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The Real Tea No One is Spilling: The Grind Culture is Toxic

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grind culture

Money makes the world go round, or so the saying goes. Recent years have fully embraced the contractor and independently employed individuals. In fact, hustling or grinding has become the norm. People leave their nine-to-five and head to work on their side hustle. In some special cases,  people may even turn their hustle into a full-time gig. What I haven’t heard many people talking about is how the grind culture can be extremely toxic.

Unpopular Opinions

There is a recent trend on TikTok where people have been sharing a few unpopular opinions they have. In the world of personal finance Toks, this has been interesting. Just about everyone has a different opinion about how money should be managed, how you should invest, and what size down payment you should have. However, at the same time, no one was really talking about my elephant in the room: hustle culture. So, of course, I added a TikTok of my own.

@districtmediafinance##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##finance ##personalfinance ##budgeting ##startariot

♬ original sound – Alien


In the personal finance world on social media everyone is talking about how you can earn extra money. More money is always a good thing, right? Well, for me, B.I.G. said it best, “Mo money, mo problems.” Of course, you can earn some extra cash to pay off some debt (I’ve done it) or even fund a vacation, but it shouldn’t be a lifestyle. You’ll work yourself to the bone and the other things in your life will become less important than making an extra buck. Your relationships will suffer, your health may suffer, and all you’ll have is a padded savings account.

Why Grind Culture Has Become Toxic

In today’s climate, if you only work one full-time job it’s almost unheard of. Almost everyone has a side hustle, part-time gig, or way they are making money on the side. This is due, in part, to rising prices and people’s need to make ends meet. A lot of it has to do with the toxic hustle culture that has infiltrated social media and other communication platforms.

Now, grind culture hasn’t always been toxic. People have been “making a little money on the side” for ages. You take work where you can find it. Today, people are working to excess though. Many are working over 40 hours every week and then feel pressure to be working on a special project or additional job on top of that. If you don’t have a hustle you’re almost seen as lazy or dumb.

After all, who wouldn’t want extra money?

You should work extra hard now so you don’t have to later!

Ultimately, this just leads to a bunch of overworked people walking through life as zombies. Possibly worse, it could lead to a culture where the main focus of our interactions with each other is financial.

Final Thoughts

Have your side hustle but have your family too. Don’t let your jobs or means to make money overshadow the life you are building or take away from time spent with your family. Carve out time to enjoy your loved ones and the cash you’re making. Hustle hard, live life even more.

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What to Do When You Need Extra Cash This Month

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It’s a horrible feeling when you can’t pay your bills or you run out of money before the end of the month. When you’re not even half-way through the month and already know for sure your account will be hitting zero soon it can be even worse.

Before depression sets in or you hit panic mode, stop and take a deep breath. There are solutions when you need extra cash this month.

Sell Stuff

When you need extra cash this month, start your spring cleaning early. Take an hour or two to go through the clutter in your home or apartment.

If you are like me chances are you usually put it off until you have time. But what better time than when you need some extra money?

Tackle that closet or dresser that is stuffed with clothes that don’t fit or new items you never used and won’t miss. Then, go online to eBay, Amazon, Letgo, or some other site and give it a new home.

Fill Out Surveys

Have you ever considered filling out surveys to make some extra money? There are plenty online to choose from that are willing to pay for your opinion of their products or services.

Some pay more than others, of course, but you could make anywhere from an extra few dollars to $90 or more. Regardless of the amount, if you have a computer already and a little extra time on your hands you could be making money in no time.

Ask for a Raise

Another thing to do when you need extra cash this month is ask for a raise. Obviously you will want to make sure you have been doing an exceptional job before you approach your supervisor. But this is one way to get some extra money in your budget when you need it.

Drive for Uber or Lyft

If you don’t mind driving you could use your car to earn some extra money. Sign up for Uber or Lyft and within a few days you could be chauffeuring others around and earning money for it.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a car. You can still sign up through HyreCar. Just fill out the paperwork and they will do a background check before matching you to a car you can rent.

Rent Your Extra Bedrooms

Having an unused bedroom can help when you need extra cash this month. With a little time and preparation you could rent it to other people such as vacationers or those traveling for business.

