Minimalism is the pursuit of perfection through subtraction.
Finding peace and simplicity within your apartment is a universal aspiration for renters, especially in today’s fast-paced world. As the central hub of most apartments, the living room stands out as the perfect area to embrace the minimalist lifestyle and carve out your own niche of tranquility. From decluttering tips to stylish furniture and more, the ideas below will help you create a minimalist haven in your apartment.
What is minimalism?
Minimalism is not simply about reducing clutter or using fewer items. It’s about removing the non-essential in order to allow the essential to speak. It’s about understanding the profound elegance of simplicity as well as the power of space, light and proportion.
In a minimalist design, each element in the space must be meticulously considered for its individual merit and its relation to the whole. Materials are chosen for their inherent beauty, not disguised with ornamentation. Through this meticulous process of reduction, a certain purity of form and function is achieved. The result is a space that exudes calm, serenity and a timeless quality. That is the essence of minimalism in apartment design.
15 minimalist living room decor ideas
If you’re interested in cutting the clutter and creating a sleek living room, minimalism is for you. Transforming your space into a simplistic state is easy with these minimalist-friendly decor ideas.
1. Neutral wall color
Monochromatic color schemes are found in almost all minimalistic spaces. By using varying shades of a single color throughout the room, you add depth and elegance to the space.
2. Simple furniture
The easiest way to fit into a monochromatic color scheme is by choosing simple furniture. Look for couches, chairs and other large decor items in neutral colors that have clean lines and minimal embellishments.
3. Curated bookshelf
Minimalist spaces are well known for being clutter-free. This is often attained through functional storage solutions with intentional fillings. Bookshelves are great minimalist storage solutions that display a select collection of books and cherished items, adding a touch of personal style to your living space.
4. Natural material rug
Rugs often serve as statement pieces or focal points. In minimalism, textured rugs can tie a monochromatic space together while adding visual interest with a pattern. Examples of natural materials that make for great rugs include bamboo, hemp, jute and leather.
5. Sheer curtains
To help a minimalist space feel less dull, opt for sheer curtains that allow some light into the room. Linen or other less opaque curtains, still offer the privacy of curtains while bringing in natural light to brighten a monochromatic space. For more visual interest, look for a curtain with a texture or simple pattern.
6. Recessed lighting
Minimalist lighting fixtures with clean lines, like pendant lights or recessed lighting, fit the desired clean aesthetic. If you’re unable to change ceiling fixtures, floor lamps also have clean lines and can be placed strategically to leave the room feeling airy.
7. Geometric mirror
Mirrors are great decor pieces. Wall mirrors, floor mirrors and framed accent mirrors can fill space without feeling overwhelming to the design. Plus, mirrors reflect light often making the room feel bigger.
8. Indoor plants
Worried about your minimalist space feeling lifeless? Indoor plants or succulents bring life into the space while remaining tasteful. Plants are mostly muted in color and small in stature, perfect for minimalistic decor.
9. Cohesive gallery wall
Gallery walls are a great way to set the tone of a minimalist living room while adding your own personal touch. Ensure your gallery wall stays within minimalist design principles by using simple frames so the space doesn’t feel overcrowded.
10. Negative space
Negative space refers to the empty areas in a room. It’s tempting to fill any space in a living room that feels barren, however, in minimalist fashion, allowing negative space is encouraged. It improves visual clarity and makes the overall design more aesthetically pleasing.
11. Neutral geometric patterned pillows
Sticking to a monochromatic scheme is difficult if you want a visually interesting space that is still minimalist. Geometric patterned throw pillows are a great solution to feel like you’re adding a pop without throwing off the minimalist vibe.
12. Transparent coffee table
The sleek, modern look of transparent furniture pieces is unmatched in the minimalist decor world. A transparent coffee table is a great option for fitting the theme of the room without having to worry about finding something within the decided color scheme.
13. Corkboard wall decor
Apartment living rooms often bleed into entryways, making cohesive decor for these meeting spaces tricky. Corkboard walls serve as a neutral middle-man for any spaces that meet your minimalist living room.
14. Scandanavian-inspired accent chair
Minimalism stems from Scandinavian-style decor. The clean lines and modern design of Scandinavian interiors have heavily influenced the minimalist movement and their designers are known for creating breathtaking spaces with limited resources.
15. Decorative ladder
Wooden ladders are popular decor pieces for living rooms and match up with minimalist decor style guidelines. These ladders are good for holding neutral blankets or stand-alone pieces to match your monochromatic color scheme.
Simplify your space
Simplicity doesn’t mean sacrificing style or comfort but rather finding the perfect balance between the essentials and extras. With these decor ideas, your living room will reflect your unique taste but also provides an escape from the maximalist outside world. Embark on a journey of peace and simplicity right in the heart of your apartment – your living room. Find your dream apartment today!
Wesley is a Charlotte-based writer with a degree in Mass Communication from the University of South Carolina. Her background includes 6 years in non-profit communication and 4 years in editorial writing. She’s passionate about traveling, volunteering, cooking and drinking her morning iced coffee. When she’s not writing, you can find her relaxing with family or exploring Charlotte with her friends.
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
We are going to under the cover and discover $13 an hour is how much per year.
For most Americans, this is hovering near minimum wage.
Let’s get this straight… This is not a livable wage.
If you are in high school or college and have support from your parents, then this is great spending money for you.
However, if you are making it on your own, $13 per hour will not make ends meet each month.
For most people, being at minimum wage is common and the goal is to make your way up the payscale and quickly!
In this post, we’re going to detail exactly what $13 an hour is how much a year. Also, we are going to break it down to know how much is made per month, bi-weekly, per week, and daily.
That will help you immensely with how you spend your money. Because too many times the hard-earned cash is brought home, but there is no actual plan for how to spend that money.
When living close to minimum wage, you must be know how to manage money wisely.
More than likely, you are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to survive to the next paycheck. Take a deep breath and make this minimum wage just a season.
The ultimate goal is to make the most of your hourly wage with inspirations to make more money.
If that is something you want too, then keep reading. You are in the right place.
$13 an Hour is How Much a Year?
When we ran all of our numbers to figure out how much is $13 per hour is an annual salary, we used the average working day of 40 hours a week.
40 hours x 52 weeks x $13 = $27,040
$27040 is the gross annual salary with a $13 per hour wage.
Breakdown of 13 Dollars an hour is how much a year
Typically, the average workweek is 40 hours and you can work 52 weeks a year. Take 40 hours times 52 weeks and that equals 2,080 working hours. Then, multiple the hourly salary of $13 times 2,080 working hours, and the result is $27,040.
That number is the gross income before taxes, insurance, 401K, or anything else is taken out. Net income is how much you deposit into your bank account.
Work Part Time?
But you may think, oh wait, I’m only working part time. So if you’re working part time, the assumption is working 20 hours a week at $13 an hour.
Only 20 hours per week. Then, take 20 hours times 52 weeks and that equals 1,040 working hours. Then, multiple the hourly salary of $13 times 1,040 working hours, and the result is $13,520.
How Much is $13 Per Month?
On average, the monthly amount would average $2253.
Annual Amount of $27,040 ÷ 12 months = $2,253 per month
Since some months have more days and fewer days like February, you can expect months with more days to have a bigger paycheck. Also, this can be heavily influenced by how often you are paid and on which days you get paid.
Work Part Time?
Only 20 hours per week. Then, the monthly amount would average $1,127.
How Much is $13 per Hour Per Week
This is a great number to know! How much do I make each week? When I roll out of bed and do my job, what can I expect to make at the end of the week?
Once again, the assumption is 40 hours worked.
40 hours x $13 = $520 per week.
Work Part Time?
Only 20 hours per week. Then, the weekly amount would be $260.
How Much is $13 per Hour Bi-Weekly
For this calculation, take the average weekly pay of $520 and double it.
$520 per week x 2 = $1040
Also, the other way to calculate this is:
40 hours x 2 weeks x $13 an hour = $1040
Work Part Time?
Only 20 hours per week. Then, the bi-weekly amount would be $520.
How Much is $13 Per Hour Per Day
This depends on how many hours you work in a day. For this example, we are going to use an eight-hour workday.
8 hours x $13 per hour = $104 per day.
If you work 10 hours a day for four days, then you would make $130 per day. (10 hours x $13 per hour)
Work Part Time?
Only 4 hours per day. Then, the daily amount would be $52.
$13 Per Hour is…
$13 per Hour – Full Time
Total Income
Yearly Salary (52 weeks)
$27,040
Yearly Wage (50 weeks)
$26,000
Monthly Wage (173 hours)
$2,253
Weekly Wage (40 Hours)
$520
Bi-Weekly Wage (80 Hours)
$1040
Daily Wage (8 Hours)
$104
Net Estimated Monthly Income
$1,720
**These are assumptions based on simple scenarios.
Paid Time Off Earning 13 Dollars an Hour
Does your employer offer paid time off?
As an hourly, close to minimum wage employee, more than likely you will not get paid time off.
So, here are the scenarios for both cases.
For general purposes, we are going to assume you work 40 hours per week over the course of the year.
Case # 1 – With Paid Time Off
Most hourly employees, get two weeks of paid time off which is equivalent to 2 weeks of paid time off.
In this case, you would make $27,040 per year.
This is the same as the example above for an annual salary making $13 per hour.
Case #2 – No Paid Time Off
Unfortunately, not all employers offer paid time off to their hourly employees. While that is unfortunate, it is best to plan for less income.
Life happens. There will be times you need to take time off for numerous reasons – sick time, handling an emergency, or even vacation.
So, let’s assume you take 2 weeks off without paid time off.
That means you would only work 50 weeks of the year instead of all 52 weeks. Take 40 hours times 50 weeks and that equals 2,000 working hours. Then, multiple the hourly salary of $13 times 2,000 working hours, and the result is $26,000.
40 hours x 50 weeks x $13 = $26000
You would average $104 per working day and nothing when you don’t work.
$13 an Hour is How Much a year After Taxes
Let’s be honest… Taxes can take up a big chunk of your paycheck. Thus, you need to know how taxes can affect your hourly wage.
This is why you always wondering why your take-home pay is so much less.
Also, every single person’s tax situation is different.
On the basic level, let’s assume a 12% federal tax rate and a 4% state rate. Plus a percentage is taken out for Social Security and Medicare (FICA) of 7.65%.
Gross Annual Salary: $27,040
Federal Taxes of 12%: $3,245
State Taxes of 4%: $1,082
Social Security and Medicare of 7.65%: $2,069
$13 an Hour per Year after Taxes: $20,645
This would be your net annual salary after taxes.
To turn that back into an hourly wage, the assumption is working 2,080 hours.
$20645 ÷ 2080 hours = $9.93 per hour
After estimated taxes and FICA, you are netting $9.93 an hour. That is $3.07 an hour less than what you planned.
This is a very highlighted example and can vary greatly depending on your personal situation. Therefore, here is a great tool to help you figure out how much your net paycheck would be.
$13 an Hour Budget – Example
You are probably wondering can I live on my own making 13 dollars an hour? How much rent can you afford at 13 an hour?
Using our Cents Plan Formula, this is the best case scenario on how to budget your $13 per hour paycheck.
When using these percentages, it is best to use net income because taxes must be paid.
In this example, above we calculated that $13 an hour was $9.93 after taxes. That would average $1720 per month.
According to the Cents Plan Formula, here is the high level view of a $13 per hour budget:
Basic Expenses of 50% = $860
Save Money of 20% = $344
Give Money of 10% = $172
Fun Spending of 20% = $344
Debt of 0% = $0
Obviously, that is not doable when living so close to minimum wage. So, you have to be strategic on ways to decrease your basic expenses and debt. Then, it will allow you more money to save and fun spending.
