5 Ways to Boost Your Income During a Divorce

Many people struggle financially during divorce but these are five things you can do to boost your income during divorce.

Online Certifications

There are a lot of online certifications—from a wide variety of fields—that you can earn from the comfort of your own home. The best part is that most of these online certifications are completely free and take only a few hours to complete. Not only do they fill up some extra space on your resume, but they also show that you’re committed to staying up to date in your field. Having these certifications can help you find a different job that pays a better salary, which can be useful if you are struggling to make ends meet after the divorce. These certifications may also help you ask for a raise at your current job or stay employed if the company you work for ends up needing to reduce their workforce. Not all online certificates are created equally: some cost thousands of dollars but don’t offer the same return on the investment. Make sure the certificate you get really is worth it if it’s not free.

Freelance Work

Freelance work is a great way to get a few extra dollars and, much like the online certificates, there’s plenty of freelance work from a wide variety of fields. Websites like Fiverr and Upwork specialize in providing a platform for people who are searching for freelance opportunities and people who have projects that they need freelance help with. Just like the online certifications, you need to be careful with freelance platforms. Most freelance platforms do take a portion of the freelance worker’s pay, and some platforms are not free to use. Make sure that you thoroughly investigate the platform you’re using before you commit to it. It may also be a good idea to remember that freelance work is not guaranteed, so it may not be a good idea to budget as if you’re going to have a guaranteed income from freelance work.

UberEATS and Lyft

UberEATS and Lyft are forms of freelance work, but they’re much different than the freelance work that people do from their homes. Companies like Door Dash, Grubhub, UberEATS, Uber, and Lyft, are great for parents who don’t have the children all the time and can go out and work for a few hours while their ex has the children. The best thing about this type of freelance work is that it’s not as mentally demanding as some of the freelance work that’s available on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. If you are planning on doing freelance work for a service like Lyft or UberEATS, you should know that some insurance policies do not cover accidents that occur while you’re freelancing. If you decide to pick up one of these side-hustles, make sure that your insurance policy will cover you if you get into an accident while you’re working. You may also want to consider the mileage and wear on your vehicle. In some cases, it may not make sense to do this type of freelance work.

Technical Skills and Vocational Training

Many colleges offer certificates in technical skills. These certificates are more expensive, and generally require a greater investment of time, but they can really help level up your career. A lot of programs and certificates are able to be completed in the span of a few months, but some can take at least a year to complete. In some cases, the classes taken for these certificates can count toward an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree. If you have further questions, most universities have academic advisors to assist potential students. If you have the time and money to invest in a certificate from a local university, this may help raise your income after the divorce.

Part-Time Jobs

Unfortunately, it’s common to work part-time jobs during the divorce process, even when you’ve already got a full-time position. Usually, places that have extended hours are able to offer a flexible part-time work schedule to those who are already working full-time. Depending on what you’re looking for, it may not be difficult to find a job that will allow you to work only evenings and weekends—as those are typically the shifts most people want to avoid. The financial stress of divorce does some often ease as time goes on and adjustments are made. So a part-time job may be a viable temporary solution.