Cash Money: $6,480 in October Income and Blog Updates

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Good morning, Club Thrifty enthusiasts!

It’s time for my monthly income report as well as blog updates.  I know, I know.  I’m late again.  I’m sorry.  Sometimes it takes me an extra few days to go back through everything and tally it up.  In case you missed them, here are my income reports from earlier in the summer and fall:

Cash Money: $7,230 in June Income, Blog Updates, and Goals

Cash Money: $7,083 in July Income and Blog Updates

Cash Money: $6,605 in August Income and Blog Updates

Cash Money: $6,350 in September Income and Blog Updates

As you can see, my online income has dropped since June but remained steady since then.  October was another great month for me since I stayed fairly busy with freelance writing jobs and blog-related stuff.  Expenses stayed low as well since I still work from home and have very low overhead.  In case you’re interested in how much running a blog can cost, please check out my post Quit Your Day Job: How to Start a Blog.

So, without further adieu, the total amount of money of cash money that I grossed as a self-employed goddess in October was……*drumroll, please*

 $6,480

This total includes all of the money that I made from my various streams of income:

  • Credit Card Sales
  • Consulting
  • Freelance writing
  • Affiliate advertising

Cash Money Details

Please remember that I make the majority of my income from a variety of freelance writing jobs, not my blog.  Also, please remember that this is my pre-tax income.  I pay taxes quarterly and generally send in about 1/3 of what I make.

This is also the income that I made after expenses.  Here are my expenses for the month of October:

  • Staff Writing: $140
  • Blog Hosting: $12
  • Internet $35

Life Updates

In other news, I recently got this comment from an obvious fan of mine, Ryan:

I have never seen anybody complain about everything as much as you do!  It is unreal.

I thought that this comment was simultaneously hysterical and sad.  First of all, I do feel especially negative lately.  I always do this time of year.  I’m not one to jump on the medical excuse bandwagon often, but I do think I start experiencing seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) from about now until February or March each year.  When it starts getting dark out at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., I begin feeling depressed.  I know I’m not the only one, but I don’t want to let it get out of hand either.  Life is good and I really have very little to complain about in general.

On the other hand, I can’t write about puppies and cupcakes every day.  Sometimes I like to write about relevant issues in my life, and occasionally those issues suck.  It doesn’t mean that I’m sitting over here steaming mad 100 percent of the time.  All it means is that I thought a particular crappy situation would make a good blog post.  Sue me.

Other than having seasonal depression, life is going great.  I absolutely LOVE the new town we’re living in and I was relieved to find out that my kids really like their new daycare.  That was one of our biggest worries when we moved and I am so happy to find out that most of our concerns were unfounded.  Greg also likes his new job and is so glad that he is no longer commuting.  And thanks to the fact that we’re now living in a tiny temporary home, my commute has been cut down as well.  Instead of ten seconds down the stairs, it’s now about 2 seconds.  See pic.

Notice Greg's pajamas on the floor.....hehe

Notice Greg’s pajamas on the floor….hehehe

 How was your October income?  Did you reach your income goals?

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77 Comments

  1. Lighten up…u r not that negative, seriously. I do get the feeling u r using the above pic to encourage your husband to pick up his clothes (he, he).

    Also, there was a recent article in the Vancouver Sun listing 15 facts about the Canadian healthcare system. My takeaway is that Canadians wait longer to see both a primary doctor and a specialist.

    1. I’ve heard different stories from people in Canada. It sounds like it depends which province you live in. Some people report hardly any wait times and others report small wait times.

      Any Canadians want to chime in here?

