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5 Financial Influencers Millennials Need to Follow

We use social media to keep up with the latest in the worlds of pop culture, politics, fashion, and music, so why not the world of finance? Whether you want to keep up with financial trends or get some quick money advice, we've gathered a list of five of the best personal finance influencers you need to follow.

1. J Money, Budgets Are Sexy

J. Money is a Mohawk rockin' husband and father who has been in the blogging business since 2008. His casual and easy to comprehend writing style makes learning about the financial world easy for anyone. J has received 12 industry awards and recently posted about his achievement of reaching a net worth over $1 million. If nothing else, you should at least follow him for his "dad worthy" money jokes!

Website / Twitter

2. Michele Schroeder-Gardner, Making Sense of Cents

Michele Schroeder-Gardner has been writing for her blog, Making Sense of Cents, since 2011 and has over 20 awards to show for it. She started her blog sharing how she paid off $38,000 in student loan debt in only 7 months. She now travels full-time. She's currently living on a sailboat with her husband. She shares best practices for paying off student loan debt along with some great tips for making money online. Plus, following her travel journeys is worth the follow alone!

Website / Twitter / Instagram

3. Erin Lowry, Broke Millennial

When I discovered Erin on Twitter, the first thing I noticed was her coined hashtag, #GYFLT (get your financial life together), which I naturally thought meant get your f***ing life together. The author of two books in the financial industry, Erin graduated from college debt-free and has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, CNBC, and Fox and Friends. Upfront and hilarious, she breaks down the often confusing and scary finance world for Millennials.

Website / Twitter / Instagram

4. Tina Hay, Napkin Finance

What better way to guide you through the financial world than through pictures drawn on napkins? Tina is the founder and CEO of Napkin Finance, a site that makes money easy to understand through visualizations drawn on yes, you heard right, napkins! As their website so bluntly puts it, Napkin Finance is "everything you need to know about money in 30 seconds or less." Napkin Finance has collaborated with companies like JP Morgan, UBS, Michele Obama's Better Make Room Initiative, and the United States Olympic Committee. These bite-sized lessons make learning about money fun and quick.

Website / Twitter / Instagram

5. Lily, The Frugal Gene

Lily and her husband write for their blog, The Frugal Gene. She is a first-generation immigrant from China who was raised in San Francisco. Lily shares how her journey out of a life of poverty was the key motivator in attaining FIRE (financially independent, retiring early). Lily was able to pay off all of her student loan debt with only a part-time job in eight months! She shares interesting and unique tips on saving money, and she has been featured on The Cut, Rockstar Finance, Tiller Money, and Money.

Website / Twitter / Instagram

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Seven Side Hustles For Extra Cash

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Most of us aren't the best at saving money — splurging just feels so good and gives us that instant satisfaction we crave.

However, it's nothing to beat yourself up over — even though we put out articles to advise you on budgeting and finance, we know slip-ups happen.

And when they do, you're going to need some extra assistance to get yourself back on your feet. Rather than asking for money or — even worse — going to your parents, why not earn a little money on the side to boost yourself up?

Here are seven side hustles you can do this month to make ends meet:

1. Lock screen apps

Apps like Slidejoy or S'more will pay you to advertise on your phone — specifically, your lock screen. My experience with Slidejoy has been positive for the most part — I used to get an extra ten bucks a month just by having ads on my phone. Although the apps may be annoying at first, you'll eventually get used to it. Not customizing your phone won't seem so bad when you get some cash in your PayPal — no pain, no gain.

2. Do small tasks or jobs for people

Using websites like TaskRabbit or Fiverr will let you do errands or jobs for people that need it. Usually, pay is pretty low, but it can add up when you run several of these a day. There's no set price for TaskRabbit, but Fiverr usually ranges from five to ten dollars per task.

3. Online tutoring

Websites like Chegg or Tutor.com will offer an hourly rate for online tutors — if you have a certain degree or are well versed in a particular subject, go ahead and apply for a position. Online tutoring is super low committal, and you can pick and choose which jobs to take.

For Chegg, pay starts at around $20 an hour, but for other sites, you can set your own rate or choose a student based on theirs.

4. Paid language exchange

Tandem is a website that matches language tutors with students on your phone or tablet — students book their own appointments and pay you right on the app. Lessons are also prepaid, so no matter what, you'll get the money.

5. Freelance jobs

Websites like Upwork or writing sites like Skyword will hire freelancers to create content or work for other companies that require temporary workers. This method is a bit more in depth than others on this list but may be more rewarding if you stick it through.

6. Mobile games

Cash Show is an app that allows you to win money when you answer correct trivia questions — prizes are given three times a day and for a set amount, which is usually a couple thousand or so dollars. You have to answer 12 questions with ten seconds for each question. The cash prize is split among the winners of that round of trivia, so your winnings may start off slow at first. Other than that, it's a pretty fun way to earn some side money.

7. Instagram campaigns

We've all seen the rise of Instagram models and paid advertisements on the app — however, did you know you can participate too? With programs like Heartbeat, you can also become a brand ambassador and get paid to post pictures of various products.

When you sign up, they'll decide what your pay rate per post is along with what campaigns are available. You can sign up no matter how many followers you have, but your stats will affect how well you're paid.

If you do all of these ideas, you're bound to make some extra cash this month. I'd hurry up and do it fast — these side hustles might disappear if more and more people find out about them!

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6 tips to build an impressive LinkedIn profile

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LinkedIn is the leading social media platform for professional networking. At this point, if you're looking for a job (especially in a communications field), you are basically required to have an account. However, don't look at setting up a LinkedIn as extra work. Think of it as an extra opportunity to explain yourself and sell yourself to potential employers. After you've uploaded a photo, there's still quite a lot to do.

1. Leave nothing blank

Make sure you fill out every possible space on your profile. Don't leave any blank space at all. This includes the summary space at the top and descriptions of all of your positions throughout the page. Don't skimp out. To get started, you can copy over what you already have on your résumé. But where needed, not be afraid to expand with more details. You have more space on LinkedIn to explain your experience than you do on a traditional résumé. Don't waste it.

2. Include links and multimedia content

Other perks of LinkedIn that you don't get on your résumé are links and multimedia content. Where applicable, link to your work. Include videos and visuals as they relate to different positions that you've had. This will not only make your profile more visually appealing, but will also prove your experience even further.

3. Don't forget the education and awards sections

LinkedIn has options for many different types of content. If you've handled several big projects, you can easily add them. If you've done a lot of volunteer work or published essays or scientific articles, you can add those too. But don't forget to include your education. Awards look especially impressive if you have any that are applicable.

4. Get endorsements for your skills

At the very bottom of your profile, you can list skills that you have. LinkedIn also allows other users to endorse each other for their skills. Having more endorsements shows employers that you can be trusted and not just lying to boost your résumé. Your connections can also recommend you on your profile. Make sure you ask your work friends and colleagues to endorse you on your profile. And don't forget to give your own recommendations and endorsements too. If you offer your own endorsements, people are more likely to endorse you in turn.

5. Keep your profile readable and easy to understand

You can add so many details to your LinkedIn profile. It's a great resource, but don't make it too busy or unreadable. Keep your descriptions clear, succinct and to the point. You want someone to be able to skim or scan through your profile and still understand what you're saying.

6. Never turn down a connection

A core feature of LinkedIn is connecting with other users. This is similar to a friend request on Facebook. Try not to ever turn down a connection if you can help it. LinkedIn is a less personal platform than Facebook. You don't need to censor who you're connected with. Accepting more connections will grow your professional network. And in a job search, connections are almost as important as qualifications.


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