Jen Smith

In the summer of 2011, Felicia Kelly had no job and no home. She’d gone from making nearly $10,000 per month to having just $100 in her bank account — and that was from a friend. We often idolize people with six-figure salaries. It seems like they should have no problem paying bills, investing for…

If you’d told 25-year-old me that I’d be debt-free by 28 and actually like talking about my finances, I would’ve said you’ve got me confused with someone else. Back then I had no desire to pay off my $50,000 student loan or my $4,000 car loan. And when my fiance told me he wanted to…

In May 2016, everything was going right for Kyle and Adrian Hildebrand. They’d just gotten married and were excited to buy their first home. Adrian was working as an administrative assistant, and Kyle was working one of several odd jobs. They had a combined income of $30,000 and were hoping it’d be enough to get…

Everyone wants a passive way to make money. Some people start a dropshipping business, others create a blog. But many opt for a classic revenue stream: real estate investing. If you want to know how to start investing in real estate, you’re not alone. There are over 22 million rental properties in the U.S. Over…

If you’ve tried as many ways to save money as you can and exhausted your all energy on part-time jobs but still come up short on cash at the end of the month, there is help. Ignoring calls and avoiding the mailbox isn’t a solution. In fact, it can make the problem worse. If you…

I have an aunt who loves to get Christmas gifts for everyone. Shopping for presents is actually her favorite part of the holiday season, but she doesn’t actually put a lot of time into thinking about the gift receiver. As a result, her hilariously bad gifts are donated to Goodwill just a few days later. …

Selling online is a great way to make money. Avid thrifters can sell their treasures locally and globally, creative entrepreneurs can share their services with new audiences, and aspiring minimalists can make extra cash while getting rid of clutter. For more than 20 years, online sellers have used eBay to sell their new and used…

I once spent several months sorting data for a company to make some extra money. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, opened my computer and stared at endless lines of numbers and words. I didn’t enjoy anything about it except the $13 per hour I earned. To many people, that’s their…

In the two years that I’ve been a full-time writer, I’ve gotten exponentially better at grammar and punctuation. But as any of my editors will tell you, I’m not perfect. That’s why it’s so helpful to have proofreading tools and services available when I need them. I’m not the only one who feels this way….

Money is traditionally thought of as a taboo subject. Most people reserve their conversations about money for the teller at their local bank and maybe a financial advisor. But when it comes to the people closest to us, we’re embarrassed to share the truth about our numbers. It’s this culture of secrecy in finances that’s…