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So, you were fortunate enough to get into a great college. Now, however, you’re bogged down with constant demands on your time and there always seems to be a test to study for or a paper to write. Somewhere in all of the hassle, you’re still expected to make ends meet.

The good news is that making money while you’re in college is not impossible, not if you’re willing to try out some new, different, and interesting types of work that are flexible enough to fit in with the schedule at your military friendly college.

Write a Match Blog!

Are you a skilled writer? If so, then know that you could make money by writing a match blog. While that term can refer to a few different things, what’s being referenced here are blogs that are matched with brands or companies.

These blogs advertise for the brand or company, which earns the blogger money and also gets more visitors to his or her site. If you’ve got a blog with a decent following (or if you can come up with one), then you can make money; it’s that simple. Check out Blog-Match or another company that matches blogs and brands.

Make Your Opinion Count

Would you like to earn money just for answering simple questions about yourself? Believe it or not, it’s more than possible to bring in cash by taking surveys online. A quick Google search will reveal plenty of options for earning money by taking surveys, and you can sign up for as many of these sites if you want. Your opinion helps to fuel market research and also puts money in your wallet!

Get Sponsored

Not everyone who blogs away or posts countless Youtube videos is doing it for the attention. Some people’s blogs, Youtube channels, and even Facebook accounts are sponsored, meaning someone is paying them to run those accounts.

Oftentimes, the person gives back something in return, such as mentioning the sponsor or even advertising for a particular brand, and almost all sponsored individuals have a wide following. If you’ve got the following, start looking around for sponsorship opportunities and let things take off!

Put That Money Away

When you use one or more of these ideas to start making money, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how quickly the cash starts to pile up! While it can be tempting to spend it all at once, make sure that you save at least a little something; a good rule of thumb is to save about 10% from every paycheck that you receive. Don’t opt for a savings account that comes with hefty administrative charges. Look for a bank, like BB&T, that gives free checking and savings accounts to college students.

Adrienne Erin is a blogger and aspiring author. When she’s not blogging about tech and social media, you might find her practicing her French, whipping up some recipes she found on Pinterest, or obsessing over vintage postcards and stamps.

There are numerous examples of people adding to their home or changing rooms completely; it’s a great way to make your home better and saves the hassle of moving house just to get a new conservatory or a bigger kitchen.

The only problem with that is that it can be terribly expensive and rising costs can drain your bank account. Although there are no estate agent fees or solicitor intervention, you do have to worry about how it’s going to be built, the equipment that will be required and dealing with your local authority if you need planning permission.

There are ways, however, that would enable you to save money on such necessities.

Doing the work yourself (or as much as possible!)

Many people who plan to build on their own home are trained in the relative skills that will enable them to do most of the work. The costs of hiring labour can be vast and if they go over the proposed schedule, then you’ll have to pay out more money.

You might find that some businesses will purposely provide a longer schedule to make more money, so it can be worthwhile to shop around to see who can do the work in a decent amount of time and for a reasonable price if you can’t do the work yourself.

If you are able to do some work yourself, you may still need to outsource someone to do something like loler testing and inspection to make sure you can go ahead with your build and get your certification for safety.

Hire, don’t buy equipment

If you are able to take on the work yourself, you’ll obviously need to get the correct equipment, whether it be lifting equipment, handling equipment or drills and mortar. However, make sure that you hire and not buy, because you’ll only use this equipment once and so it’ll be fie to hire lifting equipment from someone like Lifting Gear UK.

The expense of owning such equipment is very high and remember you’ll have to keep in the best of shape so that means maintaining it and making sure it’s always working safely.

Complete the project all in one go

Cost often spiral when projects get dragged out further and further because your budget usually only applies to the planned schedule. The longer the project lasts, the more labour costs will be required and most likely equipment and material costs too.

It didn’t take long for social networking to hit the financial world in a meaningful way. No, it’s not a new app for your smartphone that lets you take a picture of a check and then deposit it into your bank account. As cool as that is, SmartyPig is at least twice as cool. Read on for proof.

What is SmartyPig?

SmartyPig (smartypig.com) is a goal-oriented internet-based savings account fully protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) just like the savings account at your local bank. What differentiates a SmartyPig savings account from traditional savings accounts is the unique social networking component attached to each account.

Set a goal for yourself

Aren’t all savings accounts goal-oriented? Sure, but not in the same manner as a SmartyPig savings account. When you setup a SmartyPig account you immediately identify a goal for the money. Want a new laptop computer? Make that the goal. Want to take a holiday cruise? Then that’s your goal.

After your savings goal has been identified, simply enter in the amount of your goal and the day you want to reach it.

Social Networking

What makes the SmartyPig savings accounts a zillion times more fun than a traditional savings account is that you get to share your goal with all your friends on Facebook! Just try and pretend that isn’t awesome.

But the Facebook fun doesn’t end there. Not only can your friends share in your goal by encouraging you to stay on track to achieve your goal, they can also contribute to your financial success. Just imagine 1,000 of your closest friends each contributing just one dollar each to your success. Okay, it’s probably not quite that easy, but you get the gist of how the social networking component works.

Retail Partners

Another exciting part of a SmartyPig savings account is the retailer shops that have jumped on board with cash-back savings of up to 11% on purchases, and it’s no small number of stores. Here’s a partial list:

* Amazon.com (3%)
* Banana Republic (10%)
* Gap (10%)
* Macy’s (11%)
* Old Navy (5%)
* Sports Authority (5%)
* Travelocity Hotel Gift Card (10%)

Here’s how this program works. Let’s say you have saved $1,000, reaching your goal for a vacation. When you transfer that money, as an example, to a Travelocity Hotel Gift Card you instantly get an additional 10 percent—$100 dollars—added to the gift card. That’s $1,100 to put towards your hotel. Sweet, right? Of course it is.

