January 2012 Blog Statistics and Income Update is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

Quick review since I know some of you only tune in for this monthly peek, lol.  I started Budgeting in the Fun Stuff in February 2010, started Crystal-For-Hire Blog Advertising Services in April 2011, started working from home in July 2011, and Mr. BFS joined me at home in January 2012.  WOOT!!!  I have never worked harder in my life, but WOOT!!!

Yep, it’s been crazy busy here.  Hubby and I need at least $8000 a month to cover expenses, basic savings, and taxes.  But we are aiming for $15,000 a month so we can pay off our mortgage by June 2012, build up our emergency fund even more, and invest lots and lots for our future since I have no idea how long this can really last.

I figured the best way to . . . → Read More: January 2012 Blog Statistics and Income Update]]> January 2012 Blog Statistics and Income Update is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

Quick review since I know some of you only tune in for this monthly peek, lol.  I started Budgeting in the Fun Stuff in February 2010, started Crystal-For-Hire Blog Advertising Services in April 2011, started working from home in July 2011, and Mr. BFS joined me at home in January 2012.  WOOT!!!  I have never worked harder in my life, but WOOT!!!

Yep, it’s been crazy busy here.  Hubby and I need at least $8000 a month to cover expenses, basic savings, and taxes.  But we are aiming for $15,000 a month so we can pay off our mortgage by June 2012, build up our emergency fund even more, and invest lots and lots for our future since I have no idea how long this can really last.

I figured the best way to keep my eye on the prize is to hit monthly targets, so I started posting here. Between that and the fact there seems to be major interest in the subject, I started an update around the 1st of every month of my blogging stats and income generated.

Here the goals for January 2012 followed by the results:

• Alexa Ranking: 35,000 / 37,095
• Visits: 19,000 / 20,235
• Unique Visitors: 15,000 / 15,218
• Pageviews: 30,000 / 36,379
• RSS subscribers: 800 / 1004
• Twitter followers: 1250 / 1159
• Traffic breakdown: 7000 from Referring Sites (5785), 3000 from Direct Traffic (3314), 8000 from Search Engines (9962), 1000 from Other (1174)
• Blogging Income: $10,000 / $20,280.12

Monthly Income Breakdown

• Advertising on BFS: $3101.91
• Advertising on My Other Blogs: $1060.00
• Writing (Staff Writing and Freelancing): $175.00
• Blogging Services (Running advertising on other sites and freelance tasks): $15,943.21

I had $2301.08 in expenses as well which included $807.91 in Paypal fees, my basic expenses, and blog empire expansion. That came to 11.35% in expenses. If you’d like to see my exact blogging expenses breakdown for this month, check out How I Make Money Blogging. I have been attempting to keep them at 15% or less of my overall income. That said, my net profit this month before a third goes to taxes was $17,979.04. WHOO-HOO!!!

Goals for February:

• Alexa Ranking: 36,000
• Visits: 22,000
• Unique Visitors: 16,000
• Pageviews: 38,000
• RSS subscribers: 1050
• Twitter followers: 1250
• Traffic breakdown: 7000 from Referring Sites, 4000 from Direct Traffic, 10,000 from Search Engines, 1000 from Other
• Blogging Income: $15,000

Any questions, comments, or advice? As I mentioned, I go into more detail with my income and expenses on the 1st of the month at http://howimakemoneyblogging.com/, but feel free to ask anything you’d like at either site!!!

Cutting Back to Make Room for More Fun is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

This article was written by Jessica at Everything Finance. Everything Finance is a site about just that, everything related to finance.  If you like what you see here, make sure to stop by or better yet subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss a thing.

I once had a favorite hobby. I wasn’t all that great at it, but it was such fun and so relaxing that I enjoyed it more than anything. I had to put a stop to it when I was married because we simply couldn’t afford it anymore.

I loved doing pottery. The attention I had to put to centering my pile of clay helped clear my mind and it was very therapeutic. It helped me get through a number of emotional hurdles. But the cost of clay, . . . → Read More: Cutting Back to Make Room for More Fun]]> Cutting Back to Make Room for More Fun is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

This article was written by Jessica at Everything Finance. Everything Finance is a site about just that, everything related to finance.  If you like what you see here, make sure to stop by or better yet subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss a thing.

