With vaccines rolling out in countries across the globe, things are starting to look a little better in terms of returning to normalcy this year. However, we still aren’t out of the woods yet, and so many of us will be living indoors and working remotely for the foreseeable.
Got some extra time on your hands in lockdown, and want to hone a skill or learn a new one? Perhaps you’re looking into savings tips, and want to come out of lockdown with a better grip on your finances? There are a ton of different ways to pursue personal betterment, and so take a look at this quick guide we’ve put together for some inspiration.
Learning (and monetising) a skill
Always wanted to learn a new language? Perhaps you’d like to learn a new instrument? If you have some extra time on your hands due to being trapped indoors, there are a ton of different smartphone apps that you can install and use to help you learn fun and transferrable new skills. Duolingo, for example, is a popular language learning app that’s totally free, and gamifies languages with small, incremental daily lessons.
If you have a particular skill that you’re good at – such as graphic design or copywriting, for instance – why not see if you can monetise it online, and make some additional cash out of your hobby? Freelancing platforms such as UpWork and Fiverr are extremely easy to get set up on, and you can build up your portfolio too for future projects/job opportunities.
Save and invest for your future
If you’re the sort of person that struggles month to month with money, you might want to take some of the remaining time spent indoors to get a better grip on your financial situation. Sit down, figure out where your money is going each month (and what it’s being spent on), and try to cut down to only the essential things. Often many of us have monthly direct debits going out of our accounts that we aren’t even aware of, and this can often quickly gain you a nice buffer.
Once you’ve got your savings in order, and have some money put to one side that you’re unsure of what to do with, you might want to look into an investment strategy in order to put that otherwise dormant cash back to work for you. There are a range of different asset types and investment strategies out there, and so here are two examples that might interest you depending on the sort of capital you have available:
- Stocks/Shares Investments – Many young people have been discovering trading apps and services throughout lockdown, making money on the stock market. If this is something that you’re interested in, then make sure to do some research into the companies that you want to invest in, and check out some of the training functions on apps like Trading 212 before you go investing any of your own money.
- Property/Real Estate Investments – If you have a larger sum of money stored away and want to invest in something a little bit more long-term and stable, property investment is an excellent backbone to any investment portfolio. Companies such as RWinvest are continuing to offer remote viewings, guides, podcasts and information throughout lockdown, so you can learn about the best areas and property types from the comfort of your own home.
Plan for the future
Things are feeling a little stagnant at the moment, as if the world’s come to a bit of a standstill, and so a great way of avoiding that ‘Groundhog Day’ feeling is to plan ahead for the future, and set clear goals. Whether it’s a new career path that you want to pursue, a financial milestone (influenced by your new saving/investment habits) or simply a much-needed holiday, setting down some aims and aspirations will allow you to look ahead positively, and also make sure that the movements you’re making in your everyday life are working towards that ultimate goal.
Remember, set manageable goals for yourself that you know you can achieve. Often, we’re our own worst critics when it comes to getting stuff done, and so if you over face yourself with a monolithic challenge you know you can’t achieve, you’ll be more likely to fail at the first few hurdles. Good luck!