To further break down an example budget of $13 per hour, then using the ideal household percentages is extremely helpful.
recommended budget percentages based on $13 per hour wage:
Category
Ideal Percentages
Sample Monthly Budget
Giving
10%
$68
Savings
15-25%
$135
Housing
20-30%
$676
Utilities
4-7%
$135
Groceries
5-12%
$203
Clothing
1-4%
$23
Transportation
4-10%
$135
Medical
5-12%
$225
Life Insurance
1%
$19
Education
1-4%
$11
Personal
2-7%
$35
Recreation / Entertainment
3-8%
$56
Debts
0% – Goal
$0
Government Tax (including Income Tatumx, Social Security & Medicare)
15-25%
$533
Total Gross Income
$2253
**In this budget, prioritization was given to basic expenses. Thus, some categories like giving and saving were less.
$13 An Hour Salary Calculator
Now, you get to figure out how much you make based on your hours worked or if you make a wage between $13.01-13.99.
This is super helpful if you make $13.12, $13.35, or $13.77.
Living on $13 Per Hour
Living close to minimum wage can be a very difficult situation.
Is it doable? Probably not for long.
You just have to be wiser (or frugal) with your money and how you spend the hard-earned cash you have been blessed with.
A lot of times when people are making under near the minimum wage mark, they feel like they are in this constant cycle that they can never keep up (which completely makes sense it is hard!).
When your thoughts are constantly focused on how you are struggling to keep up with bills and expenses, that is all you focus on.
You need to do is change your money mindset.
This is what you say to yourself… Okay, I am making near minimum wage for now. I have aspirations and goals to increase how much I make. For now, I am going to make sure that I am able to live on my 13 dollars per hour. I’m going to try and avoid debt and payday loans at all costs.
Other Tips to Help You:
Check your minimum wage for your state and city. You might find a higher minimum wage in a nearby city.
Look to living in a lower cost of living area to stretch your money.
Find ways to minizine your basic expenses.
Thrive with a minimalist lifestyle.
Decide if a roommate or moving back with your parents would help.
Bike or walk to work.
In the next section, we will dig into ways to increase your income, but for now, you must focus on living on $13 an hour.
5 Ways to Increase Your Hourly Wage
This right here is the most important section of this post.
You need to figure out ways to increase your hourly income because I’m going to tell you…you deserve more. You do a good job and your value is higher than what your employers pay you.
Even an increase of 50 cents to $13.50 will add up over the year. Even better $15 an hour!
1. Ask for a Raise
The first thing to do is ask for a raise. Walk right in and ask for a raise because you never know what the answer will be until you ask.
If you want the best tips on how specifically to ask for a raise and what the average wage is for somebody doing your job, then check out this book. In this book, the author gives you the exact way to increase your income. The purchase is worth it or go down to the library and check that book out.
2. Look for A New Job
Another way to increase your hourly wage is to look for a new job. Maybe a completely new industry.
It might be a total change for you, but many times, if you want to change your financial situation, then that starts with a career change. Maybe you’re stressed out at work. Making $13 an hour is too much for you and you’re not able to enjoy life, maybe changing jobs and finding another job may increase your pay, but it will also increase your quality of life.
3. Find a New Career
Because of student loans, too many employees feel like they are stuck in the career field they chose. They feel sucked into the job that they don’t like or have the potential they thought it would.
For many years, I was in the same situation until I decided to do a complete career change. I am glad I did. I have the flexibility that I needed in my life to do what I wanted when I needed to do it. Plus I am able to enjoy my entrepreneurial spirit.
4. Find Alternative Ways to Make Money
In today’s society, you need to find ways to make more money. Period.
There is no way to get around it. You need to find additional income outside a traditional nine-to-five position or typical 40 hour a week job. You will reach a point where you are maxed on what you can make in your current position or title. There may be some advancement to move forward, but in many cases, there just is not much room for growth.
So, you need to find a side hustle – another way to make money.
Do something that you enjoy, turn your hobby into a way to make money, turn something that you naturally do, and help others into a service business. In today’s society, the sky is the limit on how you can earn a freelancing income.
5. Earn Passive Income
The last way to increase your hourly wage is to start earning passive income.
This can be from a variety of ways including the stock market, real estate, online courses, book sales, etc. This is where the differentiation between struggling financially and being financially sound happens.
By earning money passively, you are able to do the things that you enjoy doing and not be loaded down, with having a job that you need to work, and a place that you have to go to. And you still make money doing nothing.
Here is an example:
You can start a brokerage account and start trading stocks for $50. You need to learn and take the one and only investing class I recommend. Learn how the market works, watch videos, and practice in a simulator before you start using your own money.
One gentleman started with $5,000 in his trading account and now has well over $36,000 in a year. Just from practice and being consistent, he has learned that passive income is the way for him to increase his income and also not be a slave to his job.
Tips to Live on $13 an Hour
In this last section, grasp these tips on how to live on $13 an hour. On our site, you can find lots of money saving tips to help stretch your income further.
Here are the most important tips to live on $13 an hour. Highlight these!
1. Spend Less Than you Make
First, you must learn to spend less than you make.
If not you will be caught in the debt cycle and that is not where you want to be. You will be consistently living paycheck to paycheck.
In order to break that dreadful cycle, it means your expenses must be less than your income.
And when I say income, it’s not the $13 an hour. As we talked about earlier in the post, there are taxes. The amount of taxes taken out of your paycheck is called your net income which is your home $13 an hour minus all the taxes, FICA, social security, and medicare are taken out. That is your net income.
So, your net income has to be less than your net income.
2. Living Below Your Means
You need to be happy. And living on less can actually make you happier. Studies prove that less is better.
Finding contentment in life is one thing that is a struggle for most.
We are driven to want the new shiny toy, the thing next door, the stuff your friend or family member got. Our society has trained you that you need these things as well.
Have you ever taken a step back and looked at what you really need?
Once you are able to find contentment with life, then you are going to be set for the long term with your finances.
Here is our story on owning less stuff. We have been happier since.
3. Make Saving Money Fun
You need to make saving money fun. Period.
It could be participating in a no spend challenge for the month.
Check out the 200 envelope challenge (which is doable on your income)
It could be challenging friends not to go to Target for a week.
Maybe changing your habits and not picking up takeout and planning meals.
Whatever it is challenge yourself.
Find new ways of saving money and have fun with it.
Even better, get your family and kids involved in the challenge to save money. Tell them the reason why you are saving money and this is what you are doing.
Here are 101 things to do with no money. Free activities without costing you a dime. That is an amazing resource for you and you will never be bored.
And you will learn a lot of things in life you can do for free. Personally, some of the best ones are getting outside and enjoying some fresh air.
4. Make More Money
If you want if you do not settle for less, then find ways to make more money. If you want more out of life, then increase your income.
You need to be an advocate for yourself.
Find ways to make more money.
It could be a side hustle, a second job, asking for a raise, going to school to change careers, or picking up extra hours.
Whatever path you take, that’s fine. Just find ways to make more money. Period.
5. No State Taxes
Paying taxes is one option to increase what you take home in each paycheck.
These are the states that don’t pay state income taxes on wages:
Alaska
Florida
Nevada
New Hampshire
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Washington
Wyoming
It is very interesting if you take into account the amount of state taxes paid compared to a state with income taxes.
Also, if you live in one of the higher taxed states, then you may want to reconsider moving to a lower cost of living area. The higher taxes income tax states include California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, the District of Columbia, New York, Vermont, Iowa, and Wisconsin. These states tax income somewhere between 7.65% – 13.3%.
6. Stick to a Budget
You need to learn how to start a budget. We have tons budgeting resources for you.
While creating a budget is great, you need to learn how to use one.
You do not have to budget down to every last penny.
You need to make sure your expenses are less than your income and you are creating sinking funds for those irregular expenses.
Budget Help:
7. Pay Off Debt Quickly
The amount that you pay interest on debt is absolutely absurd.
Unfortunately, that is how many of these companies make their money is from the interest you pay on debt.
If you are paying 5% to even 20-21% or higher, you need to find ways to lower that debt quickly.
Here’s a debt calculator to help you. Figure out your debt free date.
Make that paying off debt fast is your target and main focus. I can tell you from personal experience, it was not until week paid off our debt that we finally rounded the corner financially. Once our debt was paid off, we could finally be able to save money. Set money aside in separate bank accounts and pay for cash for things.
It took us working hard to pay off debt. We needed persistence and patience while we had setbacks in our debt free journey.
Jobs that Pay $13 an Hour
You can always find jobs that pay $13 per hour. Polish up that smile, fill out the application, and be prepared with your interview skills.
Job Search Hint: Always send a written follow-up thank you note for your interview. That will help you get noticed and remembered.
First, look at the cities that require a minimum wage in their cities. That is the best place to start to find jobs that are going to pay higher than the federal minimum wage rate. Many of the cities are moving towards this model so, target and look for jobs in those areas.
Possible Ideas:
Cashiers
Back of the house restaurant staff
Landscape Laborer
Retail jobs
Paraeducators at schools
Janitors
Farm help
Warehouse workers
Fast Food Restaurants workers
$13 Per Hour Annual Salary
In this post, we detailed 13 an hour is how much a year. Plus all of the variables that can impact your net income. This is something that you can live off.
How much is 13 dollars an hour annually…
$27,040
This is under $30000 per year and you need to make at least $45k a year.
In this post, we highlighted ways to increase your income as well as tips for living off your wage.
Use the sample budget as a starting point with your expenses.
You will have to be savvy and wise with your hard-earned income. But, with a plan, anything is possible!
Learn exactly how much do I make per year…
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
We are going to under the cover and discover $12 an hour is how much per year.
For most Americans, this is hovering near minimum wage.
Let’s get this straight… This is not a livable wage.
If you are in high school or college and have support from your parents, then this is great spending money for you.
However, if you are making it on your own, $12 per hour will not make ends meet each month.
For most people, being at minimum wage is common and the goal is to make your way up the payscale and quickly!
In this post, we’re going to detail exactly what $12 an hour is how much a year. Also, we are going to break it down to know how much is made per month, bi-weekly, per week, and daily.
That will help you immensely with how you spend your money. Because too many times the hard-earned cash is brought home, but there is no actual plan for how to spend that money.
When living close to minimum wage, you must know how to manage money wisely.
More than likely, you are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to survive to the next paycheck. Take a deep breath and make this minimum wage just a season.
The ultimate goal is to make the most of your hourly wage with inspirations to make more money.
If that is something you want too, then keep reading. You are in the right place.
$12 an Hour is How Much a Year?
When we ran all of our numbers to figure out how much is $12 per hour is as an annual salary, we used the average working day of 40 hours a week.
40 hours x 52 weeks x $12 = $24960
$24960 is the gross annual salary with a $12 per hour wage.
Breakdown Of 12 Dollars An Hour Is How Much A Year
Typically, the average work week is 40 hours and you can work 52 weeks a year. Take 40 hours times 52 weeks and that equals 2,080 working hours. Then, multiple the hourly salary of $12 times 2,080 working hours, and the result is $24,960.
That number is the gross income before taxes, insurance, 401K, or anything else is taken out. Net income is how much you deposit into your bank account.
Work Part Time?
But you may think, oh wait, I’m only working part time. So if you’re working part time, the assumption is working 20 hours a week at $12 an hour.
Only 20 hours per week. Then, take 20 hours times 52 weeks and that equals 1,040 working hours. Then, multiple the hourly salary of $12 times 1,040 working hours, and the result is $12480.
How Much is $12 Per Month?
On average, the monthly amount would average $2,080.