I once had a favorite hobby. I wasn’t all that great at it, but it was such fun and so relaxing that I enjoyed it more than anything. I had to put a stop to it when I was married because we simply couldn’t afford it anymore.

I loved doing pottery. The attention I had to put to centering my pile of clay helped clear my mind and it was very therapeutic. It helped me get through a number of emotional hurdles. But the cost of clay, studio time, glazes, and renting a kiln were not conducive to my budget. I’ve recently formed a leap list and on it is to make room for pottery again.

I plan to keep my budget to the very minimum to make sure I have as much money as possible available to indulge in pottery. I’m going to work at it regularly to make sure that I’m always using an effective budget.  I’ve come up with a list of items that are the biggest budget busters and I’m looking at ways to trim the fat, so to speak.

Dining Out

This is by and large the biggest budget buster of all budget busters. It is almost completely unnecessary. Simple planning can alleviate almost all dining out. Planning your meals weekly so as to avoid the inevitable “what’s for dinner” questions will stop those last minute pizza deliveries. Planning snacks and lunches when running errands will keep you out of the drive-thru. Carrying a small picnic basket with non-perishable snacks in the trunk is a great way to cover yourself when you have forgotten to plan.

Cable Television

I have lived without cable television for almost a year. I have only watched it when I’m at my mother’s house. Honestly, I haven’t missed it much at all. I watch the shows I like most online and I use the library to borrow movies when I am in the mood. I recently purchased a $10 tv antenna to watch the local channels and honestly, I wish I hadn’t. The programming is very uninteresting for the most part. I find myself turning off the tv more and more after just a short while.

Cell Phone

I understand the addiction to cell phones, especially smartphones. I am as addicted to mine as many but at one time, it was even worse. In a moment of desperation, I canceled my data plan and started using an older model phone that did not have anything but the ability to make phone calls and send text messages (which I didn’t do much of). I was very happy during those months and I saved myself about $30 each month.

Groceries

One of the easiest ways to adjust your budget is through your grocery spending. Using coupons is probably the best way to do so. Adding in a trip to a drugstore each week to take advantage of their deals will help save you money as well. You can easily save 40% a month by using coupons. Eating cheaper is another way to cull your grocery expenses.

Internet

This is a potential deal breaker for many. One area that I am not willing to back away from. I simply must have the internet to do my job effectively. I lived without internet for 6 weeks in the fall and it ended up costing me money by not having it at home. However, for some, this could be a way to save $35 a month or more. If you have access to the internet at work during the day, there may be little need to be online at night. Or maybe you can find a hotspot nearby to get your surfing in.

Utilities

It may be surprising to some to find out that you can save money on your utilities. Contacting your current provider and asking for tips is a start. Some companies will put a device on your furnace and a/c which is set to shut it off during certain times of the day. You won’t really notice it on there and the utility company will offer you a discount to have it done. You can also shop around. There are co-ops that provide electricity, frequently at a lower rate than a larger company. Also, ask your provider about even billing. This could help keep your monthly budget on track.

Careful examination of your budget will show you places where you can cut expenses. If you find that you have trimmed as much as you possibly can, it may be time to increase your income or look to alternatives to the fun you typically seek. For me, there are full and partial scholarships to a local arts center that I am going to apply for. I’m also going to see if I can do some bartering by checking to see if they would like to add social media to their services or maybe write an article for their website each month.

Budgeting fun into your life is something that takes work but leaving room for it is essential for a happy, healthy life.

Crystal’s Comments:  When we look to trim the fat off of our budget, we look at food first too.  But honestly, everything else listed would be on our last things to cut list since we are that addicted to cable, cell phones, and the internet…

What would you cut?

Health Update #4 – Crystal Light Challenge is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

As I told you all towards the end of November 2011, I am posting updates twice a month here to keep me accountable for the $1200 a year for fitness that we are spending on Weight Watchers and our gym memberships. Yep, I am using you as my accountability partners whether you signed up for it or not, hahaha. I’m posting on the weekday closest to the 15th and last day of each month. Here is how I did for the past couple of weeks.

