Smutlancer Monthly Income Report: September 2019
My head was in a funny place in September, which trickled into October. Looking at these numbers, I can see why. They’re great, in general, but lower than I anticipated. Financial stress is something I’ve understood and lived with since childhood, and those memories don’t evaporate when you’re finally financially stable. I will likely worry about money for the rest of my life, but now seeing the dip from August to September, at least those feelings make more sense.
In an effort to raise my income in one area, other areas may dip, and I think this is a sign of that, too. The smutlancer financial life is one of flux and flow, as these numbers prove.
September 2019 Income
September income is primarily based on work completed in August. I bill clients on the last day of every month, and they have 10 days to pay. Affiliate sales tend to pay quarterly, but some pay monthly. I break down my freelance writing between vanilla and sex content because I want to show what’s possible in either category.
- Freelance Writing
- Vanilla Content: $700.00
- Sex/Adult Content: $5125.00
- Affiliate Sales: $13.80
- Podcast Sponsorship: $200.00
- Sponsored Blog Posts: —
- Website Sponsorship: —
- Banner Ads: —
- Book Sales: $22.48
- Patreon: $454.98
- Consulting: —
- Donations: —
- Bonus (from client): —
- Product Sales: $88.22
Total Income: $6,604.48 (down $1,135.07 from August)
September 2019 Expenses
Some expenses are monthly, some quarterly, and some annual. Taxes are something I save for monthly to be paid quarterly. .
- Web Hosting: $42.98
- Domain Renewals: —
- Podcast Hosting: $32.00
- Canva: —
- Buffer: $10.00
- InLinkz: $2.99 (linky tool for Masturbation Monday)
- Blog Contributors: —
- Taxes: $1000.00
- Payment Fees (PayPal, Stripe): $223.81
- Shipping/Postage: $22.90
- Tech Support: $60.00
- DepositPhotos (stock photo): — $29.00
- MailerLite (email newsletter): $15.00
Total Expenses: $1,438.68 (down $118.61 from August)
September 2019 Net Income: $5,165.80 (↓ $1,016.46 from August)
I already know October income was higher than September which eased my anxiety at the beginning of the month. I also know what I need to do to continue moving forward with my financial goals that aren’t related to client work. I have a schedule that allows me to spend more time focusing on my work as a content creator. Two days a week are for clients, three days a week are for everything else, and the odd day off is spent in a coffee shop whittling down my to do list of ideas and plans.
Right now, I’m not really trying to increase my income beyond the average amount I usually earn. I’m instead focusing my efforts on content and activities that will build income over the long-term. Passive income isn’t really passive, and it requires a lot of work upfront, which is where I’m at right now. So my income total will wobble from month to month but as long as I make my personal bare minimum (about $5000), I’ll try not to worry too much.
