Hello, lovely Katie Scarlett Needs Money heathers!
I created this resources page to list all the products, services, and companies I use to save and get great value for my money as well as make my life better, more convenient, and funner. This way, you can get all my recommendations in one place. You might also save time and money!
Disclosure:
I use affiliate links to maintain this site. This means that I may receive a small commission if you make purchases through some of these links, at no extra cost to you. All products and services listed in this page are personally vetted by me. I will not recommend anything that I personally haven’t tried and/or used.
To support my efforts in spreading financial literacy to Filipinos through well-researched and well-explained posts, please consider supporting me by making your purchases through my links.
Thank you.
BLOGGING
Bluehost
If you want to start your very own website, you need to pay for web hosting instead of using free blogging services like Blogspot and WordPressdotcom. Having your own hosting signals that 1) you take your blog seriously and considers it as a legitimate business and/or professional platform and 2) you want to monetize your site at some point.
There are so many advantages to self-hosting, including:
- Control of your website and its contents (free blogging platform can delete your content just because)
- Better search engine optimization or SEO ranking (easier for readers to find your content in the wilderness that is the internet)
- Monetizing with Google Adsense and other ad publishers is more straightforward (you can apply directly on your own instead of the blogging platform taking its cut from your site earnings)
- You get to customized your domain name (instead of katiescarlettneedsmoney.blogspotdotcom or katiescarlettneedsmoney.wordpressdotcom, which are too long)
Out of all hosting services I’ve used (I used to have an adventure travel website and a general lifestyle blog, both of which are now dead), the best is Blue Host, hands down. If you’re like me who has zero coding skills, you’ll likely use a website builder like WordPress or Weebly to build your blog. Good news is, Bluehost is compatible with both platforms!
Bluehost is very easy to use, has great customer support in multiple channels, including via online chat (great if you can’t call their phone number from outside of the USA), and it comes with a free domain name registration.
So if you’re planning on starting your own blog or website, start by signing up for a web hosting with Bluehost by clicking on this link.
Elementor Pro
Elementor is a drag-and-drop page building plug-in for WordPress that helps users customize their websites. It has a free version and a paid version. For some, the free version is enough but the PRO version is absolutely amazing!
What I love best about Elementor Pro is that you can make your own theme despite not knowing anything about coding! For this blog, I didn’t have to buy a paid theme because whatever feature or layout I want to see, I can just make in the Elementor Theme Builder.
Elementor Pro took away the stress I usually experience when tinkering with my website. I actually enjoy designing and customizing this site now that I have Elementor Pro. I can use whatever color scheme I want and change it on a whim if I choose to.
Another great thing about Elementor is that they’re always improving and adding features and functionality. Some of these features, if bought outside, can add up, but are free with Elementor Pro, like a pop-up builder.
Canva
Canva is an online tool to make all kinds of visuals for your blog. With Canva, you get to have access to all kinds of templates, from Pinterest, to email headers, logos, presentations, animated social media posts, and more!
Canva comes with a free 30-day trial and $9.95 a month after for 1 user and $12.95 for a work subscription. I know that might sound expensive but in my experience, the expense is totally worth it.
Making visuals for my blog is so much easier with Canva that I’m no longer looking for a free alternative, if free means I won’t have access to Canva templates and its huge library of stock photos.
Updraft Plus Premium
One of the things that bloggers are scared of is losing their content. I have spent hours upon hours just writing, polishing, and promoting my content and I’ll be damned if everything I’ve worked for is stolen/blocked/lost.
To avoid that from happening, I am subscribed to Updraft Plus Premium.
Updraft Plus is the highest rated and most trusted WordPress backup, restore, and clone plug-in. Like most plug-ins, it has a free and a paid version. The paid version allows you to clone your content in your own remote storage instead of storing it in Updraft’s servers.
Updraft Plus Premium is $42 a year for 1 site. Secure your website by clicking on this link.
EDUCATION
Udemy
Udemy is an online learning platform where you can take courses on any subject in your own pace.
At 100,000 courses (and counting) I’m very sure that they have a course on any subject you are interested in. I’ve personally taken Udemy courses on travel writing, advanced yoga, journaling for yoga, journaling for travel, and even an introductory cybersecurity class.
While I had very positive experiences learning through Udemy, please make sure that you read the reviews on every course you pay for. After all, anybody with an interest, microphone, and a smart phone can in theory teach a course there.
Rocket Languages
If you want to learn a foreign language in a fun and challenging way without leaving your home, use Rocket Languages. I’m using Rocket Languages to learn Russian and I’m enjoying learning through the app compared to learning in a classroom with other people.
You can access courses through the Rocket Language website and through the app. Both work well but I prefer the app more especially with the speaking exercises. The app captures the voice entries better than my Macbook pro.
I think the key for me with Rocket Languages is that lessons are arranged in a way that you can use whatever you learned in class in the real world right away. The modules are challenging and exciting.
I’m studying Russian (thanks to the American cartoon Archer and the drag queen Katya!) and I’ve been enjoying it so much that even though I don’t have anybody to speak with in real-life, the classes keep me interested in learning more.