I have been very, very bad.  I am so sorry.  I took a trip to L.A., my husband quit his day job and is now working from home, I am freaking out about everything, and my diet and exercising routine . . . → Read More: Health Update #4 – Crystal Light Challenge]]> Health Update #4 – Crystal Light Challenge is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

As I told you all towards the end of November 2011, I am posting updates twice a month here to keep me accountable for the $1200 a year for fitness that we are spending on Weight Watchers and our gym memberships. Yep, I am using you as my accountability partners whether you signed up for it or not, hahaha. I’m posting on the weekday closest to the 15th and last day of each month. Here is how I did for the past couple of weeks.

My Update for January 15th through January 28th, 2012

I have been very, very bad.  I am so sorry.  I took a trip to L.A., my husband quit his day job and is now working from home, I am freaking out about everything, and my diet and exercising routine went to hell.  I didn’t even want to update you today as planned. 

But you are my accountability partners and you deserve to know that I went AWOL.  I didn’t keep up with my Weight Watchers points at all and I played racquetball at the gym exactly one time.

Weight Goals

Other than the diet and exercise goals mentioned above, here are some weight goals for 2012:

• Weigh 145 pounds by April 9th, 2012 for the 10-pound Challenge I joined.
• Weigh 135 pounds by December 31st, 2012.

I started at 155.6 pounds on November 28, 2011, was up to 159 after the holidays, have been at the low of 154 since then, and am currently weighing in at 156.8 pounds.  Not cool.  I need to buckle down.  My next update will be around February 15th and I really hope to have way better news for you.

How did you do on your fitness goals?

Ghirardelli Chocolate Review and Giveaway! is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

I love being a blogger.  One of the many reasons it kicks butt is that I am sometimes approached by companies I like and am asked to review their product, tell you all about it, and then they even give me something to give away to one of you!  For example, have you ever heard about Ghirardelli?

I heart chocolate.  A lot.  So when I was offered a sample of Ghirardelli’s three newest offerings, I jumped at it.  And let me tell you, they are all yummy!

This was surprisingly good.  I don’t usually like fad-like changes to a good thing, but the sea salt is light enough to nicely meld with the chocolate and the almonds.  My husband and I agreed that it is . . . → Read More: Ghirardelli Chocolate Review and Giveaway!]]> Ghirardelli Chocolate Review and Giveaway! is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

I love being a blogger.  One of the many reasons it kicks butt is that I am sometimes approached by companies I like and am asked to review their product, tell you all about it, and then they even give me something to give away to one of you!  For example, have you ever heard about Ghirardelli?

I heart chocolate.  A lot.  So when I was offered a sample of Ghirardelli’s three newest offerings, I jumped at it.  And let me tell you, they are all yummy!

Sea Salt Escape – Milk chocolate with sea salt and roasted almonds:

This was surprisingly good.  I don’t usually like fad-like changes to a good thing, but the sea salt is light enough to nicely meld with the chocolate and the almonds.  My husband and I agreed that it is good, better than the cheaper chocolate you can find, but it is not as good as the next two.

Coconut Rendezvous – Milk chocolate with roasted coconut:

Picture a creamy chocolate square with bits of crunchy coconut mixed in.  It is decadent.  I tried to nibble slowly but the chocolate is so creamy that it quickly started melting between my thumb and finger.  This is my husband’s favorite of the three samples.  I think it is delicious too, but my favorite is below.

Creamy Devotion with 32% Cacao – Simple milk chocolate:

It is just yummy.  Creamy, smooth, tasty…awesome chocolate.  I do not usually buy any expensive candies or chocolates on a regular basis, but I found long ago that my taste buds wanted something richer than Hershey’s kisses.  That said, I have tried some very awesome brands of basic chocolate and I can honestly say that Ghirardelli’s Creamy Devotion is a comparably inexpensive replacement to my “good stuff”.

Chocolate Giveaway

Now to the fun part.  I requested two sample packs – one for me to base my review on and another for one of you to win!  Yay – free chocolate!!!  This means I will be mailing the winner the three sample bars of the Ghirardelli types I described above.

Instructions:

1. Leave a comment below by February 12th, 2012 and you will be entered to win!

Yep, it really is that easy.  If you’d like a suggestion for your comment, what is your favorite treat and why?

Thank you!!!

