questions, work history, ethnicity, and create a password.
3. Read and agree to the independent contractor agreement, guidelines, and policies.
4. Once you submit this information, you’ll be able to see which in-person or phone/web mystery shopping gigs are available.

13. Second to None

Second to None looks for mystery shoppers for a couple of specific jobs. Right now the company is looking for those who are AARP members or willing to talk to insurance brokers and organizations. Check in often to see when it updates its requirements.

How it works:

1. Apply to be a Second to None mystery shopper.
2. Fill in your contact information, and create your login.
3. Submit your application.

14. ACPVIEW

ACPVIEW, which stands for a customer’s point of view, does mystery shops for retail, grocery stores, casual and fast food dining options, airports, public transportation, retail banking, and government agencies.

How it works:

1. Sign up here.
2. Type in your email address and country.
3. Read the Services Agreement and Release.
4. Add your contact and demographic information, and sign the privacy policy.

15. AboutFace

AboutFace has been around for 20 years and is a member of the MSPA. It has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and offers mystery shopping jobs in all 50 states. According to the site, it pays 15% more than the industry average, but its rates aren’t clearly stated.

How it works:

1. Sign up to be an AboutFace Mystery Shopper.
2. Type in your contact information.
3. Read the Independent Contractor Agreement.
4. Wait to verify your email.
5. Add information such as your PayPal email address, a picture of your driver’s license, a picture of yourself, and answer a few basic questions.

16. Confero

Confero offers mystery shopping opportunities in food service, retail, banking, automotive, healthcare, consumer products, airports, movie theaters, theme parks, and tourist attractions.

How it works:

1. Sign up to be a Confero Mystery Shopper.
2. Type in your email address and select your country.
3. Read and agree to the Independent Contractor Agreement.
4. Fill in your contact and demographic information.
5. Choose which area codes you live and work in. This will determine what opportunities you get.
6. Read its privacy policy.

17. Amusement Advantage

Amusement Advantage is a mystery shopping company that pays people to mystery shop at amusement parks, bowling alleys, zoos, museums, aquariums, and other popular attractions. You have to be just as detailed-oriented for these gigs, even though they can be more fun than going to a grocery store.

In some cases, you’re only paid via free admission for the mystery shop assignment and free tickets afterward. You can earn an extra $5 if you fulfill the mystery shop by 10 a.m. the day after your assignment.

You’ll also earn $20 if you refer new mystery shoppers to Amusement Advantage. The downside is that it takes 30 to 45 days to receive payment, which is longer than other companies. Amusement Advantage is a member of the MSPA.

How it works:

1. Sign up to join Amusement Advantage here.
2. Create an account.
3. Fill in your contact information and birthdate.
4. Read and agree to the Independent Contractor Agreement.
5. Submit and see which opportunities are available in your state.

18. SeeLevel

Mystery shoppers who complete gigs for SeeLevel will find opportunities within the fast food, retail, financial services, and automotive industries. If you want to get a free meal while you complete a mystery shopping job, then you should sign up with SeeLevel. Payments are sent via PayPal. 

How it works:

1. Register with SeeLevel using your email address.
2. Fill in your contact and demographic information including birthday, gender, household income, height, weight, and area codes near where you live and work.
3. Read and agree to its privacy policy and Independent Contractor Agreement.
4. Submit and wait to hear back.

19. Shopper’s View

Shopper’s View is a founding member of the MSPA and offers mystery shopping opportunities. It offers mystery shopping gigs with food, retail, and even sporting events.

It also offers telephone mystery shopping gigs, which is perfect if you can’t drive or don’t have regular access to a car. Shopper’s View has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

How it works:

1. Start your Shopper’s view profile.
2. Select your language.
3. Type in your email address and choose your country.
4. Fill in the contact and demographic information.
5. Read and agree to its privacy policy and Independent Contractor Agreement.
6. Submit your application.

20. iSecretShop

iSecretShop is available both as a phone app and on a desktop browser. If you use the app, you can usually fill in all the required information so you don’t have to type everything in separately on a computer.

You can choose from in-person shops, web and phone shops, and polls. Look through the job board once you’ve registered to see the list of available opportunities.

iSecretShop pays via PayPal.

How it works:

1. Visit iSecretShop’s site.
2. Fill in your contact and demographic information including gender, number of children, and address.
3. Read the Terms of Use and Privacy Statement.

21. RBG

RBG, or RealityBasedGroup, is a member of the MSPA. It offers video, written, phone, and online mystery shopping opportunities. Some of its clients include Goodwill, Texas Roadhouse, Cinnabon, and SportsClips.

It says other clients include department stores, bookstores, banks, gyms, and restaurants. There’s a wide variety of gigs available, so you’re more likely to find something you enjoy.

How it works:

1. Register with RBG by filling in your email address and selecting your country.
2. Read the Independent Contractor Agreement.
3. Fill in your contact and demographic information.
4. Read the privacy policy.

22. Mercantile Systems Inc.

Mercantile Systems Inc. is a member of the MSPA. It offers mystery shopping opportunities including restaurants, hotels, storage facilities, golf courses, retail, healthcare, and financial service providers.

It pays within 45 days of the assignment being completed, which is a little longer than normal. Shoppers have 24 hours to complete the assignment.