      1. I’m a Canuck! It does depend on where you live and who you’re waiting to see. For example… I had a doc appt yesterday. I called the day before and got an appointment, no problem. When I used to live in Ottawa, it was typically around 4-5 day wait (unless critical, obviously). Emergency rooms have notoriously long wait times if you’re not on your deathbed, that is mostly everywhere in Canada (most people now will call their doctor’s office first, and if your doctor can’t see you, they’ll call the emerg room first to fast-track if it’s necessary – it’s increasingly popular and called ‘urgent care’). When I used to live in the middle of nowhere (rural prairies), I needed an MRI – I got to the hospital (no appointment), waited 2 hours, and had my MRI done. Easy peasy. But that kind of ease doesn’t exist in larger centres/cities – you typically have to wait 3-4 weeks unless you’re a super urgent case. So, yes, it depends on where you live and what you require done. You can see any walk-in doctor with about a 10-20 minute wait anywhere in Canada though.

        1. OurHealthSystem.ca, a public website developed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), went live last Thursday. As a means of educating Canadians about their $200-billion-a-year health system, there’s never been anything quite like it.
          Here are 15 surprising things about the health system that emerge from the data.

          1. The risk of premature death from avoidable causes is four times greater for men from poorer neighbourhoods than for women from richer neighbourhoods.

          2. Thirty per cent of deaths in Canada among those under 75 are from preventable or treatable causes.

          3. Only 22 per cent of family doctors in Canada say their patients can get a same- or next-day appointment. By comparison, 86 per cent of family doctors in France say same- or next-day appointments are possible. In the United States, the comparable number is 47 per cent.

          4. In 2011, 17 per cent of Canadians had no regular doctor, up from 15 per cent in 2003, even though the number of family doctors per 100,000 Canadians rose to 106 from 96 during the same period.

          5. Richer women are significantly less likely to be obese than poorer women in Canada. But richer men are more likely to be obese than poorer men.

          6. Seven per cent of 15-to-17-year olds who live in smoke-free households say they smoke. When there’s another smoker in the house, the number jumps to 22 per cent.

          7. Only 15 per cent of richer Canadians smoke, compared to 26 per cent of poorer Canadians and 40 per cent of First Nations members.

          8. Residents of the Richmond Health Services Delivery Area in British Columbia live, on average, 85.7 years — the longest in Canada. Their life expectancy is 4.6 years more than the national average. Residents of Nunavut live just 71.6 years on average, the lowest in Canada.

          9. Nearly three out of every 10 dollars spent on health in Canada come from private, not public, sources. In the United Kingdom, the comparable figure is 17 per cent. In the U.S., it’s 52 per cent.

          10. Average public health spending on someone age 80 or older in Canada is nine times greater than for those between the ages of one and 64.

          11. One-quarter of patients in Canada wait four months or more for elective joint replacement surgery. In the U.S., the comparable number is seven per cent and in Germany, it’s almost zero.

          12. The number of Canadians who had hip or knee replacements rose from 73,000 in 2010 to 85,000 in 2012. Those extra 12,000 hip and knee replacements cost the health system more than $100 million.

          13. More than 40 per cent of patients in Canada wait more than two months to see a specialist, compared to seven per cent in Germany and nine per cent in the U.S.

          14. The percentage of Canadians waiting three months or longer to see a specialist for a new illness jumped to 17 per cent in 2011 from 10 per cent in 2003. In the same time period, the number of specialists per 100,000 Canadians increased from 91 to 103.

          15. Re-admissions to hospital cost $1.8 billion a year in Canada. The risk of returning to hospital is 20 per cent higher for those who live in the poorest neighbourhoods compared to the richest neighbourhoods.

  2. Holly my wife is the same way, normally a very positive person but come wintertime she gets down in the dumps. She would move to the beach if she could.

    And speaking of smaller houses, one of the things we’ve learned in ours is that we have to decorate it and make it look nice, or else we don’t enjoy it as much. I only say that because our bedroom walls and trim are still white and it’s our least favorite room in the house. It doesn’t feel like “ours” yet, even after 2 years here!

    1. We haven’t bothered to decorate here since we’ll only be here for a few months. Most of our décor is packed up anyway.
      I definitely want to decorate again once we make our permanent move. The plain white walls are slightly depressing!

      1. Could you make some fun and personalized temporary “art” by doing a craft project with your girls? Just make sure it’s something easy that could stay up with command strips or something.

