The History of Earth Day: A Look At Where It All Began – Part 1
THE HISTORY OF EARTH DAY
Earth day is an annual event celebrating the achievements of the environmental movement and raising awareness to the importance of ecological sustainability for long-term human stability. April 22nd, 1970, marks the first Earth Day in history, which mobilized 20 million Americans across the continent. Today, it’s estimated that 1 billion people participate, making Earth Day the largest secular movement in the world. In this two-part series, we first look at the history of Earth Day and how it’s celebrated across the globe. In Part 2, we’ll review more history and how Earth Day has transformed with changing trends – namely, political shifts, environmental activism, climate change awareness and social diversity and inclusivity. You’ll also be provided with Earth Day resources to help you participate on this special day.
THE HISTORY OF EARTH DAY AND HOW IT’S CELEBRATED ACROSS THE GLOBE
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring came as a watershed moment in how we view the planet and our impact on it. The book renounced the sinister degradation of our natural world by mass chemical pesticide and insecticide use. Carson describes chemical pest control as a poisonous agricultural ooze, stifling life and bird song from our springs.
Published in 1962, Silent Spring sold more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries and kick-started the environmental movement. This movement demanded a shift in perspective, where nature was no longer seen as something to be controlled for man’s convenience, but rather as a connected part, essential for human development and stability.
Inspired by Carson’s work, American politician and environmentalist Senator Gaylord Nelson, targeted an already emerging public consciousness around air and water pollution. In 1969, Nelson delivered a series of lectures and discussions on college campuses to educate towards the goal of reducing humanity’s impact on our planet.
April 22nd was the date chosen for these college teach-ins. As a weekday falling between spring break and final exams, this date maximized student participation. To help him with his quest, Nelson recruited young activist Denis Hayes and conservation-minded Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey. Hayes soon recognized the potential to expand the reach of these teach-ins and inspire all Americans. As such, the team grew and promoted events across the continent. The day was renamed Earth Day, a marketing move that attracted a lot of media attention.
EARTH DAY HISTORY: WHERE IT ALL STARTED
The first Earth day celebrations occurred on April 22nd, 1970, in the United States. Since then, the celebrations have repeated every year, with 2020 marking the 50th anniversary. As each year passes, Earth Day has progressed and accrued supporters:
- 1970: The first Earth Day mobilized 20 million Americans (10% of the US population) to protect our planet.
- 1990: Earth Day goes global, rallying 200 million people in 141 countries.
- 2000: The power of digital technology is leveraged to create awareness and drive conversations concerning environmentalism. 5,000 environmental groups in 180 countries used digital platforms to engage with the general public on a global scale.
- 2010: 75,000 global partners across 192 countries engage with Earth Day. The Earth Day Network launched novel projects, for example, the A Billion Acts of Green project. This project engaged 30 million people to use social media and encourage green activities. The Canopy Project is also launched, an initiative to plant trees across the globe.
- 2020: 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Earth Day goes digitally remote for the first time in history, flooding channels with environmental action.
EARTH DAY IS A GLOBAL EVENT CELEBRATED ACROSS THE WORLD
The purpose of Earth Day is to educate, explaining why society needs to evolve to have symbiosis with our planet, and how society can preserve our resources to achieve this. Let’s take a look at the type of Earth Day celebrations that have occurred on the world stage since 1970.
- United States, Washington DC: Rallies, lectures and marches are organized by scientists and civic organizations. Washington DC also hosts a free community festival bringing together nonprofits, small businesses and communities.
- Denmark, Copenhagen: Earth Day celebrations occur at Christiansborg Castle Square. Celebrations include drum playing with players pointed at the four corners of the world. Participants then join the March for Science, which aims to hold elected officials accountable for green initiatives.
- United Kingdom, London: Collective activities and musicians perform, raising funds for British charities and groups fighting climate change. The celebrations also feature environmental speakers, dance, yoga, shamans, vegan food and more.
- British Columbia, Vancouver: Vancouver hosts Earth Day parades and festivals that provide various educational talks and activities.
- Japan, Tokyo: Celebrations occur across two days. 100,000 visitors are expected to enjoy family activities and learn about sustainable business methods and ways to promote environmental protection.
- Australia, Sydney: Sydney hosts nature walks with experts and focuses on giving actionable advice for how residents can create a more sustainable home.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE ON EARTH DAY 2023
The theme of Earth Day 2023 is ‘Invest in Our Planet’. This theme is designed to persuade businesses, governments and citizens around the world of the need to invest in our planet to improve our environment and give our descendants a better and safer future.