How it works:

1. Sign up for Mercantile Systems here.
2. Type in your contact and demographic information.
3. Sign the Independent Contractor/Shopper Agreement.
4. Verify your email address.

Mystery Shopping Jobs by Phone

If in-person shopping isn’t your thing, or if you don’t have time to visit stores, then secret shopping by phone may be a better fit for you.

23. Call Center QA

Call Center QA helps organizations improve the quality and helpfulness of their call centers. This company is a good option if you like chatting on the phone and have excellent reading and writing skills and attention to detail.

You can complete all your calls from home using your landline or mobile phone. It pays $5 per call, and each call and feedback form takes around 15 minutes to complete. You’ll receive payment within seven business days.

How it works:

1. Fill out the application including basic information questions, education, homeownership, if you own or lease a car, and how you heard about the company.
2. You must be a resident of the US and be at least 18 years old.
3. Click submit. You’ll receive further information after completing the application.

24. ARC Consulting

With ARC, you’re paid via PayPal per mystery phone call. How much work and pay you receive depends on the opportunities it has available at the time.

The application says it’s hiring from select countries and looking for people who speak a variety of languages.

How it works:

1. Complete the online ARC Consulting application.
2. Enter your contact details, PayPal payment information, gender, and birthdate.
3. Add your login details and submit.

25. Yardi-Matrix

Yardi-Matrix provides a job opportunity for those interested in taking surveys for the commercial real estate industry. If hired, your job will be to call apartment communities pretending to be a renter. The company will provide you with specific questions to ask.

To complete the tasks, you’ll need high-speed internet access and a phone. You’ll be paid $6 per hour with additional pay as follows:

• $0.50 for completed surveys
• $0.30 for surveys with a wrong number
• $0.20 for partially-completed surveys
• $0.07 for surveys with an answering machine or no answer

Users must complete 75 surveys the first week and 100 surveys each following week. You’ll have to call between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. in its surveyed time zones.

How it works:

1. Send a copy of your current resume to the Yardi Matrix contact.
2. The company will contact you with further details.

26. Observa

Observa is a mystery shopping app available on both iPhone and Android devices. You have to download the app to receive mystery shopping gigs.

It has a 4.3 rating from the App Store and a 4.4 rating from the Google Play Store. Its official app description says that payments are between $4 and $20. Payment is made within 24 hours via PayPal. You can also choose to be paid in Bitcoin.

27. Field Agent

Field Agent is a mystery shopping app where you can get assignments once you create an account. Previous companies and assignments include AutoZone, Amazon Fresh Pickup, Walmart convenience stores, and Dollar General’s new DGX store.

Field Agent has a 4.8 rating on the App Store and a 4.0 rating on the Google Play Store.

According to the app description, jobs pay between $3 and $20. The app will review photos and descriptions and pay out two days after you submit them.

28. Merchandiser

Merchandiser is an app available on both iPhone and Android devices. The app has a 4.3 rating on the App store and a 4.1 rating on the Google Play Store. It’s not exactly a mystery shopping app. The gigs available on Merchandiser are more retail-related, like:

• Restocking shelves
• Putting stickers on items
• Counting inventory
• Setting up promotional displays

Download the app, fill in your information, and wait to get gigs in your area. Shoppers are paid via PayPal, and most gigs take about 15 minutes to do.

29. Gigwalk

Gigwalk is a member of the MSPA, unlike some of the other apps on this list. The app has a 4.6 rating on the App Store and a 3.7 rating on the Google Play Store.

The app pays via PayPal. According to the site, gigs can take between five minutes to several hours and pay between $3 and $100. Not all gigs are mystery-shopping related. They range from taking pictures of a house for insurance purposes to double checking prices at the grocery store.

You can complete assignments straight from the app, so you don’t have to go home and log onto a computer to complete an assignment.

How to Avoid Mystery Shopping Scams

Our list of mystery shopping companies only includes legitimate options. However, not all companies are as high caliber, and some are complete scams. Here’s what to watch out for.

Only choose from a trusted list of mystery shopping companies.

When searching for reputable mystery shopping companies, make sure you sign up for companies recommended by trusted sources.

Check to see if the company is a member of the MSPA. You can find a list of its member companies here. If it’s not on here, check Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau. If you don’t see any online footprint, then it’s probably not worth doing business with.

Never wire money.

If you’re asked by a mystery shopping company to deposit a check into your personal account, withdraw the amount in cash, and wire it to a third party, don’t do it. The check is fake, and it’s a scam.

The check may look like it’s gone through and the money has appeared in your account, but it hasn’t officially cleared. It can take banks weeks to uncover a fake check.

Once the fake check is discovered, you’ll likely be held responsible for paying back the bank for the amount you deposited and withdrew. Play it safe and never deposit a check from someone you don’t know if you’re going to wire the money back.

Never pay in advance to become a mystery shopper.

All of the mystery shopping companies listed above are completely free to sign up for, and that’s for a reason. If you ever come across a mystery shopping company that asks you to pay money to join, it’s a scam.

Related: 6 Common Work-from-Home Scams to Look Out For

Find Your Ideal Mystery Shopping Niche

Mystery shopping is a fun side hustle because you can often get free food or be reimbursed for buying specific products. If you already work near a mall, shopping plaza, or busy downtown area, then you don’t have to worry about driving around a lot.

