January 14, 2020

How to Earn and Save Extra Money

There are two kinds of spenders—the ones who count every penny and clip every coupon and the ones who pay no attention to what or how much they’re spending. Penny pinchers can sometimes be too rigid and obsessive when it comes to saving money and can sometimes miss out on spontaneity; while those who don’t pay attention to what they’re spending their money on can end up surprised when they see the number in their bank account or balance on their credit card.  If you can find a balance among the two types, both your wallet and your adventurous side will be happy. Here are some practical tips that can help you keep or add extra money to your bank account. 

Refer a Resident to Your Community or Other Venterra Property

Did you know that Venterra has a Referral Rewards Program? Advertising sites and Google are great for researching apartments but speaking directly to someone who lives there has even more clout. Afterall, we are in the age where customer reviews and testimonials are more persuasive and weighted than firsthand experience or discussion with the community team. And what’s awesome about referring someone to a Venterra community is that it pays while you’re living there and even when you’ve moved out. While you’re living at a Venterra community, simply have your friend write your name down for Resident Referral when filling out an application for the apartment. What’s most unique about Venterra is that we pay out referrals even after you’ve moved out. You read that right. If you lived at a Venterra community and have moved out, you can still earn a referral fee. Simply have your friend list your name and when and where you were a resident. We’ll mail you a check in the mail once your friend has moved in!

Find Coupons online and with apps to save money on groceries and household essentials

Ibotta – This is a great app that gives you cash back on items you spend on at the store or online. Simply download the app, find your store, and see which items have coupons! Add the deals to your app and after you’ve made your purchases, you will take a picture of your receipt and upload it to the app, scan your items, and cha-ching! Money will be deposited into your Ibotta account. When you’ve hit $20 or more, you can cash in for a direct PayPal deposit or for gift cards. And they have their own referral program, so you can earn money when friends sign up! Use this code to get your first $10. 

My Points – This is an online site where you can earn points just by shopping online. Simply add the extension to your browser and it will pop up and tell you when a site you’re on has points. You will also get targeted emails that have special deals and tell you how many points are available. Once you reach a certain level of points, you can cash them in for gift cards or airline miles. 

• Airline Shopping Portals – Each airline alliance has its own shopping portal. These are great for earning air miles simply by shopping online. Like My Points, you can add the extension to your browser so you can be alerted when you’re on a site where you can earn points. For example, AA Advantage (American Airlines) will give you 4 points per dollar spent on Booking.com when you log on to Booking.com through the shopping portal or browser extension. Register for these common shopping portals – AA Advantage, Southwest, Delta, United Mileage Plus. 
• Dining Rewards Program – Similar to the airline shopping portal, you can sign up for dining rewards programs through various airline and hotel sites. Simply sign up on each site and register a debit or credit card. Each time you dine at a qualifying restaurant, you’ll earn airline and hotel miles. Register for these common Dining Rewards Programs – AA Advantage, Southwest, Delta, United Mileage Plus, IHG. 

Start a Side Hustle 

There are countless ways to earn money these days on your own. If you’re employed, you depend on your employer to pay you and tell you what to do. While it’s great to have a steady paycheck, security, and benefits, creating your own way to make money on the side builds confidence and adds an additional security blanket for supplemental income, vacation funds, savings, etc. Get creative and make a list of your skills and what you enjoy doing; what lights you up or do you enjoy doing for fun? Or better yet, what is something that could be better improved? How can you make it better? Often times those lead to great profitable side hustles. Need some inspiration, listen to the Side Hustle School podcast which brings you a story every day in 10 minutes or less of someone who started a side hustle. 

Do a Financial Inventory 

While this is not a fun task to do, it is very insightful in assessing your spending habits. You can download help apps like Mint to get you started. Mint tracks your spending and provides weekly summaries so you can see where your money went during the week. You may think you don’t spend a lot on coffee or eating out, but you might be surprised! After doing the inventory see what you can limit or cut down on spending. And you may even find that you’re paying for subscriptions that you never use. Perhaps you signed up for a free trial for Audible or Spotify Premium, never used it, and forgot to cancel it! There’s probably something that you’re paying for monthly that you never use or ones that you can stand to lose. This exercise often ends with giving money back to you. 

Pick one of these activities and see how much you can save or gain back! And you can make a game out of it—set a goal and see how much you can save in a month! If you’re someone who is rigid with your spending, where can you let lose? Perhaps you’re already good at saving, but are you good at experience and leaving room for spontaneity? When you can create a balance of both saving and letting loose every now and then, you can find more fulfillment and freedom in your life. 

What are some of your favorite tips for earning extra points and money?