Hi and welcome to a new recap and extra income report while working full-time, May 2018 Recap + Extra Income Report.
Every month I publish an in-depth report of my net-worth and extra income projects. I personally love reading income reports and I hope by doing this I inspire you to start side hustling too.
May 2018 was spent well. I had two major achievements – my first trip abroad (South Korea) and my third Adsense payment! Oh, what a month it has been.
As I’ve mentioned in my March Recap + Extra Income Report, most of the money I earned from my extra income projects were used to fund my travels, both Eastern Samar and South Korea.
Thus, I badly need to work extra hard on my side hustles to recuperate. I plan to save as much money as I can until my birth month, November where I already have a planned vacation.
If you’re extra curious about my personal life you can go my other blog, IzzaGlino where I published my Seoul Travel Diary post. It simply chronicles the highlight of my travel to the Land of the Morning Calm, complete with photos and short anecdotes.
A great start for you to know my outlook for this year would be the 2017 in Review I did.
Publishing my recap and extra income report monthly has always been for two main reasons:
1. To help myself stay on track with my finances and stay accountable to my goals and actions.
2. To encourage you and the others who are reading this post to pursue your passion and hustle your way to success.
Related Post:
April 2018 Recap + Extra Income Report
March 2018 Recap + Extra Income Report
February 2018 Recap + Extra Income Report
About Me and This Blog
Hi, I’m Izza!
I’m a financial advocate at www.savingspinay.ph, blogger at www.izzaglinofull.com and owner of Izza Glino Weddings and Events.
This website is built to help individuals start their passion and hustle their way to financial success.
I share 2-3 posts a week on the core concepts of personal finance – living with a budget, saving money, investing in the Philippines, retiring young and making extra income with a full-time job.
In 2016 I created an exclusive Facebook Group as an extension of this humble web page, SavingsPinay Community. Join here
You can also follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.
In 2017, I launched the SavingsPinay Resource Library. It is a place to download freebies like the Mid-Year Financial Workbook, the 50-20-30 Budget Rule Excel Template, Money Manifestos, Desktop Calendars and more. Click here for your access pass
After four years of actively blogging, I am proud to have earned the following milestones:
- First $100 on Google Adsense
- Part of Rockstar Finance Directory
- Included in the Top 10 Business and Finance Blogs at Topblogs.com.ph
- Became a speaker in iBlog
If you are new in this blog I highly suggest visiting the Start Here section. You can also visit My Recommendations Page to know exactly what I use for my life, blog and business.
My Extra Income Projects
I started making extra income in 2013 as a professional wedding and event emcee for all occasion. From then on I searched for other ways I can earn on the side.
Below are my current side hustles:
Blog
I manage two active blogs. SavingsPinay.ph, a personal finance blog and IzzaGlinoFull.com, a beauty, lifestyle and travel blog.
YouTube
I do have a YouTube channel which I wish you can check out and subscribe. I do beauty, bullet journal, personal finance and life videos.
Freelance Content Writing Service
I offer my service as a part-time web content writer. My niche includes general finance, personal development, blogging and web pages. This 2018 writing for others is not part of my priority and so it won’t be part of my recap and extra income report moving forward.
Weddings and Events
I recently launched Izza Glino Weddings and Events Business, a full weddings and events production based in Taguig, Philippines.
Also towards the end of this post I am sharing how these extra income projects affected my net-worth for May 2018.
Let’s begin with the breakdown.
May 2018 Recap
Last May 19 – 22, I spent 4 days and 3 nights in Seoul, South Korea. It was my first trip abroad and I couldn’t believe I finally achieved it.
Traveling does make you richer. The instant gratification traveling gives is priceless.
If God’s will, I will definitely go back since there are still places in Seoul I wasn’t able to explore due to time constraint.
But I have to recover first from the expenses and make sure I set a proper budget if I ever travel again.
As soon as I come back from Seoul, I sold my preloved books over at SavingsPinay Facebook Page. And I am happy to handover some of my favorites personal finance, productivity and self-help books to some SP readers.