Like most side hustle apps and websites, you can sign up with several different mystery shopping companies to maximize your rewards. This also lets you see which have the highest hourly rate and are worth completing.

Because some jobs take longer than others, it can be hard to gauge which companies are better until you’ve had some experience.

Related: 19 Flexible Stay-At-Home Jobs for Moms That Pay Well

The post 29 Best Places to Find Legitimate Mystery Shopper Jobs appeared first on DollarSprout.

A transcriptionist listens to recorded audio and types it into a text format for clients. Some transcription jobs need every single word written out, including “umms” and “uhs,” while others just want the basic words. Examples of audio clips include meetings, conferences, classes, monologues, and more.

The transcription job description is simple, but each client may require different formatting or have other special requests. For example, one client may need the audio typed exactly as spoken, while another client may ask for bullet points.

When working directly with a client, you often get to set your own rates, turnaround times, and other guidelines. You also have the flexibility of a work from home job. If you’re working with an agency that provides jobs, you’ll need to follow their stipulations.

A few years ago now, I tried my hand at transcribing audio to text. At the time, it was a grueling procedure, and I had to rewind the audio constantly. Transcribing one six-minute audio clip easily took more than 30 minutes of my time, and only paid a few bucks.

Today, things are different. Transcription tools have improved, so it’s easier to complete transcription jobs quickly. User-friendly voice-to-text programs allow you to quickly transcribe the majority of an audio file in almost real-time, without manually typing each word one by one.

Who Can Work In Transcription?

Transcription jobs are great for college students, stay-at-home moms, and even high school students who can listen and type quickly.

Transcribing audio files might be a great opportunity to make money online full-time or as a side hustle.

You can find your own transcription jobs working directly with clients or for a transcription company. Transcription platforms tend to pay less than working with clients directly, but they may provide consistent work and won’t require you to market your services. If you’re a beginner transcriptionist, it may be easier to build experience by working with an agency.

What You Need to Know About Remote Transcription Jobs

The best thing about transcription jobs is that they’re typically remote, so you can work from home. Remote transcription jobs allow you to transcribe on the side for extra income or potentially build a full-time career while at home or on the go.

There are three types of work from home transcription jobs you can do: generic or entry-level, medical, and legal.

If you’re new to transcribing and need to get experience under your belt, then entry-level jobs are going to be your best option. If you already have experience and are ready to become certified in the medical or legal transcription job field, then those options will allow you to increase your income.

Transcription is like any other industry. As a beginner, it can be difficult to find high-paying transcription jobs from home. As you grow your client base, your income will also increase.

Most companies set a pay rate per “audio hour.” This isn’t the same as clocking in and out and getting paid per hour. Instead, you’re paid based on a set rate for one hour of audio transcribed. When you see a pay rate, make sure you understand if it’s the audio hour or general hourly rate. Transcribing can be a lengthy process, especially for a beginner.

Most companies assign transcription jobs based on short snippets of audio (2- to 10-minute clips). You’ll rarely be required to transcribe a full hour of audio in one sitting if hired to work for these companies.

How to Become a Transcriptionist

Jumping into the field is relatively simple. Most beginner transcriptionists start by taking an online transcription course that teaches them the skills necessary to perform the job. 

Companies, such as Transcribe Anywhere, offer classes that teach students the basics of general, medical, or legal transcription, as well as how to find new clients.

You can also find transcription jobs online.

1. FlexJobs

• Pay: Depends on the job, workload, and experience required
• Payment Method: Depends on the employer 
• Payment Frequency: Depends on the employer 
• Experience Required: Depends on the employer 

FlexJobs is a job board that focuses on online, flexible, and work-from-home opportunities. You can find a range of transcribing jobs on the site, including both part-time and full-time positions, and filter opportunities by remote, freelance, flexible, part-time, and full-time options. 

These jobs may be for US-based companies or international firms. In some cases, you may even find opportunities if you’re fluent in another language. A downside to using FlexJobs is that the site requires a paid membership, ranging from $14.95 for a one-month membership to $49.95 for a one-year subscription. You can join for one week for $6.95 to see if you find any jobs that fit your needs and experience. 

Related: FlexJobs Review: Is a Membership Worth Your Money?

2. Fiverr

• Pay: $30 to $120+ per audio hour
• Payment Method: PayPal, Fiverr Revenue Card, or Direct Deposit
• Payment Frequency: 14 days after job completion (7 days if you’re a top-rated seller)
• Experience Required: None

Fiverr is a job platform that allows you to list almost any type of professional service you can think of. Though many think Fiverr is only for beginners, it’s also for seasoned transcriptionists.

You set your rate on Fiverr. Someone can reach out to negotiate, but you can always decline. Research other reputable transcriptionists and use their pay structure as a guide. Remember, competition and quality are key when choosing a rate for your services. You can use Fiverr as a way to find new clients and deactivate the account once you have a steady stream of reliable clients. 