Check out the requirements with Airbnb to see if your home qualifies. You can either be absent or present when guests are there as long as you notify them before they rent.

You might be able to offer travelers additional services for extra money too, such a meals or transportation. However, if you do offer extras, make sure the prices are stated up front.

Offer a Variety of Services

Often people just need someone to fill the gaps in their lives. You could be that person. Advertise on Facebook, Twitter, and other places so that your community knows you are available.

The services you could provide are only limited by your imagination and what others need. You could babysit, animal sit, clean houses or businesses, paint, detail cars, tutor, clear snow, clean gutters, wash windows, buy and deliver groceries, run errands, and more.

Mend and Alter Clothes

If you have a sewing machine and are good at sewing you could tailor, mend, and alter clothes for other people to bring in extra cash. Some communities have a need for these services with no one to fill it.

Check with bridal shops, dry cleaning services, and clothing stores to see if you can get referrals. You may even be able to turn your temporary side-hustle into a permanent side business.

Bake or Cater

If you love to spend time in the kitchen and are a good cook, turn it into a money maker. Decide if you want to cater full meals or bake cookies, cakes, and other sweets.

Then, advertise and share a few samples to get customers fast. Before you know it you will be raking in the dough.

As you can see, when you need extra money in pretty short order there are things you can do to get it. Choose one or two of these ways to add to your income and help you breathe a little easier.

Have you ever fallen short on cash before? If so, what did you do to solve the problem?

Jeanne is a married mother of 2 children who works as a full-time freelancer and also helps out occasionally on the farm she and her husband own together. Her background is mostly finance and medical office management.  She’s currently working to improve her financial well-being and hopes to help others improve theirs as well.

How to Start Your Own Project Management Company

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Making your way in the world when it comes to your career is a tricky road. Learning how to navigate it can take an entire lifetime. You’re faced with twists and turns that you didn’t even imagine existed. So what happens if you’re not satisfied just following a basic path; what if you want to make your own way and be the one in control of your career? This is exactly why so many people choose to start their own company.

One field that is extremely popular with those looking to head up their own business is project management. As a project manager, you’ll be the one in charge of the planning and execution of various projects that you take on. It’s something new and exciting each and every day, which adds to the allure. Here’s a look at the steps you can take that will allow you to start your own project management company.

Start with an Educational Foundation

Before you can even think about starting up your own project management company, it’s necessary to get the proper educational foundation. What this means is enrolling in a masters in project and program management program. You can even enroll in an online MSMPP program, which will allow you to obtain the degree while working on the side.

By earning your degree you will be arming yourself with the most-up-to date tools, knowledge, and skills that are required to successfully manage projects.

Specialize in a Particular Industry

Another tip is to become an expert in one particular industry. This will help you to gain the upper-hand in that industry, which will set you apart from the competition. You’ll want to start specializing as early as possible so it’s clear from the start where your focus is.

Build a Marketing Plan

It’s pretty hard to build a company and make it successful if people don’t know about you and don’t know how to find you. This means you need a marketing plan. How do you plan to reach potential customers, where will you do this, how often, and how will you follow up with potential clients.

In today’s landscape, social networks tend to be an excellent place to market your services. What this means is that you need to be active on social networks such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You’ll also need a website that is SEO optimized, is user-friendly, and provides people with a reason to visit it. Adding a blog to your website can definitely help.

Get Out and Network

When it comes to starting your own business, no matter what industry it is in, networking is an absolute necessity. Attend industry events, seminars, conferences, and look into cross-promoting with other companies. The larger your network, the more opportunities will be open to you.

Keep at It

No-one has ever said that starting your own business is an easy process. It takes time, energy, motivation, and perseverance. All of this work just helps to make it more rewarding when your business does become a success.

How to Win Scholarships with Nicole Crosby, The Scholarship Tutor

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Nicole Crosby, The Scholarship Tutor, is here to share her best tips for applying and most importantly, WINNING, scholarships!  In this interview, Nicole shares:

  • How her own experience winning scholarships led to her career as The Scholarship Tutor
  • What makes a great candidate to win scholarships (It’s not just the straight-A students!)
  • Where to look for scholarships online and when the best time is to apply for them
  • And her tips for getting our students noticed in the sea of applicants

There are so many great nuggets that Nicole shares in this interview, and of course, we talk about applying for scholarships for high school students. But as you’ll find out, there are lots of scholarships available for adults who are going back to school because they’re switching careers or seeking advanced degrees.

