Are you looking for ways to increase your income, but feel you don’t have enough time to do so? One of the general misconceptions is that you need to invest hours into improving your financial situation. With smart, strategic planning, you can achieve a lot in only 30 minutes. Explore the following list of ideas that will help you make beneficial changes to your income during your lunch break.
Create an Automated Savings Plan
One of the simplest ways to generate additional income is by using an automated savings account. If you continue to direct small sums of money to it regularly, you’ll accumulate capital and earn interest. You can use this account as an emergency fund or add the money to your savings for a large purchase.
Ask your employer about the possibility of transferring a fixed portion of your income to the savings account. Some employers offer direct deposit and may accept multiple deposit accounts. If not, set up recurring transfers instead.
Negotiate Lower Cable and Phone Payments
You can increase your cash flow by cutting down your cable and phone bills. One way is by downgrading your plans. People often pay a higher price for a plan with features they don’t use or could do without.
You can also negotiate lower bills without downsizing. Use your lunch break to shop around for the best competing offers. Armed with this information, pick up the phone and start negotiating with your provider. Even paying $10 per month less adds up to $120 of savings per year. Why not transfer those funds to your savings account, too?
Give Day Trading a Try
You may have heard about day trading but are asking yourself, “What is day trading?” Day trading is a form of investing that can be risky. However, it’s also exciting and has a high earning potential. If you are willing to learn how it works, and are the right person up for the challenge, you can succeed.
One word of caution: Do not start by trading for real at first. Give it a try on free practice sites. This strategy can allow you to see where you stand. If you decide to go for it, do not use the funds in your savings account. Put aside the resources you can risk losing instead. You can also mitigate the risk by choosing a low-risk strategy.
Whether you prefer a more conservative approach or are willing to take some risks, you can find a way to increase your income. Even a lunch break can be enough to implement improvements. You can achieve much with some effort and good planning.
Start by defining your goal and then focus on achieving it. Do you need to save money or would you like to start investing? Pick the strategy best suited to your needs and make those changes. When you want to start increasing your income during your downtime, you can make the most of the resources available to you.