Related: 17 Places to Take Paid Online Surveys for Cash

3. Allegis Transcription

• Pay: Between $13 and $17 per hour
• Payment Method: Not available  
• Payment Frequency: Not available
• Experience Required: May need prior experience with legal or industry transcription

Allegis Transcription focuses on transcribing files for the insurance and legal industries. The jobs are for independent contractors, which means you’re not a full- or part-time employee. Some reports from former employees said that the rates were low, so this job may only work if you’re a beginner. You can apply for a position here, get some experience under your belt, and then look for higher-paying gigs after a few months.

You’ll need to be based in the US and meet their technology requirements.

4. Scribie

• Pay: $5 to $25 per audio hour + bonus potential
• Payment Method: PayPal
• Payment Frequency: Any time
• Experience Required: None

Scribie is one of the lowest-paying online transcription jobs for beginners I’ve found, but they do have some perks for those who are looking to break into a transcription career.

When you first apply and get accepted to Scribie, you’ll be on the bottom of the totem pole. This beginner position requires you to transcribe raw, short audio files with stringent formatting rules.

If you’re able to complete a set number of transcription jobs (usually 10), you may then be promoted to a reviewer position. If you review the next set of files correctly, you can be promoted to a self-reviewer role, then to a proofreader, and then to QC (quality control).

Each promotion is based on performance, and comes with either a pay increase or a different perk, like tasks that require less time to complete. You can also earn a 2.5% referral fee for every person who signs up to work for Scribie or be a Scribie customer.

Reaching each promotion level takes time and attention to detail, but once you’ve achieved the two highest levels, your income potential increases significantly, and that will generally help you make money faster.

5. TranscribeMe

• Pay: $15+ per audio hour
• Payment Method: PayPal
• Payment Frequency: Weekly
• Experience Required: None

TranscribeMe is another transcription company that’s easy for beginners but pays a fairly low rate.

The company has a steady amount of work available, and you can choose audio clips to transcribe on your own schedule. TranscribeMe splits long audio files into 2- to 4-minute clips for easier processing. This may be good if you have kids at home or are doing this on top of a full-time job.

Like Scribie, TranscribeMe mentions the opportunity for position advancement, but there aren’t any specifics on pay increases.

Related: 17 Best Places to Find Paid Small Tasks and Micro Jobs

6. GoTranscript

• Pay: Up to $36 per audio hour
• Payment Method: PayPal or Payoneer
• Payment Frequency: Every Friday
• Experience Required: None

GoTranscript boasts a “steady stream of projects” with new submissions every day. Unfortunately, the payment rate breakdown isn’t available, which makes the “up to $36 per audio hour” a little vague.

The current average earnings per month is $150 with a top-earning rate of $1,215 in one month. The average could be heavily weighted by a large number of transcribers doing this work on a very part-time basis.

7. Rev

• Pay: $18 to $66.60 per audio hour
• Payment Method: PayPal
• Payment Frequency: Weekly
• Experience Required: None

Rev is one of the more advanced transcription companies, and you might not get approved after your first time applying. Because Rev pays better rates, it requires high-quality submissions. If you don’t pass the entry exam the first time, you can try again. In the meantime, improve your transcription skills by working with a lower-paying company like Scribie.

You can also find work adding captions to videos, which pays slightly better than transcribing.

Related: 6 Common Work-from-Home Scams to Look Out For

8. Audio Transcription Center

• Pay: Between $17 to $19 per hour
• Payment Method: Unclear
• Payment Frequency: Weekly  
• Experience Required: Need to have a WPM of 80 or more and produce transcripts within 24 hours; take a typing test

Based in Boston, Audio Transcription Center offers both full-time, in-house positions and independent contract work. Its transcription work includes historic archival footage, tech webinars, quarterly reports, and more. Audio Transcription Center doesn’t offer medical transcription work. You need to be able to do basic research to verify names and spellings, especially for historic documents.

One of the main complaints was that there wasn’t enough work for the contractors, so it’s best to use this site with other services.

9. Net Transcripts, Inc.

• Pay: Depends on the supplier
• Payment Method: Depends on the supplier   
• Payment Frequency: Depends on the supplier
• Experience Required: May need previous experience 

Net Transcripts, Inc. focuses on law enforcement transcription jobs, including wire tap conversations, interrogations, 911 dispatch calls, and more. The site works as an aggregator where police departments, prosecutors, and others can list jobs. The requirements for these vary but may require previous experience, English fluency, and grammatical skills.

You need to fill out an application to be contacted by a recruiter.  

Where to Find Medical Transcription Jobs From Home

If you’ve had previous transcription experience and are ready to advance in your career, medical transcription jobs you can do from home could be a good fit.

Working in medical transcription requires knowledge of medical terminology. Without experience in this area, transcribing files with medical terms could be difficult even for the best typists.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, certification isn’t always required to work in medical transcription jobs, but it’s usually preferred. Previous time spent in the medical profession is also highly preferred in this field because it helps with translating medical terminology spoken in the audio files.

As of 2019, the median pay for medical transcriptionists was $33,380 annually (or $16.04 per hour). Rates vary based on client budget and previous experience.

3 places that list medical transcription jobs from home:

1. Indeed – salaries range from $45,000 to $80,000.
2. Glassdoor – salaries range from $15,000 to $53,000.
3. Zip Recruiter – salaries range from $45,000 to $55,000.

Where to Find Legal Transcription Jobs From Home

Legal transcription jobs require more knowledge than most other transcription jobs.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, legal transcriptionists are required to have a certification or a state license to work in this field.

