Cash Money: $11,660 in October Income Plus Blog and Life Updates

This article may contain references to some of our advertising partners. Should you click on these links, we may be compensated. For more about our advertising policies, read our full disclosure statement here.

I’m pretty sad that October is over.  After all, I absolutely love autumn in Indiana and Halloween is by far my favorite holiday.  Now that it’s all over, I can only count down the days until spring and summer when I can venture outside without wearing a moo moo and a trash bag.

I absolutely hate winter, and working at home only makes it worse.  Last winter, I didn’t leave my house for weeks at a time.  When that happens, I start losing my mind!

In other news, I got some really cute family pictures taken in October.  The photographer did a really nice job considering what she had to work with.  Here is a sneak peak of our pics:

hollygreg1lydia 1lydia vivian

I think the photographer we used did an awesome job!

October Income Update

In case you’re new here, I have gotten in the habit of reporting my self-employment income each month.  I do this to keep myself from slacking off and to show other people that it is more than possible to earn a living as a web-based writer.  With that being said, the total amount of cash money I grossed as a self-employed goddess in October was……*drumroll, please*

 $11,660

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

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

Remember folks, until just a few years ago, I was in a dead end job. I reported to somebody else. I wasn’t able to travel. Then, I picked up blogging just for fun. If you want to learn how to start a blog of your own in just 6 easy steps, just click the image below!

 

My Expenses

Sure, my October income was stellar.  But, how does it pan out after expenses?  Let’s take a look at what it cost to run a web-based writing business, shall we?  Here are my expenses for October:

  • Internet: $51
  • Writing Services: $260
  • Blog Hosting: $15

Total: $326

Let’s face it – 11G’s is obviously the most I have ever earned in a single month.  (Well, it was at the time. As of October 2015, I’m pushing 20K a month.) And, as a self-employed entrepreneur, it makes me really happy to see all of my hard work paying off.  But, there’s a problem….

Confession: I Am the Problem

Just like last month, I basically worked every single day during the month of October including nights and weekends.  I don’t keep track, but I’m sure I easily worked 60-70 hours per week the entire month.  And that’s on top of doing all the housework, cooking all the meals, and basically being a domestic goddess.  What can I say?  I’m a workaholic.

In other words, October totally sucked!  I know I say this every month, but I am going to seriously cut down on my work load from this point forward.  It is simply not sustainable and I am starting to end up just as miserable as I was when I worked a 9-5 job and hustled on the side.

I think I have finally come to the realization that the jobs I have are not the problem; I am the problem.  I am the reason I end up working every night and weekend of my life.  I am the reason my 40-hour-per-week work load expands into something that takes 60-70 hours.  I am the reason I’m stressed out and teetering on the edge of insanity about half the time.  The problem isn’t work – the problem is me.  That probably deserves a blog post of its own.  Anyhoo….

Life Updates

I’m currently in Europe at the moment.  I wrote about the financials of our trip in this post in case anyone is interested.  Once I get home, my plan is to continue working on our site remodel, finish out my writing jobs for the month, and work on some new ideas for 2015 and beyond.  On a personal note, I am ready for Spring Break with the kids!  Is that sad?  I just want winter to be over so I can start planting flowers and getting ready for the neighborhood pool to open.  Someone wake me up in March, K?

Oh, and if you’re interested in starting a blog of your own, it is pretty easy to set up in just minutes. Just follow our step-by-step guide, and you’ll have your new blog up and running in no time. Click here to learn how to start your own blog today!

Similar Posts

Disclaimer: Comments, responses, and other user-generated content is not provided or commissioned by this site or our advertisers. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by this website or our advertisers. It is not the responsibility of our advertisers or this website to ensure that all comments and/or questions are answered. Club Thrifty has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Club Thrifty and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

64 Comments

  1. Nice work Holly! My online income was only about a third of what yours was last month.
    It is a lot of work, but I bet you wouldn’t trade it to go back to a “normal” job.

  2. I understand how for most people (by which I mean the 9-5ers) a 70 hour week sounds insane, but 10 hours a day every day is probably not uncommon when you’re working for yourself. Add to that the flexibility you have being self-employed (which enables you to be a domestic goddess and spend time with the family while pulling down 11Gs) and I would say that’s a helluva successful way to run your life! Does it really get much better than this?

  3. Wow, yours is the second stellar income report I’ve read this morning! Congrats to you because I know you’ve worked a long time to make that happen and obviously you are working really hard… If I made that much in a YEAR, I’d be able to stay home with my girls! Here’s hoping!