        If all you ever blogged about were puppies and cupcakes, your blog wouldn’t be “real” 🙂

        1. My kids love painting and art!

          Speaking of puppies and cupcakes, we’re actually making unicorn-shaped cupcakes tonight with homemade sprinkles. Saw it on Pinterest. I’m doing a whole blog post about it tomorrow. Make sure to check back.

  3. I had a horrible week last week with negativity and just feeling frozen. Then I realized that the time change does that to me every stinkin’ year….

    1. Me too =) I barely want to get out of bed right now. Yesterday I went out and got some exercise which helped my attitude. Definitely going back out there today!

  4. I don’t like it being dark out so early, either. I think a lot of people feel the same way. I don’t get depressed about it, but I do feel less motivated and more tired at night. Glad to hear everything is going great in the new town at least, and it’s awesome that your income has stayed consistent!

    1. I think it makes me more tired too…..especially when it’s 7:00 p.m. and has already been dark for two hours.

  5. That’s an awesome income report for October. My October was great for freelance income as well, hoping that November will be just as good, but it seems to have been quite slow. Hopefully things pick up!

  6. In my opinion it’s much easier to write a post about something that annoys you/bugs you/pisses you off than something cheerful. That sentence sounded incredibly depressing haha but I think it’s true. It’s why a lot of political writing/blogging can seem very “on the attack.”

    1. Yeah, I agree. You’re right.

      But, it doesn’t necessarily mean that that person is angry or negative by any means. It’s hard to tell the whole story of how someone’s feeling in a blog post.

  7. Ben @ The Wealth Gospel says:

    The commenter is right. We need more puppies and cupcakes! In fact, maybe you should write a post on how to make puppy-friendly cupcakes. Seriously, though, it’s inspiring to see your numbers every month, especially knowing how short of a time it took you to get here. I’m hoping to follow the same path, so keep them coming.

    1. Maybe I will do a Thanksgiving-themed 21-things-I’m-thankful-for post. Is that cheesy and happy enough for ya?

      1. Ben @ The Wealth Gospel says:

        Gross! We don’t need any of that sap!

  8. Great job this past month. With your move and everything, that is awesome! I love the cupcakes and puppies idea too! ha ha!

  9. LOL, Rick always leaves his pajamas on the floor too, and it bugs the crap out of me! 🙂 Holly, we all love ya just the way that you are, cranky or not cranky. And whether or not the rest of us will admit it on our blogs, we have our negative days/weeks/months/years too. 🙂

    1. Greg has thrown his pajamas on the floor for 8 years. Aside from that, he is basically the perfect man =)

  10. Congrats on keeping the online income steady. Understandably so, it won’t always be skyrocketing but if you are persistent that number should always stay roughly the same if not go up.

    As for your “incredibly” long commute, I’m jealous. I still have to commute the 10 seconds down the stairs to work from home. 😉

    The Warrior
    NetWorthWarrior.com

    1. Oh, I’m sure you wish you could just roll out of bed into your office chair. I’m the envy of everyone, I know. (Kidding)
      I miss having an office like I did at my old house. This temporary situation is fine but I’m glad it won’t be forever. I need a dedicated office space!

  11. Nice work Holly! I had a pretty good month overall both with the blog and the business and looking forward to a few days off over Thanksgiving. So glad the kids like their new place as I know that is huge. As for puppies and cupcakes, I knew there was something your site was missing! 😉

    1. Thanks John! Yeah, the kids act like nothing ever happened. That is a huge relief for us…we were so worried that they would be traumatized by the move!

  12. I honestly haven’t noticed much complaining. It’s your blog, you seem pretty successful with it, so write about whatever the hell you want! 🙂

  13. My wife has dealt with SAD as well. It was much worse when she first moved up here, especially that first winter (she’s from Florida). And besides, who out there is 100% positive all of the time? The only difference is that you’re willing to share some of your negativity in public as opposed to wallowing in it all alone. Too much negativity is annoying. Some negativity is real.

