TessMore Finance Blog

Love Disney? This cool side gig lets you turn your passion into profit at the most magical place on Earth. Disney nannies help vacationing families navigate theme parks and babysit kids while their parents play. If you love theme parks and have prior child care experience, it’s a fun and unique way to pick up some extra cash. We’ll break down everything you need to know about this quirky side hustle, including job responsibilities and average pay rates. There’s a Surprisingly Huge Demand for Disney Nannies Disney nannies are an increasingly popular niche within child care. Trained babysitters can accompany families to theme parks to lend a helping hand. Or, if parents need a break, a nanny can come over and provide in-room care at a nearby hotel or resort. Some nannies will even take your kids to Disney World for you. It may seem like a strange service. After all, aren’t you supposed to spend time with your family on vacation? But according to two Disney nanny agencies we spok

If you’re like most American adults, chances are high that you’ve heard of life insurance and know that it’s something you need. But what is it exactly, and how does life insurance work? Life insurance is a way for you to leave money to people you care about in the event of your death. At its basic level, it’s an agreement between you and a life insurance company. You agree to pay them and in turn, they provide you with insurance coverage. You can think of it like a subscription service: as long as you pay premiums, you’ll be covered. Covered for what? Well that really depends on you. Maybe you want to make sure your spouse will be able to pay the mortgage, no matter what happens to you. Maybe you want your kids to afford college. Or you might simply want to make sure your people will be ok paying day to day bills if you’re not around to provide for them. No matter your goal, the right kind of life insurance should be a simple and affordable way to reduce the risk of getting there.

Whether you use an app, an Excel spreadsheet or a pen and notebook, your budget isn’t something you just blindly copy over month after month. You should take a little time at the end of each month or the beginning of the next to reflect on your finances and determine whether you need to make any adjustments for the month ahead. Your spending isn’t necessarily the same month after month, so your budget shouldn’t be either. 8 Budgeting Questions to Reflect on Each Month Ask yourself these questions as you close out your budget each month to create the best spending plan for the month ahead. 1. How Did My Actual Spending Compare to My Projected Spending? This is the most obvious question you’ll want to ask yourself as you reflect on your spending from the past several weeks. Did your actual spending match up with the amount of money you intended to spend in each budget category? Where did you overspend? Where did you spend less than anticipated? 2. How Do I Want to Allocate Any S

Remote work is a concept that has been popular ever since the technology to support it has been around. The percentage of workers that have done at least some of their jobs remotely has steadily increased over time.  Videoconferencing and collaboration tools have reached a state where it’s possible to do many jobs without going into an office. If you’re interested in working from home (or the beach!), here is information about remote work and remote jobs that you might be interested in. The rise of remote work The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has reported that approximately 51 million Americans reported using the Internet to work remotely in 2019. That was almost a third of the total number of Americans employed. The COVID-19 pandemic certainly caused that number to rise in 2020, as many employers shuttered their offices completely. As businesses and the economy begin to return to form, many workers are finding that they enjoy remote work and do not w

The holiday season is an expensive time of the year. You’re buying presents for loved ones, decorations for the house, extra groceries for big dinners and outfits for holiday parties. You’re giving special tips to service workers and spending money to travel to visit family. All the money leaving your bank account can cause a bunch of financial stress. It’s good to have some things to do during the holiday season that don’t add to that. 21 Free Things to Do During the Holiday Season These festive activities don’t cost a thing. 1. See the Light Displays Twinkling lights are a visual reminder that the holiday season is here. And like snowflakes, each light display has its own unique beauty. Take a stroll around your neighborhood, drive by other lit-up streets or check out the streetscapes and decorated storefronts downtown. 2. Attend a Local Festival The weather may be chilly but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good time for a festival. Many cities host winter festivals to celebrate

If you’ve started your own company — or you’re considering the move — you’ve likely marveled at the logistics required to pull it off. Popular first-time small business owner (SMB) questions include: How do taxes work now? What do I need to know about buying health insurance? What exactly qualifies as a business expense ? There are many changes when you run your own show. And when you become a business owner, your banking needs to change, too. That’s right, you need a business account. Since vetting banks and business checking accounts probably isn’t how you want to spend your time when you’re self-employed, we did the leg work for you. Here are some of the best bank accounts (specifically checking accounts) at a glance for small business owners. Because we’re talking to SMBs about business savings and business checking accounts, we leaned into information specific to that audience. Meaning, we focused more on banking services that cater to those just starting out and whose

Financial independence, or FI, is one of those rare goals many people hope to accomplish – someday. But few ever do. Most of the time, the problem isn’t a lack of desire, but the absence of a plan or willingness to commit.  The good news is that you can start working towards financial independence now, no matter where you’re at in life. The following guide includes a nine-step plan to help you reach FI. Each step is crucial, but it can be customized to fit your circumstances. Let’s start with some basic concepts. Table of Contents What Is Financial Independence? How Can You Achieve FI? 1. Define Your Version of Financial Independence 2. Get Family and Friends on Board 3. Prepare to Cut Your Living Expenses 4. Create a Plan to Earn More Money 5. Save, Save, and Save Some More 6. Create a Long-term Investment Plan The 4% Rule Explained 7. Get Out of Debt as Soon as Possible 8. Assess Your Progress and Make Adjustments as Needed 9. Dig in for the Long Haul Final Tho