Annual Amount of $24000 ÷ 12 months = $2080 per month
Since some months have more days and fewer days like February, you can expect months with more days to have a bigger paycheck. Also, this can be heavily influenced by how often you are paid and on which days you get paid.
Work Part Time?
Only 20 hours per week. Then, the monthly amount would average $1040.
How Much is $12 per Hour Per Week
This is a great number to know! How much do I make each week? When I roll out of bed and do my job, what can I expect to make at the end of the week?
Once again, the assumption is 40 hours worked.
40 hours x $12 = $480 per week.
Work Part Time?
Only 20 hours per week. Then, the weekly amount would be $240.
How Much is $12 per Hour Bi-Weekly
For this calculation, take the average weekly pay of $480 and double it.
$480 per week x 2 = $960
Also, the other way to calculate this is:
40 hours x 2 weeks x $12 an hour = $960
Work Part Time?
Only 20 hours per week. Then, the bi-weekly amount would be $480.
How Much is $12 Per Hour Per Day
This depends on how many hours you work in a day. For this example, we are going to use an eight hour work day.
8 hours x $12 per hour = $96 per day.
If you work 10 hours a day for four days, then you would make $120 per day. (10 hours x $12 per hour)
Work Part Time?
Only 4 hours per day. Then, the daily amount would be $48.
$12 Per Hour is…
$12 per Hour – Full Time
Total Income
Yearly Salary (52 weeks)
$24,960
Yearly Wage (50 weeks)
$24,000
Monthly Wage (173 hours)
$2,080
Weekly Wage (40 Hours)
$490
Bi-Weekly Wage (80 Hours)
$960
Daily Wage (8 Hours)
$96
Net Estimated Monthly Income
$1,588
**These are assumptions based on simple scenarios.
Paid Time Off Earning 12 Dollars an Hour
Does your employer offer paid time off?
As an hourly, close to minimum wage employee, more than likely you will not get paid time off.
So, here are the scenarios for both cases.
For general purposes, we are going to assume you work 40 hours per week over the course of the year.
Case # 1 – With Paid Time Off
Most hourly employees, get two weeks of paid time off which is equivalent to 2 weeks of paid time off.
In this case, you would make $24960 per year.
This is the same as the example above for an annual salary making $12 per hour.
Case #2 – No Paid Time Off
Unfortunately, not all employers offer paid time off to their hourly employees. While that is unfortunate, it is best to plan for less income.
Life happens. There will be times you need to take time off for numerous reasons – sick time, handling an emergency, or even vacation.
So, let’s assume you take 2 weeks off without paid time off.
That means you would only work 50 weeks of the year instead of all 52 weeks. Take 40 hours times 50 weeks and that equals 2,000 working hours. Then, multiple the hourly salary of $12 times 2,000 working hours, and the result is $24,000.
40 hours x 50 weeks x $12 = $24000
You would average $96 per working day and nothing when you don’t work.
$12 an Hour is How Much a year After Taxes
Let’s be honest… Taxes can take up a big chunk of your paycheck. Thus, you need to know how taxes can affect your hourly wage.
This is why you always wondering why your take-home pay is so much less.
Also, every single person’s tax situation is different.
On the basic level, let’s assume a 12% federal tax rate and a 4% state rate. Plus a percentage is taken out for Social Security and Medicare (FICA) of 7.65%.
Gross Annual Salary: $24,960
Federal Taxes of 12%: $2,995
State Taxes of 4%: $998
Social Security and Medicare of 7.65%: $1,909
$12 an Hour per Year after Taxes: $19,057
This would be your net annual salary after taxes.
To turn that back into an hourly wage, the assumption is working 2,080 hours.
$19057 ÷ 2080 hours = $9.16 per hour
After estimated taxes and FICA, you are netting $9.16 an hour. That is $2.84 an hour less than what you planned.
This is a very highlighted example and can vary greatly depending on your personal situation. Therefore, here is a great tool to help you figure out how much your net paycheck would be.
$12 an Hour Budget Example
You are probably wondering can I live on my own making 12 dollars an hour? How much rent can you afford on 12 an hour?
Using our Cents Plan Formula, this is the best case scenario on how to budget your $12 per hour paycheck.
When using these percentages, it is best to use net income because taxes must be paid.
In this example, above we calculated $12 an hour was $9.16 after taxes. That would average $1588 per month.
According to the Cents Plan Formula, here is the high level view of a $12 per hour budget:
Basic Expenses of 50% = $794
Save Money of 20% = $318
Give Money of 10% = $159
Fun Spending of 20% = $318
Debt of 0% = $0
Obviously, that is not doable when living so close to minimum wage. So, you have to be strategic on ways to decrease your basic expenses and debt. Then, it will allow you more money to save and fun spending.
To further break down an example budget of $12 per hour, then using the ideal household percentages is extremely helpful.
recommended budget percentages based on $12 per hour wage:
Category
Ideal Percentages
Sample Monthly Budget
Giving
10%
$62
Savings
15-25%
$104
Housing
20-30%
$645
Utilities
4-7%
$125
Groceries
5-12%
$187
Clothing
1-4%
$21
Transportation
4-10%
$125
Medical
5-12%
$208
Life Insurance
1%
$18
Education
1-4%
$10
Personal
2-7%
$31
Recreation / Entertainment
3-8%
$52
Debts
0% – Goal
$0
Government Tax (including Income Tatumx, Social Security & Medicare)
15-25%
$492
Total Gross Income
$2,080
**In this budget, prioritization was given to basic expenses. Thus, some categories like giving and saving were less.
$12 an Hour Calculator
Now, you get to figure out how much you make based on your hours worked or if you make a wage between $12.01-12.99.
Here is a handy calculator to use if you make $12.60, $12.30, or $12.75 an hour.
Living on $12 Per Hour
Living close to minimum wage can be a very difficult situation.
Is it doable? Probably not for long.
You just have to be wiser (or frugal) with your money and how you spend the hard-earned cash you have been blessed with.
A lot of times when people are making under near the minimum wage mark, they feel like they are in this constant cycle that they can never keep up with (which completely makes sense it is hard!).
When your thoughts are constantly focused on how you are struggling to keep up with bills and expenses, that is all you focus on.
You need to realize that your mindset is everything.
This is what you say to yourself… Okay, I am making near minimum wage for now. I have aspirations and goals to increase how much I make. For now, I am going to make sure that I am able to live on my 12 dollars per hour. I’m going to try and avoid debt and payday loans at all costs.
Other Tips to Help You:
Check your minimum wage for your state and city. You might find a higher minimum wage in a nearby city.
Look to living in a lower cost of living area to stretch your money.
Find ways to minizine your basic expenses.
Thrive with a minimalist lifestyle.
Decide if a roommate or moving back with your parents would help.
Bike or walk to work.
In the next section, we will dig into ways to increase your income, but for now, you must focus on living on $12 an hour.
5 Ways to Increase Your Hourly Wage
This right here is the most important section of this post.
You need to figure out ways to increase your hourly income because I’m going to tell you…you deserve more. You do a good job and your value is higher than what your employers pay you.
Even an increase of 50 cents to $12.50 will add up over the year. Even better $13 an hour or $15 an hour!
1. Ask for a Raise
The first thing to do is ask for a raise. Walk right in and ask for a raise because you never know what the answer will be until you ask.
If you want the best tips on how specifically to ask for a raise and what the average wage is for somebody doing your job, then check out this book. In this book, the author gives you the exact way to increase your income. The purchase is worth it or go down to the library and check that book out.
2. Look for A New Job
Another way to increase your hourly wage is to look for a new job. Maybe a completely new industry.
It might be a total change for you, but many times, if you want to change your financial situation, then that starts with a career change. Maybe you’re stressed out at work. Making $12 an hour is too much for you and you’re not able to enjoy life, maybe changing jobs and finding another job may increase your pay, but it will also increase your quality of life.
3. Find a New Career
Because of student loans, too many employees feel like they are stuck in the career field they chose. They feel sucked into the job that they don’t like or have the potential they thought it would.
For many years, I was in the same situation until I decided to do a complete career change. I am glad I did. I have the flexibility that I needed in my life to do what I wanted when I needed to do it. Plus I am able to enjoy my entrepreneurial spirit.
4. Find Alternative Ways to Make Money
In today’s society, you need to find ways to make more money. Period.
There is no way to get around it. You need to find additional income outside a traditional nine to five position or typical 40-hour-a-week job. You will reach a point where you are maxed on what you can make in your current position or title. There may be some advancement to move forward, but in many cases, there just is not much room for growth.
So, you need to find a side hustle – another way to make money.
Do something that you enjoy, turn your hobby into a way to make money, turn something that you naturally do, and help others into a service business. In today’s society, the sky is the limit on how you can earn a freelancing income.
5. Earn Passive Income
The last way to increase your hourly wage is to start earning passive income.
This can be from a variety of ways including the stock market, real estate, online courses, book sales, etc. This is where the differentiation between struggling financially and being financially sound happens.
By earning money passively, you are able to do the things that you enjoy doing and not be loaded down, with having a job that you need to work, and a place that you have to go to. And you still make money doing nothing.
Here is an example:
You can start a brokerage account and start trading stocks for $50. You need to learn and take the one and only investing class I recommend. Learn how the market works, watch videos, and practice in a simulator before you start using your own money.
One gentleman started with $5,000 in his trading account and now has well over $75,000 in a year. Just from practice and being consistent, he has learned that passive income is the way for him to increase his income and also not be a slave to his job.
Tips to Live on $12 an Hour
In this last section, grasp these tips on how to live on $12 an hour. On our site, you can find lots of money saving tips to help stretch your income further.
Here are the most important tips to live on $12 an hour. Highlight these!
1. Spend Less Than you Make
First, you must learn to spend less than you make.
If not you will be caught in the debt cycle and that is not where you want to be. You will be consistently living paycheck to paycheck.
In order to break that dreadful cycle, it means your expenses must be less than your income.
And when I say income, it’s not the $12 an hour. As we talked about earlier in the post, there are taxes. The amount of taxes taken out of your paycheck is called your net income which is your home $12 an hour minus all the taxes, FICA, social security, and Medicare are taken out. That is your net income.
So, your net income has to be less than your net income.
2. Living Below Your Means
You need to be happy. And living on less can actually make you happier. Studies prove that less is better.
Finding contentment in life is one thing that is a struggle for most.
We are driven to want the new shiny toy, the thing next door, the stuff your friend or family member got. Our society has trained you that you need these things as well.
Have you ever taken a step back and looked at what you really need?
Once you are able to find contentment with life, then you are going to be set for the long term with your finances.
Here is our story on owning less stuff. We have been happier since.
3. Make Saving Money Fun
You need to make saving money fun. Period.
It could be participating in a no spend challenge for the month.
Check out the 200 envelope challenge (which is doable on your income)
It could be challenging friends not to go to Target for a week.
Maybe changing your habits and not picking up takeout and planning meals.
Whatever it is challenge yourself.
Find new ways of saving money and have fun with it.
Even better, get your family and kids involved in the challenge to save money. Tell them the reason why you are saving money and this is what you are doing.
Here are 101 things to do with no money. Free activities without costing you a dime. That is an amazing resource for you and you will never be bored.
And you will learn a lot of things in life you can do for free. Personally, some of the best ones are getting outside and enjoying some fresh air.
4. Make More Money
If you want if you do not settle for less, then find ways to make more money. If you want more out of life, then increase your income.
You need to be an advocate for yourself.
Find ways to make more money.
It could be a side hustle, a second job, asking for a raise, going to school to change careers, or picking up extra hours.
Whatever path you take, that’s fine. Just find ways to make more money. Period.
