Here’s the deal:
Time for another one of my monthly online income reports, where I chart my progress toward reaching my goal of earning $1,200 per month exclusively from my website and related projects.
You might be wondering why I share this:
These monthly income reports are meant to hold me accountable to both myself and my readers.
They offer a glimpse into the nature of making money through a blog and other online endeavors, as well as my efforts to cover my expenses while traveling in the pursuit of becoming location independent.
On to this month’s report…
December 2016 Income Report
Each month I report on what I did well as well as what I could stand to improve on from a financial perspective, as well as a blogging strategy perspective.
What Did NOT Go Well
Social Media Activity
I kind of got burnt out on social media, I guess, at least my more traditional channels of Facebook and Instagram. I haven’t posted anything to Instagram for well over a month now… I just got a little tired of the constant effort and little return.
I’ve worked hard to build up my community there, and while it has been stagnant for a long time, I should get back at it again. Still lots of cool stuff to share ahead!
What Went Well
Go Outside T-Shirts
During December, I ran a little holiday promotion for my “Go Outside” t-shirts which help support this site, spread the message, and are just downright cool.
The result was a record number of sales for those shirts, with a full 10 making their way into the hands of readers!
The little income boost is nice, but really it’s even cooler to think about the many people who are out there wearing these shirts.
If you’ve got one, be sure to send me a pic of you out hiking or something, I love to see those shots from readers!
Paperback Sales
This December also saw a record number of sales for the paperback copy of my book Big Travel, Small Budget. I guess they must have been gifts under the tree or a nice little stocking stuffer.
Pretty awesome to think that people are giving away my book to others, and I’m proud to know that I might play a little role in making someone reassess their thoughts about the affordability of long-term travel.
Thank you to everyone who has helped spread the word! I really appreciate it.
The Road Always Leads West
Editing this book has taken much longer than I ever imagined, but I’ve gotten some really incredible feedback from my preview readers and have been using their comments for subsequent drafts – cutting things that may be irrelevant, being more descriptive or engaging at times, and adding more of the kinds of things they like.
With each pass I can see the book become much better, and it is almost night and day compared to where it was just a few months ago.
There is still plenty of work to do, but I’m feeling more confident about the work overall.
I’m still looking for further input – if you’ve got the time and interest, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the book and what can be improved.
Send me an email at ryan@desktodirtbag.com
Full Income Report
-$387.17 – Amazon Affiliate Sales
-$7.55 – REI Affiliate Sales
-$148.46 – Big Travel, Small Budget paperback sales
-$68.67 – Big Travel, Small Budget Kindle sales
-$30.73 – YouTube Videos
-$39.48 – GO OUTSIDE t-shirt
TOTAL = $682.06
GOAL = $1,200 per month
57% of goal covered
Overall, earnings rose considerably compared to the previous month, though that can be attributed to the holidays. I expect things will drop in January.
What Else is New?
No More Puppies
We had Maya for three whole months and had began to think that no one was going to adopt her, despite how intelligent and sweet she was. Mutts don’t attract too much interest here in Medellin, unfortunately.
BUT, we finally found a lovely family to adopt her. My video of her playing dead seemed to have been the main selling point and which generated a few hundred shares here locally in Medellin.
It was sad to say goodbye to her, but she seems to have gone to a good home.
As of right now we’ve got an empty house. Strange, since we’ve had animals here since at least June.
Politics
Even though I’m a former politico, I’ve largely kept politics off this blog. That was a luxury afforded by a Washington D.C. atmosphere that was more favorable toward the environment.
Things have changed now though. If you care about our public lands, the National Parks, or the environment in general, please take a moment to read my article about How to Fight for the Environment in the Age of Trump.
Share This
Please take a moment to share this on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Thanks!
That’s all I got for you this month.
Are you following along on Instagram or Facebook? Be sure to do so, if you want to get the latest.
If you found this post interesting or insightful please don’t forget to Like it, Tweet it, or otherwise spread the word among your social networks. Cheers!
As always questions, comments, and feedback are extremely welcome.
Ryan
Latest posts by Ryan (see all)
- Kazakhstan Food: Exploring Some of its Most Delicious Dishes - August 7, 2023
- A Self-Guided Tour of Kennedy Space Center: 1-Day Itinerary - August 2, 2022
- Fairfield by Marriott Medellin Sabaneta: Affordable and Upscale - July 25, 2022
- One of the Coolest Places to Stay in Clarksdale MS: Travelers Hotel - June 14, 2022
- Space 220 Restaurant: Out-of-This-World Dining at Disney’s EPCOT - May 31, 2022
Comments 1
Hi Ryan,
Great post! I stumbled on your blog way back at the beginning of your journey when you were posting about your truck build-out. We were re-designing our truck topper camper to accommodate three (our first daughter had been taking up more and more room!) We ended up making a variant of the system you used to get at the bin way up under your bed platform. Thanks! We are now a family of four and just moved our “summer home” over to a Sprinter Van we are working on building out. It’s super cool to see that you’re still on the road and the site looks awesome! You are getting ever closer to that goal.