30 Interesting And Scam Free Ways To Make Money Online

I’ve run across – and tried – plenty of varied ways to make money online. I’ve seen the scams and been blessed by discovering legitimate ways to make money online.

Here are 30 unique ways to earn some cash via the Internet:

1. Amazon: Publish your own Kindle books

Real people who love writing and marketing are finding that they can publish their own digital books directly to Amazon using their Kindle Direct Publishing platform. Take for instance blogger Thomas Strock, who made $6,716.05 in one month alone from all his Kindle books. Not bad for an 18-year-old.

2. Google AdSense: Set up your own niche websites

I love reading the way that Spencer Haws – not the basketball player, but the webmaster – sets up websites focused around a variety of topics and then places Google AdSense ads on them to make money.

3. YouTube: Make money via video ads

If you know your way around your smartphone’s video feature, try to earn a $4 million per year like vlogger PewDiePie by uploading interesting videos toYouTube.com and monetizing them, praying they go viral.

4. Squidoo: Write interesting articles

There’s a noteworthy monetary trail on Virginia Allain’s Squidoo page that shows how her income has climbed and fallen over the years. As of August 2014, she made $676 for the month via the site.

5: iTunes App Store: Sell your own app

You don’t even need to be as technically inclined as Harlan Yee, a developer who made nearly $500 in July 2014 from his mobile apps. Even if you don’t know how to code apps, you can hire developers on sites like Elance to code them for you.

6. Elance: Hawk your words

Speaking of Elance, the husband and wife team – Troy and Valerie Mellema – who run their “Words You Want”freelance writing business on the site, show current earnings of more than $450,000 over the past 12 months. Enough said.

7. eBay: Sell things around your house – or buy things to sell for higher prices

Tons of people have turned to eBay.com to make extra cash. Simply search through the “sold” listings to see the kinds of items that have sold recently and for how much. Whether you start off as a smaller seller like this blogger Yolanda, who is using her eBay profits to pay off her student loans – or whether you become a big player who buys shoes en masse and resells them for a profit, if you like selling and shipping stuff, give it a try.

8. Fiverr: Make money of just about any talent

If you scroll through the most popular sellers onFiverr.com, you’ll note that they make money by offering everything from voiceover work to Photoshop skills.

9. iStockPhoto: Upload your photos, videos and illustrations for earnings

If you have a penchant for taking pics or drawing vector illustrations and the like, you can sell them as stock artwork on sites like iStockPhoto, where you’ll see that exclusive contributors and sellers like Beach Cottage Photography have experienced loads of downloads.

10: Instagram: Turn your social media photos into prints for a profit

Instagram.com isn’t just for sharing interesting pics or showing off your skinny waist in a corset. These days,photographers like Daniel Arnold have learned that he can make $15,000 in one day from the site. Even 15-year-old Ryan Parrilla has gotten in on the action and sells his beautiful Instagram photos as prints.

11. Whatever you want dot com: Start your own academy dot com

Popular author and speaker Pat Flynn worked as an architect until he got laid off in 2008. That turned out to be a big blessing in disguise, because he parlayed his knowledge of the LEED AP exam into a site called Green Exam Academy, which – among many additional pursuits – earned him nearly $4,500 for the month of June 2014 alone. Therefore, in the same way that sites likeFXAcademy.com can help people wanting to learn more about Forex trading, use your own special career skills to help others who might seek information about your industry.

12. SiteSell: Work towards becoming a six-figure blogger

Lisa Irby has made more than $100,000 per year by teaching others for years how to start their own websites – either using WordPress or a SiteSell service that she loves. Follow her down-to-earth blog for tips and instructions on getting started.

13. Amazon Associates: Place special links on your blog to earn commissions on sales

Amazon Associates is a program that lets bloggers and writers place referral links to products on their websites or share via social media, etc., and when shoppers click through those links and buy something, the online retailer pays them a portion of the sale. Chris Guthrie has made goo-gobs of money that way over the years.

14. LinkShare: Recommend products and services to your readers

Retailers like Macy’s, Petsmart, Kohl’s and even Walmart have a presence on LinkShare.com, whereby if they approve you for participation in their programs, you can make money when customers buy products via your links.Harlan Yee made $118 in June 2014 that way.

15. Udemy: Teach an online course

Udemy profiled three successful course teachers using their site to make anywhere from $200 to $2,500 or more per month. Therefore, if you love teaching and have the kind of specialized skills folks are willing to pay for, you may find yourself enjoying a thriving online teaching business.