Perhaps more commonly known as court reporters, legal transcriptionists type what takes place during live court proceedings. Legal transcription jobs from home are available to certified, professional transcriptionists who tune into court proceedings via live broadcasting.

As of 2019, the BLS said the median pay for legal transcriptionists is $60,130 annually (or $28.91 per hour).

3 places that list legal transcription jobs from home:

1. Indeed – salaries range from $40,000 to $55,000.
2. Glassdoor – salaries range from $18,000 to $54,000.
3. Zip Recruiter – rates not listed.

Sign Up with Multiple Transcription Companies

When you’re just getting started in transcription, your best option may be to sign up for each company listed above. Create a spreadsheet or document and order the companies that hire you from highest to lowest-paying. Every few days, check for new remote transcription jobs on those sites and aim to increase your hourly rate.

Having a good standing with multiple transcription companies can help you keep your schedule full of jobs. 

Related: 17 Online Typing Jobs You Can Do From Home

The post 9 Transcription Jobs That Pay You to Type Audio to Text appeared first on DollarSprout.

Freelance experts set their own hours, job locations, and prices. They can work from home, on the beach, or while on vacation.

While juggling remote freelance jobs isn’t for everyone, it certainly comes with a few undeniable perks. And when it comes to income, you may even find that working as a freelancer pays more money per hour than your typical entry-level office job.

If you have the stamina to work for multiple clients and the self-discipline to meet deadlines, then life as a freelancer could be your calling.

What Does It Mean to be a Freelancer?

Freelancing means you work for several companies on a flexible schedule instead of for a single employer at preset hours. Freelancing jobs can either replace your full-time income or just supplement it.

If you enjoy your job or like working in an office, then freelance work may be your answer to earning more money in your spare time. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a way out of your current job or want to be in control of your time and schedule, then you may just be destined for the freelance life.

Related: 25 Online Jobs That Are Legitimate, Easy, and Flexible

Top 5 Freelancing Sites

If you’re new to freelancing, then you may not know what jobs suit your skills. Even beginners can find lucrative jobs and gigs online to work from home. If you’re unsure where to start, then here are some great freelance job sites to scope out.

Keep in mind that it can cost to find quality jobs, but the payoff is the opportunity to find consistent freelance work in your area of expertise.

1. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is a trustworthy site filled with freelance jobs in every niche. While it comes with a small monthly membership fee to view the jobs, you never have to worry about scam offerings on this site. Real people test every single listing on FlexJobs before allowing it on the platform, which saves you time in the long run. Learn more in our FlexJobs Review.

2. Freelancer

Freelancer is another freelance job site packed full of opportunities perfect for launching your remote career. The platform is free to view and you can apply to a maximum of eight jobs per month. If you want to bid on more projects than that, you’ll need to sign up for a paid membership. For each project you complete, Freelancer keeps a 10% job fee or $5, whichever is more.

3. Upwork

Upwork connects freelancers with hundreds of thousands of clients in numerous niches. From photography to customer service to interior design, there’s hardly a limit on the types of jobs you can find on Upwork. Like other freelance job sites, Upwork charges a fee for its services. Expect to pay up to 20% of your earnings to the platform on each job you complete.

4. SolidGigs

SolidGigs offers an interesting business model for connecting freelancers with clients. Instead of sifting through job sites in your spare time hoping to land a respectable client, SolidGigs sends job lists to your email for a monthly membership fee of $19. If you secure at least $500 worth of jobs every month, that works out to less than 4% in fees. That’s far less than most job platforms these days.

You can get your first month with SolidGigs for only $2 and give it a test run to see if the leads are worth it. If you don’t like it, just cancel your membership before you’re charged the first $19 payment.

5. Fiverr

Yet another massive freelance job platform, Fiverr doesn’t disappoint when it comes to finding freelancing jobs. Sign up for a free account on Fiverr and look through the services that others offer. You can get some great ideas and craft your own services and pricing around your competition.

Fiverr is a bit different from other freelance job platforms. Instead of applying to and bidding on jobs, you create a service page, called a “gig,” for clients to find you. Choose your price or offer multiple price points for different levels of service. You’ll pay 20% of your earnings to Fiverr for using the platform.

50 Job-Specific Freelance Websites

Hearing about general freelance opportunities is one thing, but knowing exactly where to find freelance work is another. This list of job sites for freelancers will help you explore the specific opportunities in your area of expertise.

Writing

Pay: $50 to $500+ per article

From short blog posts to in-depth articles to online reviews, there are boundless opportunities as a freelance writer. With the endless hoards of content on the Internet, freelance writers have a wide selection of clients to choose from. There are freelance jobs available to write about personal finance, self-care, parenting, DIY and crafting, and so much more.

While it takes some prior skills and knowledge to become a freelance writer, it doesn’t mean you can’t dive into the trade with no past experience. If you’ve written papers in school, opinion pieces on social media, or detailed responses on forums, or you’ve taken online writing courses, then there’s probably a place for you in the freelance writing world.

If freelance writing sounds like something you’d like to do, start by creating your own online portfolio. This could be in the form of a media package you send to potential clients, a list of writing samples you’ve already published online, or a personal blog with your own written stories. Starting a blog is a great way to showcase your writing and impress new clients.