Between April 20-22, you can join the world’s leaders for Earth Day:
- April 20th: Earth Day begins with the global youth climate summit led by Earth Uprising in collaboration with My Future My Voice, OneMillionOfUs, plus more.
- April 21st: Educational International will lead the Teach for the Planet: Global Education Summit. This is a multilingual virtual summit to span across several time zones and feature prominent activists from every continent.
- April 22nd: Earthday.org will host its second Earth Day Live digital event here, beginning at 12pm EST. This day will include workshops, panel discussions and special performance focusing on the concept of Restore Our Earth. World climate leaders, grassroots activists, nonprofit innovators, thought leaders, industry leaders, artists, musicians and influencers will come together to discuss today’s greatest environmental and social challenges and collaborate on solutions.
You can continue building the incredible history of Earth Day by playing a part in its call to action and future goals! Be proactive and educate yourself, colleagues, family and friends! Check out Green Business Bureau’s Earth Day resources, listed below:
How to Make Money As A Pet Sitter
Are you an animal lover? If so, you might be interested in learning how to make money as a pet sitter.
Working as a pet sitter can be a good way to make some extra money, and in many cases, it can be a low-maintenance side hustle.
Learn about what a pet sitter does, how to get work done, and more in this article as you decide whether working as a pet sitter is for you.
What Is A Pet Sitter?
A pet sitter is someone who cares for clients’ pets when they’re not available. Some people hire pet sitters for a day, a weekend, a week, or longer.
As a pet sitter, you might take care of pets for people who are at work and don’t want their pets alone for long hours. You may also care for a pet when its owner is away for work or on vacation.
Pet sitters typically work as independent contractors. This means you’ll be self-employed, so you’ll need to keep track of income, expenses, mileage, and other details that come with business ownership.
What Does A Pet Sitter Do?
Working as a pet sitter can be one of many great side hustles, especially if you’re an animal lover. Depending on the type of pet, a pet sitter is responsible for various tasks.
When you work as a pet sitter, you might find yourself doing tasks such as:
- Walking dogs
- Playing with cats
- Cleaning litter boxes
- Cleaning up doggie doo
- Feeding animals
- Cleaning reptile cages
- Giving medications to animals
Generally, you should just spend time with your clients’ pets. You can choose whether to care for pets in your home or the pet’s home.
You can choose short-term or long-term pet care jobs. Pet sitting is a job that requires a lot of responsibility but can also be fun.
It’s important to know that when you work as a pet sitter, you will likely have access to the pet owner’s home.
They’ll give you a key or an access code so you can go in and out to care for their pet. This part of pet sitting is an extra responsibility.
Therefore, it’s important to leave the house as securely locked as it was when you found it. In addition, you’ll need to keep a safe eye on keys or other homeowner items.
How Does A Pet Sitter Get Work?
Pet sitters find work in several ways. First, some businesses are devoted to connecting pet sitters with clients.
Along with that, there are other ways you can get work as a pet sitter as well. We’ll talk about the businesses connecting pet sitters with clients first.
Rover
Rover was founded in 2011 and primarily serves cat and dog owners. However, you may also be hired to care for other types of animals on Rover.
Pet owners with guinea pigs, hamsters, bunnies, and more might seek your services on Rover.
When you create a profile on Rover, you set your schedule, prices, and services that you’ll offer.
Booking is done through Rover. You’ll also get paid through Rover, and it takes two days after you complete the service for your money to show in your Rover account.
From there, you can transfer earned funds to your bank account. Rover takes a 20%-25% fee off of what you earned. You keep 100% of any tips earned.
Learn more: Rover Review
Pawshake
Pawshake provides services similar to Rover but is based in Canada and parts of Europe. With Pawshake, you can care for dogs, cats, many small animals, and horses.
This is a change from Rover, which doesn’t book horse sitters. As with Rover, you can design your profile on Pawshake to include the hours and days you’re available, your fees, and the types of pets you care for.
Pawshake charges you a 19% fee on your earnings. You will receive your payout within 8 days of completing your services.
Facebook community pages can be great places to offer pet-sitting services. You can expect to earn more money if you advertise and work independently.
You won’t have to share the profits with a service such as Rover, so 100% of what you earn belongs to you.
However, it’s important to remember that if you’re going to work on your own and not partner with a service, you must understand the risks.
Services like Rover and Pawshake provide insurance, additional security and screening measures, and more.
So, if you work independently and advertise on Facebook, Craigslist, and similar sites, consider security measures, insurance, and other details.
Around Your Town
You can also advertise your pet-sitting business around your city or town. You can make flyers and distribute them locally.
Or you can post your pet-sitting information on bulletin boards at local stores and restaurants.
