If you ask the average millennial a basic question about their finances, they’ll go blank.

That’s what happened in one college senior’s finance class at Purdue University when the professor asked who knew what the Dow Jones was—only twenty-five of the one hundred students raised their hand.

It’s no secret that the majority of millennials miss the mark when it comes to financial literacy. Terms like “401K” and “ETF” sound like gibberish, at best ringing a vaguely familiar bell.

With millennials now at the age of financial independence, this is a big problem. The average 18-24 year old has less than $1,000 in their savings account, and over $30,000 in student loans.

Quite recently, Lend EDU published a survey of 1,000 people from the U.S between the ages of 23 and 38 to observe the types of debts they carry.  The results of the survery were shocking, specifically because no matter how much money someone made they still carried a significant amount of debt!

It’s no wonder that so many millennials experience anxiety about their finances, more so than baby boomers did at the same age. They’re more cautious about spending, and less able to make their dreams like owning a home and saving for retirement a reality.

Meet Rohan Thakkur, the senior in the finance class at Purdue University. Looking around at his classmates, he couldn’t believe that so few knew such a basic financial term. He realized there was a huge need to bring financial awareness to kids his age, and decided to do something about it.

That story was the inspiration for Thakkur’s company Orca Financial, a hub for straightforward, easy-to-digest financial education intended to bridge the disconnect between young people and finance. With article topics like “Emoji Finance Friday,” “How The Dow Jones Is Like Your Favorite Instagram Influencer,” and “Mutual Funds: As Explained Through Dating,” Thakkur is on a mission to break down financial concepts into a language millennials can understand. He’s also a writer for Thrive Global and AOL.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, I picked Thakkur’s brain for financial “hacks” that anyone, no matter their financial literacy, can put into play immediately to save money and begin to make their financial goals a reality.

Make five of Thakkur’s financial fixes below to start seeing improvements in your financial life today.

1. You’re Not Using The 50-20-30 Rule. According to Thakkur, the “50-20-30 Rule” stands for 50% spending, 20% saving, and 30% investing. It’s a guide to keep you on track to compounding your money over time.

With each paycheck you earn, commit to spending just half of it on living expenses like food, rent, bills, Netflix subscriptions, Uber rides, and nights out with friends. Set aside 30% of each paycheck to saving, until you have enough of a cushion to last you 2-3 months worth of pay “for a rainy day.” With the final 20%, consult a financial advisor about making entry-level investments that will help you raise money towards long-term goals like buying a house, starting a business, or attending grad school much quicker.

2. You’re Not Maxing Out Your 401K. Here’s the breakdown: a 401k is a retirement savings plan sponsored by your employer. According to a recent survey, 4 in 10 millennials don’t have a retirement income strategy in place.

Each year, you have the option to put a percentage of your income into your 401k savings account, and the money you put into that account is deducted from your taxable income. So if you make $50,000 a year and put aside $10,000 into your 401k account, your taxable income is only $40,000. Thakkur recommends maxing out your 401k by contributing the upper limit of $18,000 each year. “Why not pay less money in taxes? It’s more money you get to keep,” he says.

3. You’re Not Tracking Your Spending. Do you ever feel like money seems to drain out of your bank account? Chances are you aren’t tracking your spending. 38% of Americans don’t track their spending, and more than half of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck.

When you track your spending, you can bring awareness to nasty habits that are draining your money, and replace them with wiser spending decisions. “Track your expenses,” Thakkur says. “It’s ok if you spend your money. I’m a firm believer about having fun. But we don’t have to be stupid about it. Think about it, if you want to go to Coachella next year, why not invest that money and have that money pay for your Coachella ticket?”

Freelancing is on the rise, with freelancers accounting for 35% of the US workforce.

That’s because millions of Millennials today are seeking location-independent and time-flexible work, and want to become their own boss.

With modern technology, freelance work is becoming increasingly accessible and profitable. The starving freelancer who struggles to find work is a thing of the past; today’s digital freelancer has access to millions of job opportunities around the world with the click of a button.

But it’s a two-way street—with more individuals onboarding to part- and full-time freelance work, businesses have more options in choosing a freelancer to fulfill a given task.

If you’re a freelancer or are considering freelancing, you may be experiencing frustration with the amount of competition. Losing prospective clients to competitors, having trouble retaining clients, and difficulty getting referrals are all consequences of a saturated market.

Still, top freelancers today earn as much as $112/hour, and work fewer hours per week than the average American. With the right strategy, becoming a top-performing freelancer can be extremely rewarding.

So how do you stand out as a freelancer and consistently land high-paying gigs?

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, I interviewed an expert digital strategist about successful freelance strategy.

Meet Franceso Gatti, the leader of global digital strategy at ReadWrite, an Internet of Things and connected world publication with over 6M users. Gatti is also the co-founder of Unbits, a curated marketplace allowing users to discover, review, and buy luxury tech products, which was acquired by ReadWrite. Gatti has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, marketer, and online strategist, enabling him to speak to the techniques and skillsets essential for any successful freelancer.

Below, Gatti’s shares three tips that will help you advance your career as a freelancer.

Refine Your Service

What sets apart the best freelancers is an unmatched commitment to improving their craft. Those who are consistently contracting high-paying clients know that in order to have an edge in the market, you must be providing services that exceed expectations and surpass what others can do.

The most effective way to refine your craft is to ask for customer feedback. Create surveys for your customers asking what you did well, what they liked or didn’t like, and how you can improve. The more specific your questions are, the more precise you can be at attuning your offer to your clients’ needs and desires. “Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your clients because without asking, it’s impossible you’ll know how to serve them better,” says Gatti.

Increase your survey response rate by personalizing your requests—address each client by name and reference the specific service you provided for them. The shorter your survey, the better. Only ask questions for which feedback will be useful for you. Offer an incentive for completing the survey, and make sure to send a reminder email.

Build A Relationship

One of the biggest concerns for freelancers is the unpredictability of income. Sometimes, finding work is easy and opportunities are abundant, and sometimes it’s scarce and nearly impossible. So how do you buffer against the uncertainty and secure a more stable source of income?

You create relationships with your clients by building trust and staying top of mind so you become their go-to contractor. Gatti recommends adding your customers to an email list as well as sending them personalized messages. Keep them in the loop about how you’re upgrading your services and any special discounts you’re offering. Follow up with them individually about their experience and let them know you care.

Research shows customer experience is more important than price and product selection. 62% of customers leave their service provider because of poor service. Ensure quality service by being cordial and polite with your customers, responding promptly, and completing your work on time. Offer to make improvements free of charge until they are satisfied. “The key to create longstanding relationships is to make people feel important and listened to,” Gatti says.