16. oDesk: Become a virtual assistant

The popular freelancing site called oDesk is merging with Elance, but on both you’ll find plenty of jobs posted by clients seeking virtual assistants to help them with plenty of tasks for varying rates. Scrolling through theadministrative support category on Elance will turn up a bevy of individuals and companies that list their earnings as well.

17. Bubblews: Publish short, micro-articles for money

The interesting thing about sites like Bubblews is that anyone can join and publish short articles that earn small bits of money based on the number of views, comments, and other activity they receive. I’m a living witness that I’ve made $25 thus far from the site – albeit very slowly – and Michael Cimicata has apparently made at least $42.45 from the site as well.

18. Women’s Leadership Forum at BestBuy.com: Blog for gift cards, products

The site called WOLF at Best Buy is pretty fun, and us female bloggers generally jump at the chance to earn $50 Best Buy gift cards or products worth even more for writing about various specials, sales, etc., and promoting them to social media.

19. CJ.com: Promote products and services

Similar to other affiliate program sites, the website named Commission Junction at CJ.com features big name retailers Expedia, ULTA Beauty and QVC, who all offer to pay writers a portion of the sales they bring to those sites. I’ve made hundreds over the years from doing so.

20. Etsy: Pitch your jewelry and quirky designs

Some of the top sellers on Etsy, like beanforest, find success by selling pins. Find a wide variety of handmade and other crafts that may inspire you to sell there as well.

21. Teespring: A new model for selling t-shirts

A brand new way of selling t-shirts has arrived online, and sites like Teespring allow users to sell shirts that are of a great quality and don’t get created until there are enough buyers interested in the product, sort of like a shirt-on-demand business. Earnings for the campaigns can be discerned via the site’s data about the amount of shirts sold and the price per item.

22. Café Press: Sell customized products the old-fashioned way

If you’re no fan of the Teespring motto that forces you to “tip” a certain amount of sales prior to your shirts being printed, you can always use the old standby Café Presswebsite to sell shirts, mugs and other stuff one by one.

23. Amazon FBA: Sell products with the “Fulfilled by Amazon” label

You know those products that you see on Amazon for sale from third-party sellers that still offer Amazon Prime shipping and “ships from Amazon” status? Those are sold by folks who ship products to Amazon’s fulfillment centers – and hopefully for a profit. Experts like Nathan Holmquist and Cynthia Stine are pros at doing so.

24. Examiner: Make money by writing articles

This writer just celebrated her 5th anniversary writing forExaminer.com, and although it usually doesn’t represent the $5,000 months of income that my PayPal account has seen during certain eras, the site does still pay writers about $5 for every 1,000 hits their articles receive. Carol Tice writes about making a full-time living there.

25. Deviant Art: Get money for your artwork

Just the other day I paid $5 for 400 points so my daughter could have her favorite artist on Deviant Art, Candi Floss, draw something for her that’s unique once she begins taking orders again. If you have similar skills, sell them on the site for artists and their fans.

26. Flippa: Create a profitable website and sell it

If you are good with setting up websites, you can use thesite called Flippa to find someone to buy it from you when you need cash.

27. Social Spark: Write for money and trips

The site called Social Spark by IZEA Media allows bloggers to earn cash (or even trips, like I did when I was awarded a great one-night stay at Kalahari Waterpark for my whole family) for writing about a variety of products or experiences. Find a list of other bloggers who’ve benefitted on the site.

28. GoDaddy: Flip a popular dot com name

Let’s say you were smart enough to buy NoriWest.com or another potentially profitable domain name before anyone else. List it on GoDaddy Auctions and try to make money for a popular dot com name.

29. PayPal: Take money directly for your services

No matter if you’re a personal trainer, an SEO expert or a web assistant, you can always use online means to have your customers pay you. Take advantage of all the options that sites like PayPal.com or Square.com offer to make it easier for people to put money into your accounts.

30. Kontera: Monetize your content and social following with in-line and other ads

Another way to make money off of your online writings and social media following is to allow certain sites likeKontera to place ads within the content, whereby they automatically hyperlink certain words with relevant advertisements.

There you go! With 30 interesting ways to make money online listed above, you should start seeing your Internet income increase in no time.           source

Understanding Is the Key to Saving More Money

Saving more money, a goal we should all have. Sometimes, it is quite difficult to ignore our desire to want that new thing. We can all relate. Whether it is that golf club, new pair of shoes, or the TV, they all seem to reach out to us and say “You know you cannot live without me… Bring me home today”.