Interest Account

To top off everything you’ve read so far about SmartyPig savings accounts, they also pay a very competitive annual yield of 0.70% on any balance below $50,000. Accounts exceeding $50,000 earn an annual yield of 0.50%, making SmartyPig savings accounts among the most competitive in the industry.

So, what are you waiting for? Do you have a financial goal that could really get exciting with SmartyPig, your friends on Facebook, and cash back from great retail partners? Visit smartypig.com for all the details and set a plan into motion to reach your goals.

Tagg writes on behalf of CableTV.com – home of XFINITY Internet Deals for the family. He typically writes about finance and technology. When he’s not obsessing over spreadsheets, he’s an avid soccer player and mountain biker. You can follow him on Twitter. @CableTVcom

One of the things that people find little success with is budgeting. No matter how hard they try, the ability to make both ends meet seems to be elusive for most people. The sight of fashionable clothes, the latest gadgets, vacation in the island is simply too tempting to pass up. Finding it hard to budget your expenses? Here are some tips on how you can master the art of making both ends meet.

Before learning how to budget, try to determine the reasons for not being able to meet your budget. There are plenty of reasons for such failure. For one, you might not have prioritized your expenses. Come up with a list and then sort them from the most important to the least important. Likewise, determine which is discretionary expenses. These are items that you usually buy but can afford to live without.

Food and shelter should be on the top of your list. These are basic needs that support your survival. The next most important are the utilities such as water and electricity. A car loan is discretionary expenses because it is part of your budget but you can live without it. Unnecessary expenses should be at the bottom of your list.

After you have listed down your priorities, classify them into monthly and weekly expenses. While learning how to budget, you will come to the realization that your expenses will be greater than your income. Deduct the expenses from the income and you will come up with your potential savings for the month.

To cut down on your expenses, you need to take away your bad habits. If you have a vice such as smoking or drinking, it could also affect your budget plan. Reduce your intake of alcohol or cigarettes and you will see your expenses come down. Doing this will also have some beneficial effects on your health.

There are many ways you can cut down on your expenses. For example, rather than buy coffee from Starbucks, buy a coffee maker or travel mug and make your own coffee instead. If you are living in an expensive apartment, consider moving to a smaller unit. If you are going to a location just a few blocks away from your house, why don’t you walk instead? You will not only reduce your gasoline expenses but also get some form of exercise.

For credit card bills, always contact the credit card company if you will be unable to pay your bills on time. Explain to them your current situation. I am sure they will be able to help you out in coming up with a more affordable payment plan.

Personal budgeting entails supplementing your income and reducing expenses. This way, you will be able to better manage your personal finances. However, if your financial problem is already overwhelming and budgeting is no longer working, it is best to seek professional help.

Perhaps the best advice for learning how to budget is to live within your means. If you cannot afford to have an LCD or plasma television, a standard cable television will suffice. Bear in mind that success will not come in a blink of an eye. You need to work hard until you are able to master the art of budgeting.

Mags Malvar is a content writer for a marketing giveaways company selling quality giveaways. Check out his blog at http://melvin-magadia.blogspot.com/

If you are like most young adults, you are just starting out your professional career in your twenties. You may be considering how to get your career off to a great start and how to advance it so you can reach professional goals and aspirations. The last thing on your mind may be reaching the end of your career and retiring. Yet there are many reasons why young adults in their twenties should start saving today for retirement.

Increased Savings Over Time

There are so many stories today about people in their 40s and 50s who haven’t saved a penny for retirement. These are individuals who are forced to save large sums of money each month to make up for the last few decades that they did not save regularly. Saving smaller amounts over a longer period of time is easier on your budget than trying to save large sums of money later in life.

Maximizing Employer-Matching Contributions

If your employer has an employer-matching program in place, not taking advantage of that program is like throwing free money away. With these programs, your employer will match the amount of money you contribute to a retirement program up to a certain percentage.

Depending on your salary and the program your employer has in place, this may equate to hundreds and often thousands of dollars over the course of a year. Over time, this can add up to a very sizable amount of money. The longer you participate in such a program, the maximum your benefit will be from it.

Compound Growth

You may choose to save your money in an interest-bearing savings account, in mutual funds, in high-yield dividend stocks, or a mix of all of these. These options all provide growth opportunities for your money over time.

Through the benefits of compound growth on interest and dividend reinvestment programs, your money saved today will grow much faster over time than money invested at the age of 50. Saving early not only provides you with the opportunity to save money, but also for your money to grow more.

Fewer Financial Commitments

Many young adults think they will have more money to spend and save later in their working careers, and so they delay contributing to a retirement program or saving for the future. Young adults often do have credit card debt and student loans.

In your later years, though, you may have even greater expenses such as a home mortgage, the expense of children, and more. It is not uncommon for a person’s expenses to grow as their income grows. So getting in the habit of saving now is advantageous over delaying your savings efforts.

Improved Financial Security

Having money in a retirement account, in a savings account, in the stock market, and more improves your financial security. While there may be penalties for withdrawing money early from a retirement account, these are funds that can be used if you lose a job or face some other financial crisis.

Further, the recent economic crisis has taught us that it is best to save early and regularly. Many people in recent years were forced to delay their retirement plans until the recession ended, and this is particularly true of those who had counted on the stock market to grow at a steady rate as part of their retirement planning. When you save early and diversify your savings, you have a larger buffer against economic fluctuations.

There are many reasons why you should start saving early. Take time today to review your budget and establish a plan to save regularly each month.

Vanessa Griffin is a freelance writer and financial expert. She always stresses that saving for retirement should be the number one financial goal for everyone. She reminds that them that like car insurance rates, most of their bills will decrease at retirement but they will never really go away.