Keep in mind the insurance and security details listed above. In addition, remember that when you own your own business, you’ll have to keep track of income, expenses, mileage, and more for tax filing purposes.
How Much Money Does A Pet Sitter Make?
One of the great things about pet sitting is that you get to choose your fees. The fees you charge will depend on several factors:
- The services you provide
- The geographical area in which live and serve
- Your reputation as a pet sitter
- What other pet sitters are charging
And more. Indeed.com reports that the average salary for a pet sitter in the United States is $15.91 per hour.
When searching online, you’ll find that pet sitters sharing their experiences often charge $20 an hour.
Of course, the more you build up a reputation as a quality pet sitter, the more you’ll be able to charge.
Conversely, one of the best ways to attract and keep repeat customers is to keep your hourly rates reasonable and your service at a stellar level.
Pet Sitter Expenses
Yes, you can earn money as a pet sitter. However, some expenses come along with being a pet sitter.
Some expenses you’ll incur if you own a pet-sitting business include the fees you’ll pay if you create a profile on a site such as Rover.
If you work independently of a pet-sitting service, you’ll likely have to pay for liability insurance. You’ll also have transportation expenses, such as gasoline for your vehicle if you’re driving to meet clients.
In addition, if you’re driving more, you will have added vehicle maintenance costs. You’ll need more oil changes, new tires sooner, and vehicle checks and tune-ups more frequently.
Lastly, you may have business ownership expenses, such as using Quickbooks for recordkeeping. Keeping track of these business expenses is essential as you can deduct them from your tax return.
Deducting business expenses and declaring your pet-sitting income means you’ll likely pay less in annual taxes.
Pros and Cons Of Pet Sitting
Pros
- Set your schedule
- Choose the services you’ll provide
- Be your boss
- Work as much or as little as you want
Cons
- Pet sitting can be messy
- Business ownership requires extra work
Frequently Asked Questions
Is working as a pet sitter safe?
Being safe as a pet sitter involves the same rules as basic safety: Let someone know where you’re going, when you’ll be back, and how you can be reached. If you feel uncomfortable, it’s okay to turn down a job.
What services should I offer as a pet sitter?
You decide what services you offer as a pet sitter. Care for dogs, cats, or other animals according to your comfort level.
Should I work for a service like Rover or work independently?
Some experienced pet sitters suggest starting by working for a site like Rover and then going independent after you’ve built a solid client base.
It might be a good idea to work for a service at first to understand how the business works.
Who Should Work As A Pet Sitter?
Are you considering working as a pet sitter? If you like animals, pet sitting might be a great part-time job or addition to your side hustle stack.
However, along with loving animals, you’ll need to be responsible if you’re going to succeed as a pet sitter.
Being a successful pet sitter also involves keeping a tight schedule, ensuring the security of a pet’s home, and being aware of a pet’s physical condition.
Finally, to succeed as a pet sitter, you must be a self-starter and comfortable running your business.
You’ll need to be organized to keep track of clients, income, expenses, car maintenance and mileage, and other facts.
Final Thoughts
Working as a pet sitter involves work. However, it can also involve a lot of fun.
If you love animals, it’s like getting paid to hang out with furry friends! Just be responsible and reliable; soon enough, you’ll have a booming pet-sitting business.
We Need to Talk About Personalization: Evolution & Trends
What do you think we’re talking about when we say the words “email personalization”? Are you thinking about merge tags or dynamic content? Segmentation and automation? Profile or behavior-based automations? Or all of the above?
While the technology, functionality, and overall options you have available when it comes to personalizing an email has changed—we’re still using the same generalized term to mean everything that’s dynamic, interactive, segmented or field-based in an email. When we say “personalize it,” we’re talking about a growing list of tactics that span the spectrum in terms of data needed, resources required, and impact.
As personalization becomes the norm for all kinds of marketing channels, I think it’s time for us to get more specific about these tactics that involve vastly different levels of resource and data to pull off and also have vastly different levels of impact, depending on the scenario.
10 years ago personalizing an email was relatively straightforward. Today, it could mean anything from an automated cart abandonment play to a simple “Hi Cynthia” using merge tags.
Email is both at an all-time high in volume and in return on investment (ROI). The roller coaster of the past few years has grown our dependence on email in more ways than we could have ever imagined.
Overall email volume up 13% since 2020, expected to grow another 13% by 2026.
At the same time, consumer expectations have evolved to the point that our subscribers EXPECT us to only send them the most relevant information—and some level of personalization is one of the most proven ways to do that.
“McKinsey research shows that 71 percent of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions. And the story doesn’t end there: 76 percent get frustrated when this doesn’t happen.”
