Money Crashers: 3 new articles

In the past week, Money Crashers has popped up three articles of mine that are only tangentially related to ecofrugality. So I've decided to just cover them all in one post here, with a brief rundown of what they're about and how they could help you put, or keep, more money in your pocket. (There's also a fourth one which should be popping up shortly that's much more along ecofrugal lines. I'll give that one its own post.)

The first piece is for those who are considering going back to college as adults, but can't figure out how to afford it. It explains how many of the financial aid programs available to "traditional" (i.e., young) students are also available for adults, including grants, scholarships, loans, and 529 plans. And it explores other options adult students have that aren't available to teens, such as targeted scholarships for older students, tuition benefits from employers, credit for past work experience, and discounted college classes for senior citizens. Finally, I discuss online learning and how it could help you earn your degree at a lower cost.

How to Afford & Pay for College as an Older Adult 

The second article is for everyone who has ever struggled to stretch their money until the end of the month (which includes more than 40% of Americans, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). These are the people who are most likely to take out costly payday loans, the dangers of which I've outlined in a previous article. In this piece, I discuss a modern alternative: apps that can give you access to the money you've already earned at work without having to wait for payday. They're not a long-term fix for an ongoing budget shortfall, but they can give you the cash you need to get by while you whip your budget into shape. 

9 Best Paycheck Advance Apps to Help You Make It to Payday

And lastly, a piece about how you can turn all that time you spend on the Internet into a money-making opportunity. I discuss a whole host of ways to earn extra cash online, from the quick and easy (picking up a few bucks' worth of cash back for your online shopping, or boosting your return from savings and investment) to the complex and lucrative (selling products, services, and content online). With these techniques, you can use the Internet as anything from a piggy bank you dip into for extra cash to your primary source of income.

5 Ways to Make Extra Money Online (on the Side)