5. No State Taxes
Paying taxes is one option to increase what you take home in each paycheck.
These are the states that don’t pay state income taxes on wages:
Alaska
Florida
Nevada
New Hampshire
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Washington
Wyoming
It is very interesting if you take into account the amount of state taxes paid compared to a state with income taxes.
Also, if you live in one of the higher taxed states, then you may want to reconsider moving to a lower cost of living area. The higher taxes income tax states include California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, the District of Columbia, New York, Vermont, Iowa, and Wisconsin. These states tax income somewhere between 7.65% – 13.3%.
6. Stick to a Budget
You need to learn how to start a budget. We have tons budgeting resources for you.
While creating a budget is great, you need to learn how to use one.
You do not have to budget down to every last penny.
You need to make sure your expenses are less than your income and you are creating sinking funds for those irregular expenses.
Budget Help:
7. Pay Off Debt Quickly
The amount that you pay interest on debt is absolutely absurd.
Unfortunately, that is how many of these companies make their money from the interest you pay on debt.
If you are paying 5% to even 20-21% or higher, you need to find ways to lower that debt quickly.
Here’s a debt calculator to help you. Figure out your debt free date.
Make that paying off debt fast is your target and main focus. I can tell you from personal experience, it was not until week paid off our debt that we finally rounded the corner financially. Once our debt was paid off, we could finally be able to save money. Set money aside in separate bank accounts and pay for cash for things.
It took us working hard to pay off debt. We needed persistence and patience while we had setbacks in our debt free journey.
Jobs that Pay $12 an Hour
You can always find jobs that pay $12 per hour. Polish up that smile, fill out the application and be prepared with your interview skills.
Job Search Hint: Always send a written follow-up thank you note for your interview. That will help you get noticed and remembered.
First, look at the cities that require a minimum wage in their cities. That is the best place to start to find jobs that are going to pay higher than the federal minimum wage rate. Many of the cities are moving towards this model so, target and look for jobs in those areas.
Possible Ideas for Jobs Paying $12 an hour:
Cashiers
Back of the house restaurant staff
Landscape Laborer
Retail jobs
Virtual Assistant – learn how to get started now!
Paraeducators at schools
Janitors
Farm help
Warehouse workers
Call center
Hotel Housekeeper
Delivery driver
Product demonstrator
Caregiver
Busser at restaurants
companies paying $12 an hour
Target
Amazon
Walgreens
Great Wolf Lodge
Olive Garden
Sonic
$12 Per Hour Annual Salary
In this post, we detailed 12 an hour is how much a year. Plus all of the variables that can impact your net income. This is something that you can live off.
How much is 12 dollars an hour annually…
$24,960
This is under $30000 per year and you need to make at least $38k a year.
In this post, we highlighted ways to increase your income as well as tips for living off your wage.
Use the sample budget as a starting point with your expenses.
You will have to be savvy and wise with your hard-earned income. But, with a plan, anything is possible!
Spend your time wisely and make money doing it. All of these quick ways to make money are simple and easy to do!
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Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
Reaching financial independence is like the holy grail of financial goals. After all, the ability to no longer need to work for money to live on is incredibly enticing.
Just imagine what you could do with that newfound freedom!
But the path to financial independence (or FI for short)is usually not glamorous. It requires hard work and dedication to make steady progress towards your ultimate goal of FI. But there are some strategies that can help you achieve your goal of financial independence.
Let’s take a look at these expert tips from people who have actually reached FI, or are seriously dedicated to the path of achieving it. You might find a tip that helps to transform your financial trajectory.
What’s Ahead:
1. Identify your “FI number”
Financial independence happens once you have enough money saved and invested to never need to work another day in your life. Although you might decide to work at a job you love, there is great freedom in knowing that you’ll never have to work another day in your life.
A big part of the financial independence journey is determining just how much money you’ll actually need to make this dream a reality. That number is your FI number, the goal that you should strive for when you decide to seriously pursue FI.
Although there are a few different schools of thought about how to calculate your FI number, this general rule of thumb is a great place to start:
Your annual expenses x 25 = your FI number
Personally, I am at the beginning of my journey to FIRE (Financial independence/retire early). I’m only a small part of the way to achieving the FI number that I have in mind.
But having mine in mind has helped me stay motivated to save extra diligently. I highly recommend nailing down what your FI number is, too. You might be surprised by how much having a concrete goal in mind keeps you focused on the savings goal — at least that has helped me so far!
2. Pay down debts that stand in your way
Net worth is a big part of achieving financial independence. When you check out your net worth, the debts you have will drag this number down.
With that in mind, David Alyor, recommends paying off your debts as soon as possible. As a lawyer in the final stretches of his financial independence, he says,
“After almost a decade of post-secondary studies, paying off student debts was painful, but I stayed the course and paid as aggressively as I could to get rid of my debts as quickly as possible.”
Alyor says the key to his success with debt repayment was to make a written repayment plan. Additionally, he regularly checked in with his shrinking loan balances to stay motivated along the way. He expands,
“If you’re finding it tough to make as much progress as you’d like, it’s time to look for a side hustle to increase your income earning potential and drop your debt even faster.”
3. Avoid lifestyle inflation
Lifestyle inflation is easy to justify. After all, shouldn’t you take advantage of the best that your paycheck can buy as it increases? If you are trying to achieve financial independence, then saying no to lifestyle inflation is critical.
James Diel, CEO of Textel, achieved FI several years ago. Diel says:
“Saying no to keeping up with the Jones’ helped me stick to a moderate budget that included saving 30% of my monthly income toward retirement and avoiding unnecessary big purchases that get in the way of saving.”
He recommends putting this into practice by:
“making some smart money moves early on in your career and keeping your budget low without severely depriving yourself of the things you want helps you maximize your investment profits, so you can save less now and still end up with an ample nest egg.”
4. Prioritize savings
Saving for a big goal is easier said than done. This is especially true when life throws expenses your way.
But it is possible to boost your savings by making those savings a priority. Or in other words, making it a point to pay yourself first.
Minesh Patel, CEO of thePatel Firm, is so close to FI that he hopes to achieve this big goal within the year. But when he was just starting his journey to FI, he says,
“The most critical way I could save for financial freedom, even as a young graduate with a tight budget, was to pay myself first.”
Paying yourself first sounds like a great idea. But what does it actually look like in practice? For Patel, the journey began by automatically investing some of his earnings into retirement savings every month. With that, he knew that savings weren’t being compromised. Patel says:
“Somehow, being aggressive with savings up-front and seeing less in your checking account during the month makes you feel like you don’t have the money to spend frivolously.”
5. Spend on what matters to you
Kara Metcalf and her husband reached FI in their mid-thirties and left corporate jobs to RV full-time. One of her tips is to spend with purpose.
“Every dollar you spend is a dollar that you’ll never get back.”
She encourages those on the path to FI to consider every purchase as a choice to exchange time being FI in the future so that you can have that item now. She says:
“That perspective helped me adopt a minimalist lifestyle and reduced my consumerism greatly. I really didn’t need another pair of jeans when there was nothing wrong with all of the others in my closet.”
Before you make a purchase, make sure that the item is worth it to you. You’ll have to decide for yourself what is ‘worth it.’ But taking the time to think through your purchases could lead to a decrease in spending.
6. Boost your income
The savings you create must come from the difference between your spending and your investing. Unfortunately, frugality will only get you so far.
At some point, you may need to look at the other side of the equation and boost your income to increase your savings.
Sam Zelinka, the creator of Government Worker FI, is 86% of the way to his FI goal. For his family, increasing their income was a big part of working towards financial independence.
“We’ve primarily raised our income by earning promotions in our traditional job. At the same time, we both have some small side hustles that we have used to help pay off our mortgage more rapidly.”
7. Take care of yourself along the way
It is easy to let your determination to achieve FI push you beyond your limits. But pushing yourself too hard could lead to premature burnout.
Avner Brodsky achieved financial independence through entrepreneurship. He recommends taking the time to understand your limits and learning how to play within these limits. Brodsky says:
“Understanding your limitations and being okay with admitting weakness will only benefit you in your journey of learning. Taking care of your mental health is essential when working toward FI because if you are struggling, your work will struggle.”
Take whatever actions you need to take care of yourself along the way. Remember, it is absolutely okay to slow down on your journey. Don’t push yourself beyond a healthy limit.
8. Invest for the future
Adam Garcia, the founder of the Stock Dork, is well on his way to financial independence. His tip is to consider a smart investment strategy that goes beyond savings. Garcia says:
“The idea of financial independence can easily turn on its head if you follow it blindly. For most people, the most intuitive way to start is by scrimping and saving as much as they possibly can – some even manage to set aside half of their earnings every month!”
But simply saving won’t supercharge your path to financial independence. Garcia expands:
“If you want an efficient FI strategy, you need to complement your saving efforts with investment. In other words, for every penny you save, it’s good to invest another penny so that it could eventually turn into two pennies.”
For Garcia, this concept is what he calls:
“having your cake and nibbling at it, too. It’s only possible and viable if the cake is growing at a sufficient rate that your nibbling will never cause it to disappear.”
9. Don’t try to sprint to the finish line
Financial independence is a major money goal. In most cases, it will take years (or maybe even decades) to achieve.
Anthony from The Investor Handbook wants to remind us that:
“personal finance is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
When you are just getting started, the difference might not be noticeable. But over time, you’ll see real progress.
As you approach your journey to financial independence, Anthony recommends thinking about the journey like working out.
“A single session working on your abs won’t give you a flat stomach, but keep at it for ten years, and you’ll definitely be rocking that six-pack.”
Imagine where you could be in ten years by choosing to make progress towards your FI goals with every paycheck. The commitment to FI could transform your life through small efforts over time.
10. Focus on your own journey
Throughout every facet of our lives, it is easy to get caught up in comparisons. That holds true for personal finances, as well.
Kara Metcalf (waiting on link) recommends focusing on your own journey. She says:
“If you compare your life to your friends, family, or coworkers, you’ll usually feel deprived or lacking because you will be saving money rather than going on extravagant vacations, buying a new wardrobe each season, or eating out every day.”
For Kara, she also says that:
“In my 20s, I hated eating my packed lunch every day while my coworkers were going out to lunch. But in my 40s, those friends still get up before the sun rises every day to commute to full-time, oftentimes soul-sucking jobs. I wake up naturally (without an alarm) and spend my days exploring beautiful new places every day.”
Remember that everyone’s journey is different. Make it a priority to focus on your own goals, and stop comparing your life to others.
Summary
The path to financial independence will look different for everyone. As you navigate the journey, tailor your spending patterns to strike a balance between your current needs and your future desires.
What steps are you taking to achieve financial independence? Let us know in the comments!
Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
Does it pay to be Internet savvy? Yes. In more ways than many people imagine. Sure, the Internet is a great way to research just about anything you could ever want to know about; and it’s an outstanding communication, marketing, and entertainment tool. But the Internet can also save you money. And we’re not just talking 10 cents off here and there. We’re talking free (and nearly free) stuff.
Want proof? Below, we’re diving into some of the best places you can find free or heavily discounted items. Keep reading for a comprehensive explanation or use the navigation links below to learn more about a specific tip.
Use Online Community Marketplaces
Looking for a computer desk? How about a sofa, kids’ toys, electronics, office supplies, landscaping materials, or lumber? These are just a few of the hundreds of items listed in a single day in almost any city’s Craigslist free section. People are generally honest about the condition of the stuff they’re listing, and many have pictures, so you can see for yourself.
If you’re a “Mr./Ms. Fix-It” type, you’ll be in heaven. But even if you aren’t, you’ll be surprised at the kinds of things people are giving away. Look for the FREE listings under the “For Sale” section of your local Craigslist board.