Once in a while, we can temporary talk us out of the wish but let’s just say that we just cannot do it this time. We have decided that the new product is exactly what we need and we won’t be denied until we get one. Then what?

At this point, all is not lost. We just have to understand and appreciate our impulses and desires and still try to maximize our savings.

Take my desire to always want that cup of Starbucks coffee. There are many times this comes up and I would feel the burning desire to drive to the nearest coffee shop. In the old days, I would get a grande (medium) sized coffee, but I have come to realize that all I really need is a tall (small) cup because all it takes is the first 25 ml of liquid to calm my nerves. I learned to stop thinking about whether a medium or small cup is a better value because what’s the most important is how much I end up saving and ultimately keep in my pocket. I understand my desire (to want coffee), the product (Starbucks coffee size differences), and the solution just followed.

Here’s another example, my future purchase of a flat screen TV. I don’t own one right now, but I want one every time I go to Costco. I did some research over the past few months, and I know that the ones with 1080p are more expensive because it’s provides the best picture quality in the market today. For many of us, we want a flat screen TV because it is cool, not because it’s got 1080p. If we understand what it is that makes us happy and calm our impulses, then we won’t waste our money on the high end model that may cost $2,199 but instead get the lower end model that might be $1,399. Most people will be just as happy with purchasing either, but the ones that take the time to understand their desire would have saved an extra $800.

These are just two examples, but this actually applies to almost everything we purchase because there are always comparable products at different price ranges. The key is to understand our need and want, understand the product so we can make informed decisions, and the solution will soon follow.

Understanding is the key to saving more money.                  source

3 Hidden Decisions that Destroy Your Budget

Growing up, everyone around me thought our family was rich. We drove nice cars, dressed neatly and never hinted at our money woes. It was strange because we couldn’t be more middle class when it came to our household income but the truth didn’t matter, there was no point denying.

One day, I asked my mom about this, and she told me that though we didn’t have doodles of money, we stretched every dollar like it was noodles that wouldn’t snap. Here were a few of her tricks:

1. Don’t Buy Everything

I forgot where I heard the quote first, but I love the saying of “You can have anything, but you cannot have everything.” We often bought quality goods that lasts for a long time without showing wear, but we were never allowed to buy everything we have our sights set on. We force ourselves to contemplate again and again whether something was really worth our hard earned dollars before we made the purchase. Strangely enough, not taking our wallet out as often made every purchase more special too.

The 30 day rule helped, but just the fact that we didn’t buy everything right on the spot cut down the majority of our spending.

2. Never Spending More for the Same Thing

We just got used to spending the time to look for bargains and see if we can do more with less. If there was another item that costs less but offered comparable benefits, we usually opted for the cheaper version. Not only did it save us money over the long run, the research involved in the whole process also made us more aware of the quality of the items we were buying, helping us narrow down the vast number of choices out there.

It didn’t start off that way though, as we were paying for features we didn’t even want (or know about) like everybody else. Eventually, looking back at our past purchases helped. Did we really need to spend that much on the TV we bought when something much less would have worked just as well?

3. Don’t Keep Buying the Same Thing Over and Over Again

Buying quality products isn’t enough. You still have to take care of what you purchase if you want it to last. Cherishing what you have also helps reduce the chances that it gets lost and needs to be replaced.

We owned a nice car, but we drove it for 10 years. Let me give you an example of how the math works to illustrate my point. Let’s say you changed a $30,000 car every three years. Usually, the typical car you buy would depreciate to roughly $10,000 – $15,000 after three years. Let’s tilt the numbers to your side and use $15,000. This means that you are still losing $5,000 a year. After 10 years, that’s $50,000, enough to buy a much more luxurious car.

This works for cars, but it pretty much works for everything too. Instead of replacing your computer all the time, why not take care of it by cleaning it up every once in a while? How about your clothes? If you wash them as instructed by the labels, they will last longer and look nicer. Shoes? Take some time to clean out the dirt before it starts chewing into the fabric. The list is goes on and on…                source

Why Budget Shouldn’t Be a Bad Word

Several weeks ago, McDonald’s caused quite the online uproar when the Practical Money Skills Budget Journal (that the company created along with partner Visa) went public. Many people criticized the budgeting expectations put forth in the journal as unrealistic.