  14. I just read Robert’s income post from College Investor and Beat the 9 to 5, and I am so impressed with the both of you. You’ve truly been able to meet a dream and be self sufficient which is so cool.

    Like you, I have periods of negativity and complaining, too. It’s nice to get some feedback from people because it’s a good reminder, but don’t think you need to censor yourself because of it!

    1. Yeah, I agree. I just can’t be positive all the time.

  15. I think I am the opposite of you. The Winter time always puts me in a good mood. We got our first snow this morning and I’d loved being able to put on my boots and coat. The winter just feels cozy to me.

    You did awesome with the income. You’ll be at six figures next year for sure!

    1. I actually feel too cozy…more like isolated. We’re way out in the country up here and there’s nothing to look at but trees.

  16. You did great in October! I hope November is even better for you 🙂

    And, I know how you feel. The winter time sometimes gets me down. I have to think about the following Summer a lot in order to pick me up haha.

    1. Yes! I’m already planning for Spring. We’ll likely be moving into a new house by then.

  17. That guy complains about your complaining, but he still took the time to read and comment.

    January will be a depressing month for me. I am turning 40. I’m happy to be alive, but 40 just sounds soooo old. Maybe I’ll do a post about the best OTC pain relievers and how to pluck out gray hairs.

    1. I know! And now you’re complaining about him complaining about me complaining. WTF.
      When is your b-day? Mine is January 6th! I’ll be 34 though, you old hag.

  18. I can’t believe somebody actually made that comment! In my opinion, it’s the people who go out of their way to bring others down that have a problem. Congrats on your October income!

  19. It’s sunny here all the time and I still get a case of SAD every year. I think for me it’s different. I pretty much loathe the holidays and it’s amplified by the PF community and all the stories about Christmas and the holidays. It’s tough being single and on a tight budget. I think if you “complained” all the time and did nothing about your situation, then a comment may be warranted, but you are a very proactive person trying to do better, be better, etc. I think a lot of us PF bloggers are in the same boat. We are just “experiencing” life and sometimes it’s not all rainbows and ponies. Congrats on the income. I made like 2500 last month. Another reason I’m feeling kind of low.

    1. That’s the bad part about being self-employed….fluctuating income. I have very few projects currently lined up for November so my income is going to drop this month for sure.

  20. That’s a funny complaint 🙂

    Who do you feel complains more: men or women, you or Greg?

    Also, why not consider moving to a sunnier and warmer place? Getting SAD for that many months a year is kinda tough no? Life is too short to be sad.

  21. Well, as you know, negative comments are always the best! I mean I should be taking post advice from my commenters on DailyFinance.

    Frankly, I like some of your negative posts, specifically when it comes to moving and healthcare. You have a lot going on and it’s easier to relate to your real life examples then just an essay on Obamacare or sucky moving companies.

    1. Yep, sometimes life sucks. It’s okay to talk about it!

  22. Glad to hear that your kids are acclimating to their new environment. As far as being negative…well, life isn’t all cupcakes and unicorns, so why should your blog be? Real life is real life…keep on writing about it, Holly. 🙂

  23. I always dread the time period between daylight saving time ending and December 21st. It’s a little depressing when it gets dark at 4 p.m. Congrats on your October income and thanks for sharing!

    1. I can’t wait til Dec. 21st….then the days will start getting longer!

  24. Oh wow, great job with the income. You should run a consulting business for bloggers.
    I get a bit depressed with our long gray winter too. The key is to get out of the house as much as we can. It will be a long 7 months…

  25. That comment from Ryan is too funny! Maybe you should offer him a refund…

    Back when I lived in Pittsburgh, I would get down for the entire winter. It got bad enough that I decided to make a change and moved to San Diego, somewhat on a whim. We moved to Arizona later and that puts us at about thirteen years since having experienced a real winter. I have a feeling I’ll live in a place with all four seasons again sometime soon though…

    I seem to remember something about little LED lights that were supposed to help (they went behind your knees, I think?)