Much like Craigslist, Freecycle is another site powered by the people and rooted in a belief that it is better to give items a second life, rather than filling up landfills and creating more stuff. Folks can list anything they have to give away, and others can browse the goods to find what they want. And, like Craigslist, you’ll find a ton of great free stuff through Freecycle.
Unlike Craigslist, Freecycle is run through local networks. This makes it a little more of a process to find and list items, but the advantage of this process is that it’s moderated, and people can communicate with the community at large. This reduces the likelihood of people listing garbage and describing it as treasure.
Besides those two websites, you can also look at Facebook neighborhood groups, Facebook marketplace, OfferUp, and other apps or websites where people are looking to offload whatever has accumulated in their garage.
Get Free Samples
Companies want you to take samples so that you’ll be incentivized to buy the full-sized product at a later point. Department stores and wholesale clubs offer samples in person. But if you can’t find samples, you can simply request samples from companies online.
Amazon Prime members can even buy sample boxes and get reimbursed with Amazon credit.
Costco and Sam’s Club are, of course, famous for their samples. And Trader Joe’s often opens some of its products for sampling purposes as well.
Use Coupons
Coupons are a great way to not only get free stuff but also to get serious deals. They might be “old-fashioned” but you may be surprised by the savings with coupons. Besides coupons from stores or brands, there are also online databases like RetailMeNot, Honey, and Coupons.com. RetailMeNot and Honey even have helpful Chrome extensions that automatically scans potential discount codes when you’re on the checkout page for an online store. In turn, you get the peace of mind that you’re getting the best discount possible.
Try Using Your Library Card
Books are already a wonderful free perk that libraries provide, assuming that you don’t rack up fees from forgetting to turn in your books on time. However, with a valid library card, you can also get access to different entertainment and education options as well. You might be able to see movies, rent games, check out audiobooks, attend community classes, receive free or discounted museum passes, and more. Visit your local library to see what free library services it offers.
Pay Attention to Discounts
If you fall into a certain category like student, healthcare provider, teacher, first responder, senior, military, or senior, there’s a good chance that you’ll get a discount at certain establishments. It never hurts to ask! In addition, it’s also a good idea to ask about any coupons that are available at retail stores. In many cases, retail workers will scan a coupon for you on your behalf — so make sure you’re nice!
Enroll in Loyalty Programs and Newsletters
It’s a lot less expensive for companies to retain old customers than it is to get a new one. For that reason, companies often invite you to join loyalty programs. These programs often give you special perks. For example, many stores will give you a birthday gift that might be a special discount, merchandise, gift cards, or free food.
The same idea can be applied to newsletters. You’ll often get a nice discount when you sign up for a company’s newsletter. And remember, you can always unsubscribe if your inbox is getting too full.
Takeaways: Getting Free Stuff
Does it pay to be a bit of a geek and figure out how to get free stuff? You bet it does. So, get your geek on, and fire up the laptop and get some freebies. And don’t forget, it never hurts to ask if you can get a discount if you’re at a store. The worst that can happen is they say, “No.”
If you have other examples of sites you use to get free or nearly free stuff, we’d love for you to share them in the comments section. Want to make the most of your money? Check out our article on how to become a better saver.
Matthew Toren is a serial entrepreneur (Co-founded YoungEntrepreneur.com), mentor, investor and award winning Co-Author of Kidpreneurs (Basic Principles of Entrepreneurship for Kids). He owns Blogtrepreneur.com and writes for Contently.com.
Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
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Cutting dollars, concept of Finance Problems, Recession
Are you feeling like you aren’t as productive as you usually are? Or, perhaps life is really busy right now and you want to be able to manage it all better.
Many people struggle with how to be productive. We all have lots of things to do and sometimes we can accomplish them all, and other times it is very difficult.
I go through productivity spurts.
At times, I feel like I can accomplish anything and everything, and other days I don’t even know what (if anything) I did all day.
This is an area that I am constantly working on, and perhaps you are too.
Sometimes I am distracted by so many different things that it has caused me to waste a huge amount of time. Therefore, I have not been able to live in the moment like I would really like to.
Currently, though, I am trying to be as productive as I can, and trying to get ahead on as much work as possible. We are about to sail away from Florida after a very busy summer traveling in the van, and being more productive now means I’ll have a better time when we are sailing.
That is one of the best benefits of learning how to be productive – you will have more time to focus on what you really love doing. You won’t be stressed out by things you still need to do, and you can just live in the moment without any distractions.
However, learning how to be productive can be very difficult for some people. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by a long to-do list. Negative thoughts can hold you back from believing you can accomplish your goals or tasks. And, social media can be a huge distraction.
While those things can prevent you from being productive, they are also a huge waste of time.
And, the thing about wasting time is that it can hold you back from reaching your goals.
By learning how to be productive, you may be able to:
Begin a side hustle.
Eliminate your debt.
Spend more time with your those that you love.
Learn a new skill.
Enjoy life more.
Travel more.
Increase your income.
Reach your dreams, and more!
If you start today with just one of the ideas for how to be more productive, you will be that much closer to reaching your goals. So, when you read through this article, pick one idea you’d like to try today. You can try more once you see how well just one of them works.
Related reads:
Hopefully the productivity tips in today’s article will help you find hours in your week, no matter how you lose them.
How to be productive – 17 tips for success
1. Realize how much time you have to work with.
The first step is to be realistic with yourself.
Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, but others may be more limited with their time. I understand that different situations can make a person quite busy, so you need to be honest with yourself about much available time you have.
You don’t want to run yourself ragged, forget about the things that truly matter in life, hurt your work performance, and more.
However, many people do have extra time in their days but just don’t realize it. For one week, I recommend keeping track of the time you spend on various tasks and see how much time you waste and how you can improve.
You’ll most likely be very surprised!
2. Leave your negative outlook behind and find positivity.
I know what you’re thinking – How is this related to learning how to be productive?!
According to the National Science Foundation, the average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 80% are negative and 95% are repetitive thoughts. (statistic found on Medium)
That is a lot of time wasted on negative thoughts!
Lately, though, I’ve been realizing that I waste a lot of time with negative and repetitive thoughts. It’s been crazy to realize how easy it is to turn something so little and simple into something negative.
This is one of the productivity tips that may be hard to adapt to, but learning to be positive will really help you in the long run.
Instead of focusing on negatives like regret, guilt, comparisons, and more, you can be more productive by using this time for things that actually matter.
When you find that you are thinking in a negative way, take a moment to think of something that makes you happy. Is it your family? Do you love what you do? Did someone do something nice for you today?
A positive outlook can be life changing.
Related articles that will help you learn how to have a productive and positive day:
3. Check your email less. Way less.
This is one area that I have always struggled with. Even though I am guilty of checking my email numerous times throughout the day, I am starting to take my own advice and checking it less often.
I think the problem for me is that I feel obligated to keep checking my email in case something pops up with my business or if a reader has a question. I want to be as available as much possible, but that means I am constantly checking my email.
While it may not feel like you are spending that much time checking your email, the time and focus it takes to switch back and forth can really add up. It can also cause you to lose your train of thought when you should actually be doing something else.
If this is an issue for you and you want to learn how to be productive, I recommend setting time aside throughout the day to check your email. You can even set a rule that you only check after you finish a task. You can also turn off email notifications if they are distracting you.
You may want to work down to only checking your email just a few times a day, or even (EEEK!!!) once a day.
4. Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails.
Subscribing to emails is really easy to do. We’ve all done it to get a coupon code, at the cash register to get a receipt (isn’t that annoying?!), and sometimes you just mysteriously land on an email list.
Over the years, I’ve subscribed to plenty of different websites and companies. I got hundreds of unnecessary emails every day, and even though I set up tabs to organize my email, I was still spending so much time filtering through them.
It was tedious, and they were mostly junk. But, sometimes real emails got lost in the mix as well!
So, I unsubscribed from almost all emails, except for blogs that I enjoy and whatever is absolutely necessary.
Everything else has been removed.
If you find that you are spending too much time everyday checking, reading, and deleting emails that it isn’t allowing you to live in the moment and live your best life, I definitely suggest unsubscribing to the ones that aren’t meaningful to you.
You can find an unsubscribe button on the bottom of most emails, and it just takes a couple of clicks to get off an email list.
5. Wake up earlier.
Some say that they are most productive early in the morning. If this is the case, then use this to your advantage!
When I had my day job, I would usually wake up around one to two hours before I had to start getting ready for work. I would use this time to work on my side hustles, which included replying to emails, brainstorming ideas, managing my blog, finding mystery shop jobs, and more.
Sometimes, waking up early was extremely rough, but it was nice to get everything done before I went to work. This was also one of the ways I learned how to be productive at home, because I could also use this time to straighten things up around the house or clean.
If you’re not a morning person, you can always try to fit in time before you go to bed. Often I would even work on my side hustles for a few hours before I went to bed.
Related: 9 Tips To Wake Up Early & Why It Feels So Good
6. Organization is your friend.
Your productivity can be greatly influenced by how organized you are.
Here are some surprising statistics I found from Simply Orderly about being unorganized:
The average person spends 12 days per year looking for things they can’t find.
Every day, the average office worker spends 1.5 hours looking for things.
In a recent survey, 55% of consumers stated they would save anywhere from 16 to 60 minutes a day if they were organized.
23% of people pay bills late and have to pay late fees because they are unable to find their bills.
Becoming more organized can be hard at first, but it can really help you reclaim time in your day. If you want to learn how to be productive by organizing your life, here are several helpful tips:
Put things away when you are finished using them.
Make a schedule and stick to it.
Write things down in a notebook or planner so you don’t forget anything.
Regularly tidy things up.
Switch to a minimalist lifestyle.
Like I said, learning good organizational skills can be difficult, and you will have to commit if you really want to take part in this tip. But, being organized will ensure that your living and working spaces are functional, and it will probably even clear some mental clutter.
Posts related to minimalist living:
Also, organize your finances!
This is one of the tips that won’t just help you learn how to be productive with your time, it will help you gain control of your financial situation. Organizing your finances includes things like setting up auto pay on your bills, creating a budget, and using an online platform to show you all of your accounts.
My favorite online tool for keeping track of my finances is Personal Capital. Personal Capital allows you to aggregate your financial accounts so that you can easily see your financial situation. You can connect accounts such as your mortgage, bank accounts, credit card accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, and more. And, it is FREE.
7. Use short gaps in your day wisely.
Everyone has gaps of time in their day. This could be a gap before you have a meeting, a gap between your day job and night classes, a gap before you have to pick up the kids from school, or something else.
Maybe you have 15 to 30 minutes or an hour. Most people will just plunk down on the couch and watch TV or browse Facebook.
However, if you want to learn how to be productive, find ways to wisely use these gaps in your day.
Here are some examples of how you can take advantage of short gaps in your day:
You can use a gap to write out tomorrow’s to do list.
You can pay a bill or two.
If you’re a freelancer, you can use this time to bill your clients.
Use this time to schedule appointments.
Make a meal plan and grocery list.
8. Watch less TV.
Fun fact: I haven’t watched TV in over a month!
Less fun fact: I’m not perfect and often binge watch TV shows when I happen to find a good one.
TV absolutely kills my productivity level. I know how easily I can get sucked into the world of Netflix, so I haven’t even tried watching anything lately.
I love a good TV show, and I can honestly say that I once wasted a lot of time by watching too much TV. The average person watches TV for over 35 hours per week! I’m not sure if I was watching that much, but I know I was close.
Can you imagine what you could do by reclaiming just half of those hours each week?