However, one big benefit of both the McDonald’s budgeting journal and the controversy that it caused was that it got individuals and news outlets talking about household budgets.

Considering the fact that the word “budget” can send a chill up the spine of even frugal individuals, it’s high time we started talking about what budgets are (and aren’t) on a larger level. Some truly negative myths still cling to the idea of budgeting, no matter how untrue they may be.

Here are the three biggest myths that make budget seem like a bad word, and why they’re untrue:

Negative Myth #1: Budgets Are Restrictive

This is probably the biggest misconception about budgeting out there. Many people believe that going on a budget means that they’ll have to give up any and all fun spending. If the choice is between having a budget and eating ramen at home, or continuing to dine out with friends budget-free, then it seems like budgeting is definitely the worse choice.

The Truth: Budgets Set You Free

But restriction vs. freedom isn’t the actual choice presented by budgeting or not budgeting, as much as it may feel that way. Putting a budget in place just means that you’re thinking about your money choices before you make them. Many who enjoy a carefree, budget-free lifestyle find themselves out of cash before the end of the month — and forced to eat ramen anyway. There’s no reason why you can’t budget in the fun spending, and having a budget in place means you know exactly how you’ll pay for your fun without having to worry.

Negative Myth #2: You Have to Be Good at Math to Budget

Many people, remembering their struggles in high school math classes, just say “No, thank you” to the idea of having to do the calculations necessary for budgeting. It’s not that they don’t want to manage their money better — it’s that they’re sure they don’t have the skills.

The Truth: For a Successful Budget, You Only Need to Add and Subtract (If That)

Forget your fear of Mr. Medvetz’s hated algebra class. Budgeting doesn’t require any math that the average 8-year-old couldn’t handle. If you can add and subtract, then you can create a budget.

Even if you’re truly math-averse, budgeting software and apps can make creating and sticking to a budget that much simpler. Everything from Mint.com to Quicken can take the math-induced stress out of budgeting.

Negative Myth #3: Budgeting is a Huge Headache

After working hard all week, who wants to come home to even more paperwork? Those who believe this myth think that keeping a budget requires endless effort and time… and those cat videos on YouTube aren’t going to watch themselves.

The Truth: Not Having a Budget is a Bigger Headache

I’m not going to deny that the first couple of months of budgeting do take some time and effort. But it’s only some time and effort, and it gets easier and easier the longer you do it. In addition, while you do have to work on your budget, it’s infinitely less stressful than finding yourself with not enough money at the end of the month. Taking a little time now to prevent stress later is like a gift to your future self.

Have any of these budget myths kept you from budgeting in the past? How did you get past them?                    source

How to Dress Well on a Budget

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN dress well without spending a fortune on designer clothes and shoes. I love fashion and can relate to the need to look good and to impress. It’s a very human need, after all. No one wants to look frumpy or “cheap.” However, I do believe that it’s quite possible to look great without spending your entire paycheck on Manolo Blahniks or on designer clothes. Here are a few tips and tricks for looking fab on a budget:

Wait for a Sale

All items eventually go on sale, so if you’re willing to wait a few weeks, you will be able to snag the same item at a much lower price than the original price. The longer you wait, the higher the discount – but also the risk that you won’t be able to find the item in your size or in your favorite color. The only caveat when it comes to shopping items on sale: it’s very tempting to buy something just because it’s on sale, but that would be a waste. You must be very aware of this temptation and make sure you only buy thing you need – things you would have purchased anyway.

Shop Off-Price Retailers

Off-price retailers such as T.J. Maxx, and the online retailer Bluefly, specialize in buying surplus designer clothes at a bargain. They then transfer the savings to you. It’s not unheard of to be able to get the same item that sells for $200 at a department store for half that price at an off-price retailer, during the same time – many of these items are not last-season clothes. The main issue with shopping off-price retailers is time – you will need to go through lots of lower-quality items to snag that one, fab top at half price.

Splurge on the Classics, Save on Trendy Items

I like to buy one or two high-quality, full-price, classic items each season. I pay full price for those because it’s important for me to get them in my size and in the color I prefer. These could be tailored pants, a crisp white shirt, a cropped jacket – timeless, classic items that I can wear for many seasons, so I don’t mind paying more – I feel that I’m getting my money’s worth. But when it comes to items that won’t last for more than a season or two, such as woven cotton tops, or trendy items that look fresh now but will look dated next year, I see no reason to pay full price.