So if you have a child who will be attending college someday or you think you might go back to school yourself, this is a must watch interview.

If you’re looking for an online resource for finding scholarships, check out GoodCall. I met the founder recently, and the website makes it easy to filter through scholarships.

[bctt tweet=”How to Win Scholarships with Nicole Crosby @ScholarshipTutr” username=”MonicaRLouie”]  As Nicole mentioned at the end, we’ve partnered together, and I’m putting together a course for the students she works with. I’ll also be doing one-on-one financial coaching with them to teach them what they need to know about how to manage their money wisely. I’m super excited about that!

Nicole’s website once again is TheScholarshipTutor.com, and you can reach out to her about working with her by email at TheScholarshipTutor@gmail.com.

Now I’d love to hear about you!

Will you or your child be applying for scholarships either now or in the future? Were you surprised about anything Nicole shared? Please share in the comments below.

For other people who can help encourage you check out these articles.

How Alice and Scott Paid Off $200,000 of Student Loans in Less Than 7 Years
How a Side Hustle Helped Melanie Lockert Break Up With Debt
How Celeste and Rita Paid Off $49,000 of Debt in 18 Months

Have you joined our free community yet?

Join me in our private Facebook group called Your Debt Freedom Family, where we’ve got an awesome community of people who are kicking debt to the curb so they can break free and live life on their terms.

Click here to join the fun!

I’d love to see you there!

Keep moving forward toward your goals. You really can live the life you dream about!

The 5 Categories Missing From Your Budget

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Are you struggling to make your budget work but keep coming up short?

If your budget isn’t working, you might think that you’re just not trying hard enough to stick to it. But I don’t think that’s always the case.

[Read more…]

How Lauren Greutman, The Recovering Spender, Paid Off $40,000 of Debt

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Lauren Greutman and her husband, Mark, hit rock bottom in their finances a few years ago when they found themselves underwater in their mortgage, $42,000 in debt, and running a $1,000 deficit in their budget each month.

Fast forward a few years, and Lauren and Mark are now debt-free and run her popular frugal living site that helps millions of people, LaurenGreutman.com, formerly IamTHATLady.com.

I am so honored to be joined by Lauren in today’s interview to have her share her story and introduce her brand new book, The Recovering Spender: How to Live a Happy, Fulfilled, Debt-Free Life

Lauren is a wife, mom of four and a recovering spender. If her name sounds familiar, you may have seen her on TV as a frequent guest on The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Nightline, The Dr. Oz Show, Rachael Ray, and more.

In this interview, Lauren shares:

  • How she and her husband, Mark, dug themselves out of $42,000 of debt in four years
  • What she did to cut her family’s grocery spending from $1,000 per month to $200 (Say what?!)
  • Her advice for those wanting to start a blog to bring in extra income and the great opportunities her’s has brought to her family.
  • What her brand new book, The Recovering Spender, is all about and who will benefit from reading it
  • What to do if you’re a Saver married to a Spender


I love this interview with Lauren! She has such an inspiring story of how she turned her life around from being a compulsive shopper to getting out of debt and now helping millions of others do the same.

Thanks again to Lauren for sharing her debt-free journey and her book with us!

[bctt tweet=”How @LaurenGreutman, #TheRecoveringSpender, Paid Off $40,000 of Debt” username=”MonicaRLouie”]

Lauren’s brand new book, The Recovering Spender: How to Live a Happy, Fulfilled, Debt-Free Life, is available in bookstores and online wherever books are sold.

You can learn more about Lauren at LaurenGreutman.com and find out more about her book at TheRecoveringSpender.com.

Now I’d love to hear about you!

What did you learn from Lauren’s story? Are you a Spender in need of recovery, or do you know someone who is? Please share in the comments below.

Have you joined our free community yet?

