DISQUS

MoneyEnergy · 3 months ago

My condolences to you and your family. Life is precious. It also shows the importance of having an emergency fund which can enable you to stay close to family in times of need. Also, congrats on the success of this site and your others, especially MoneyQuantum, which is very well organized - I will be back again more often in the future!

Writer's Coin · 3 months ago

Wait a minute...you made over 14k last month in "additional income"? Is that blogging only or another side business?

Flexo · 3 months ago

Over 12k, mostly from a variety of sources of advertising revenue.

Financial Samurai · 3 months ago

Great stuff Flexo. Nice work on such a great month from blog advertisement! I'm writing a post regarding Net Worth, entitled "Your Net Worth is An Illusion" sometime in a week or so, and have given you a shout out. It's great you are so transparent with your finances.

Oh yeah, I think you need to depreciate that Honda Civic more there... perhaps -$100/month! :)

Best

Flexo · 3 months ago

Samurai: Thanks! I only bother to update the value of the Civic a few times a year, and I've done so after posting August's finances. Next month, you'll see the depreciation take effect for the past several months.

York · 3 months ago

Flexo - just curious why you are still renting? Do you have any plans to purchase a home in the future?

Flexo · 3 months ago

Yes, when I decide I want to settle down, I'll buy a house, and I'm saving money now to ensure I'll be ready for the purchase.

SavingEverything · 3 months ago

Wait a minute-- over $12,000 is from sources of advertising revenue from this website only???
Can you please explain to us in more detail about the various sources of your "other income", and what kind of "business expenses" are you considering? What do you sell, how many employees? What happened in August 2009 compared to the prior months in respect to your business expenses? Do you have health insurance? When you're considering taxes, is that amount from both your salaried job and "other income", and "other income"'s self-employment (and the 7.65x2% tax for fica for self-employed? Why does your utilities bill vary so signficantly, and why was it cheap in June and July 2009? Why was rent cheap in June 2009? Did you move recently, and that's why? Have you started to seriously look with a realtor for homes or condos near your area? Do you work in a big city or suburb? Finally, is your wife's income included in this monthly report? Does she blog also on her favorite topics? -thanks, savingeverything

Flexo · 3 months ago

No, the income is not from this website alone, though Consumerism Commentary provides the bulk of it. Long-term advertising deals often spike income on monthly reports. If I'd want to be more accurate, I'd spread that income over the future months that are covered in the deal.

Business expenses cover the cost of hosting websites, other writers, services for the Consumerism Commentary Podcast.

I have health insurance provided by my full-time employer. Utilities vary mostly because some months I am charged for heating and electricity at the end of the month, and sometimes I am charged at the beginning of the following month. If I wanted to be more accurate, I'd accrue for the expense every month where necessary, but the extra time this would take doesn't add that much value.

I plan to buy a house after I decide where and when to settle down, and possibly not until after I am married. There's no rush for me, I like the flexibility of renting. Rent was cheap in June because the landlord gave me a discount for renewing the lease.

Hope that answers some of your questions.

Flexo · 3 months ago

One other thing to note about income: I record it as income when I send an invoice not when I receive the cash. Sometimes there can be quite a delay between the two. One major advertiser didn't pay out until four months after the advertising ran, but most pay within 30 days when I don't require payment up front.

Financial Samurai · 3 months ago

Flexo - at what point does your Consumerism Commentary ad revenue get large enough so you no longer want to, or have to do your day job?

I guess the big key is healthcare.

Flexo · 3 months ago

Samurai: Health care is absolutely a concern. My plan right now is to work on this and all the other preparations needed to turn my "side full-time job" into my only full-time job.

suomi · 3 months ago

Hi, You have a clean and nice reporting template. I looked at your template creation process. I also use Quicken, and export the sheets, but I dont have the auto linking mechanism. Do you have a template (cleaned up) that you can send. cheers!