Parafiks - A Personal Finance

Make Money With Your Drone: 10 Profitable Ways to Earn

Do you want to learn how to make money with a drone? Drones have surged in popularity in recent years. They’re no longer just toys — businesses and individuals rely on them for aerial photography, inspections, surveys, and more. That growing demand creates many real opportunities to turn flying into a profitable side hustle or … Read more

Are Budget Airlines Worth It? 6 Smart Ways to Cut Flight Costs

Considering saving on airfare by flying with budget carriers like Allegiant, Frontier, or Spirit Airlines? Below are practical tips to help you find cheap plane tickets and get the best flight deals. Recently my husband, Wes, needed to make a few last-minute trips to visit family. At first I searched the usual carriers—American, Delta, Southwest—but … Read more

Stunning Wedding Photography Ideas to Capture Your Big Day

It’s finally here — I received our wedding photos the other day, and I’m excited to share some of them with you. I won’t be posting all of them (there are over 1,000!), but I selected a handful that I love. I’ve also included short reviews of and credits for some items we used for … Read more

How a Family of Six Lives on $53,000 a Year While Paying $22,000 in Student Loans

Today I’m sharing a story from Penny. Her family of six lives on just $53,000 a year, and $22,000 of that goes toward student loan debt. Here is her account. Dear Readers of Making Sense of Cents, I’m Penny. I co-write a blog with my cousin, Rich — it’s called Penny and Rich. He’s wealthy, … Read more

10 Practical Side Hustles You Can Fit Into a Busy Schedule

Everyone has the same 24 hours each day. What matters is how you choose to use them. Balancing a side hustle with school, a full-time job, family, or other obligations can feel overwhelming, but with deliberate choices and consistent habits it’s possible to make meaningful progress without sacrificing what’s most important. I often get asked … Read more

How Blogging Transformed My Life — Could It Transform Yours?

In August 2011 I discovered blogging and decided to learn how to create a blog, which led me to start Making Sense of Cents. I knew nothing about blogging and had no plans to earn money from it.

Learning how to create a blog changed my life. I’m grateful I gave blogging a chance — figuring out how to start a blog opened opportunities I hadn’t imagined. Over time blogging has treated me well, and in this article I’ll explain how it changed my life and why you might consider creating a blog yourself.

Blogging became one of the best decisions I made. It allowed me to earn substantial income doing work I enjoy. As shown in my business income reports, my blogging-related income now exceeds $100,000 a month.

I never expected to leave my day job as a financial analyst to become a full-time blogger. I first learned about blogging when reading a magazine that featured a personal finance website. At the time I wanted to take control of my finances and pay off student loans.

Are you looking for free work-from-home courses? Would you like to learn how to start working from home or launch your own home-based business? Below is a carefully curated list of free online courses, webinars, and ebooks designed to help you explore legitimate home-based income opportunities. Whether you want to earn extra income or pursue … Read more

Pursue Your Passion or Choose Stable Income: How to Decide

About a week ago I asked you a number of questions because I wanted to learn more about who you are and what you do. Many of you responded that your current job is not your dream job.

Over the past year my posts have leaned more and more toward the idea of pursuing work you love. Last year I wrote Do You Want To Be Self Employed, and the topic has stuck with me since. Passion-driven careers and side hustles have become common discussion in the personal finance world, with bloggers and entrepreneurs choosing to strike out on their own. The encouraging truth is this: finding your dream job is possible.

I recently read two contrasting stories on Get Rich Slowly: one about a reader who left a high-paying, promising career to enjoy life more, and another about someone who quit their passion to take a steadier, more conventional job. Those two pieces made me question my own path.

My side income has never been better, and I’m actively diversifying it. Right now I’m at a point where I could take a leap of faith and invest more time in the side projects I enjoy, potentially doing them full-time instead of continuing my standard 8-to-5 office role.

MyAppFree pays you to test apps, play games, and complete surveys. Read my MyAppFree review to see how it works and what I experienced. Want a simple way to earn a bit of extra cash from your phone? I recently tested MyAppFree to determine whether it truly pays users to download apps, play games, complete … Read more