Where to find freelance writing jobs

• Contena
• Freelance Writing
• Freelance Writing Gigs
• iWriter
• Journalism Jobs

Proofreading

Pay: $10 – $45 per hour

A freelance proofreader spends time reading and correcting anything from new book drafts to court documents.

You don’t need a degree in English to land high-paying proofreading jobs. However, you do need to prove your skills and work toward perfecting your own spelling and grammar mistakes. It takes a strong understanding of the English language and attention to detail to be a successful proofreader.

Caitlin Pyle is a freelance proofreader who started out in the profession earning $43,000 per year while proofreading from home on a part-time schedule. She found a lucrative niche proofreading for court reporters and now teaches others how to do the same.

Caitlin offers a free video training for anyone interested in proofreading as a side hustle or career. The training includes five signs that proofreading might be a good fit for you as well as how you can start booking clients immediately.

Where to find freelance proofreading jobs

• FlexJobs
• ProofreadingServices.com
• Glassdoor
• Scribe Writing

Tutoring

Pay: $14 – $22+ per hour

Whether you’re an easy-going native English speaker or a math whiz who enjoys helping students study and complete homework assignments, there’s probably a freelance tutoring position that needs your skills. There are many topics where people need tutors, and it’s not only in academics.

While academic tutoring is the easiest area to find jobs in, it’s not the only option. Market your skills locally and offer to tutor in couponing, golf, horseback riding, or any other area of expertise you enjoy teaching.

The nice thing about freelance tutoring jobs is that you can find them both online and in your local area. If working on the computer is not something you want to do, then set up local tutoring appointments to get out and meet new people. The main requirement for tutoring is that you know your subject well and you know how to teach it to others so they’ll understand.

Where to find freelance tutoring jobs

• Outschool
• VIPKid
• Wyzant
• Tutor.com
• Brainfuse

Virtual assistant

Pay: $19 – $25 per hour

Being a virtual assistant (VA) is one of the most flexible freelance jobs online. Nearly any remote assistance offered to an online business on a per piece or hourly basis falls under the wing of a virtual assistant.

While not every business hires a VA to do everyday tasks, that doesn’t mean the demand for an online assistant isn’t there. From managing social media pages to scheduling client meetings to managing a business’ website updates, there are countless services you can offer.

Don’t get discouraged if your online expertise lies in only one or two areas. Chances are that you’ll find virtual assistant companies or clients who need your skills without the extra bells and whistles. There are hundreds of services that you could offer, but you only need one or two to get your VA business going.

Gina Horkey successfully launched her own virtual assistant business and turned it into a seven-figure enterprise. If you’re already inspired by the thought of this freelance job, you can look into her VA Foundations course that teaches you how to do the same. 

Where to find freelance virtual assistant jobs

• PeoplePerHour
• Zirtual
• VA Networking
• TaskRabbit
• HireMyMom.com

Gaming

Pay: $0 – $30+ per hour

Gaming is one of those freelance jobs that take time to build an income from. If you’re just getting into the gaming niche as a way to make money, you may find the ramp-up isn’t worth it for you. But if it’s something you enjoy doing in your spare time anyway, then it could be a great way to build an income from your talents.

As a professional gamer, you’ll need things like the newest gaming console or a fast gaming PC. You’ll also need a headset with a great microphone for high-quality sound.

Once you have the right gaming equipment, you can start streaming your games on YouTube, Twitch, or even start a blog to review equipment or give tips for your favorite games.

Related: 9 Real Money-Earning Games that Pay You Cash to Play

Where to find freelance gaming jobs

• PCH Games
• Start a gaming blog
• Create your own YouTube or Twitch channel

Transcription

Pay: $10 – $36 per hour

Transcribers listen to audio files and put them in writing. Common types of files include news interviews, medical appointments, conference calls, podcasts, and more. While there are some online tools that help transcribe audio to text, nothing is as accurate as a real person.

There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to transcription jobs, but the main requirements include good listening skills and fast typing. While there are tools to help with spelling along the way, it’s still good to have a strong understanding of whatever language you’re transcribing, including excellent grammar and spelling.

Where to find freelance transcription jobs

• Scribie
• Rev
• Fiverr
• TranscribeMe
• GoTranscript

Data entry

Pay: $10 – $17 per hour

Data entry is not for everyone. However, if you can perform simple tasks quickly and don’t mind the somewhat monotonous work, then this could be the money-making opportunity for you.

All you need to get started in this field is a computer, an Internet connection, and some basic skills. Attention to detail, organization, and typing are a few skills you’ll be expected to have. You should also know your way around Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and all Google equivalents (Sheets, Docs, and Slides).

When it comes to freelance jobs in data entry, there are plenty of scams or companies that pay next to nothing. Be diligent about the jobs you apply to, and make sure the company is credible.

Where to find freelance data entry jobs

• FlexJobs
• DionData Solutions
• Capital Typing
• SigTrack
• Microworkers

Graphic design

Pay: $25 – $50 per hour

Not every website owner has the talent to create beautiful graphics. In fact, businesses can end up failing if their image doesn’t align with the type of client they want to attract. That’s where graphic designers come in.