Source: McKinsey
Let’s take a look at the different types of email personalization and consider how to bucket them moving forward.
In the beginning: Text field personalization
When I first started my career, personalization in the world of email was a really specific thing related to merge tags—primarily editing copy in everyone’s favorite “Hi <first_name>” kind of way. For the sake of today’s exercise, let’s just call this “Text Field Personalization.”
It was cool: it made things more personal, and we quickly found you could really tailor a message with all kinds of fields. At the same time, you really open yourself up for errors based on the quality of your data. Nothing like sending a board member a message that says “Hi <first_name>” and having that email forwarded back to you by the CEO asking what happened. (Speaking from experience here!)
This made us nervous. No one thinks their data is clean today, but I dare say things weren’t better ten years ago.
We personalized where we could because it worked. It’s important to note that this personalization “strategy” was typically built in at the copywriting phase based on fields we knew we had available to us.
Today, it’s somewhat funny that we thought that was all we needed to to create personalized experiences in the inbox. Do you remember when suddenly every email service provider (ESP) allowed you to use merge tags in subject lines? What seemed like overnight, almost all of our subject lines started becoming very pointed. “Where do you want to go today?” and “Where do you want to go today, Cynthia?” have very different tones.
And soon we learned one of the most important lessons in email: don’t count out the impact of new and shiny things. I’d imagine that subject line trick worked on me a lot at first. But today, I can’t remember the last time I even noticed it.
The evolution of segmentation
As we began to understand key segments of our audience with similar personas, needs, and interests, we started just creating different versions of the email for those groups. This allowed us to design and write specifically to that audience but took out the complexities of data connections along the way.
But depending on how many different segments we wanted to cater for, the process of creating bespoke email designs and copy for every single one of those groups became incredibly time-consuming.
Images matter, too: The evolution of dynamic content
In the 2010s, we started seeing dynamic content opportunities beyond copy. Suddenly we could send segments different images to create more relevant experiences. We call this more generally “dynamic content.”
This was especially helpful because by then we were all hyper-aware that a good deal of our audience is skimming the email and those impressions really mattered.
The average time spend reading an email is 9 Seconds
Source: The State of Email Engagement
Meanwhile: We were discovering motion-based design elements
At the same time, we started playing with motion-based elements. Think animated GIFs and CSS animations, the use of hover states for buttons, and AMP for Email.
Used in the right places, these tactics can create real interest and make the email far stickier and more engaging just from a visual interest standpoint.
And here’s where things got blurry.
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That brings us to today
Interactive email elements like hover/rollover effects, animated GIFs, gamification, and user-generated options like live polls are often simply called “interactive.” However, the personalized nature of the last few make them—in my mind—a whole different kind of interactivity. I suppose we could call this Personalized Interactivity or a lot of folks are calling it Real-Time or Open Time Personalization today.
It’s one of the most sophisticated, strategic tactics you can introduce to your email program. At the same time, it doesn’t require the database confidence, connections, or operational logistics to make it happen. It’s easier to set up, has less room for error, and is still one of the most effective ways to engage an audience.
| Interactive Elements: Make Emails More Visually Compelling | Personalization Elements: Personalize the Content based on your data | Real Time/Open Time Personalization: Personalize in Real-Time based |
|---|---|---|
| Animated GIFs | Text-Based Personalization | Live Polls |
| CSS Animations | Dynamic/Personalized Images | Countdown Timers |
| AMP for Email | Content Automation | Sentiment Trackers |
| Social Media Feed Integrations | ||
| Scratch Offs | ||
| Add to Calendar Buttons | ||
| Rule-Based Images |
If these elements are all in your tool set today, you should be able to pick and choose which elements are best suited for the right use cases to create true interest-based, personalized customer journeys. When you use this tool set effectively, you can create dynamic and effective customer journeys that both delight your audience and increase conversions. Win, win.
We’re thinking about how to organize this “tool set” in a way that can help you choose when and where to use the bells and whistles to have the best impact. Stay tuned for that and let us know what you think!
What’s missing from this list? (Send me an email at [email protected] if you have a suggestion.)
Drive engagement with dynamic content
Personalize emails with live polls, personalized images, scratch-offs, and more. No coding experience required. Learn more.
6 Things That Get Cheaper When the Fed Cuts Rates
After years of rising interest rates, falling rates might soon be on the way. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to begin reducing its target range for the federal funds rate sometime soon, possibly as early as September. Once the Fed begins to cut rates, it should have ripple effects throughout the economy — and on your wallet. For some Americans, falling rates will be a negative.
