With a VIPKid job, you can work as much or as little as you want. It’s flexible, fun, and rewarding.

My husband and I have been debt-free and mortgage-free since we were 25. We are on a path to retire when we are 45.

We save like millionaires and invest so we can achieve this goal. So, when it came time to fund my blogging adventure, I decided to do it myself.

I am a homemaker and homeschooling mom so my income is…well…nothing.

That’s why I became a VIPKid Teacher. I didn’t want to take one cent away from our early retirement goal and my VIPKid job has made that possible.

Maybe a VIPKid job is just what you need too!

First things first…

Is VIPKid a scam or a great opportunity?

VIPKid is a great opportunity!

I’ll admit. I was reluctant at first. It just didn’t seem possible that I would be able to teach from home (in my pajama pants), earn as much money as I wanted, completely customize my schedule, AND have fun.

It just seemed too good to be true.

Then, I found out a friend that I graduated from college with had been teaching for VIPKid for several years after she left her public school job.

She was making a great income from home while homeschooling her children.

That gave the company credibility to me.

I decided to apply and see for myself.

I am here to tell you that a VIPKid job is an excellent opportunity and very fulfilling.

VIPKid Teacher- How to Become One

Becoming a VIPKid teacher is very easy. You will need to hold a Bachelor’s degree from a University but it does not have to be in teaching.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education so getting a VIPKid job just seemed natural.

However, people with all backgrounds teach for VIPKid. Through the initial online training, you will meet fellow teachers with business backgrounds, art backgrounds, etc.

All you have to do is click here and apply!

VIPKid Job Application Process

The VIPKid application process involves several steps.

Step one: Apply

Step two: Demo lesson

In this step, you will record a short 5-minute lesson to an imaginary 5-year-old. VIPKid provides you with the materials. Make sure you have a great background and a few visual aids.

I was extremely nervous about this part!

However, it turned out to be very easy. If you do well, VIPKid will approve you to move to the next step.

If you don’t pass this step, you can try again. Many teachers have to do this step at least twice before they get it right.

Personally, I didn’t want to go through the trouble of recording again so I gave my first try everything I had and I passed.

Step three: Training & Mock Classes

In this step, you will have online training with certified VIPKid teachers, and you will also teach a mock class to a live VIPKid teacher. This teacher will be pretending to be a child.

Step four: Sign Your Contract!

In this step, you will sign your teaching contract. Currently, contracts are for 6 months with the option to renew.

You will also upload your degree certificate, ID, profile pictures, bio, and a short intro video.

If you have a teaching certification, you can upload it to avoid taking the TESOL foundation course. I have a certification but I have not kept it current, so I still had to take the TESOL foundation course.

It was easy to do!

How much does VIPKid pay?

With VIPKid, you can make $15-$22/hr. This all depends on the certification courses you take. Currently, I am making $15/hr simply because I haven’t had the time to take the additional (free) certifications but I really need to get on it!

The additional certifications are quite easy to get (which is why it’s ridiculous that I haven’t done it!) and they look great in your portfolio.

They will increase your pay and attract new students.

VIPKid Schedule

Having a VIPKid job is amazing because it’s incredibly flexible!

I can work as much or as little as I want.

If I’m having a super busy week at home, I will just open a few time slots a week. When things slow down, I’ll throw my schedule wide open.

You don’t have to “ask off” for important holidays or worry about saving up enough vacation time. Just don’t open your time slots for the days you want off.

Currently, I’m only teaching 2 classes a day. I teach at 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. This allows me to make the extra money I want and still be done before my kids wake up.

Occasionally, one of my students will request an evening class and I’m happy to accommodate! My husband gets extra one-on-one time with our kids while I go upstairs to my nest (I mean, office corner) to teach for 25 minutes.

It’s very simple and quite fun!

Note: VIPKid frowns heavily on teachers who cancel classes with short notice or do not show up.

If you need to cancel a class, you will need to provide proof of your circumstance.

What equipment do I need for a VIPKid job?

So, teaching with VIPKid requires a minimal amount of equipment.

You will need a reliable computer with good internet, a webcam, a headset with a microphone, and a good background.

I teach on my laptop and use the webcam that it came with.

VIPKid Classroom Background

VIPKid wants you to have a nice, clean background that is child friendly.