Printables, Pinterest images, and advertisements are three common areas that require graphic designers. While not every business hires this task out to a freelancer, it’s still a commonly sought after need. Graphic designers need the ability to use tools like Photoshop, Canva, and other programs. You’ll also need an artistic eye to create beautiful designs.

You don’t need a degree to become a graphic designer. If you have an eye for design but have yet to master the skills it takes to make money in the industry, you can easily learn the skills you need to fill your knowledge gaps. For example, you could take a free Graphic Design Basics course on Skillshare. A simple course can help you decide if freelance graphic design jobs are a good fit for you.

Where to find freelance graphic design jobs

• FlexJobs
• Fiverr
• 99Designs
• Network on Facebook
• Craigslist

Website design

Pay: $20 – $100 per hour

A freelance web designer designs and/or builds websites for clients. From e-commerce clothing stores to simple blog design layouts, there are tons of possibilities as a website designer.

You need some technical skills to start designing websites. Sure, there are sites that have a drag-and-drop interface, but you’ll still need to know the basics of web hosting and how to navigate platforms like WordPress.

A great way to start designing websites is to first design your own. Your personal website can serve as an online portfolio where clients can view your work and get a taste of your style.

Where to find freelance web design jobs

• Toptal
• Hubstaff Talent
• Guru
• WordPress
• DesignCrowd

Photography

Pay: 15% – 45% of every image copy sold

Earning money as a freelance photographer by taking pictures for graduating seniors, prom-goers, families, weddings, and other special events. The easiest way to get started is to reach out to friends, family members, and other connections to let them know about your services.

Another way to make money with photography is to sell your images as stock photos. Sites like Shutterstock pay photographers to take pictures, tag them with descriptive keywords, and allow people to license them for commercial and business use. In return, you receive credit and a commission for every license sold. The more in-demand images you post for sale, the more you can earn.

Related: 10 Cool Ways to Get Paid to Take Pictures

Where to find freelance photography opportunities

• Shutterstock
• EyeEm
• Foap
• Snapwire
• miPic

Is Freelance Work Right for You?

Even the best freelance jobs aren’t for everyone. To be a successful freelancer in any niche, it takes self-discipline, hard work, and the ability to meet deadlines. Without these three key traits, working independently might prove difficult or impossible for you.

However, if you want to ditch your office job and be a freelancer, then you can teach yourself the skills you need. Find a job that’s right for you and give it a chance. If you do well, add it to your portfolio and gradually increase your rates. Don’t be afraid to promote your work to friends and family or on your own social media. You never know where your next client might come from.

The post 50 Freelance Jobs Websites to Find Your Next Remote Gig appeared first on DollarSprout.

In 2018 alone, Google raked in a cool $136 billion._[1]

Imagine finding Google jobs online that pay just a crumb from the smallest slice of that pie.

While it doesn’t hire remotely for all of its highly sought-after positions, it may surprise you to see the list of jobs at Google. If you’re diligent, enjoy cracking codes, and are ready to take on some hard work, then this list of Google online jobs is for you.

Google Jobs from Home That Are Worth Your Consideration

Before diving into the following list of Google jobs, consider this: working directly for Google is much like any other job. You wake up early in the morning, roll out of bed, and drive to an office to clock in. But don’t click the back button just yet! There are actual Google jobs from home for you to consider as well.

Working for Google and working with Google are two separate ways to make money online. In the first type of position, you’ll find yourself working as a W-2 employee, while in the second you’d be a self-employed, independent contractor.

Now that you understand the difference between working for vs. with Google, let’s dive into the job opportunities!

This first list of Google jobs is for you if you’re willing to work independently vs. as an employee.

While working in a Google office sounds amazing, and often pays well, self-employment offers even higher income potential. However, it’s not for everyone, so take each possibility into consideration before diving in.

1. Blogger monetizing with AdSense

One of the top ways to make money with Google is by earning ad revenue with AdSense on a blog. As one of the largest ad networks in the world, AdSense displays quality ads in every corner of the Web.

How much do bloggers make?

Bloggers earn anywhere from $0 to $100,000+ per month. But keep in mind that brand new bloggers always begin with a blank slate. You may earn only pennies, if that, during your first month of blogging. In fact, it could be more than 6 months to a year before you earn any income at all.

If you can dedicate some time to starting your blog the right way, then consider holding onto your day job for a while longer while you launch and cultivate your future blog.

To put potential earnings into perspective, consider the blog you’re on, DollarSprout. Ads were just a tiny piece of the puzzle that brought the earnings where they are today. Sometimes it just takes those first small paychecks to keep you motivated knowing that blogging for money really works.

Starting a blog without any experience is difficult, but not impossible. In fact, 95% of bloggers will jump ship long before receiving their first significant paycheck. This is not meant to discourage you from blogging, but rather to prepare you for the work ahead.

If you are hardworking and willing to learn from the mistakes of others, you are already ahead of the game.

Related: How to Start a Profitable Blog (Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners)

How to make money with AdSense on a blog

Making money with AdSense is more than slapping some ads on just any stagnant website. The most successful ad revenue earners today are bloggers and content marketers. It takes high-quality, consistent content creation to get your blog approved for and earning money with AdSense advertising.