The 6 Steps I Use to Create Five-Year Plans I Can Actually Stick To [+ Expert Tips]
![The 6 Steps I Use to Create Five-Year Plans I Can Actually Stick To [+ Expert Tips]](https://i0.wp.com/proprofit.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5-year-plan-hero.webp.webp?fit=598%2C398&ssl=1 "The 6 Steps I Use to Create Five-Year Plans I Can Actually Stick To [+ Expert Tips]")
As people, we all have big goals — both personal and professional. I’ve been asked in countless interviews about my five-year plan for my career.
Market Profile simplified with Jigsaw daytradr
Despite 44 years have passed since the birth of Market Profile charts, they continue to play an important role in today’s market analysis.
Bernhard: Leading the Transition To an Energy-Efficient World
Bernhard is committed to building an energy-efficient and low-carbon world
Bernhard is one of the largest turnkey energy solutions companies in the United States with more than 2,000 employees and with operations in 20 locations. For more than 100 years, Bernhard has provided innovative, client-focused engineering and construction services for customers across the U.S., helping their clients become more energy efficient.
Bernhard has certified 22 of their locations with the Green Business Bureau, with locations earning the Gold and Silver-Level certifications, a well-deserved award. Bernhard has sustainability integrated at its core and works with their clients to create an energy-efficient, low-carbon world, and in this Green Business Bureau member story, we discuss how.
Leading the energy transition of our built environment to achieve net zero
As a leader in energy transition, Bernhard’s diverse capabilities and innovative solutions help promote decarbonization and reduce the environmental impact of the built environment. The business is committed and continues to deliver energy solutions, to accelerate a global evolution toward net zero.
Bernhard’s mission statement reflects this commitment:
“Our mission as an Energy-as-a-Service provider focused on sustainability is to deliver innovative engineering, construction, and energy solutions that empower our customers to help promote a low-carbon future. By pairing innovation with meaningful action, we can fight for and achieve a sustainable future for our customers, families, and communities – Bernhard’s green mission statement
Under this mission, Bernhard has made a clear commitment to becoming a net zero business.
Securing energy-efficient and low-carbon operations for their clients
Bernhard has always focused on energy efficiency to drastically reduce customer utility consumption and GHG emissions. To date, Bernhard has collectively saved their customers ~$1 billion while also avoiding 5 million MTCO2e of emissions. Bernhard’s technical solutions improve clients’ energy efficiency and cut emissions. Plus, Bernhard’s added focus and expertise for better reliability and resiliency are second to none.
Standardizing sustainability measures across multiple sites with the Green Business Bureau
As a company that’s operational over 20 locations, Bernhard wanted to make sure every business location functioned under the same sustainability standards. And the Green Business Bureau has allowed Bernhard to unlock this goal.
GBB provides a great framework for Bernhard to incorporate green practices into day-to-day operations throughout the business’s numerous locations – all of which are situated differently in terms of their sustainability journey. GBB offers flexibility for all locations to join in the action and make sustainability improvements, while also creating consistency throughout the business.
Through the GBB program, Bernhard empowers each location to be champions of a shared journey that combats climate change and creates a more sustainable future.
Bernhard provides proactive measures for climate change resiliency across multiple industries
While Bernhard offers comprehensive energy solutions for multiple industries, their primary customer base is within the healthcare and higher education markets. These facilities in particular have unique interdependencies in their utility types. Power, water, and heating infrastructures are intricately connected, and any impact on one utility could mean disaster. Recent extreme weather events brought on by climate change have uncovered multiple vulnerabilities in the infrastructure serving these users, causing cascading effects that impact the availability and cost of critical utility services. However, these risks are proactively mitigated with effective and efficient energy measures paired with good operations and maintenance practices.
Bernhard’s headquarters are located in New Orleans, Louisiana, meaning the business understands more than most that extreme weather events can have a significant impact on operations. Bernhard has an expanded disaster response service with teams available to perform critical repairs and restore operations to customer facilities. In addition to Bernhard’s emergency response capabilities, they offer disaster preparedness planning, resilient building system design, energy efficiency measures, and industry-leading operations and maintenance services that all work to create both efficient and resilient facilities.
Bernhard exhibits a real commitment to sustainability
“At Bernhard, sustainability is more than a paper or marketing exercise – there’s real commitment behind our words. We’re taking an active role in educating and encouraging our employees, customers, and communities to embark on the shared journey of environmental advocacy. By pairing innovation with meaningful action, Bernhard can fight for and achieve a sustainable future for our customers, families, and communities” – Alyssa Jaksich, Vice President of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) at Bernhard
Budgeting Your Way to Homeownership
The allure of homeownership is undeniable, but the path to property ownership requires careful financial planning. Budgeting is the cornerstone of this journey, providing a roadmap to navigate the complexities of saving, spending and investing for your future home.