Shop Your Own Closet

Many of us have items in the back of our closet that we have forgotten about. Going shopping in your own closet is lots of fun, and you may just find a few items that would add color and interest to your wardrobe. While you’re at it, try on some clothes, make sure to get rid of anything that you haven’t worn in a while and that do not fit you anymore. An airy, uncluttered closet makes getting dressed much easier.

Use a Seamstress

Back in the sixties, my mom, a beautiful young woman with a limited budget, used to purchase fashion magazines, leaf through them, and cut out dresses she liked. She then took those pictures to a seamstress, who made similar dresses for her at a fraction of how much they would have cost her at a store. These days, seamstresses seem to be an endangered species, but if you can find one that would do this for you, go for it. You won’t just save money – you will also get clothes that are tailored exactly to your figure.

Wear Black

In her book “Women and Beauty,” Sophia Lauren talks about her young, poor days, “In order to have something to wear in those early days in Rome, something that would cost practically nothing and could be worn all day long and into the evening, and on every sort of occasion, I took my clothes, my navy skirt and white blouse, and dyed them black. Even my handkerchief became black. It was the only way I could think of to provide a versatile wardrobe at no cost. And it worked. I could go anywhere in my black clothes, and the simplicity of my appearance was very elegant.”

Dressing well on a budget is obviously not as easy as dressing well on an unlimited budget, but it can be done with a little thought and planning. What are your own tips and tricks for dressing well on a budget? Do you wait for sales, shop off-price retailers, or use other tactics that I haven’t thought of?             source

Are These 6 Small Mistakes Ruining Your Budget?

Have you ever spent hours working on your finances and spending plan, only to come up short month after month?

Following a budget isn’t as simple as it seems; if it were, everyone would have one and live within their means. The key to developing a workable spending plan is identifying and eliminating the loopholes that are hindering you.

Here are some minor mistakes that may be destroying your budget:

6 Common Budget Mistakes

1. You don’t list goals

When starting out, it’s extremely difficult to stay on track if you have nothing to look forward to. There’s no logic to conforming to a spending plan without any real objectives. Following a spending plan without working towards any financial goals is the equivalent of taking a slew of college courses without intending to actually graduate. Get out a piece of paper and write down your financial goals — stat.

2. You’re unrealistic

What about the little things that cost a few dollars here or there, but add up quickly? If you assume your budget is iron clad and doesn’t have wiggle room, then expect it to implode before your eyes each month. To prevent this from happening, incorporate money for miscellaneous expenditures.

Also, be realistic with your expense projections. If you spend $100 each week on groceries, don’t expect to suddenly get by on $25 — or you’ll be in for an unpleasant surprise.

3. You’re reactive, not proactive

Do you make a plan before income hits your account, or do you roll with the punches? Waiting until you’re on the brink of an overdraft fee to take action is not the proper way to handle your finances.

Another note: balancing your checking account or using online applications to track your spending won’t cut it either. These are both proactive, and each dollar needs to have a title before it’s deposited, to hedge against the risk of overspending.

4. You feel entitled

You work hard, so you deserve to treat yourself, right? Well, not necessarily. Keeping up with the Joneses because you think you deserve the finer things in life can be a recipe for disaster. Rewarding yourself must be done within reason — or your budget won’t work for you.

5. You allow debt

Guilty of swiping away when funds are running low? This is another huge budget buster. As the minimum payment increases, your budget will feel the pain, forcing you to rob Peter to pay Paul just to make ends meet.

6. You don’t think about emergencies

Do you have an amount set in stone to pay yourself as soon as income hits your account? Or are you like most consumers, paying your bills first and attempting to save whatever’s left over? The latter approach won’t help you reach your savings goals. And any unexpected occurrences, such as a hospital visit, auto repair, or loss of employment, will send your finances on a downward spiral since you won’t have an emergency fund to absorb the costs.

How to Turn Your Budget Around

Struggling with any of these issues? Here are some action steps to help get your budget back on track:

• Establish financial goals
• Track your spending for one month to get a realistic idea of how you should allocate funds in the future
• Compose a realistic spending plan that incorporates your financial goals
• Reward yourself for each successful month and any milestones you reach                source

Do You Need to Tweak Your Budget?

Now that we’re almost halfway through the year, it’s a good time to conduct a mid-year checkup on your finances and figure out whether or not you need to tweak your budget.