When I first started, I was using a make-shift space in our upstairs sitting room so I just tacked a large piece of fabric to the wall behind me. It was colorful fabric with Dr. Seuss characters on it.

Now, I have upgraded my space to something less temporary.

I have a nice painting and a lamp behind me.

It’s not distracting for the student and it’s pleasant for me.

Some teachers go all out and create an entire classroom on the wall behind them. It’s super cute and so much fun! I don’t do this because I also use my office space for my YouTube videos and Facebook Lives.

I’m not sure that any of my YouTube subscribers would take me seriously with Dr. Seuss characters on the wall behind me.

By the way, you can follow my new series “How to Save Like a Millionaire” on YouTube. Also, follow me on Facebook to catch all of my Facebook LIVES!

Does VIPKid provide the curriculum?

YES!

VIPKid does all of the work for you! Just sign in to your portal, click “classroom” and start teaching!

You will want to review the class slides before you start teaching so you won’t be lost.

No one likes a teacher with a blank stare.

There are notes on the sides of all the slides to tell you exactly what to teach on each slide.

VIPKid has made the courseware very intuitive!

I’ve been teaching with them for a while now so if I don’t have time to review the slides before class, I typically still know what I’m doing. I have most likely taught that lesson before.

What is a VIPKid Class Like?

Ok, so here is how it works.

For example, if you have a class at 6:00 a.m., you will want to sign in to your VIPKid app on your computer 15 minutes early.

That way, you can make sure everything is in order.

I won’t tell you about the time I missed class and got charged $10 because I missed class and couldn’t get my internet to work. Actually, my internet was working fine. I just forget to connect my computer to it. I will blame it on the migraine I had that morning.

…but, I won’t tell you about that because it’s embarrassing.

Anyhow, remember to connect your computer to the internet and sign on.

Your teacher portal will come up and show you all the classes you have booked.

Click “classroom” next to your 6:00 a.m. class.

A new window will appear. That is your “classroom.”

At the top will be a window for your live feed and next to it is a window for your student’s live feed. Below that is the slides you are teaching. You also have a chat window in case you need to spell something out for the student.

Can I travel and teach?

YES!

YES!

YES!

As long as you have a good internet connection and a quiet place, you can teach from anywhere. I read a story once about a VIPKid teacher who backpacked across Asia while teaching. It was incredible.

Some teachers who travel and teach take a large piece of colorful fabric with them. They can then tape the fabric to the hotel wall, guest room wall, RV wall, etc. for when they teach.

Just make sure you don’t damage any walls!

Can I teach from my phone?

No, you cannot teach on your phone. You must have a PC or an iPad to have a VIPKid job. VIPKid does have a mobile app for checking your schedule, opening teaching slots, reviewing class slides, checking payments, etc but it does not give you the option to teach through the app.

Can I teach with VIPKid on a hotspot?

It is recommended that you have DSL internet. However, there are many teachers who teach with a hotspot. Just make sure you pass the internet speed test (which is easy). If your hotspot is strong and reliable, you are good to go!

The bottom line is that you want to provide a good experience to your students. A bad internet connection means that they cannot learn from you properly and you are doing them a disservice.

Make sure you have reliable internet before you begin.

Who is Dino?

Dino is a cute, yellow, cartoon dinosaur who is the mascot for VIPKid. All of the students love Dino!

VIPKid or VIPKids?

Many people call the company “VIPKids” and this is incorrect. VIPKid stresses that their name is not plural because they focus on one kid at a time. When you are teaching, your focus is on that one student and making them the best English speaker possible. So, it’s not “VIPKids.”

Remember, each class focuses on ONE VIPKid.

Is teaching with VIPKid fun?

YES!

Honestly, you will have those students who just don’t pay attention but, most of the time, you will have very sweet students who genuinely want to learn.

In fact, I was teaching a little girl this morning who is one of my regulars. She is adorable. I have a duck puppet and she has a rabbit puppet. So, this morning, we played puppets together for a little while. I creatively tied this into the lesson, so it was time well spent.

Another one of my regular students loves to draw. So, I try my best to incorporate art into the lessons by letting her draw on the screen and get creative.

Sometimes their whole families get involved!

With several of my students, I have met their parents, siblings and even the family dog!

I get to teach them while their baby brother sits next to them in his highchair or while they eat their supper of noodles.

I get to cheer them up after they have had a tough day at school, and I consider that a privilege.