Understanding Your Financial Landscape
Before diving into the home-buying process, it’s essential to take a close look at your current financial situation. Start by evaluating your income, expenses, savings and any outstanding debts. Understanding your financial standing will give you a clear picture of how much you can afford to spend on a home.
Conduct a meticulous review of your spending over a three-month period, categorizing expenses into essential needs like housing and utilities, discretionary items such as dining out and entertainment, and debt obligations. This exercise offers invaluable insights into your spending patterns, revealing areas where adjustments can be made to maximize savings.
Navigating Mortgage Options
The mortgage market offers a variety of options, each with its own set of terms and requirements. Carefully evaluate interest rates, down payment expectations and loan lengths to select the mortgage that best aligns with your financial goals.
For individuals seeking to purchase a property that requires renovations, a 203k loan may be an attractive option. This government-backed loan provides financing for both home purchases and necessary repairs. To determine who qualifies for a 203k loan, consult with a mortgage lender for personalized guidance.
Building a Strong Financial Foundation
Saving diligently is paramount for achieving homeownership. Aim for a substantial down payment of 20% to optimize your mortgage terms, but remember that even smaller initial investments can be a significant step forward.
Consider high-yield savings accounts to accelerate your progress and explore additional savings avenues like IRAs or 401(k) plans. Every dollar saved brings you closer to realizing your homeownership dream.
Tackling Debt for Financial Freedom
High levels of debt can pose obstacles to mortgage approval and increase overall housing costs. Prioritize eliminating high-interest credit card debt and personal loans.
If overwhelmed by debt, consider debt consolidation strategies to streamline repayment and potentially lower interest rates. Improving your credit score is essential for securing favorable mortgage terms, so focus on consistent and responsible financial management.
Crafting a Realistic Budget
With a clear understanding of your income and expenses, create a detailed budget that outlines your financial commitments. Allocate funds for housing costs encompassing mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowners insurance and potential homeowners association fees.
Don’t overlook essential expenses like utilities, maintenance costs and the importance of establishing an emergency fund to address unexpected home-related challenges.
Setting Achievable Financial Goals
Define clear and attainable financial goals that align with your homeownership aspirations. Establish a target savings amount for your down payment, create a timeline for debt repayment and outline your ideal home features.
Regularly review and adjust your goals as needed to stay on track. Celebrating small milestones along the way can help maintain motivation and focus.
Building a Financial Safety Net
In addition to saving for a down payment, creating a robust emergency fund is crucial.
Aim to accumulate three to six months’ worth of living expenses to safeguard against unforeseen financial setbacks such as job loss or major home repairs.
This financial cushion provides peace of mind and protects your homeownership journey.
Seeking Expert Guidance
Enlisting the expertise of financial advisors or real estate agents can offer invaluable support. These professionals can help create a personalized financial plan, assess your homebuying readiness and guide you through the complexities of the mortgage process. Their knowledge and experience can be instrumental in achieving your homeownership goals.
Remember, homeownership is a significant financial undertaking. By implementing sound budgeting strategies, making informed financial decisions and seeking professional guidance, you can increase your chances of successfully realizing the dream of owning a home.
Take Control of Your Financial Future
Ready to embark on your homeownership journey? Download a free budgeting worksheet to kickstart your savings plan. Or, connect with a local real estate agent to discuss your housing goals and explore available properties. Don’t let the dream of homeownership remain just a dream – take the first step towards achieving it today!
15 Best Summer Jobs For Teachers
Summer jobs allow teachers to earn income when they may not receive a regular paycheck. There are still many ways to utilize your teaching skills. You can also avoid burnout by pursuing money-making ideas with a flexible schedule while allowing you to work outside the classroom.
Top Summer Gigs For Teachers
Using your teaching skills to earn a competitive wage or pursuing one of your favorite hobbies when you need a break from teaching is possible. There are multiple online and local options to consider.
Here’s a look at summer gigs for teachers.
1. Tutor
Local and online tutoring jobs allow you to help students learn more about your favorite subjects. Summer tutor programs may involve teaching new subjects, reinforcing previous academic topics, and filling knowledge gaps as pupils prepare for the upcoming school year.
You get to provide one-on-one help to elementary, middle, and high school students with personalized plans. Scheduling is flexible as you may meet weekly or several times weekly with short sessions.
Potential Pay: Most private tutors earn $10 to $50 per hour. Pay potential depends on your location, grade, and subject.
2. Test Prep Instructor
Summer is also a popular time for students to prepare for college entrance exams with undivided attention. Drilling students on ACT and SAT topics with exercises and practice tests can help them get a higher score in the fall. You may offer private tutoring or group sessions.