Cutting out the amount of TV you watch will really help you if you want to learn how to be more productive. By cutting back on TV, you will have a few more hours everyday to focus on more important things.
Related: 16 Alternatives To Cable TV That WILL Save You Money
9. Spend less time getting ready.
Being more productive often involves saving time on littles aspects of your daily life. These things are often overlooked and can add up to a lot of wasted time, like taking forever to get ready. There are lots of people who spend way too much time picking out outfits and trying to get ready, and I was once one of them.
Since we had to downsize to travel full-time, I had to get rid of a lot of my clothes. It was a little hard at first because I had so many! But, by having less clothing options and/or choosing your outfit the night before, you can save valuable minutes each day.
Before we downsized, I couldn’t even remember all of the clothes I had, but now I save time each day because I know what I have and what looks good together.
For more information, I recommend checking out Becoming Minimalist’s blog post, Capsule Wardrobe: Why Some Are Wearing the Same Thing Every Day.
10. Have a to do list and use your calendar.
I love my constant to do list and having a full calendar.
Without these two things in my life, I would feel lost, unorganized, and probably even confused about what to do!
Yes, I rely heavily on my to do list, but putting a to do list together doesn’t have to be hard. I keep my to do list on my phone, and it’s just a simple list of things I need to do throughout the day, week, month, and year. I can even set reminders so I don’t forget when things need to be done. Others find that planners work for well for them too.
This is a tip that will help you learn how to be productive in every aspect of your life, as you can have a to do list for work, home, etc. Your to do list will keep you on track so you don’t forget what needs to be done on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This will keep you motivated and working towards your goals.
Related: 15 Of My Best Working From Home Tips So You Can Succeed
11. Make sure your to do list is doable.
Even though I have an on-going to do list, many people benefit from having a smaller and more approachable list.
You can start by asking yourself, “is this something I can really do today?” If the answer is “yes,” then add it to your list. If you are unsure, you might want to break it down into smaller tasks or save it for another day.
By having a smaller list, you may feel a greater sense of accomplishment knowing that you’ve crossed everything off your list for the day, even if it is just a couple of things. This can motivate you to work on bigger tasks and goals over time.
12. Practice self-care.
Yes, self-care is important for your productivity levels!
Self-care is simply doing something to protect your mental or physical health. It can be something like taking a nice long bath, meditating, drinking more water, etc.
It’s spending a little bit of time to put yourself first.
When you are busy or overwhelmed with other aspects of your life, self-care is one of the last things you think you should do. But, when you take a small break to take care of yourself, the effects can ripple out through the rest of your life.
You may find that your stress is reduced, you’re more productive, happier, and more.
This tip is often overlooked when people want to learn how to be productive, but it’s always important to take care of yourself.
13. Procrastinating doesn’t help anyone.
Procrastination can waste time and kill your productivity as you may find anything else you can possibly do before completing a certain task.
Then, you might do things that waste even more time, such as just standing around, watching TV, cleaning the same area you’ve already cleaned 10 times that day, and more.
People procrastinate for all sorts of reasons, like anxiety, avoidance, etc. When you figure out why you are procrastinating, you can then create an action plan. By focusing on what you need to do, you will stop wasting time!
14. Get off social media.
Okay, you’re probably thinking, “there’s no way that I can cut out social media!” I’m not saying that you need to cut it out entirely, but if you spend a little less time everyday on social media, you will find valuable hours each week.
Social Media Today found that the average person spends nearly two hours a day on social media. When you add all of that time up, it equals to wasting over 5 YEARS of your life on social media. That’s shocking!
If you find that you are spending too much time on social media and that it’s preventing you from being productive, you may want to close the accounts you are spending too much time on. You can even create a time block so you cannot access your accounts during certain periods of the day, and so on.
15. Singletask more.
There are some people who say that learning to multitask can help you learn how to be productive, but I don’t 100% agree with that.
Now, some people can multitask successfully, but many people cannot with the large amount of time it takes to refocus on a new task. So, when you are constantly switching back and forth, you waste time refocusing.
This is one tip that is helpful if you want to learn how to be more productive at work.
It’s best to realize your strengths and weaknesses to know whether or not multitasking actually helps you save time. For myself, I’ve found that focusing on one thing at a time is actually how I save the most time when working.
16. The snooze button is probably hurting you.
Getting an extra five minutes of sleep after your alarm goes off isn’t going to change your life. There are many scientific studies proving that hitting the snooze button does nothing good for you.
I know many people who set their alarms to go off anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before they actually want to wake up.
I’m not going to lie. I used to do this as well and thought it was the only way I could get up. It definitely did not work, as I always felt extremely groggy and sometimes even more tired!
If you want to learn how to be productive, wake up when your alarm first goes off to use those minutes valuably. If you are so tired in the morning that you feel you need to hit the snooze button, then you should either start going to sleep earlier in the evening or set your alarm for when you actually need to get out of bed.
17. Know your peak hours.
Each of us has certain hours of the day that we work more efficiently. For some people, it’s in the morning, while others work well late at night. I’ve even read that many people are the most productive right before lunch because they are hungry.
You can learn how to be productive by spending a week paying attention to the times of the day when you are most focused. Those are your peak hours, and most people have two peak hours per day.
Knowing your peak hours will help you learn how to concentrate and complete high-priority tasks. This will help you get the most important or complicated things done.
What are your top tips on how to be productive? Do you think you waste time each day?
Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
The temptation to overspend is seemingly everywhere you go. Whether you’re at the grocery store, checking your email, or scrolling on Instagram, ads are everywhere you look. These days, targeted ads are getting better at stealing your attention and your budget. While shopping never goes out of style, you may be wondering how to stop spending money on unnecessary items. Luckily, we have a few tricks up our sleeve.
From becoming your own chef to creating and sticking to a budget, there are a few ways to avoid temptations to overspend. Not only does overspending impact your finances, it could hinder your chances of meeting your financial goals. Curb your temptation to spend money with our 13 budget savers below.
1. Know Your Weaknesses
While you’re gearing up to end overspending, first find out where you spend the most money. Look through your recent statements and highlight any unnecessary expenses. Where are you spending the most on items or services that benefit your finances, or steal from them? Once you’ve recognized your unnecessary expenses, limit your spending.
Bonus step: Create your ideal budget and set specific financial goals using the Mint app. Enable alerts to notify you anytime you’re nearing your budget’s limit.
2. Create a Budget and Stick to It
Now that you’ve identified where you overspend, it’s time to create a budget to keep your temptations at bay. As a general rule of thumb, you should follow the 50/30/20 rule — 50 percent of your income going to necessities, 30 percent towards extras, and 20 percent towards your savings.
After figuring out how much money comes in versus out, set your monthly budget goals. As each month may have different expenses, plan for the adjustments. Sit down at the end of each month to readjust your budget for the next month ahead.
Bonus step: Schedule budget check-ins once a month to hold yourself accountable.
3. Give Every Dollar a Purpose
When creating your budget, try budgeting to zero. When you have extra money laying around in your account, you may feel tempted to spend it on things you don’t need. Once you’ve accounted for your necessary expenses like rent, electricity, and WiFi, divide up your leftovers to put towards your savings, extra debt payments, and investments until you reach zero.
Bonus step: Set up automatic savings contributions to make sure your income is directly deposited where you want it to go.
4. Only Shop With a List
Write out a shopping list before you enter the store to ensure you get everything you need without any extras. While you’re shopping, only stick to what’s on your list. If it’s not on the list and you haven’t budgeted for it, put it down and just keep walking.
Bonus step: To avoid impulse purchases, unsubscribe from all your email newsletters and delete shopping apps from your phone.
5. Check Your Budget Before You Spend
If you do find yourself eyeing an item that you haven’t budgeted for (it happens!), check in on your bank account before making the purchase. If it fits your budget, ask yourself the hard questions. Do you really need this item? If so, how would it benefit you and your lifestyle? Could it save you time or money? If yes, follow through with the purchase while respecting your budget.
Bonus step: Wait three days before purchasing an unneeded item. After 72 hours, if you’re still interested and it fits your budget, go back and get it.
6. Invest In Multi-Use Products
While your monthly goal may be to save as much as you can, be open to higher-priced items that could help you reach that goal. For example, buying reusable paper towels means you’ll spend less on disposable ones over time. Another way to save on small expenses is to become your own barista, which can save you between $1,934 to $2,327 a year.
Bonus step: Consider adopting some minimalist lifestyle ideas to help spend less and declutter.
7. Ditch Food Delivery and Cook at Home
The average American spends $3,459 on eating out every year. Instead of ordering food for lunch every day, meal prep at home. You can work this into your weekly routine by designating a day for meal planning and a day for grocery shopping and cooking. Planning your meals saves you from overspending while still making your favorite gourmet meals. You can save eating out for special occasions.
Bonus step: Delete all your food delivery apps from your phone to avoid the urge to order a speedy, but expensive, meal.
8. Pack Leftovers the Night Before
When your calendar’s booked, you’re most likely looking for the easiest way to get food for lunch. Nix your takeout food budget and pack your leftovers from the night before. While some nights you may be booked with events or virtual get-togethers, meal prep once or twice a week to ensure you have food for lunch every day. Simple dishes like chicken and veggies are easy meals to make on a budget.
Bonus step: Organize a “lunch swap” with your coworker so you don’t get bored of eating the same meal.
9. Squash Sale Shopping
If items on your shopping list aren’t on sale, don’t go looking for unnecessary items on the sale racks. You may walk out of the store buying something you don’t need because “it was only five bucks!” Kick discount shopping to the curb unless the items you need are part of the sale.
Bonus step: Save time and money by avoiding discount catalogs and sale sections.
10. Opt For Generic Over Name Brand
While checking off your shopping list, see if there are any generic alternatives to big-name brands. Most big box stores make the same products at a discounted price in exchange for the branded packaging. Compare the ingredients of a generic item against name brand products to see if you can spot a difference. Purchasing generic food products alone could save you 30 to 60 percent.
Bonus step: Google online coupons at checkout to see if you can get an added discount.
11. Cancel Unnecessary Subscriptions
While your gym membership and TV streaming system may have served you a few years ago, it may not now. Audit your expenses each month to see what you’re able to cut out. Instead of paying for a gym membership that costs on average $696 each year, purchase weights and a yoga mat for your own home gym. Not only could it save you money year after year, it could save you the commute to the gym and back.
Bonus step: As 65% of people don’t keep track of their monthly spending, schedule budget audits on your calendar every three months.
12. Challenge Yourself to a No-Spend Challenge
Participate in daily, weekly, or monthly savings challenges to make penny-pinching more fun. Ask your friends and family to join in on a no-spend challenge to up the stakes. Spark some friendly competition while giving back to your bank account. Once the month has come to a wrap, treat yourself to your favorite snack in celebration of your achievements.
Bonus step: Set an alert on your phone for a no-spend day each week. One New Yorker saved $18,432 in six months from having one no-spend day a week.
13. Set New Budget Goals and Repeat
Challenges help keep your eyes on the prize. Set differentgoals as you audit your budget each month. One month you may want to focus on contributing to your emergency fund, while the other you may want to increase your student loan payments. Get creative with your goals and set up budget alerts to ensure you’re meeting them.
Bonus step: Tell your friends and family about your goals each month to increase your odds of meeting them.
Invest Your Time and Money On Things That Help You Save
What else could you do with your money to earn more? Simply investing a hundred dollars in home gym equipment could pay for itself (and more) instead of purchasing an annual gym membership. Below are a few more options that could save you time and money year after year.
Make your coffee at home: Buy yourself a coffee maker and cup that you love. Use your machine and reusable cup every day to save hundreds of dollars on takeout coffee.