VIPKid Job Questions

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I will answer them for you!

What are you waiting for? Apply now!

The post VIPKid Job – How I Make Extra Money appeared first on Big House in the Woods.

But that’s not real life for most millionaires. Self-made millionaires know better.

If you want to be a millionaire, then you need to know how to save like a millionaire.

“From my research, I discovered that daily habits dictate how successful or unsuccessful you will be in life,” Thomas C. Corley- “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life.”

Business Insider

Related content: Debt-Free by 25 – How We Did It!

How to Save Like a Millionaire

Many millionaires are intensely frugal people. After all, they work hard for their money.

These millionaires know where their money came from- their hard work. It takes a lot of work to earn a dollar. It takes a lot of work and determination to earn a million dollars (or more).

You won’t often find a millionaire bragging about expensive things they have bought. Many of them clip coupons, live in modest homes and shop at discount stores. They drive used cars and have a limited wardrobe.

They do all these things by choice because their money is valuable to them.

…and probably because they don’t want to be like those professional athletes you hear about sometimes who have blown it all and are now standing on the side of the road holding a cardboard sign.

How We Saved Our First $180,000 Before We Were 30

Now, we aren’t millionaires…yet. But, we know how to save like a millionaire. We’ve been debt-free and mortgage-free since we were 25 and we have a plan to retire when we’re 45.

Working until we’re 70 just isn’t in the plan. We don’t work for the typical “American Dream” of a big mortgage, new cars, and little league expenses.

We saved our first $180,000 years ago by doing a few simple things like not having paid TV service, only buying used cars, having a (VERY awesome) inexpensive cell phone plan, and a few other tricks.

It’s amazing how much you can save (then put in the bank) by just living differently than the people around you.

Those people who eventually become millionaires typically don’t get there through sheer luck or by making one life-changing investment. Rather, they work hard, live below their means, and start saving early on.

Money CNN

Related content: We Don’t Work for the American Dream

Money Secrets They Don’t Want You to Know

There are many money secrets they don’t want you to know. But, first…

Who are “THEY?”

They are the companies that want you to buy their stuff. What they don’t want you to know is that you don’t actually need the stuff they are selling.

They don’t want you to know how to save like a millionaire because if you weren’t buying their products then they couldn’t become millionaires off of your dime.

Do you need to pay $1,200 a year for TV service? No. Will you survive without it? You bet.

Do you need to spend $200 a month for a cell phone with a data package? Especially when you can get the same thing for much less? Umm…no.

Ask yourself this? Why is Jeff Bezos so stinking wealthy? Because you keep giving him your money.

Bam.

Mic drop.

Millionaires know better. They know these money secrets.

They know how to avoid these money pits (and lures from expensive products) so they can save money and put more of that green paper in their pockets.

Related content: Why I Won’t Buy a Roomba, Keurig, Apple Watch, or Yeti Anything

Rachel Sherman of the New York Times wrote an article in 2017 about interviews she conducted with 50 affluent parents.

“Nearly all were in the top 1 percent or 2 percent in terms of income or wealth or both,” she said. What she noticed was that none of these “rich people” were ever proud of spending a lot of money or having pricey things.

The people I talked with never bragged about the price of something because it was high; instead, they enthusiastically recounted snagging bargains on baby strollers, buying clothes at Target, and driving old cars. 

Rachel Sherman, New York Times

Money Lessons from a Millionaire

There are many money lessons from a millionaire that we can learn but the most important is that saving money is a must.

No matter how much money you make, you must save.

…You must spend less than you earn because anyone can spend it all. So whether you make $50k a year or $500k, you need to spend less than that. Turns out millionaires are great at saving no matter how much they make.

ESI Money

Millionaire Money Habits

Did you know that millionaires are notoriously frugal?

Yep. They sure are.

If you want to be a millionaire, then you need to act like a millionaire.

No. I’m not talking about that small percentage of people who got rich from who knows what and they blow all their money during their reality TV shows.

I’m talking about those self-made millionaires who work hard, save hard, and make smart money choices.

I’m talking about the Millionaire Next Door (which happens to be one of my favorite books, by the way).

I’m talking about that guy who has been driving the same old truck (because he likes it) even though he can afford a Ferrari.

Yep. That guy.