You may help college students with graduate admissions test prep, depending on your expertise. For example, you can help higher education students prepare for medical school, law school, or professional licensing exams. The material is more complex, meaning you can charge more for your time.
Potential Pay: Private test prep tutors can earn between $15 and $50 per hour, with a $30 hourly average. Group sessions can earn between $60 and $125, with a higher potential for advanced exams or in major metro areas.
3. Delivery Driver
Delivery app jobs are easy side hustles with the flexibility of choosing delivery hours and routes. Most delivery gigs are for groceries and restaurant meals that you deliver by car, scooter, or bike. You receive weekly payments and can cash out daily with a small convenience fee.
Since you’re an independent contractor, you can join multiple platforms to access more delivery requests. From there, you’re able to select the highest-paying option. You may also qualify for bonus pay by working during peak hours or completing limited-time challenges.
Potential Pay: Most delivery drivers earn up to $25 per hour.
4. Dog Walking
Animal lovers needing a flexible schedule can get paid for dog walking. You can develop a positive relationship with pet owners who work or travel to develop recurring bookings. You can offer walks, drop-in visits, and play sessions to diversify your income streams.
Pet sitting can compound your earnings if your schedule permits doggie daycare or overnight stays. Consider hosting the animals at your house, although owners may also be receptive to you staying at their place.
Potential Pay: On average, dog walkers earn between $15 and $20 per hour, while pet sitters can earn between $20 and $40 per day per animal.
5. Odd Jobs
Seasonal part-time jobs at stores, restaurants, and tourist attractions are a tried-and-true way to earn a consistent income and have a predictable work schedule. Establishments enjoy hiring reliable and energetic teachers who love interacting with the public and sharing their knowledge.
Some fun non-teaching summer jobs include:
- Bartending
- Greenhouse gardener
- Museum tour guide
- Stadium or theater ushers
- Theme park attendants
- Winery sommelier
There are several more odd jobs for making money during the summer and academic year.
Potential Pay: Most positions earn $10 to $25 per hour and potentially more with customer tips.
6. Freelance Online
There are several avenues to utilize your skills as an online freelancer and earn a competitive rate for one-time and ongoing projects. Online side jobs provide the liberty to work from home or at travel destinations with a flexible schedule.
Teacher-friendly possibilities include:
Joining a freelancer platform is usually the easiest way to apply for open assignments for many niches. I have succeeded with Upwork for several writing and data entry tasks as it’s free to join, and you can bid on assignments instead of waiting for potential clients to find you in a competitive candidate pool. There are also websites specializing in specific tasks.
Potential Pay: Earn between $10 and $25 per hour for entry-level tasks.
7. Summer Camp Counselor
Serving as a counselor or director at day camps and sleep-away camps as a counselor or director. This environment is usually less stressful than a classroom setting and requires less prep work while still being able to interact with students and teach new information.
Different summer camps include:
- Academic
- Adventure
- Band
- Special needs
- Sports
- STEM
- Theater
Extended camps may provide complimentary lodging and food, plus paid time off. You may also receive free training and certifications to qualify for the position.
Potential Pay: Base pay is between $200 and $500 weekly.
8. Summer School Teacher
Many school districts pay a higher hourly rate for teaching summer school than the regular academic year. Additionally, you typically only teach half the day and have substantially less lesson planning and grading to perform in your free time.
Summer sessions are critical to helping students catch up or receive help with challenging subjects. It’s also an excellent time to build experience and test out new teaching strategies. It’s easy to qualify as you work directly with your teaching location.
You can also teach professional students for a change of pace. For example, my mother is a full-time Montessori preschool teacher who teaches college-level summer classes to adult learners seeking a teaching license.
Potential Pay: $25 to $60 per hour.
9. Research Studies
You might be able to work with a local university or science center as a research study participant or research assistant. This opportunity may only be available in select areas, but it can also be an effective way to learn something new and hone your educational curriculum.
CalTeach Berkeley provides summer research fellowships to California teachers, although you may need an independent funding source to qualify. This full-time program offers a stipend in return for a six-week session of lab work and individual research, concluding with a final presentation.
As paid research studies are only present in some communities, online surveys are a viable option with minimal time commitment. You can earn a few dollars for your time with consumer opinion surveys taking one hour or less. Your participation may lead to receiving invitations to higher-paying focus groups.
Potential Pay: Professional research studies provide an approximate $3,000 stipend. Online surveys pay between $0.50 and $5 per study.
10. Transcribing
Audio and video transcription is a rewarding skill. In particular, general and legal transcriptionists typically pay the highest per audio hour. Drafting subtitles and foreign language translations are the most lucrative options for video transcriptions.
