Tuesday, January 30, 2018

How I'm Making Over $700 Monthly as a Part-Time Teacher - Without Leaving My Home! and more...

Note from MSM: After we posted about this unique Work-At-Home opportunity last year, we had TONS of readers send in testimonies of their great experience teaching with VIPKid! We thought it would be inspiring to hear a direct testimony from […]

Intentional finance. Intentional family. Intentional business.

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How I’m Making Over $700 Monthly as a Part-Time Teacher — Without Leaving My Home!

Note from MSM: After we posted about this unique Work-At-Home opportunity last year, we had TONS of readers send in testimonies of their great experience teaching with VIPKid! We thought it would be inspiring to hear a direct testimony from a reader who started as a new teacher with VIPKid and loved it.

Guest post from Meagan

My husband, John, graduates from chiropractic school in April, but isn't able to practice until he finishes all of his Board Exams and gets his license in August.

As a homeschooling stay-at-home-mom of 3, I've done my best to bring in extra income whenever able to supplement the school loans. Throughout the 5 years that he's been in schooling I've cleaned a car dealership and tutored at night, and I currently nanny a child 40 hours per week in my home.

But, the loans will run out and we’ll need to several months of expenses until John can practice — which seems daunting at best and down right scary at worst.

As John and I prayed and discussed our options, it seemed prudent for one or both of us to pick up extra part-time work in the months leading up to his graduation. Yet, for various reasons the thought of leaving home, pumping milk (as our youngest is 13 months and not yet weaned), and being spread even thinner filled me with dread.

A few days after this conversation, I opened my inbox to read the daily update from Money Saving Mom. The very first article listed was about a Work-From-Home opportunity with the company VIPKid — an online ESL company in China that contracts Americans, with a Bachelors degree, to teach English online to Chinese students.

At first, I was skeptical of VIPKid, but I've been a reader of MSM for the past 5 years and know Crystal would never recommend something to her readers unless she was positive about the quality. So, I jumped in and started the application the next day.

The interview process with VIPKid was intense and involved role playing to demonstrate your ability to teach English to a 4-10 year old Chinese student. But I was hired within 2 weeks of starting the interview process and had classes booked my first week of teaching!

I was also skeptical of the pay base of $14-$22/hr, but it is accurate and I personally make $20/hr. I set my own hours and teach from 5:30 – 7:30 a.m., Monday – Friday and a few odd hours on the weekend. My first month I earned $688 and my second month I earned $780. (Keep in mind this income doesn't have taxes taken out.)

This VIPKid teaching process hasn't been without challenges. My husband has had to step it up by helping more with the kids and other chores. It has also been a big adjustment for me to go to bed and wake up earlier (thanks to the 12 hour time difference.)

Another challenge as a VIPKid teacher was one of logistics. We live in a 2-bedroom townhouse with very few private spots to host a video-chat classroom. Some people teach in a closet, the basement, or just put up a sheet behind them. My solution was to turn our downstairs bathroom into a mini-classroom!

I decorated the walls, set up bright lights, repurposed a rolling set of drawers to house my classroom props, and set up boxes on the vanity to make a "standing desk". The location is far enough away from the bedrooms so I don’t disturb sleeping children, and everything is easily put away when classes are done!

It has been a blessing to be able to stay at home and teach while the kids are sleeping. It feels good to know that by the time they wake up, I've already earned $40! VIPKid has been such a creative and unexpected answer to our prayers.

Meagan is a homeschooling mom of 3 (ages 8, 5, 1). She has an Education degree and loves crafts.

    
 

Gretchen’s $42 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan for 4

Dillons

1 can Bush’s Beans – $1, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 Simple Truth Fruit & Grain Granola Bars – $1.49

2 pkg Betty Crocker Fruit by the Roll – $0.99 each, used $1/2 printable – $0.49 each after coupon

5 pkg Annie’s Mac & Cheese – $1 each, used $1/5 e-coupon – $0.80 each after coupon

1.84 lbs Bananas – $0.90

1 gallon Milk – $1.89

1 can Hunt’s Tomatoes – $1, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

2 pkg Baking Soda – $0.57 each

2 cans Kroger Beans – $0.59 each

1 can Kroger Green Beans – $0.59

2 pkg Kroger Shredded Cheese – $2.49 each, used $0.85/2 e-coupon – $2.06 each after coupon

1 pkg Kroger Rice – $0.89

1 pkg Kroger Tortillas – $1.79

1 pkg Kroger Flour – $1.29, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $0.89 after coupon

1 lb Laura’s Lean Ground Beef – $6.99, used 50% off e-coupon – $3.50 after coupon

1 pkg Chili Seasoning – $1, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 Pineapple – $0.99

2 Post Great Grains Cereal – $1.29, used $1/2 printable – $0.79 each after coupon

2 cans Red Gold Tomatoes – $0.49 each

1 loaf Bread – $2.49

1 Simple Truth Sour Cream – $1.99, used $1/1 e-coupon AND $0.25/1 Checkout 51 rebate – $0.74 after coupon and rebate

1 Tennesse Pride Sausage – $2.99

Used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate for any receipt

Used $10 off order catalina I received for buying diapers last week

Total after coupons and rebates: $22.88

Aldi

1 dozen Eggs – $1.58

1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.83

1 canister Raisins – $2.79

2 pkg Strawberries – $1.49 each

1 pkg Corn Chips – $0.99

1 Baking Powder – $0.99

1 pkg Roma Tomatoes – $1.29

2 Avocados – $0.49 each

2 cans Green Beans – $0.44 each

1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.99

1 bag Potato Chips – $1.49

1 lb Butter – $2.49

1 pkg Oyster Crackers – $0.79

1 Lettuce – $0.99

Total: $20.06

Total for both stores: $42.94

Menu Plan for This Week

We all ended up getting sick for several days last week and were living on saltines and ginger ale. So we still have produce, chicken, and frozen veggies leftover from last week’s shopping trip that needs to be used up this week.

Breakfasts

Biscuits & Gravy, Fruit x 2

French Toast, Fruit

Cereal x 2

Toast, Eggs x 2

Lunches

Mac & Cheese, Carrot Sticks x 2

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Veggies x 2

Turkey, Cheese, Crackers, Fruit x 2

Leftovers

Dinners

Hamburgers, Chips, Green Beans

Sour Cream Enchiladas (using ground venison), Corn Chips, Steamed Broccoli

Hawaiian Haystacks, Sliced Avocados

Cheese Pizza, Breadsticks, Spinach Salad

Chili, Corn Chips, Fruit Salad

Venison Roast, Carrots, Potatoes

Chicken Noodle Casserole, Steamed Peas, Pineapple

    
 

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