Along with many other lessons learned in the year 2020, one seems to stick out above the rest: learn how to provide for yourself.

This year has been a prime example that the government does not care about the individual. The favoring of large corporations over small businesses have left many families around the world struggling to fend for themselves.

Gyms closed for some time, and in some parts of the US gyms are still closed, leaving many to better their physical and mental health in less effective ways at home.

These tragedies can be handled in one of two ways: accept the fate of whatever your governor says is the best for you, or taking every opportunity to ensure not only you but your family is provided for.

Making Money

The discrimination against unessential businesses left many Americans without jobs. This includes the workers and owners of restaurants, bars, some retail businesses, and schools.

What are some ways you can make money in 2021?

1. Work for an “Essential Business”

In March, most governors listed a number of businesses as “essential” for function during the pandemic. Examples of these are The Home Depot, Publix, Amazon, Walmart, and public services such as working at a fire department. Upon hiring you can at least know that your job is not in jeopardy of being dropped.

In addition to the job security, most of these positions pay more than minimum wage.

You can find a longer list of essential businesses here.

2. Use Freelance Services to Utilize Your Free Time

Freelance services such as Fiverr or Medium allow you the opportunity to make extra money by completing one-time tasks. Freelance writing platforms, such as Medium, will pay you for writing about your personal life by simply bringing traffic to their page.

You can find a list of 80 freelance service sites here.

3. Start an Online Business

Starting an online business is not as easy as others may make it seem. There’s a lot that goes into increasing site traffic and getting sales, especially if you’re selling products that compete with eBay and Amazon.

As intimidating as it is, it can be infinitely profitable depending on how much work you put into it. The best case scenario here is that you don’t have to rely on your state being open for in-person business in order to provide for yourself.

The profit is up to the level of effort you put in.

BigCommerce is a site that can help you setup your online business, and you can view their page here.

Staying Healthy

With many gyms being shut down across the country, and a skeptic attitude towards the ones that are open for business, many in the US have been trying to find ways to workout from home.

While some people may not be able to afford a squat rack or bench press to put in their garage, there are a few things to help keep you strong at home.

Here are some items to consider investing in:

• 25 lb dumbbells
• A resistance band set
• A pull-up bar
• A barbell

Supplements

NOTE: BRANDON IS AN ISSA CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER

Creatine

For anyone looking to build muscle (male or female), I highly recommend buying creatine HCL. It does not have negative health effects on individuals with no pre-existing conditions. If you are unsure of whether it’s right for you, I recommend you consult with your physician.

You can shop online for creatine here.

Essential Vitamins

I’m sure you have heard of the common vitamins of A, C, D, E, and K.

They are all considered to essential, meaning the body does not naturally produce them, but are necessary our physiology.

Vitamin D, commonly received from sunlight, is deficient in about 10% of Americans (or 5.5 million people).

Vitamin C, an antioxidant used to promote a healthy immune system, is deficient in about 7% of Americans.

Vitamin E, commonly found in beans, nuts, and greens, is not significantly deficient in the US.

Vitamin K, commonly found in greens such as kale and spinach, are also not significantly deficient in Americans.

The important thing to take from this is to check to see if you have the right amount of vitamins in your diet, because otherwise it’ll result in slowed brain function and bodily function.

Personal Protection

In your journey of becoming more independent, a very important topic to focus on is how to protect yourself and your family from others. In America, it’s common for a household to own at least one gun.

If it’s your preference to not own a gun, I recommend taking a self-defense course. It can be easy to rely on a 9-1-1 call to protect yourself, but if there are other ways of keeping you safer, faster, it’s worth it.

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Happy New Year!

-Brandon