Except for a quiet work environment and headphones, you don’t need any special equipment to start as most transcription platforms provide the software and provide formatting guides to format the transcription or captions.
Several freelance platforms offer audio and video transcription jobs. Anticipate starting with short recordings to gain experience and verify your proficiency. Precise and quick turnarounds will help you qualify for higher-paying assignments.
Potential Pay: Receive from $18 to $180 per audio hour.
11. Youth sports coach
Youth sports academies and local governments may be hiring coaches in your area for the summer season. YMCA and Boys or Girls Clubs also need sports assistants and summer camp coaches. Most pay an hourly wage, although you may receive a weekly salary instead.
If your town has a professional sports team, you may see if they run youth sports camps and need coaches. A recent search on Indeed shows that Atlanta United FC is one organization hiring a seasonal coach.
Private coaching is another creative side hustle. You provide one-on-one instruction or help a small group improve their skills. Basketball, football, golf, and soccer are in high demand in many mid-size towns or larger.
Potential Pay: $10 to $25 per hour.
12. Lifeguard
Local pools, youth centers, and beaches need lifeguards during the peak summer season. This position has a flexible schedule, with most shifts lasting five to ten hours and periodic rotations and breaks. It can be a rewarding way to work outside and interact with people.
However, this position has strict fitness requirements and requires first aid training. The hourly pay isn’t necessarily the highest in some states, although it’s competitive with many gig economy jobs.
Also, consider being a summer swim instructor, as many pools offer swimming lessons before opening for public swimming. This option lets you make money before your lifeguard shift starts.
Potential Pay: $10 to $25 per hour.
13. House Sitting
If you’re location-independent during the summer, you may try out housesitting to reduce living expenses, but earning a paid wage is uncommon. However, some platforms still pay for this service. Typically, you live rent-free by caring for local homes or traveling to another city or country while owners are away. You may receive tips or a small allowance for groceries.
It’s also an excellent way to travel on a budget and explore a new area or a favorite destination to relax and reenergize for the next academic year. While you most likely won’t get paid, a free place to stay can be more advantageous than paying for lodging in pricey destinations.
Most opportunities require caring for household pets or small farm animals like chickens and rabbits. You will also perform everyday chores to keep the place tidy and in working order during your stay. Many stays are approximately one week, but a number can extend up to one month.
Potential Pay: Paid stays earn between $30 and $100 per night, although many arrangements offer free housing and food.
14. Flip Items
Flipping items that you find at yard sales and thrift stores can be a lucrative hobby. You can use online and local buy or sell apps to fetch a competitive price and multiple offers.
The options are endless. You can sell almost anything, with baby items, clothing, collectibles, and video games being some of the best. You can be the most successful by specializing in your interests, as you can quickly spot discounted items that you can quickly flip for a profit.
A family friend enjoys buying sports cards from local stores and selling them online to collectors.
Further, consider using your free time to develop teacher printables that you can sell on Teachers Pay Teachers or Etsy. Digital items can be more profitable once you create and upload them. There are no shipping costs, and you don’t always have to be on the hunt for a good deal to replace your inventory.
Potential Pay: Differs by product and sales frequency.
15. English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructor
Temporary summer ESL positions are available online and across the nation. Teaching English online provides the most flexibility as you can work remotely and have a flexible schedule. You can also enjoy a different classroom perspective as you interact with international students from other countries.
In-person teaching opportunities pay more. Participating within your local school district is one option. There are also openings at boarding schools and universities that host international students for summer sessions.
Potential Pay: $10 to $20 per hour for online ESL teachers and $20 to $50 per hour for in-person ESL classes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are several suggestions for teachers to compare the best summer jobs.
Teaching and tutoring positions are the highest-paying money-making ideas. They also provide a comfortable work/life balance to relax in your free time. Food or grocery delivery jobs are another popular way to make extra money while maintaining a flexible schedule.
What is the best side hustle for teachers?
Teaching summer school tends to be the highest-paying job for teachers. It offers the flexibility of a part-time schedule and reduced lesson planning times. Summer camp jobs can also offer above-average pay.
How can teachers make money from home?
Freelancing online through writing, transcribing, data entry, or virtual assistant services can earn the highest hourly rate while working from home. It’s also possible to be an online tutor or ESL teacher to connect with students living in the United States and worldwide.
Summary
A part-time side hustle boosts your cash flow whether your school pays you during summer break. Summer teaching and tutoring positions tend to pay the most, but many other well-paying options don’t require being in the classroom.
Ultimately, these summer activities show how teachers can do many different things during the summer.