He didn’t become a millionaire on his middle-class income by spending frivolously. In fact, you probably won’t find him eating out much. You probably won’t even find his wife hanging out at the spa getting a pedicure with her fur coat and wearing diamond-studded sunglasses.

That last part was a little crazy, but you know what I mean.

Let’s call him “Joe Ordinary.”

Joe Ordinary is a millionaire because he knows how to save money like a millionaire. He has adopted millionaire money habits that have gotten him to where he is today.

Joe Ordinary doesn’t act rich (even though he is).

For example, let’s talk about Warren Buffet.

Despite his status as one of the richest people on earth, he still lives in the same modest home he bought for $31,500 in 1958, doesn’t carry a cell phone or have a computer at his desk, and once had a vanity license plate that read “THRIFTY,” according to his 2009 biography.

INC.com

Warren Buffet could have anything he wants. But, he doesn’t want.

That’s the secret sauce.

Those are the millionaire money habits to takeaway.

1. Don’t act rich.
2. Don’t want for things.

Poor people act rich and get poorer. Rich people act poor and get richer.

“My life couldn’t be happier. In fact, it’d be worse if I had six or eight houses. So, I have everything I need to have, and I don’t need any more because it doesn’t make a difference after a point.”

Warren Buffet, INC.com

How Much Do Millionaires Make a Year

So, all these celebrities are always all over your TV. They are actors, singers, sharks, etc. They look like they are LIVING. IT. UP.

Then, you start wondering, “How much do millionaires make a year?”

Well, I can’t speak for those people. I mean, they are in a class of their own.

What I can tell you is that you can become a millionaire on just $56,000 a year.

Yes. You heard me.

So many people think that the title of “millionaire” is only for those celebrities or the occasional person who wins the lottery.

But, that’s just not true.

If you know how to save like a millionaire, then you can become a millionaire on even a middle-class income.

For example, I recently read an article from CNN Money that explains how you can become a millionaire with a salary of just $56,000/ year. They explain that if you save and invest $458 a month starting at age 27, then you will have $1.4 million by the time you retire at age 67.

When many of us think of millionaires, we picture high-powered executives cruising around town in chauffeured limousines. But you don’t need to earn an extraordinarily high salary to join the ranks of the wealthy. In fact, if you play your cards right, you can become a millionaire on a fairly ordinary salary — just $56,000 a year.

CNN Money

They chose to use $56,000/year as their example because that was the median household income in 2015.

That means that the title of “millionaire” doesn’t have to be reserved for the Jay Lenos of the world.

It’s also something that you and I can achieve.

Consider this: A 21-year-old liberal arts graduate making an average starting salary of $36,000 would need to save only $25 per week in an IRA to retire comfortably at 65. -The Penny Hoarder

The Penny Hoarder

Millionaire Money Saving Tips

Ask any self-made millionaire about money-saving tips and they will talk for hours. After all, they have money because they know how to make it and save it.

The best millionaire money-saving tips involve staying on a budget, buying used, avoiding credit card debt, and investing automatically

Millionaires can be surprisingly frugal. They’re not necessarily big spenders. They live below their means so they can save and invest the difference.

Insider

Millionaires Always Self-Educate

Read more. Watch less.

I could also say, “Read more. Spend less.”

The more you watch on TV and the more you scroll on your phone, the less you are learning and the more likely you are to spend money.

The rich would rather be educated than entertained.

Business Insider

How Much Do Wealthy People Save?

Wealthy people (including millionaires) tend to save at least 20% of their income.

If you want to achieve financial independence (or even become a millionaire!), make it a game to see how much you can save of your income while not depriving yourself of important things.

Make your coffee at home, pack a lunch, buy used, and quit comparing yourself to others on social media.

Corley recommends putting 20 percent of your monthly net pay, or what you take home after taxes and other deductions, into savings.

CNBC

How to Save Like a Millionaire

The most important idea to remember is that anyone on an average salary can save the majority of that salary to achieve financial independence.

Self-made millionaires are wealthy because they save, live frugally by choice, invest, and budget. Saving like a millionaire is less about your salary and more about what you do with your salary.

You have to be willing to tune out those around you who wallow in their overspending.

You have to choose to be different, look past the Joneses, and set your goals.

Happy saving!
-Lindsey

P.S. You can also find me on YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest!

The post How to Save Like a Millionaire appeared first on Big House in the Woods.