Hello everyone — I can’t believe it’s already February. It feels like 2012 was just yesterday. 2013 has started off wonderfully and I haven’t felt this happy in a long time. Things are falling into place and going well so far this year.
Yes, that’s correct: I exceeded the goal I set in December and earned $6,523 in extra income during January! After expenses, my take-home was $5,823 for the month. I thought the goal I set was ambitious, especially after earning $5,570 in December, which felt like a big achievement at the time. It still amazes me considering that a year ago my extra income was only about $100 per month.
EDIT: I finally published my post on How To Start A Blog – Tips for a Beginner. Check it out — this will be part of a multi-post series.
This success is not effortless. I spend enough time on these projects to make it feel like a full-time job in addition to my regular full-time work. Fortunately, I enjoy it, so it doesn’t feel like a burden. My goals motivate me: I want my student loans gone, and my partner and I want to buy a new house next year. For more updates on my side income, check my Extra Income page.
This image shows proof of my extra income for January, as some readers requested (I did resize it). The amount shown is before some fees and expenses — total expenses were around $700 and included a large giveaway I hosted, PayPal fees, and other costs. The other income items were primarily rent paid by my sister. In short: $6,198 in online income plus $325 in rent equals $6,523.
January was another strong month. I also experimented more with affiliate income and saw positive results. I plan to expand that area so it becomes a larger share of my monthly earnings.
Many readers are interested in earning extra income, and I have many posts planned. If there’s a specific topic you’d like me to cover — whether about side income or anything else — let me know. I’m always open to ideas.
My sister’s blog is doing well too. Her readership and engagement remain strong, and her posts are consistently good. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe to FITnancials — her RSS feed and Twitter are waiting for you!
You can view my 2013 goals update here.
January Goals Update
- Keep our food budget to $400. FAIL. We slipped into old habits and overspent. Toward the end of the month we improved and got back on track.
- Work out at least three times a week and lose 2 pounds. FAIL. January was very busy and I was too tired to maintain a consistent routine. We do have a treadmill arriving next Thursday, which should help.
- Make an extra $4,000 this month. PASS. I exceeded this by earning over $6,000 in January.
- Ensure the new blog gets off to a great start. PASS PASS PASS.
February Goals
- Cook at home five days a week. We want to save aggressively for a house down payment, so cutting food costs is important. With a solid, interesting meal plan, this should be doable.
- Run five times a week and lose three pounds. With the treadmill arriving, staying consistent should be easier.
- Make an extra $5,000 this month. I raised this target but kept it realistic. My hope is to keep growing the income until I reach five figures.
- Schedule engagement photos with a photographer. I’ve emailed several photographers but haven’t heard back from many. One of my top choices did reply, which is what matters most. It’s frustrating when businesses don’t respond to emails — I’ve waited two months in some cases.
- Choose a wedding date. We need to coordinate with W’s family to find a date that works, since we plan to use the family property.
Blog Goals
- Twitter Followers: My goal was 2,050 and I’m currently at 2,420 — WOOHOO! I’m aiming for 2,600 in February.
- Alexa rank: My target was 60,000. I’m slightly above that now, but I’m not focused on Alexa. Many successful bloggers have higher Alexa numbers, so it’s not a priority for me; it only reflects people with the Alexa toolbar visiting the site.
- Guest post at least twice this month: FAIL — I didn’t manage to do this.
Extra Monthly Income in January
- Online Income (staff writing, blog, virtual assistant work, affiliate income): $6,198
- Selling Clothes: $0
- Miscellaneous: $0
- Mystery Shopping: $0
- Rent: $325