The official stuff:

1) Contest ends February 12th, 2011 at 11:59pm Central Standard time.
2) ONLY ONE COMMENT/ENTRY PER PERSON.
3) The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email and asked for their address so I can mail this out to them.  If you do not want to divulge your address, please do not enter this giveaway as I cannot magically send it to you otherwise.
4) The prize will be held for 2 calendar days. If it isn’t claimed, a new winner will be randomly selected and contacted.
5) I reserve the right to reject comments that I consider spam or invalid entries.
6) An invalid or incorrect email address automatically disqualifies you from the drawing…it’s hard to contact a fake email…
7) Local laws, rules, and regulations apply.

Weekly Favorites, Gratitude, and Giveaways #55 is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

New Year’s Resolutions and Goals for 2012 is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

I know this is a little late, but I finally had time to sit down and think.  I wanted my goals this year to be important to me.  Weight loss, health, and money are great, but I really wanted to think of my core values.  With that in mind, here are my goals for 2012:

Our current plan is to go to Las Vegas again this summer and to take another 7 day cruise sometime this year as well.  Now that we both work as needed to keep the online business running as smoothly as possible, I figure we will need some time to just connect as a couple and not as coworkers.  The cruise will be internet-free . . . → Read More: New Year’s Resolutions and Goals for 2012]]> New Year’s Resolutions and Goals for 2012 is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

I know this is a little late, but I finally had time to sit down and think.  I wanted my goals this year to be important to me.  Weight loss, health, and money are great, but I really wanted to think of my core values.  With that in mind, here are my goals for 2012:

 1)  Take at least 2 solid vacations with Mr. BFS with as little work as possible.

Our current plan is to go to Las Vegas again this summer and to take another 7 day cruise sometime this year as well.  Now that we both work as needed to keep the online business running as smoothly as possible, I figure we will need some time to just connect as a couple and not as coworkers.  The cruise will be internet-free and Las Vegas will be internet-minimal. 

2)  Take at least one solid trip with our inner circle of friends.

A few of our close friends would like to take a trip together.  I agree it would be a blast.  Now we all have to make it happen.  I don’t care where we go or what we do as long as we all get to hang out together.  I would aim for more than one trip, but it is hard to coordinate a group trip so I will see what I can get out of them all. 

3)  Visit blogging buddies at least 3 times in 2012. 

I already visited Suba in L.A. and had a blast.  I owe Jesse (co-owner of some of my other blogs) a visit and will need to go back to Suba’s so we can hang with Kay Lynn from Bucksome Boomer way more.  I am sure more buddies and opportunities will present themselves, but at least 3 visits a year to my closest friends online should be doable.

4)  Stay healthy – Exercise 150 times.

I want to stay healthy for as long as possible.  With that in mind, I am aiming to exercise at least 3 times every week.  I know I will not hit that goal every time, so my overall annual goal is to be able to honestly say that I exercised 150 times or more in 2012.  Racquetball, walking, dancing, etc.  Solid exercise at least 150 times this year. 

Hopefully this will also lead me to weighing 135-140 pounds by the end of the year (currently at 154), but that is secondary to me at this point.  It would just be the icing on the cake.

I will attempt to check in with you about these 2012 goals in April, July, October, and at the very end of the year or the beginning of 2013.

What core goal(s) do you have for 2012?  Not just the normal resolutions…what’s important to you to actually achieve this year?

5 Tips on How to Improve Your Credit Score is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

The following is a guest post from YFS, the owner and author of Your Finances Simplified. He was born and raised in West Philadelphia and is now a financial adviser, IT contractor, landlord, and treasurer of a non-profit. He created his blog partly due to his desire to help people with their finances. Join YFS’s mailing list for straight forward easy to understand financial advice by clicking here. 

Improving your credit score seems like it should be a fairly easy thing. Pay your bills on time, and you should have a good credit score, right? Well, that is not always the case. While it is always a good idea to pay your bills and to pay them on time, simply paying on time will not always guarantee a great credit score because . . . → Read More: 5 Tips on How to Improve Your Credit Score]]> 5 Tips on How to Improve Your Credit Score is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

The following is a guest post from YFS, the owner and author of Your Finances Simplified. He was born and raised in West Philadelphia and is now a financial adviser, IT contractor, landlord, and treasurer of a non-profit. He created his blog partly due to his desire to help people with their finances. Join YFS’s mailing list for straight forward easy to understand financial advice by clicking here. 