Become a beautician: Order hair shears, at-home dye supplies, and nail kits to save on the tremendous beauty industry markup prices. Ask your friend to do your hair or take it upon yourself to learn.
Use reusable products: Reduce your waste and purchase reusable products. Swap your paper towels for reusable towels to save the earth and budget.
Shop quality over quantity: For instance, invest in staple clothing pieces over fast fashion. You could save money and time on constantly shopping for new clothes.
Create an at-home gym: Purchase a few weights, a yoga mat, and a water bottle and get a sweaty workout done at home. You may even feel less stressed about beating traffic to make it to your fitness class on time.
Track your spending on the fly: Download our free app to track your spending habits, even when you’re out and about. Set up alerts to ensure you’re always on track with your budget.
Divvy up time for your passion projects: Say no to events that don’t benefit you and use that time to create passive income projects that last a lifetime.
Even though you may be looking to save more and spend less, you don’t have to cut all your favorite things out of your budget. Instead, practice spending with a purpose. Your weekly dinners out on the town may not as mean as much as they do when you treat yourself to a nice steak made at home. If you’re frequently tempted to spend your money instead of saving, create a budget to ensure you’re always keeping up with and sticking to your savings goals.
Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
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This guest post from Sydney is part of the “reader stories” feature at Get Rich Slowly. Sydney blogs about personal finance, entrepreneurship, self improvement, travel and lots of other fun stuff on Untemplater.com. Some reader stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success or failure. These stories feature folks with all levels of financial maturity and income.
It’s hard to believe it’s been about 20 years since my parents first separated, and it’s actually a blessing it happened when it did. No parent ever wants to put his or her child through the nastiness, heartache and sadness that comes with divorce, but having lived through my parents’ split, I can tell you that it actually can be the best option.
When I was a kid, I didn’t understand why my parents couldn’t get along. Neither one of them was mean or evil; they didn’t cheat on each other. They had jobs, loved me, supported my interests and activities, and they didn’t seem that different from my friends’ parents. Well, except for the arguing. It got really nasty toward the end of their marriage. There is absolutely nothing positive or healthy for a child of any age who has to live in a house with two yelling parents.
Money and debt drove my parents apart
I tried to avoid them when they were angry at each other, but it was hard not to listen to them even from down the hall with my door closed. What was the No. 1 thing they would always fight about? Money. Their finances were terrible. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I learned just how bad they were with money. Even though both my parents worked full time, they had low-paying jobs and a staggering amount of debt.
I’m convinced that my parents’ radically different views on money were main reasons they were incompatible as a couple. My mom loved to spend money that she didn’t have. She probably had about 20 different credit cards. My dad was pretty much the complete opposite. He was extremely frugal and did everything he could to save money by fixing things around the house on his own. He always found ways to reuse things, hated shopping, and could stretch a dollar in so many different ways. Every time he tried to talk to her about bills and budgeting, she’d try to brush off the ugly stuff and then they’d both end up blowing up.
Here are 10 things I want to share with you that my parents inadvertently taught me about love, work and money.
1. Don’t rush into marriage. Don’t tell them I told you, but my parents had a shotgun wedding and they started things out rushed and frazzled. They were lucky to be in love at the time, but they had no savings, and didn’t really know what they were getting themselves into. I didn’t want the same thing to happen to me, so I took my time finding and getting to know my soul mate. We openly talked about our relationship, goals and desires before deciding to settle down, and things have been incredible!
2. Talk about money while you’re dating. Being on the same page with your partner about money and financial goals is so important. I’m not saying you need to talk budgeting and financial goals in the first few months of dating someone, but if you want to take things to the next level, you owe it to yourselves to talk about money way before tying the knot. If you have drastically different thoughts on budgeting and saving, be forewarned this will bring a lot of stress and tension over time, and things could get very, very ugly.
3. Go to college and don’t expect your parents to pay 100 percent. My parents didn’t graduate from college, and this put a limit on their career paths and eligibility for promotions and raises. They were incredibly supportive of me going to college, and I was lucky to have paid for half of my tuition through financial aid and grants. Having to foot the other half of the bill myself taught me to be disciplined and work hard for good grades and internships. Paying for some or all of your schooling yourself is incredibly motivating and makes you really appreciate your education and the opportunities it presents.
4. Become financially independent. The fact that my parents didn’t have a lot of money was a big reason why I studied and worked so hard. I’m saving as much as I can and fighting hard to get paid what I’m worth. Being financially independent is an incredible feeling and gives you so many freedoms. I love the quote from Mary Schmich’s essay “Wear Sunscreen”: “Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.”
5. Avoid credit card debt. Credit card debt is bad. Just don’t do it. If you can’t afford something, just leave it in the store. I wish my mom learned this when she was young. Credit card debt has put both of my parents through hell. I shudder to think about how much money they threw away over the years in interest, fees and penalties.
6. Update your budget at least twice a year. My parents never made a budget when they were married. I, on the other hand, am crazy about budgets. I love tracking my savings and looking at my short- and long-term financial goals. The markets are always changing, so I also recommend diversifying your income streams and monitoring all of your investments regularly.
7. Don’t waste money on junk. I couldn’t even count how many car loads of clothes, books, household goods and junk I’ve donated to Goodwill over the years. A lot of it was from things my mom bought for me over the years, as well as stuff I accumulated in my 20s that I really didn’t need. I’ve adopted a moderate minimalist lifestyle now, and I’m happy not shopping. Instead, I take care of my things so they last. I have absolutely no interest in designer jeans, handbags or shoes. The money I do spend is on traveling, activities, helping my family and saving for an early retirement.
8. Have difficult conversations. My parents had a lot of problems communicating with each other and it brought so much stress and unhappiness into their marriage. I’ve learned that relationships build on trust and deep conversations. Relationships can also grow stronger through having difficult conversations and facing the awkward, scary, uncomfortable and unpleasant things head on.
9. Don’t quit your job without a plan. There were several times that my dad quit his job on the spot without anything else lined up; that really put our family between a rock and a hard place. I learned never to quit a job without a plan in place and another job waiting. It’s easy to take our jobs and benefits for granted until we lose them, and then we desperately need income and coverage. My advice is to calculate your cost of living and make sure you have at least 12 months’ worth in savings before making any radical career or life changes.
10. Think positively and help others. Keep a positive attitude whenever you can. You’ll be surprised how much better your life will become! We don’t need a lot to be happy. Look around you and be thankful for what you do have. I’m very grateful that my parents taught me to look on the bright side of things and help others. They weren’t always happy or trouble-free themselves, but they always took care of me and reminded me that even when things are bad, there are always other people out there who need help much more than we do.
Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like if my parents didn’t have all those money problems and stayed happily together. I know one thing, the holidays and visits would have been so much easier without having to shuttle back and forth! But I think their struggles led me to become the motivated, patient and independent person I am today. It’s what we learn from our experiences that make us better!
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We are going to under the cover and discover $14 an hour is how much per year.
For most Americans, this is hovering near minimum wage.
Let’s get this straight… This is not a livable wage.
If you are in high school or college and have support from your parents, then this is great spending money for you.
However, if you are making it on your own, $14 per hour will not make ends meet each month.
For most people, being at minimum wage is common and the goal is to make your way up the payscale and quickly!
In this post, we’re going to detail exactly what $14 an hour is how much a year. Also, we will break it down to know how much is made per month, bi-weekly, per week, and daily.
That will help you immensely with how you spend your money. Because too many times the hard-earned cash is brought home, but there is no actual plan for how to spend that money.
When living close to minimum wage, you must know how to manage money wisely.
More than likely, you are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to survive until the next paycheck. Take a deep breath and make this minimum wage just a season.
The ultimate goal is to make the most of your hourly wage with inspirations to make more money.
If that is something you want to do, then keep reading. You are in the right place.
$14 an Hour is How Much a Year?
When we ran all of our numbers to figure out how much is $14 per hour is an annual salary, we used the average working day of 40 hours a week.
40 hours x 52 weeks x $14 = $29,120
$29120 is the gross annual salary with a $14 per hour wage.
Breakdown of 14 Dollars an hour is how much a year
Typically, the average workweek is 40 hours and you can work 52 weeks a year. Take 40 hours times 52 weeks and that equals 2,080 working hours. Then, multiply the hourly salary of $14 times 2,080 working hours, and the result is $29,120.
That number is the gross income before taxes, insurance, 401K, or anything else is taken out. Net income is how much you deposit into your bank account.
Work Part Time?
But you may think, oh wait, I’m only working part time. So if you’re working part time, the assumption is working 20 hours a week at $14 an hour.
Only 20 hours per week. Then, take 20 hours times 52 weeks and that equals 1,040 working hours. Then, multiply the hourly salary of $14 times 1,040 working hours, and the result is $14,560.
How Much is $14 Per Month?
On average, the monthly amount would average $2,426.
Annual Amount of $20120 ÷ 12 months = $2426 per month
Since some months have more days and fewer days like February, you can expect months with more days to have a bigger paycheck. Also, this can be heavily influenced by how often you are paid and on which days you get paid.
Work Part Time?
Only 20 hours per week. Then, the monthly amount would average $1213.
How Much is $14 per Hour Per Week
This is a great number to know! How much do I make each week? When I roll out of bed and do my job, what can I expect to make at the end of the week?
Once again, the assumption is 40 hours worked.
40 hours x $14 = $560 per week.
Work Part Time?
Only 20 hours per week. Then, the weekly amount would be $280.
How Much is $14 per Hour Bi-Weekly
For this calculation, take the average weekly pay of $560 and double it.
$560 per week x 2 = $1120
Also, the other way to calculate this is:
40 hours x 2 weeks x $14 an hour = $1120
Work Part Time?
Only 20 hours per week. Then, the bi-weekly amount would be $560.
How Much is $14 Per Hour Per Day
This depends on how many hours you work in a day. For this example, we are going to use an eight-hour workday.
8 hours x $14 per hour = $112 per day.
If you work 10 hours a day for four days, then you would make $140 per day. (10 hours x $14 per hour)
Work Part Time?
Only 4 hours per day. Then, the daily amount would be $56.
$14 Per Hour is…
$14 per Hour – Full Time
Total Income
Yearly Salary (52 weeks)
$29,120
Yearly Wage (50 weeks)
$28,000
Monthly Wage (173 hours)
$2.426
Weekly Wage (40 Hours)
$560
Bi-Weekly Wage (80 Hours)
$1120
Daily Wage (8 Hours)
$112
Net Estimated Monthly Income
$1,853
**These are assumptions based on simple scenarios.
Paid Time Off Earning 14 Dollars an Hour
Does your employer offer paid time off?
As an hourly, close to minimum wage employee, more than likely you will not get paid time off.
So, here are the scenarios for both cases.
For general purposes, we are going to assume you work 40 hours per week over the course of the year.
Case # 1 – With Paid Time Off
Most hourly employees, get two weeks of paid time off which is equivalent to 2 weeks of paid time off.
In this case, you would make $29120 per year.
This is the same as the example above for an annual salary making $14 per hour.
Case #2 – No Paid Time Off
Unfortunately, not all employers offer paid time off to their hourly employees. While that is unfortunate, it is best to plan for less income.
Life happens. There will be times you need to take time off for numerous reasons – sick time, handling an emergency, or even vacation.
So, let’s assume you take 2 weeks off without paid time off.
That means you would only work 50 weeks of the year instead of all 52 weeks. Take 40 hours times 50 weeks and that equals 2,000 working hours. Then, multiply the hourly salary of $14 times 2,000 working hours, and the result is $28,000.
40 hours x 50 weeks x $14 = $28000
You would average $112 per working day and nothing when you don’t work.
