Happy Monday, everyone! I enjoyed a relaxing four-day weekend and I’m already missing it.
I hope you all had a great Fourth of July as well. We hosted a small BBQ with a few friends and then went to watch the fireworks. It was a simple, fun day.
Engagement photos will be on the blog this Wednesday—please stop by. I absolutely love how they turned out. Maybe I’m biased, but I’m thrilled with the pictures!
W and I have been together for over seven years and living together for more than six, yet we had very few photos of us as a couple—fewer than ten before these engagement shots. Most of my photo collection used to be of our dogs, so having these new photos is special and feels a little unfamiliar.
I’ll likely post a student loan update tomorrow. It will be its own post and I’m excited about it. You can probably guess the news, but it deserves more than a brief mention here.
Spending
We did some spending this past week—more than usual. On Sunday we bought two bikes and a bike rack for the Jeep. We spent a fair amount because we wanted quality. We didn’t splurge on $2,000 bikes, but we also didn’t buy the cheapest models. I can’t justify a $2,000 bike right now, especially since I haven’t ridden regularly since childhood. How much did your bike cost?
We’re very excited about them. We’ve wanted bikes for a while and went on two rides yesterday. They were enjoyable, though our saddles left our backsides a bit sore.
Extra Income (does not include income from our main jobs)
Extra income was strong last week, which was nice during a holiday week. I can’t stop thinking about last month’s results and I’m hoping it wasn’t a fluke.
Replacing my day job income will be challenging, so maintaining a certain level from side hustles is important to me. That may sound odd since my side income is already substantial, but I’ve grown used to the stability of a steady paycheck and that will take adjusting when I transition away from my day job.
Since last week was a four-day weekend, I had a small taste of being fully self-employed.
It felt more enjoyable than a typical workweek, although traffic and working 50-hour weeks are still the norm. The slower holiday week made it feel pleasant and restful.
Thinking ahead, once I make the full-time switch I’ll gain a lot of extra time—no long commutes or extensive getting-ready routines. I estimate I could free up roughly 60 hours per week. I’m uncertain whether I’ll fill that time immediately with new projects and hustles or take that space to relax and enjoy life.
I suspect I’ll eventually pursue more hustles to fill the time and try to make some of them passive. Many people who switch to self-employment find themselves very busy, sometimes working around the clock, so balance will be important.
What would you do? Would you devote free time to new income streams, or use it for leisure? What’s the first thing you would choose to do with extra hours? Is there a specific income level that would make you feel comfortable and happy?
Recent posts from my blog:
- $10,192 in June Extra Income – Side Hustles – June was an excellent month for income. I’m hopeful I can match it again.
- Make Extra Monthly with Offline Side Hustles – I’ve been writing about side hustles recently. What offline opportunities have you tried?
Being healthy
I didn’t do particularly well with healthy habits over the past week—too many weak excuses. Now that we have bikes, though, I expect we’ll be more active since that was a main reason for buying them.
I’ve already planned and bought lunches for the week, which should help me get back on track. I had slipped away from my usual weekly meal planning and need to return to that habit.