Improving your credit score seems like it should be a fairly easy thing. Pay your bills on time, and you should have a good credit score, right? Well, that is not always the case. While it is always a good idea to pay your bills and to pay them on time, simply paying on time will not always guarantee a great credit score because other factors are involved.

Credit Scoring

Credit scoring is somewhat of a mysterious realm, and the people who score your credit are not letting the mere mortals in on their secrets. These people put your information into their system, and then they give you a number. The FICO score is the most common, and it ranges from 300 (bad credit) to 850 (excellent credit). Banks and other lenders check your credit score to determine your creditworthiness. Your credit score, in part, helps determine how much money a bank will lend you. This is important when you want to make a big purchase like a car or a house.

Due to the mystery surrounding credit scoring, it is not exactly clear what improves your credit score. Nonetheless, there are some general tips that are likely to improve your credit score, and many of them are good habits. Some of the following tips are good common sense, while others are less readily apparent. These tips will also be helpful if you want to repair your credit after a bankruptcy or want to have good credit to buy a foreclosure.

1.  Number of Credit Accounts – In order to have a credit score, you have to have open lines of credit. This generally comes in the form of credit cards, and it is thought that having around five or six credit open credit accounts is best for your credit score. Anything you finance, such as a car or your college education, is a form of credit.

2.  Balances and Limits – On one hand, just having open credit accounts is not the best way to improve your score—you need to have a balance on the credit account for it to be as useful as possible. So, while having an open credit account is good, having an active credit account (one with a balance) is better. On the other hand, having a balance on your account that is close to the limit (especially multiple balances that are close to the limit) is not good for your score.

3.  Payments – As discussed, paying your bills is important. Late payments will negatively affect your credit score. So, you should be sure to pay everything, student loans, mortgages, etc, on time when possible. If you ever have trouble making payments, you should contact your credit company. For example, if you are unemployed, you can often defer your student loans for a time.

Also, if you do have late payments, their effect will be reduced over time. For example, late payments last year will be less important than late payments last month.

4.  Credit Inquiries – Every time you have your credit checked, it will affect your score. However, this should not stop you from checking out a few lenders if you are preparing to buy a home, for example. Also, you checking your score on your own does not affect your score.

5.  The Credit Score Killers – Certain things, such as tax liens, collections, multiple late payments, and foreclosures will kill your credit score. Bankruptcy will negatively affect your score for years.

The Bottom Line: The best thing for your credit score is to have multiple credit accounts with relatively low balances, to pay your bills on time, and to avoid the credit score killers.

Have you worked to improve your credit score? What did you do to improve your score?

Hanging with Blogging Buddies – Just What I Needed is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

I spent last weekend in Los Angeles, California hanging out with my close blogging buddy, Suba from Wealth Informatics, and meeting up with a bunch of other bloggers along the way.  It ended up feeling like I was just hanging out with my friends back home – it was that relaxing and awesome.

I didn’t land until past dinner time on Thursday.  Suba picked me up at the airport and we headed home.  I had been avoiding Indian food since college (I had some bad experiences, lol), but Suba had cooked and I was not going to be a douche.  I learned four things:

1.  I still don’t like curry…even the really mild type that Suba made just for my no-spice palate.  Sorry Suba, I suck. 2.  I . . . → Read More: Hanging with Blogging Buddies – Just What I Needed]]> Hanging with Blogging Buddies – Just What I Needed is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

I spent last weekend in Los Angeles, California hanging out with my close blogging buddy, Suba from Wealth Informatics, and meeting up with a bunch of other bloggers along the way.  It ended up feeling like I was just hanging out with my friends back home – it was that relaxing and awesome.

Day 1 – Thursday

I didn’t land until past dinner time on Thursday.  Suba picked me up at the airport and we headed home.  I had been avoiding Indian food since college (I had some bad experiences, lol), but Suba had cooked and I was not going to be a douche.  I learned four things:

1.  I still don’t like curry…even the really mild type that Suba made just for my no-spice palate.  Sorry Suba, I suck.
2.  I love soy cheese with a tomato and onion broth.
3.  I really love Nan (think Indian pita bread).
4.  I really, really love eating with my fingers.  Okay, I already knew that, but at Suba’s it’s actually okay to do so and not get looks.