After you’re approved for the AdSense program, earning money through ads is virtually passive income. But remember, it can take years to build a high enough income to replace your full-time job. That’s why it’s so important to diversify your blogging income with other methods like affiliate marketing and product creation.

Once you have your blog set up, you’re creating high-quality content, and AdSense ads are displaying on each post, your income will start to grow. It’s important to learn all of the aspects of blogging to turn your side hustle into a high-earning business from home.

Related: How We Made Over $1,500 in One Month from Blogging

2. YouTuber monetizing with AdSense

Starting a blog isn’t the only Google job that allows you to monetize with AdSense. YouTube also has the option to make money with your content by displaying ads on videos. This allows video creators to earn money from AdSense ad views and clicks.

How much money can you make on YouTube?

The more views your videos attract, the more money you can earn on YouTube. For example, one video you create might garner 34 views per month and earn pennies, while another accumulates thousands of views per month and earns $100+ in monthly residual income.

Becoming successful on YouTube comes down to video presentation and editing skills, topic popularity, competition, and the time and effort you’re able to invest. While it sounds like the stars need to align in order to earn money on YouTube, that’s not necessarily the case.

To put it into perspective, YouTube’s top earner in 2018 was a 7-year-old boy who spent his days playing with and reviewing toys. With the help of his parents and little twin sisters, Ryan’s earnings peaked at $22 million._[2]

While it’s not exactly practical to compare yourself with the top earner on YouTube, the takeaway here is that anyone has the potential to create video content that others will enjoy watching.

How to make money with AdSense on YouTube

Earning money on YouTube in itself is a simple concept. Create and publish compelling videos, tag your videos, describe them with relevant keywords, and turn on AdSense to start earning money from ad clicks. To stop here requires a lot of popular video content and views to grow your earnings.

Like with blogging, company partnerships and affiliate connections will help you grow your earnings on YouTube. Whether you create videos on toy reviews, DIY projects, gaming streams, or the latest celebrity style, there are affiliate programs for every niche.

YouTube will ask your monetizing intentions for each video which may affect your AdSense earnings. Always test your strategies and be willing to pursue avenues that make the most money.

Related: 25 Online Jobs That are Legitimate, Easy, and Flexible

3. Google search engine evaluator

Becoming a search engine evaluator is another way to work for Google indirectly. Appen offers positions to “highly educated,” U.S. English-speaking contractors. With stringent qualification requirements and a seemingly high volume of applicants, Google search engine evaluation positions appear to be few and far between.

But don’t let that stop you from applying to this highly sought after position with Appen.

How Much Do Search Engine Evaluators Make?

According to Glassdoor, search engine evaluators earn a base pay rate of $14 per hour._[3] The hours are flexible but cap at 35 per week. That means, if there is enough work available for you to consistently work 35 hours every week, your yearly income maximum potential is $25,480.

How to get started

As a search engine evaluator, your tasks involve following specific search prompts, analyzing the results, and providing feedback on how well the top websites correlate with the original search query.

In a nutshell, you report on Google’s ability to serve the absolute best content during its 3.5 billion daily searches. To work nearly full-time in this position requires some grueling, repetitive work. But if $14 per hour covers your income needs, it may be worth your consideration.

Related: 7 Data Entry Jobs to Earn from Home on Your Own Schedule

Other Google Positions (Location Specific)

Google proudly proclaims, “Whether you’re a designer, writer, researcher, or engineer, we’re always looking for talented individuals to join our team.” If you’re not bound to working from home and meet the required education/experience minimums, one of these Google Jobs may be more suitable for you.

Keep in mind that these positions involve working in an office. If you’re trying to leave your 9-to-5, you’ll want to stop here and reconsider the above opportunities.

Related: 10 Online Business Ideas That Anyone Can Start (with Little or No Cost)

How to apply for Google jobs online

In order to apply for jobs at Google, you’ll need to find a position in your area, be willing to relocate, compare your education and work experience to the minimum requirements, and submit an application via Google Careers.

Note that Google’s job offerings change all the time, so check in often if you’re looking for a specific opportunity in your area of expertise.

4. Google writing jobs

Perhaps one of the easier Google jobs to qualify for, writing opportunities for the online giant are plenty. There are both creative and technical writing jobs available.

Although a BA/BS degree in writing is suggested, related experience in the industry will suffice. Make sure to check Google Careers for more writing jobs and locations.

5. Google design jobs

Google takes pride in offering some of the most intuitive, user-friendly, and beautiful products on the market. With a background in design, you could land a coveted spot on its team.

6. Google software engineer jobs

Google’s growing team of software engineers could be the place for you if you meet the minimum education and experience qualifications.

Online Google Jobs from Home: Life-Changing Possibilities

While choosing to work for Google could go one of two ways, the choice is ultimately yours. If you qualify for one of the jobs at Google, there’s no doubt you will be well taken care of as long as you put your best foot forward.

However, it’s no secret that corporate America limits earnings and freedom immensely, regardless of the size of the company you work for.

If you’re ready to step away from a 9-to-5 office position, consider starting a blog or launching a YouTube channel. Though you won’t start earning super quickly in either of these Google-related jobs, you surely have the opportunity to build a life-changing business and income from home.

The post 6 High-Paying Google Jobs You Can Do From Home appeared first on DollarSprout.