God’s honest truth? Writing is hard work. Harder still is writing to make money. Establishing yourself in your niche is no cakewalk. Promoting yourself, especially as an introvert, is nightmarish. Having every family member ask, “Remind me why you decided not to go to law school again?” is a root canal with no novocaine. I’m struggling with all these things. Some days feel like just putting one foot in front of the other. Something more lucrative would mean I wouldn’t have to write a whole article about the financial resources I use!
If you’re like me, however, writing is it. It’s what I do and I truly love it.
But loving it doesn’t necessarily make it any more lucrative. Here are a few solutions and financial resources I’ve come across that help me manage and make money, both as a writer and as a plain old Jane. Plus a few additional self-care resources at the end that might make you days a little easier.
{This article contains affiliate and referral links; I make a little money if you use the links to sign up or purchase at no cost to you}
Financial Resources for Poor Writers!
Upwork
A real boon for the freelancer. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. I’ve had some great experiences with this site. I don’t use it often (though I’m looking into doing it more in these pandemic times). Chances are you have a sellable skill that will translate into something someone on Upwork is looking for. Can you speak two languages? Boom, translator! Do you know how to do some basic coding? Boom, coder! Can you write blog posts on a variety of subjects? Boom, freelance blogger!
Sometimes a few bucks can go a long way and Upwork is a great way to earn a few bucks for sure. Some people even do it as a full-time job and make full-time money. As far as financial resources go, this is a great place to start! Be smart about it and you’ll have some supplemental income in no time.
Digit (referral link)
Well gosh, now what are you going to do with all that money you made on Upwork? As a multi-dollar-aire you have to put it somewhere, right?
This little app really saves the bacon. You connect your bank account info and they put aside a few cents to a few dollars each day depending on your preferences. (Or not, it’s up to you. For example, I manually save to Digit once a month when I have a bit of extra cash. I’m currently foregoing the auto-save because I’m dead broke!) After a time, those little bits of change add up and before you know it, you’ve got a tiny bit of savings for a rainy day. Digit also offers services like overdraft protection and savings bonuses! It’s delightful! Plus, once a week they send me a cute little text showing me how my financials are doing which helps make sure there’s nothing squirrelly going on.
Ibotta (referral link)
This is another really good app, especially if you’re the shopper in your family. I use it mainly for groceries, but they have cashback offers from literally hundreds of websites and stores, including Amazon. I got $5 the other day for buying a few bags of my usual brand of coffee. Holy moly! It’s tempting to try and add a bunch of grocery offers and buy everything to get the cashback, but that defeats the purpose. You’re spending more than you’re earning. I try to only use it on stuff I was planning on getting or am interested in trying. Using this consistently really starts to add up. It’s not just a financial resource, it’s a genuine moneymaker!
Furthermore, you can use ‘Pay with Ibotta’ for both in-store purchases at big-name chains as well as online which can get you a cashback percentage in addition to any store bonuses Ibotta is running.
Honey (referral link)
THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST PLUG-IN/FINANCIAL RESOURCE EVER IF YOU EVER SHOP ONLINE!
I will say it again. This is the best plug-in. Ever. In the history of online shopping this the game-changer.
What does Honey do? It finds coupon codes! It’s as simple as that. You’re shopping online, you go to checkout and you hit the Honey button and it scours the internet for coupons. It saves you money at pretty much every online store. This is a real lifesaver if you’re pinching pennies. Being able to knock off any amount of money from a purchase feels good. And there really is no catch! It just applies coupons if they’re available, giving you the best deal it can find. I’m not shopping a lot these days but I always check Honey when I’ve got to make a purchase, and you should too. Seriously if you don’t look at anything else on this list, look at Honey!
Bookshop.Org’s Affiliate Program
If you’re trying to blog for income, you should know about the concept of affiliate marketing. It’s pretty much number one on a lot of “How to make money blogging” posts. You get a link to a product and if someone buys it from that link you get a small commission. You can google “[Any Brand] Affiliate Program” and potentially be able to join and share those links. I love Bookshop.Org’s program because its commission rate is very high and it supports small bookstores. If you’re a writer, you’re probably a reader. Bookstores are necessary for that sort of thing.
You can see the affiliate links in action in my article about Unexpected Books That’ll Make Your Screenwriting Better. In that article, I have links to both Bookshop.Org’s affiliate links as well as Amazon links. I try to use Bookshop.Org for books in general, and I recommend you do it too! It really is a wonderful site.
(Nota bene: There are lots of other affiliate programs. Amazon is a big one, and I’m looking into Modcloth and the Body Shop (two of my favorite online stores) because I have no problem promoting their products! Maybe I’ll do more of that if I’m ever a big-shot blogger, but for now, I’ll stick with what I know.)
Self-care resources to balance out those Financial Resources!
Free or exceptionally cheap things to keep you happy and healthy! Not as lucrative as the above financial resources, but you need to take care of yourself in order to use the things listed above anyway!
Libby by Overdrive
Maybe you’re trying to read those books you saw on bookshop.org, but just don’t have the funds to buy them all. Well, you can head on down to your local library and borrow them! But digitally! For free!
Reading really is self-care for so many of us – especially as writers – and I just can’t recommend this app enough. (Interested in some books that’ll up your screenwriting game? I have a list that’ll knock your socks off!)
Yoga with Adriene
While I don’t know her personally, I owe Adriene with my life. Adriene’s youtube channel is keeping me sane and moderately fit. There are hundreds of yoga videos that are easy to follow along and so beneficial. There are series for beginners and advanced yogis, and series that focus on things like weight loss or building strength.
Honestly, as writers, we tend to sit around while we write. Making sure to get up and move around is important, and will help improve brain function – which will improve our writing!
Knitting.
(That’s it, that’s the resource; the entire act of knitting!)
I’m teaching myself to knit. It’s important to have a hobby that does not revolve around reading or writing and knitting is it for me. Creating something with your hands, repetitive motion, cozy things? Knitting makes it happen. It’s fun and makes me feel productive even when I’m just making a scarf.
Like this scarf! (not an affiliate link, I just love Knitpicks!)
I learned how to knit by getting one of Knitpicks kits, and they’re really good. They come with the yarn, the pattern, and the needles. It’s the complete package. I made hats for my whole family for the holidays. I felt very accomplished.
Now, the last thing I want to recommend?
This sleep mask.
Yeah, a fluffy bunny sleep mask.
Sometimes when freelancing, you just gotta take a nap. I’ve seen a few ads for really expensive, fancy sleep masks and I can’t imagine spending that kind of money on something when this perfect option is here. This mask has gotten me through plane rides and roommates and all sorts of malarkey and it’s cute to boot.
Have a nap. Take care of yourself.
After all, you yourself are the most important resource you’ve got, right?
I hope these financial resources have helped you get your finances in order! I’d be super chuffed if you joined my email list to see more posts about writing and life. Get the latest Gremlin news and exclusive downloads! I never spam and I’d love to keep in touch with you!
Betsy the Gremlin 
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