Then we spent the rest of the night gossiping about blogging, learning more about each other, and ended up crashing way past both of our bed times, lol.

Day 2 – Friday

We actually didn’t have anything scheduled on Friday until the evening, so Suba and I ate Fruity Pebbles, hung out in our PJ’s, and talked even more.  We went out for lunch and groceries mid-day, but returned to hanging out pretty fast.  Despite the fact that our backgrounds couldn’t be more different, Suba feels like a friend I’ve had forever.  If she ever visits me in Houston, I am so totally getting the whole group together since we all would have a ton of fun.

That evening, Little House in the Valley came over to hang out too.  She is a very sweet woman who handled my opinionated, cussing self so very well.  Yep, to all of you, I do not cuss (curse…damn Yankees, lol).  But in real life, especially around friends and family, I have a potty mouth.  Sorry.  I am not a mean person and do not cuss at people, but I think a properly placed curse word really sums up an experience or adds oomph to a description.  Little House is not like that but she never even flinched (neither did Suba for 4 days but she already knew me pretty well from online and FINCON11).  So thank you for not hating me you two!

Anyway, we all hung out for a few hours before LH needed to head out.  I’m wishing her the best of luck in her upcoming endeavors!  Then Suba and I stayed up way too late talking and laughing again.

Day 3 – Saturday

Since we stayed up so late, we were running behind Saturday morning.  We ended up picking up Kay Lynn from Bucksome Boomer 15 minutes late at the train station at about 10am.  Sorry Kay Lynn.  Next time, we will make the 3 hour trek to meet up with her and she can leave us standing around, lol.  But we had a great time chatting and catching up from what happened since FINCON11.

Then Jesse from PF Firewall (and the co-owner of sites with me like Money in the 20s) drove in around noon and Suba made some delicious vegetable puffs while I hosted the lunch I had bought the ingredients for the day before – grilled cheese sandwiches and Campbell’s tomato soup.  Don’t worry, I made adult grilled cheese – Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, and Provolone.  I know I could have aimed classier, but darn it, I think we all deserved some comfort food, hahaha.  I was really happy that even Suba and her husband, aka Mr. Suba, seemed to like the sandwiches, and they hadn’t had grilled cheese before.  Yay!  AND, Mr. Suba made us an Indian dessert, called coolfi, which is an almond and raisin icecream that was YUMMY!

Jesse, Suba, Mr. Suba, Kay Lynn, and I sat around talking so long that Kay Lynn had to push back her return train trip.  Then she had to head out while Suba, Jesse, and I jumped in the car to make it to the FINCON meetup group that was happening about an hour away.  I hate Topanga Road.  It is twisty and stomach curdling…I was probably still looking green in the face when we arrived.

We only spent about an hour and a half at the sushi restaurant, but I did get to talk to Krantcents, Well-Heeled, and American Debt Project.  The nice group from Wisebread was there again too and I spoke with Greg and Will.  I also saw Courtney from ConsumerTrack, Briana from 20 and Engaged, and about 4 other people that I should remember the names of, but I stink, stink, stink with names.  Thank you everyone for a nice meetup!

Thankfully we did not take Topanga on the way back.  We arrived home NOT sick, had banana splits (another thing I picked up at the grocery store), and just talked and talked some more until Jesse had to head out too.  That didn’t stop Suba, Mr. Suba, and I from continuing to talk, hang out, take a walk, and talk some more for way longer than we thought.  We even played a board game and once again, Suba and I went to bed way later than we should have, but it was so worth it!

Day 4 – Sunday

Yeah, yeah, we were once again late meeting Daniel from Sweating the Big Stuff at a coffee shop in the mall across the street.  I think I am a bad influence on Suba.  Anyway, we had a chat mainly about business stuff and Daniel had to leave.  So Suba and I picked up more bread and headed back home.  She, Mr. Suba, and I had grilled cheese again, polished off the Coolfy, and we generally just hung out for a few more hours before Suba dropped me off at the airport.

My Summary

I had a fantastic time.  Suba and her husband are awesome.  Absolutely awesome.  They are sweet, funny, and really make a girl feel welcomed.  I had a great time hanging out with everybody and now I will just have to fly out to hang out with Jesse too.  For Kay Lynn, Suba and I will have to take a train to visit but I won’t crash there thanks to my stupid asthma problems with cats.  But if you are ever at a Financial Blogger Conference, you should totally find these people and say hi.  Nicest people.  Really.