Join me in our private Facebook group called Your Debt Freedom Family, where we’ve got an awesome community of people who are kicking debt to the curb so they can break free and live life on their terms.

Click here to join the fun!

I’d love to see you there!

Keep moving forward toward your goals. You really can live the life you dream about!

How a Side Hustle Helped Melanie Lockert Break Up With Debt

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Have you considered adding a side hustle to help you break up with debt?

Well, in today’s video, we’ll learn how Melanie Lockert used a side hustle to break up with debt.

If you don’t know Melanie, she’s the personality behind the award-winning blog, DearDebt.com, where she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. Through her blog, she inspires readers to break up with debt by writing their very own breakup letter to debt.

In 2015, Melanie (and her journey out of debt) was named one of the top five most inspiring personal finance stories of the year by Yahoo! Finance. She currently works as a freelance writer and event planner. Melanie and her work have appeared in Business Insider, The Huffington Post, Yahoo! Finance, INC, and more.

After graduating from college with $23,000 in student loans, Melanie had the opportunity to attend her dream school, NYU, to earn her master’s degree. There, she incurred $58,000 more in student loans for a total of $81,000.

Upon struggling to find a stable, decent-paying job after graduating from NYU, Melanie made some extreme changes in her life to pay off her student loans. In December 2015, Melanie made her last payment and became 100% debt-free.

She is also the author of a brand-new book, “Dear Debt:  A Story About Breaking Up with Debt” which shares her journey and her advice for those in the process of breaking up with debt.

In the interview with Melanie, she shares:

  • What drove her to rid herself of her student loans
  • How she cut her expenses and started side hustling to bring in extra income
  • How her side hustling has led to an unexpected career path
  • Her best advice for how to find a side hustle that’s right for you, and
  • What to do if you want to get out of debt but feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start

Melanie has an inspiring story that I think anyone struggling with debt needs to hear, and she shares it all in this interview. So here is my interview with Melanie Lockert from deardebt.com. Enjoy!

Thanks again to Melanie for sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly about getting out of debt with us!

[bctt tweet=”How a side hustle helped Melanie Lockert (@DearDebtBlog) break up with debt” username=”MonicaRLouie”]

I hope you pick up her book, “Dear Debt:  A Story About Breaking Up with Debt.” I know it will help you break up with debt once and for all.

I encourage you to check out Melanie’s blog at DearDebt.com and consider writing your own Dear Debt letter to break up with debt.

For others that have got out of debt check out these articles.

How Alice and Scott Paid Off $200,000 of Student Loans in Less Than 7 Years
From Credit Card Debt to Loving Her Money with Sarah Li Cain
How Lauren Greutman, The Recovering Spender, Paid Off $40,000 of Debt

Now I’d love to hear about you!

What did you learn from Melanie’s story? Have you started a side hustle yet so you can break up with debt? Please share in the comments below.

Have you joined our free community yet?

Join me in our private Facebook group called Your Debt Freedom Family, where we’ve got an awesome community of people who are breaking up with debt so they can break free and live life on their terms.

Click here to join the fun!

I’d love to see you there!

Keep moving forward toward your goals. You really can live the life you dream about!

Creating Multiple Income Streams with Affordable Real Estate Investments

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Have you thought about what to do with your money after you’ve gotten out of debt?

What should you do with that extra money that’s not going toward debt payments?

Of course, there are numerous options: [Read more…]

3 Ways to Make Money From Home

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Imagine no longer having to wake up at 5am by the annoying BEEP, BEEP, BEEP of your alarm.

Think about what it would be like to set your own schedule and not have to work the normal 9 to 5, or more often these days, 7 to 6?

Am I right?

What if instead of getting stuck in rush hour traffic both on your way to work AND on your way home from work, your commute was as short as walking from your bedroom to your home office?

Let’s talk about making money from home!

Whether you’re home with little ones (like me) or simply prefer the convenience of working in your pajamas on your own schedule, as technology advances, securing a work at home position is becoming more and more appealing and more and more attainable.

Today, I’m going to share three ways that you can bring home the Benjamins without leaving your home.

