How I Earned $7,859 in April and My Next Income Goals

Hello everyone — happy Tuesday! I changed my mind and decided to publish my April goals and extra income update today instead of tomorrow. A single day won’t change much, and I also received a couple of delayed payments yesterday that bumped up my total for the month.

April was another strong month. I didn’t quite reach $8,000 in extra income after expenses (I was only $3 below March), but I’m very happy with the progress. If you’re thinking about starting a blog, check out my step-by-step guide How To Start a Blog for instructions. One of my most-read posts this month was How To Make Money Blogging.

We did some wedding planning in April: we booked and paid the deposit for our photographer (she takes adorable photos) and picked our wedding date. Our photographer is fantastic and we’re thrilled to have found her. The wedding will be on June 7, 2014 — we’re so excited!

Next weekend my sister and I will be heading to St. Thomas for her birthday — three days and four nights. It’ll be a special trip since we haven’t vacationed together since we were kids, so I’m really looking forward to it.

In April I earned $7,859 in extra income after most expenses. For those new here, “extra income” refers to all income I earn outside of my salaried job in financial services. It also excludes any income my partner earns; his income is commission-based and fluctuates month to month.

As I note each month, this income isn’t effortless. I put in hours that often equal another full-time job on top of my salaried position. Fortunately, I enjoy what I do and the goals we’ve set — paying off student loans and buying a new house next year — keep me motivated. More details are on my Extra Income page.

This total is for April after most fees and expenses (just over $700), which covered staff writing, work with FITnancials, PayPal fees, and similar costs. The month’s total also includes a rent payment from my sister.

It’s incredible to reflect on how far the blog has come since last year when I was thrilled to earn $50 in a month. I still appreciate small wins, but the growth has been meaningful, and I owe a lot to the blogging community for inspiration and guidance.

Blog

The new blog design launched this month. There are still a few small tweaks to finish, but it’s about 99% complete and I love it. The redesign is a big upgrade over the old look. The blog is becoming much more visible outside my immediate circle — friends even text me lines from recent posts, which I find amusing. Engagement photos from our shoot will be posted on the blog soon, so look for those in the next couple of weeks.

My sister’s blog, FITnancials, is doing great as well. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider it — she recently earned her personal trainer certification and is about to start college. She’s doing fantastic.

Staff Writing

My staff writing work has slowed compared to last fall; I turned down some assignments and one opportunity was affected by a PageRank change. That shift turned out to be beneficial, letting me focus on other areas. Currently I write for one personal finance site and a hotel travel blog.

In April I earned roughly $600 from staff writing. I’m considering taking on more writing gigs to diversify income, so I may ramp this back up soon.

April Goals Update

Cook five days a week. PASS. We’ve been cooking at home more, saving money, and enjoying quieter meals without restaurant time or commuting.
Run four times a week and lose three pounds. PASS. I’ve been running consistently but haven’t lost weight — likely gaining muscle instead, which I’m okay with.
Make an extra $6,000 this month. PASS. I exceeded that target — details below.
Choose a wedding date. PASS. We set the date: June 7, 2014. It’s even been posted on the family site.
Sell 25 items from my closet. FAIL. I forgot about this goal.
Visit Lowe’s or Home Depot and spend a lot of money. PASS. We spent quite a bit at Lowe’s in April and will be back — our dryer broke and we’ll be using a gift card to replace it.

May Goals

Pay off my student loans! This is my primary goal for May — I’m on track to complete this and couldn’t be more excited.
Cook five days a week. This goal remains ongoing.
Make a few great desserts. I rarely bake desserts, so I want to try a couple this month.
Run four times a week and lose five pounds. I didn’t hit the weight loss goal in April; I’d like to focus on losing fat while maintaining muscle.
Make an extra $7,000 this month. I increased April’s target from $6,000 to $7,000 for May — optimistic but reasonable.
Sell 25 items from my closet. We’re working to declutter the house to prepare for selling someday.
Replace the garage door. Our garage door was dented by an accident years ago and I’m considering carriage-style replacements. I expect costs around $1,000 but am weighing DIY versus professional installation.
Have an awesome birthday! May is my birthday month, and I plan to celebrate.

Extra Monthly Income in April

Staff writing – $600
Blog (consulting and advertising, including direct ads and AdSense, after expenses) – $5,309
Blog – Affiliate income – $1,600
Virtual assistant tasks – $0
Selling clothes – $0
Miscellaneous (non-blogging income) – $0
Rent (I rent a room to my sister) – $325

Comparisons and 2013 Total