In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” ~ Eric Hoffer

Read A New Book Every Month

John Spence says that the average business person reads one business book every 5 years. If you read 6 business books a year, you’ll be in the top 1% of learners in America. If you read a business book every month, you’ll be in the top 1% of learners in the world. However you can, make reading a monthly goal.

• Use Audio Books to listen to books during your commute, workout, or while you do chores (about $15 each or less).

• Start a book club with some like-minded colleagues to keep each on top of reading.

Replace Your TV Time

If you haven’t already cut the cord and ditched cable, now is a great time. With the money you save on your cable bill you can still buy your favorite TV shows and stop watching all the junk you’re just filling time with. Have you tried watching these yet?

• TED – Instead of watching 20 minute sitcoms, watch 20 minute of the worlds greatest living ideas (free).

• Netflix Documentaries – They may not all be unbiased but they’re definitely interesting ($12.99/month).

• Clubhouse App – Hosts extensive conversation on every conceivable topic with experts dropping gold (and some cooks). Right now its iPhone only and requires an invitation to join. Follow me on Clubhouse at @jazminhupp.

Take Free Courses Online

• Academic Earth is the largest directory of video lectures from universities like NYU, Harvard, and more.

• Khan Academy to really learn calculus or finance with easy to follow videos that build on concepts as you go.

• iTunes U App – Hosts more than 350,000 free lectures from Stanford, Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley and more.

Go Back To School To Defer Your Student Loans

Going to school part-time may be cheaper than paying your student loans. Since you can defer some student loans (some interest-free) while you’re in school at least half-time, it may be cheaper to continue taking classes than stop. I’m not your accountant so do your research first but it’s an excellent excuse to keep taking classes if you’re on a tight budget. Even if you work full-time, you’ll find tons of night classes and online classes that work around any schedule.