A) Find a Work-at-Home Job

From nurses to call center agents, transcriptionists and even teachers, there are growing opportunities to work from home for a reputable company.Companies like BabyCenter, 1-800-Flowers, and even the Hilton, will pay you to work from home. You may have to stick to a certain schedule and follow the rules of the company you work for, but you’ll have the convenience of working in your own home.

B) Become a Freelancer

The sky is the limit when it comes to the type of jobs you can do as a freelancer. You can be a writer, graphic designer, virtual assistant, or video editor. Whatever skills you have, you can use them to create a side income or even a full-time income.With freelancing, you are your own boss so it’s on you to find the work, but when you do, you usually sign on for one project at a time.Check out websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Hire My Mom that can help you find projects or ongoing positions.If you want to get out of the house, consider becoming a Tasker for TaskRabbit, where people can hire you to hang pictures, do their grocery shopping, or even stand in line.

Imagine getting a ding on your phone, and someone wants to pay you $25 to drive them to the airport! Well, you can make that happen by becoming a local driver for Uber or Lyft and get paid to drive people around town.And don’t forget about Craigslist! As you likely know, Craigslist is a free forum where millions of people post items to sell, places for rent, and job opportunities. But you can also post on Craigslist if you’re looking for work. List your skills and specifically what type of work you’re looking for, and you might be exactly the person that someone is looking for! It’s completely free, and free is definitely worth a try!

C) Become an Entrepreneur

Becoming an entrepreneur is only limited by your creativity. It’s similar to freelancing, but entrepreneurship is where you focus more on creating a sustainable business rather than performing one-off projects. For example, as an entrepreneur, you can sell new or used physical products, on websites like Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, or Etsy. You can either create the product yourself or sell an item you purchased for a higher price.And don’t forget about direct sales or network marketing companies. If you find a company whose products you love, you can often get them at an extreme discount or even for free by selling the products to others who may love them just as much as you!

Do you have a message that you want to share with others? Do you have something you can teach others how to do?

1. You can sell digital products, such as ebooks or online courses and programs.It’s now easier than ever to become a self-published author by uploading your ebook to the Amazon Kindle store and gain access to their hundreds of millions of customers. Alternatively, you could potentially charge higher prices by selling the ebook on your own website.

Websites like Udemy and Teachable, make it easy to create and sell self-study online courses. You create the course, customers purchase the course, and you get paid.

2. In line with that is to become a coach or consultant. Do you have a skill that people keep asking you to teach them or help them with? Are you an expert in marketing, gardening, nutrition, or fitness? If you make it known what you can help people with, you can find clients that will pay you to coach them. For example, my husband and I paid off $120,000 of debt in two years on a single, middle-class income, and now people pay me to help them create and implement their plan to get out of debt!

3. And there are millions of bloggers, podcasters, and YouTube sensations who make a full-time living by sharing their message on the Internet! Usually, they earn money from advertisements or sponsorships, but they may also use the other strategies that I mentioned to create multiple income streams.

[bctt tweet=”Here are 3 ways to bring home the Benjamins WITHOUT leaving your home! #makethatmoneyhoney” username=”MonicaRLouie”]

Gone are the days where the only way to earn a paycheck is by trekking to an office building across town, working for someone you don’t like with people you don’t care for.

Today, there are more opportunities to work from home than ever before. If you long for the convenience of working in your pj’s or you just want to bring in some extra income, then I encourage you to explore some of these options.

Now I’d love to hear about you!

How have you made money by working from home? If so, what you have you done? And if not, which of these strategies would you like to try?

Please share in the comments below.

Have you joined our free private community on Facebook yet?

I invite you to join me in our private Facebook group called Your Debt Freedom Family, where I share more tips like this. We’ve got a fantastic community of people who are kicking debt to the curb so they can break free and live life on their terms.

Click here to join the fun!

I’d love to see you there!

Keep moving forward toward your goals. You really can live the life you dream about!

How to Use Swagbucks to Earn Free Gift Cards – A Complete Tutorial

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Okay, so I have to admit that I’m a little over-excited in today’s video.

Why am I so excited?

Well, over the past two years, I’ve earned over $500 in gift cards by using Swagbucks!

Sounds too good to be true, right?

[Read more…]