Yep, it was just what I needed, a fun weekend mostly away from work.  I made even better friends and hope Suba doesn’t mind me flying in pretty regularly from now on.

What’s your favorite type of vacation?  I know some of you are going to wonder why I didn’t push to see more of L.A., but I honestly just wanted to talk blog stuff without someone’s eyes glazing over. 

Please Don’t Sell Yourself Short is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

It’s been a while since I checked in on my older posts at How I Make Money Blogging, but I completely overlooked a question by The Financial Blogger in response to the rates I quoted in September 2011.  I answered it at HIMMB, but figured that I have more readers here at BFS that could benefit too:

I’m curious to know what you define as prime location for text links and how many links did you actually sold at $80-150/month (not banner or widget, just link right?). I actually sell my links (on PR4 and 5) between $50-$75/month (paypal subscription) and I’m able to keep my advertising space full. However, I get several declines from advertisers telling me my rates are too low [I think he meant high]. This is why I’m curious about who did pay . . . → Read More: Please Don’t Sell Yourself Short]]> Please Don’t Sell Yourself Short is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

It’s been a while since I checked in on my older posts at How I Make Money Blogging, but I completely overlooked a question by The Financial Blogger in response to the rates I quoted in September 2011.  I answered it at HIMMB, but figured that I have more readers here at BFS that could benefit too:

I’m curious to know what you define as prime location for text links and how many links did you actually sold at $80-150/month (not banner or widget, just link right?). I actually sell my links (on PR4 and 5) between $50-$75/month (paypal subscription) and I’m able to keep my advertising space full. However, I get several declines from advertisers telling me my rates are too low [I think he meant high]. This is why I’m curious about who did pay more than $100 for a link on a monthly basis. Do you have any?

The sidebar ads I have received for myself range from $65-$110 a month.  The higher amounts are for higher spots on my sidebar – the prime locations are at the very top of each sidebar and decrease in price from there.  Right this second, I have 2 ads paying more than $100 a month.  90% of my sidebar ads are $60-$85 a month but they paid 6-12 months in advance to receive a discount.

My Suggested Rates

In general, here are the sidebar ad rates I suggest shooting for based on a site’s specific Page Rank.  I will usually give up to a 25% discount if the ad is paid for in advance for 12 months and I decrease that percentage for shorter terms.  The normal discounts are between 10-20%.  There are of course outliers – deals that are slightly lower or higher, but the rates below are achieved for 90% of the deals I close.  You can ask my clients. 

PR0 and PR1:  $60 per month, $40 per month minimum
PR2:  $70 per month, $50 per month minimum
PR3:  $80-$90 per month depending on other stats, $50-$60 per month minimum
PR4:  $80-$100 per month depending on other stats, $60-$70 per month minimum
PR5:  $80-$125 per month depending on other stats, $60-$80 per month minimum

Other stats that advertisers have been interested in besides PR include Moz Rank, Alexa Ranking, how many posts per week a site has, and a site’s Domain Authority.  Most of those stats can be checked out at http://www.check-domains.com/website-analysis/website-analyzer.php.

So $50-$75 a month for a PR4-5 isn’t bad if they are paying 6-12 months in advance.  Otherwise, I would suggest raising those a bit higher.  At the prices above for BFS, a well ranked PR4 ($60-$100 per month), I keep my ad spaces full throughout the year.

I hope this helps.  It would be great if every blogger knew what their site was worth since it would mean fewer sites would be preyed upon.  I really hate to hear about bloggers that are fleeced for ads at $20-$30 a month for a well ranked site.  I know we all accept lower amounts once in a while when we are feeling broke, but the rates above are very feasible on an ongoing basis.

Do these rates look about right to you?

My Husband is Now WORKING FROM HOME WITH ME!!! is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

Yes, you read that right.  Mr. BFS resigned from his position as a school librarian last week!!!  Last Friday was his last day!  Today is his first official day working with me at home!!!  HOLY MOLY – WE ARE SMALL BUSINESS ALL THE WAY!!!