    And what AWESOME family pics 🙂

  4. I hear you. It’s not worth making 11Gs if it makes you miserable. That’s actually the same convo my hubby and I had before I decided to quit my job (which was also making me miserable) and be a stay at home mommy and blogger. At this point I don’t make anywhere close to what you make blogging (or anywhere close to my old salary for that matter), but I am a million times happier- and THAT is worth more than a truckload of cash.

    1. Yes, it is. I just need to find a better balance. October sucked for me since I was doing October’s work plus a bunch of November’s work so I could go on vacation.

  5. Great family pictures Holly! You have a lovely family. Congrats on pulling in $11,000 last month! That’s really impressive! If it helps, I probably worked 60-70hrs a week and didn’t pull in nearly that amount although I did break the $1,000 mark from my side hustles. Keep up the good work.

    1. Good job on your side hustles! That’s how it all starts!

  6. I totally feel your pain Holly. I had an awesome income month for October, but as I wrote recently, it came at a cost to my mental and emotional health. November will probably not be as good because I have pared back on some projects, but I am already in a better state of mind and I am fine with that trade off. Hope you guys are having a blast overseas!

  7. Awww I’m sorry you are feeling so overworked!! I don’t know how you do it – I feel like that all the time and I make 1/10 of what you do, lol. You ARE doing great, but remember it’s ok to cut back!! Take some time off and enjoy the holidays!!

    In another note – you and your family are gorgeous!!!! How old are your girls? How close in age are they?? I have two daughters too – ages 2 1/2 and 1! They are 16 months apart and I will say that these ages are REALLY hard. I’m hoping it gets a little easier as they get older…hoping, haha.

    Hope you’re enjoying your time in Europe!!

    1. Our kids are 3 and 5. It does get easier! My youngest just potty trained and that has made a HUGE difference.

  8. The photos are gorgeous! Your girls are so, so cute! I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling burned out–you have so much to juggle and balance, I’m amazed you do it all. Hopefully you can get some needed relaxation while in Europe!

    1. Trying! (and failing since I am working and responding to comments DOH!)

  9. Nice work Holly, though I can totally relate. I look at what I/we make and it’s not the amount of work, per se, it’s that I struggle at saying no and just simply taking on too much work. At any rate, it’s not even winter yet and I’m ready for it to be over as well…especially when I saw they’re calling for snow in Omaha on Monday! It was in the 70’s a week ago and now flipping snow. Hope you guys have a great rest of your time in Europe and the pics are awesome!

  10. Great photos and month! Sounds like you need to find that balance working that many hours can be stressful, but the income is great. Need to find the sweet spot for both the amount of income and hours. Hasn’t been to cold yet in the Northeast so, nit sick of winter just yet, check in with me after the first snow. 🙂

    1. Yep, same here. It’s all downhill once it starts snowing!

  11. I wish I could not leave my house for weeks on end in the winter! (Yes, I’m over it before it’s begun!) But now that I’m funemployed I’m running all the errands. It’s probably only 1-2 days out of every two weeks that I stay inside the whole day.

  12. That’s an amazing month. I guess it depends on what you do with the 11K, if you are saving it with a goal in mind or planning to blow it on an 11K dress, sometimes the 60-70 hours is worth it, but if you are asking yourself why, then it’s prob not worth it.

  13. Those photos are fantastic and your girls are adorable! I’m seriously impressed at what you’ve accomplished. $11,660 is a stellar amount of income for the month. I’ve been in your shoes re: working seven days per week for multiple weeks on end. It’s smart to recognize that it may not be sustainable, especially with all of your family commitments. Take some time for yourself. You’ve earned it!

  14. Those pictures are wonderful. I get so nervous having pictures taken because I usually look like a goon, but when you get a great one, it’s fabulous.

    I understand your personality type. You think I can take on one more thing and then another and then you want to poke forks into your eyes. If you find the right balance, please share. I’m always searching.

  15. Love the pictures, Holly! Your photographer did an excellent job. Yes, there definitely needs to be a balance because self-employment/being your own boss really loses appeal when you wind up just as burnt out as when you were an employee. This is something I struggle with as well. I love my work and my volunteer work but it can be time-consuming. I’ve pared back and I find that I ultimately end up ahead because I’m free to take up the projects that truly excite me. And give them the time they deserve. Hope you’re having a wonderful time in Europe – can’t wait to hear all about it!

  16. Your family is beautiful!

  17. Awesome job Holly, you are truly an inspiration to all of us. It was great to see your family, the pictures came out amazing. Crazy amount of work that you put in but I see that your investments and slowly paying off. Keep up the great work!

  18. #1 I don’t want to complain about winter anymore, I just want to live in Tahiti!
    #2 Beautiful pictures! Get some frames ‘cuz they need a featured spot on the wall!
    #3 $11k in one month! Holy Toledo! Congratulations Holly! 🙂
    #4 Refer back to #1.