$14 an Hour is How Much a year After Taxes
Let’s be honest… Taxes can take up a big chunk of your paycheck. Thus, you need to know how taxes can affect your hourly wage.
This is why you always wondering why your take-home pay is so much less.
Also, every single person’s tax situation is different.
On the basic level, let’s assume a 12% federal tax rate and a 4% state rate. Plus a percentage is taken out for Social Security and Medicare (FICA) of 7.65%.
Gross Annual Salary: $29,120
Federal Taxes of 12%: $3,494
State Taxes of 4%: $1,165
Social Security and Medicare of 7.65%: $2,228
$14 an Hour per Year after Taxes: $22,233
This would be your net annual salary after taxes.
To turn that back into an hourly wage, the assumption is working 2,080 hours.
$22233 ÷ 2080 hours = $10.69 per hour
After estimated taxes and FICA, you are netting $10.69 an hour. That is $3.31 an hour less than what you planned.
This is a very highlighted example and can vary greatly depending on your personal situation. Therefore, here is a great tool to help you figure out how much your net paycheck would be.
$14 an Hour Budget – Example
You are probably wondering can I live on my own making 14 dollars an hour? How much rent can you afford at 14 an hour?
Using our Cents Plan Formula, this is the best case scenario on how to budget your $14 per hour paycheck.
When using these percentages, it is best to use net income because taxes must be paid.
In this example, above we calculated that $14 an hour was $10.69 after taxes. That would average $1853 per month.
According to the Cents Plan Formula, here is the high level view of a $14 per hour budget:
Basic Expenses of 50% = $926
Save Money of 20% = $371
Give Money of 10% = $185
Fun Spending of 20% = $371
Debt of 0% = $0
Obviously, that is not doable when living so close to minimum wage. So, you have to be strategic on ways to decrease your basic expenses and debt. Then, it will allow you more money to save and fun spending.
To further break down an example budget of $14 per hour, then using the ideal household percentages is extremely helpful.
recommended budget percentages based on $14 per hour wage:
Category
Ideal Percentages
Sample Monthly Budget
Giving
10%
$73
Savings
15-25%
$194
Housing
20-30%
$728
Utilities
4-7%
$121
Groceries
5-12%
$231
Clothing
1-4%
$24
Transportation
4-10%
$109
Medical
5-12%
$243
Life Insurance
1%
$21
Education
1-4%
$12
Personal
2-7%
$36
Recreation / Entertainment
3-8%
$61
Debts
0% – Goal
$0
Government Tax (including Income Tatumx, Social Security & Medicare)
15-25%
$574
Total Gross Income
$2427
**In this budget, prioritization was given to basic expenses. Thus, some categories like giving and saving were less.
$14 An Hour Salary Calculator
Now, you get to figure out how much you make based on your hours worked or if you make a wage between $14.01-14.99.
This is super helpful if you make $14.25, $14.50, or $14.75.
Living on $14 Per Hour
Living close to minimum wage can be a very difficult situation.
Is it doable? Probably not for long.
You just have to be wiser (or frugal) with your money and how you spend the hard-earned cash you have been blessed with.
A lot of times when people are making under near the minimum wage mark, they feel like they are in this constant cycle that they can never keep up with (which completely makes sense it is hard!).
When your thoughts are constantly focused on how you are struggling to keep up with bills and expenses, that is all you focus on.
You need to do is change your money mindset.
This is what you say to yourself… Okay, I am making near minimum wage for now. I have aspirations and goals to increase how much I make. For now, I am going to make sure that I am able to live on my 14 dollars per hour. I’m going to try and avoid debt and payday loans at all costs.
Other Tips to Help You:
Check your minimum wage for your state and city. You might find a higher minimum wage in a nearby city.
Look to living in a lower cost of living area to stretch your money.
Find ways to minizine your basic expenses.
Thrive with a frugal green minimalist lifestyle.
Decide if a roommate or moving back with your parents would help.
Bike or walk to work.
In the next section, we will dig into ways to increase your income, but for now, you must focus on living on $14 an hour.
5 Ways to Increase Your Hourly Wage
This right here is the most important section of this post.
You need to figure out ways to increase your hourly income because I’m going to tell you…you deserve more. You do a good job and your value is higher than what your employers pay you.
Even an increase of 50 cents to $14.50 will add up over the year. Even better $15 an hour!
1. Ask for a Raise
The first thing to do is ask for a raise. Walk right in and ask for a raise because you never know what the answer will be until you ask.
If you want the best tips on how specifically to ask for a raise and what the average wage is for somebody doing your job, then check out this book. In this book, the author gives you the exact way to increase your income. The purchase is worth it or go down to the library and check that book out.
2. Look for A New Job
Another way to increase your hourly wage is to look for a new job. Maybe a completely new industry.
It might be a total change for you, but many times, if you want to change your financial situation, then that starts with a career change. Maybe you’re stressed out at work. Making $14 an hour is too much for you and you’re not able to enjoy life, maybe changing jobs and finding another job may increase your pay, but it will also increase your quality of life.
3. Find a New Career
Because of student loans, too many employees feel like they are stuck in the career field they chose. They feel sucked into the job that they don’t like or have the potential they thought it would.
For many years, I was in the same situation until I decided to do a complete career change. I am glad I did. I have the flexibility that I needed in my life to do what I wanted when I needed to do it. Plus I am able to enjoy my entrepreneurial spirit.
4. Find Alternative Ways to Make Money
In today’s society, you need to find ways to make more money. Period.
There is no way to get around it. You need to find additional income outside a traditional nine to five position or typical 40 hour a week job. You will reach a point where you are maxed on what you can make in your current position or title. There may be some advancement to move forward, but in many cases, there just is not much room for growth.
So, you need to find a side hustle – another way to make money.
Do something that you enjoy, turn your hobby into a way to make money, turn something that you naturally do, and help others into a service business. In today’s society, the sky is the limit on how you can earn a freelancing income.
5. Earn Passive Income
The last way to increase your hourly wage is to start earning passive income.
This can be from a variety of ways including the stock market, real estate, online courses, book sales, etc. This is where the differentiation between struggling financially and being financially sound happens.
By earning money passively, you are able to do the things that you enjoy doing and not be loaded down, with having a job that you need to work, and a place that you have to go to. And you still make money doing nothing.
Here is an example:
You can start a brokerage account and start trading stocks for $50. You need to learn and take the one and only investing class I recommend. Learn how the market works, watch videos, and practice in a simulator before you start using your own money.
One gentleman started with $5,000 in his trading account and now has well over $36,000 in a year. Just from practice and being consistent, he has learned that passive income is the way for him to increase his income and also not be a slave to his job.
Tips to Live on $14 an Hour
In this last section, grasp these tips on how to live on $14 an hour. On our site, you can find lots of money saving tips to help stretch your income further.
Here are the most important tips to live on $14 an hour. Highlight these!
1. Spend Less Than you Make
First, you must learn to spend less than you make.
If not you will be caught in the debt cycle and that is not where you want to be. You will be consistently living paycheck to paycheck.
In order to break that dreadful cycle, it means your expenses must be less than your income.
And when I say income, it’s not the $14 an hour. As we talked about earlier in the post, there are taxes. The amount of taxes taken out of your paycheck is called your net income which is your home $14 an hour minus all the taxes, FICA, social security, and medicare are taken out. That is your net income.
So, your net income has to be less than your net income.
2. Living Below Your Means
You need to be happy. And living on less can actually make you happier. Studies prove that less is better.
Finding contentment in life is one thing that is a struggle for most.
We are driven to want the new shiny toy, the thing next door, the stuff your friend or family member got. Our society has trained you that you need these things as well.
Have you ever taken a step back and looked at what you really need?
Once you are able to find contentment with life, then you are going to be set for the long term with your finances.
Here is our story on owning less stuff. We have been happier since.
3. Make Saving Money Fun
You need to make saving money fun. Period.
It could be participating in a no spend challenge for the month.
Check out the 200 envelope challenge (which is doable on your income)
It could be challenging friends not to go to Target for a week.
Maybe changing your habits and not picking up takeout and planning meals.
Whatever it is challenge yourself.
Find new ways of saving money and have fun with it.
Even better, get your family and kids involved in the challenge to save money. Tell them the reason why you are saving money and this is what you are doing.
Here are 101 things to do with no money. Free activities without costing you a dime. That is an amazing resource for you and you will never be bored.
And you will learn a lot of things in life you can do for free. Personally, some of the best ones are getting outside and enjoying some fresh air.
4. Make More Money
If you want if you do not settle for less, then find ways to make more money. If you want more out of life, then increase your income.
You need to be an advocate for yourself.
Find ways to make more money.
It could be a side hustle, a second job, asking for a raise, going to school to change careers, or picking up extra hours.
Whatever path you take, that’s fine. Just find ways to make more money. Period.
5. No State Taxes
Paying taxes is one option to increase what you take home in each paycheck.
These are the states that don’t pay state income taxes on wages:
Alaska
Florida
Nevada
New Hampshire
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Washington
Wyoming
It is very interesting if you take into account the amount of state taxes paid compared to a state with income taxes.
Also, if you live in one of the higher taxed states, then you may want to reconsider moving to a lower cost of living area. The higher taxes income tax states include California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, the District of Columbia, New York, Vermont, Iowa, and Wisconsin. These states tax income somewhere between 7.65% – 13.3%.
6. Stick to a Budget
You need to learn how to start a budget. We have tons budgeting resources for you.
While creating a budget is great, you need to learn how to use one.
You do not have to budget down to every last penny.
You need to make sure your expenses are less than your income and that you are creating sinking funds for those irregular expenses.
Budget Help:
7. Pay Off Debt Quickly
The amount that you pay interest on debt is absolutely absurd.
Unfortunately, that is how many of these companies make their money from the interest you pay on debt.
If you are paying 5% to even 20-21% or higher, you need to find ways to lower that debt quickly.
Here’s a debt calculator to help you. Figure out your debt free date.
Make that paying off debt fast is your target and main focus. I can tell you from personal experience, that it was not until week paid off our debt that we finally rounded the corner financially. Once our debt was paid off, we could finally be able to save money. Set money aside in separate bank accounts and pay for cash for things.
It took us working hard to pay off debt. We needed persistence and patience while we had setbacks in our debt free journey.
Jobs that Pay $14 an Hour
You can always find jobs that pay $14 per hour. Polish up that smile, fill out the application, and be prepared with your interview skills.
Job Search Hint: Always send a written follow-up thank you note for your interview. That will help you get noticed and remembered.
First, look at the cities that require a minimum wage in their cities. That is the best place to start to find jobs that are going to pay higher than the federal minimum wage rate. Many of the cities are moving towards this model so, target and look for jobs in those areas.
Possible Ideas:
Cashiers
Back of the house restaurant staff
Landscape Laborer
Retail jobs
Paraeducators at schools
Janitors
Farm help
Warehouse workers
Fast Food Restaurants workers
$14 Per Hour Annual Salary
In this post, we detailed 14 an hour is how much a year. Plus all of the variables can impact your net income. This is something that you can live off.
How much is 14 dollars an hour annually…
$29120
This is under $30000 per year and you need to make at least $43k a year.
In this post, we highlighted ways to increase your income as well as tips for living off your wage.
Use the sample budget as a starting point with your expenses.
You will have to be savvy and wise with your hard-earned income. But, with a plan, anything is possible!
Learn exactly how much do I make per year…
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
An Introduction from MMM: We get a lot of case study requests around here these days. I’d love to answer all of the questions and write articles about a good chunk of them. But even a retired man has his free time limits, which is why I am glad to have Jacob on my side […]