This all became a possibility towards the end of last year.  My client base was growing very quickly, my income doubled, and my work days were edging up from 8-10 hours a week day to 12-14 hours and big chunks of my weekends too.

For anyone who may have just started reading recently, up until July 2010, I was making about $35,000 a year in a cubicle position.  I started BFS in February 2010 and I started my ad business, Crystal-For-Hire, in April . . . → Read More: My Husband is Now WORKING FROM HOME WITH ME!!!]]> My Husband is Now WORKING FROM HOME WITH ME!!! is a post from: Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

Yes, you read that right.  Mr. BFS resigned from his position as a school librarian last week!!!  Last Friday was his last day!  Today is his first official day working with me at home!!!  HOLY MOLY – WE ARE SMALL BUSINESS ALL THE WAY!!!

Building a Blog and a Business

This all became a possibility towards the end of last year.  My client base was growing very quickly, my income doubled, and my work days were edging up from 8-10 hours a week day to 12-14 hours and big chunks of my weekends too.

For anyone who may have just started reading recently, up until July 2010, I was making about $35,000 a year in a cubicle position.  I started BFS in February 2010 and I started my ad business, Crystal-For-Hire, in April 2011.  By July 2011, my online income was surpassing my day job income and I quit to blog and run advertising full time. 

Then everything really went nuts.

It was like everyone was just waiting for me to quit my day job.  Within weeks of quitting, I doubled my client base, discovered a few friendly advertisers, and everything just exploded.  I went from making less than $3000 a month to $25,000 in December 2011 alone!!!  I made nearly $100,000 online last year!!!  Please believe me, it was completely unexpected and I was and continue to be eternally grateful for my success and the luck that helped it happen.

Hubby Stepping Up

I was handling this huge growth by working even more and even longer.  Something had to give.  So last November, Mr. BFS took complete pity on me and started volunteering as my record-keeper.  With so many ad campaigns going on at the same time during busy weeks, records were sucking up 2-3 hours of my days.  This was huge.  And apparently my husband liked it. 

After his first real week of helping me daily during the first part of his December break, he really started talking about joining me full time.  We decided then, in mid-December, that he was going to most probably quit his day job at the end of the following semester, so June 2012.

Yeah, We Suck at Patience

Further growth, a closer look at our numbers, and some internal debates led to today.  Mr. BFS just couldn’t see the point in waiting and I really needed the help.  So here we are.  Our entire financial existence now relies on Crystal-For-Hire, which is only 9 months old.  Oh. Holy. Hell.

I am completely excited and sick to my stomach at the same time.  You may pick up on that over the next few weeks.  Our friends and family assure us that we will be great.  We think so too but are too scared to say it out loud too much.  So we will all see.  Just like you will be bombarded with posts over the next couple of weeks about my hunt for insurance, handling taxes, handling self employment with a partner, and whatever else ends up on my mind. 

Our Finances

As of right now, we have enough cash on hand to handle whatever may come our way for at least a year.  We are also 4 months away from paying off our mortgage, which we still intend to do and that will open up an even larger safety net.  If you take into account our stocks and no mortgage, we can live up to 3 years dead broke each month.  If you take into account our Roth IRA’s, my 401k, and what he has sitting in his pension account, we could technically have no income at all for 5 years and be okay but we’d be living on $2000-$2500 a month.  That isn’t happy but bringing in nothing for 5 years isn’t very realistic either.

By our calculations, we need to bring in $7000 a month to pay for taxes, benefits, and still live on our current budget (which will be updated for you soon).  To pay off our mortgage as planned and keep my stomach feeling happy, we’ve decided to shoot for $15,000 a month just to be on the safe side.  We’ll live on the $7000 and use the rest for the mortgage and a growing safety net.

Our Eggs in a Brand Spanking New Basket

So yes, all of our eggs are in one very new basket, but we wove that basket well.  I have created a growing business that I love and that hopefully shows.  My husband is fantastically detail-oriented and very intelligent, so with his help, this business will continue to grow, be able to expand even more, and we have always been able to handle more together anyway.  If we can keep up the current pace or set an even better one, we will be financially independent in 10 years or less.  That is an amazing feeling all by itself.  Who saw this coming?  I certainly didn’t.

Move over sanity, the Crystal train is coming through!  WOOT, WOOOOOOT!!!