  19. OK, let me just say it: You have a beautiful family! I look forward to reading your post about trying to balance things out. It’s fabulous that you’re doing so well, and your success actually gives you the power to strike your optimal work-life balance. I wish you discernment in making the choices to get there.

  20. The family pics are beautiful! I hope you are enjoying Europe and congrats on posting a five figure income! I hear you though on feeling like you’re burnout by it. I too felt like I was taking on too much and I am choosing to dial it back a little bit. I value my sanity and also I don’t want to ever feel like I hate my work as a solopreneur.

  21. I can completely relate. The other day, while checking the mail at the end of my driveway, I realized that was the first time I had been outside in over a week. Glad to hear you made it to Europe. At least you’re enjoying some of that awesome October payoff!

  22. LeRainDrop says:

    Wow — impressive October, Holly! That’s good of you to be cognizant of what’s going on. Also, the photos look great — your girls are totally adorable!

  23. Congrats on your best month to date! Burn out is definitely tough and sometimes it just hits you like a ton of bricks. I hope your trip to Europe helps you clear your mind and refocus! Beautiful family pictures by the way. Your girls are just adorable!!

  24. GReat job Holly, hopefully your holiday in Europe is going very very well….very cute family pics!!!

  25. “I think I have finally come to the realization that the jobs I have are not the problem; I am the problem. ” I had the same realization. When I worked as an banking executive I worked 70+ hours a week including the travel. Now as an entrepreneur I was working as much until about last March when I needed to shift and refocus on the tasks to achieve the month’s goal. It’s worked wonders for me.

    1. I hear ya. I definitely need to do something differently.

  26. Daannnng, BIG BUCKS! Has the hubby started to kick back yet and let mama go to work?! I think I would, especially with the COL in Indiana! Maybe hide your money from him in a separate checking account or something. Shhh.

    Looks like PC will be going more big company corporate now. Hooray! Hopefully the writing opportunities will continue.

    Sam

    1. We have always had joint accounts! I like it that way actually. I don’t think he would appreciate me having my own account! =)

      Yes, I love writing for PC and I also hope the opportunities continue.

      Thanks Sam!

  27. Holly–enjoy every minute of Europe–you deserve it with all that pre-work you have done. If you are feeling exhausted with the work and you are making that much money, you are in a great place to just start choosing what YOU really want to do and not taking all the offers to write. You are an inspiration to all to see someone outside of corporate America killing it with a great month, best part is—you don’t have to work as hard next month because you can call the shots! Have fun touring!

  28. Great job with October’s income! Definitely well deserved. Love your pictures. You have a beautiful family Holly! 🙂

  29. Nice! Hopefully a stressful October has paved way for a relaxed November!

    Also your husband needs to learn how to be a domestic God. Don’t give up on him just because he’s initially incompetent. He just needs practice. (And maybe lessons. There were a lot of husbands and boyfriends at the cooking class session my husband did… they’d all gotten the classes as Christmas presents, for some reason.)

  30. A huge congratulations on rocking the income last month! The family pictures are so beautiful 🙂 Have fun in Europe, can’t wait to see some pictures 🙂

  31. Sitting here with two jumpers on, I can’t agree with you more on the skipping straight to spring point! Good work on the income, as ever, and I hope that you can make November slightly less stressful!

    Beautiful photos, by the way.

  32. Looks like you killed it in October. Sorry to hear about the long hours. I remember when I was doing that with my ecommerce business. That was the reason why I sold it. I couldn’t keep up with the work and still keep my sanity. You are a driven person, like myself, and you don’t like seeing opportunities slip through your fingers. I get it!

  33. Congrats on a great month – well deserved! BEAUTIFUL pictures!

  34. Love the pictures, great job on your income. I know what you mean by long hours, running a website on the side while working full time and just starting out there is alot to learn. Never enough hours in the day to do it all.

  35. I love that you share income reports! I shared my second one (for October, 2014) here: http://horkeyhandbook.com/october-income-report-diversified-freelance-business/

    I’m not as far along the path as you (currently hustling on the side of my FT, but quitting at the end of the year!!!), but I can totally see myself walking down the same path of becoming a workaholic. And that’s not fair to my husband or kids!

    Would love to connect with you further:-)

  36. You guys are adorable!! The girls!! Also, fantastic job on the income. It’s inspiring and makes it seem possible!

  37. Wooow! I am new here and this is the first post that I read. You must be doing something right.

    I am a new blogger and every time I read monthly incomes of bloggers, I get more inspired. Thank you.

    And lovely family, by the way 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.