Here’s how to evaluate how you’re doing — and what you need to do next:

Review Your Progress

Have you been making progress so far this year? Check your net worth for a snapshot of where you’re at. Are you in a better financial position than you were at the beginning of the year? If not, see if you can figure out why.

There’s a difference between having a lower net worth because some of your investments aren’t doing as well as you thought and having a lower net worth because you’ve increased your level of debt. Look at the reasons behind your difficulties, and see if you can pinpoint a few changes to make.

Also, take a look at your spending plan. Have you been sticking to it? Identify the areas in which you’ve been the most successful. Figure out how to keep that momentum going. Next, look at the areas where you’ve struggled. What’s behind your struggle? You might have set unrealistic goals, or you might have experienced an unexpected financial setback that threw you off track.

Be honest with yourself as you review your progress. This will help you as you make changes to your financial management.

Tweak Your Spending Plan

Now that you’ve reviewed your progress and discovered where you can improve, it’s time to tweak your budget.

If you habitually spend more than expected on eating out, you might want to think about taking money from one category and moving it to your restaurant category. My husband and I haven’t been watching TV very much, so we’re thinking of ditching the satellite and using the money for other things. We could add a little more to the retirement account each month, as well as boost our entertainment budget.

Look for patterns in your spending that indicate what your priorities really are.

Rather than trying to force a change to your spending priorities, look at how you can tweak your budget to more realistically reflect what’s most important to you.

This can be a great way to improve your satisfaction with your spending and your lifestyle, and it’ll also help you stick to your budget more effectively.

You might find that you’ve moved away from your priorities when you review your progress. If you see that you aren’t spending on your priorities, and are instead wasting money on unimportant things, it might be time to bring your spending back in line.

Now is a great time to reflect on how you’ve been doing so far this year.Looking at your finances may give you a wake up call about what you should be doing, and how you should be doing it. Take advantage of this time to simultaneously celebrate your progress and acknowledge what you can do to improve.                source

How I Track My Money (and Still Save) Without Using a Budget

I’m constantly asked to describe how I budget my money. When I talk about my budget, though, I refer to it as my “no budget” budget plan, or just a spending plan. This is because I don’t budget my money in what we often think of as the traditional way. I don’t have a list of categories, and I don’t start out my month by giving each dollar a job.

So how do I manage my money if I don’t practice traditional budgeting? Here is a quick peek at how I create a “no budget” spending plan.

Budget Plans Can Be Customized

Part of my aversion to the traditional notion of budgeting has to do with the fact that I have a variable income, and I’m never quite sure when I’ll receive money, and how much it will be when I do get it.

I also feel that traditional budgets — with the categorizing ahead of time — are limiting. What if I want to go out to eat again this month? Well, the money budgeted for that category is gone, so I can’t — unless I move the money from some other category.

I prefer to have a spending plan based on my family’s personal needs and that’s customized to fit us. We pay for our priorities first, and have a system that allows us to have a hands-off approach to managing our money. Here’s what I mean:

Prioritize the Important Stuff

For the most part, my finances are automated. The most important items on my list are taken care of on a monthly basis and automatically deducted from my account.

Long ago, my husband and I figured out our priorities, and our automatic withdrawals reflect those priorities. Items that are automatically taken out of our account each month (and automatically accounted for in our personal finance software) include:

• Charitable donations
• Retirement account contributions
• Rent payment
• Insurance premium payments
• Student loan payments
• Car loan payment
• Emergency savings (small amount to high-yield account, greater amount to taxable investment account)
• Amount to be used for quarterly tax payments

Basically, as long as those things are covered, we don’t worry about budgeting the rest of our money. The important things are covered, and we spend what’s left until it’s gone. If we have a specific goal (like I’m planning a trip, or my husband wants to buy the latest to-scale depiction of a superhero), we set aside a little for that in the course of the month.

Traditional Budgets are Limiting

For the most part though, we don’t worry about whether we’re keeping within a certain amount on groceries each week, and we don’t worry about whether or not our entertainment “envelope” is approaching empty. We just spend the money on the things we like (or we don’t, and we have a cushion that carries over), and move on.

Of course, this type of approach means we do have to track our spending to make sure we aren’t overdrawing our account.

But, due to the fact that we often use credit cards (for the points) on our every day spending, we don’t usually worry about overdrawing the checking account. We just pay off the credit card when the money comes in, and as long as our priorities are covered, we don’t focus on every single penny that’s going out.          source