    1. I agree about the refund. 100% cash-back guarantee!

  26. Even living in a place where it’s sunny year-round, this time of year can be tough. I don’t like leaving work and it’s already dark. I’m glad your daughters love their new daycare. I can imagine that was stressful for you since I know you and the girls really liked their old daycare provider. How do you like the smaller house?

    1. It’s fine. Kinda tight. I’m sure I’ll be writing about it in the future. The house is actually big enough but not enough storage. For instance, I don’t have anywhere to put food (no pantry) and there’s really nowhere to put a dining table.

  27. Screw Ryan…keep on keeping it real, that is why I like reading your posts! Although I am looking forward to the puppies and cupcakes post one day…

  28. Its hard not to feel on the SAD side when you wake up in darkness and come home to it as well; Ryan must live in a very sunny place! That’s great that your move was a smooth transition for you and the fam, it’ll be great once you get more settled and find a less temporary house that you can call home.

  29. October was a record month for me, but I can already tell that November is going to fall very short. Not sure why, but it is going slow in blog world for me.

  30. When we are planning to move our very first concern is our kid, if they will easily adjust, if they will like the place. My October month was good and hopefully November will be good to me.

  31. It’s hard to get negative comments but I think you are hilarious. Maybe some people don’t get that the sarcasm and the occasional frustration in your life IS funny but only because of the way you write it! Otherwise, why would you have been voted in as a humor blog, amiright? Anyway glad you are settling into your new place! 🙂

  32. I don’t think you complain, you just speak your mind, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m glad that you’re liking your new digs, and that your girls especially are liking their new daycare!

  33. Congrats on the great October income Holly! I suffer from S.A.D. too, this cold weather in the UK and dark nights just makes me feel quite fed up. I’m much better in the mornings. I don’t think you complain Holly! Keep doing what you’re doing. 🙂

  34. Holly,
    The complaints are the best part about your blog. You have opinion about things, that’s why this is personal finance and not a generic blog

  35. That’s a pretty sweet commute. I have to admit I’m a bit jealous, but at the same time, I think I’d prefer the 10 seconds to leave my room so I could actually fall asleep at night rather than associating work with my bedroom.

  36. I don’t think I could move out of the south/west. Just not possible! I’m so much happier in the winter when it is 70 and sunny.

  37. Still no blog income for me. I think I will just accept that and move on.

    The constant darkness is hard to handle. There will be a lot of days when I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. Don’t forget all the snow shovelling and windshield scrapping for the next 3 or 4 months too. That gets depressing.

  38. Nice work on the extra income! I got a good laugh about the 2 second commute! haha

    Keep it up!

  39. My commute is similar to yours, Holly. It’s strange that I have to walk more to get a coffee or visit the bathroom :))

    You also did great in October! Keep up the great work!

  40. Tara @ Streets Ahead Living says:

    It looks like your income is going steady which I think is more important than having crazy good months. Also, I think blog readers love reading about strife because we often are going through similar situations. Keep up your writing regardless of the happiness level of the content, we all enjoy it!

  41. I tend to struggle with SAD too so the time change and early darkness always signals it’s about to begin. It’s not my favorite time of year at all but I’m hoping to make it better this year and focus on making positive changes.

    Congrats on another month of steady income. It’s majorly inspiring to me as I’ve just started focusing on my own blog/writing income and hope to get to even half of what you earn!

  42. Good job on stabilizing your income. I also hate winter time when it gets dark at 5 or 6pm…And to make it worse, the weather is also gloomy even in the day time.

  43. Thank you for continuing to share your income journey. I do not have SAD but I thought I did last year. Turns out I was very low on Vitamin D. Now I take it starting around October and continue until it’s sunny springtime again. I think it does help me!

    1. I’ll have to look into my Vitamin D levels, because I think I could have SAD! It’s hard to keep up a positive attitude when the days are so short and my primary concern is sleeping. Congratulations on the income and “shortened commute!”

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