Selling my preloved books gave me around Php 2000 extra income which will be reflected in my extra income report at the end of this post.
That’s it for my recap from May.
My Extra Income Report
For May 2018, I earned a total of Php extra income from the different income streams I have:
Blogging (Google Adsense and Affiliate Marketing) –
YouTube –
Freelance Content Writing –
Wedding and Event Hosting –
Here’s a breakdown of each extra income:
BLOGGING
Last year, my main goal in the area of blogging to generate actual income.
Fast forward to today I am on my third Google Adsense Payment already!
I did a 4500+ word blog post about My First Google Adsense Payment Story to give you an idea what it takes to earn money on Google Adsense.
Curious about blogging? Check out my tutorial – The Ultimate Guide on How To Start a Blog
Below are the big wins on my blog for this month.
1. Pinterest views increased to 5000 a month
If you remember on my How To Generate Massive Traffic on Your Blog post I mentioned there are key locations and regions that can pay you better money in Google Adsense.
US, UK and India traffic pays higher compared to the others.
A single click from US, for example, can between $1 up to $5 compared to $ .01 to a dollar in Asian countries.
So if you want to stay on track on your journey to get your first Google Adsense payment, make sure that your blog attracts US traffic too.
Currently, SavingsPinay is attracting Philippine traffic at around 97%. This is the reason why my Adsense earning is pretty low compared to others.
I was looking for new and better ways to incorporate keywords that can attract more UK and US traffic.
Enter Pinterest!
This is the real deal guys! If you are a Filipino blogger in a competitive niche like Weight loss, Real Estate, Insurance, Loan, Fitness and Personal Finance, take advantage of Pinterest.
How I Use Pinterest to Generate US Traffic and Increase My Adsense Income?
- First, I created a Pinterest Business Account for SavingsPinay to get access to the analytics Page. This gave me a better insight on what’s happening in my Pinterest account.
- Then, I use Tailwind to schedule my pins. Tailwind is the bomb! I am currently on their free account but will definitely upgrade as soon as my free 100 pins got dispersed.
- Lastly, I do manual pinning for 25 minutes a day. This is important because you still want Pinterest to know that you are an active Pinner. Just set a timer and pin like a monster!
Trust me, you will be amazed by the result! I am hoping to increase my monthly pageviews in Pinterest to 10,000 by June.
2. New freebie in SavingsPinay Resource Library
The SavingsPinay Resource Library is where you can download freebies like workbooks, budget templates, money manifestos etc. created by yours truly.
Recently, I added the PDF sample of Itinerary and Expenses from my 4days and 3nights travel to Seoul. My plan is to update the library with a new freebie at least once a month.
Make sure to login here with the password I sent to you if you are already part of the tribe.
3. Email exploded to 1100+ members
For the first three years of my blogging journey I didn’t take building a mailing list seriously. I thought no one will dare to sign up on my tribe. Thankfully, I overcome this fear in June 2017.
What do you get as part of my email list?
Access to the Resource Library where you can download freebies like workbooks, budget templates, money manifestos etc.
An exclusive email every week containing info and updates I only share to my subscribers. My first newsletter includes how my first three months investing in direct stock market went. And the response has been amazing.
4. I reached my third Google Adsense Threshold
The first three years of my blog life I never thought I could earn money blogging. I got less than $2 a month!
I really owe whatever success I have to making that decision to invest back on my blog.
You heard me say this for a couple of times before but yes, buying my own domain and hosting (>PN Sakto on Pangalan) really became the biggest turning point of my blog life.
Today, there are more and opportunities coming my way. If not for making my blog sounds and looks more professional, I probably won’t reach my Google Adsense Threshold that fast.
If you are looking for a hosting solution I recommend Pangalan. Their PN Sakto Package is created exactly for newbie or seasoned bloggers who want to turn their blog to business!
I still can’t believe it now just takes me three months to reach my Google Adsense threshold.
You can still follow the official SavingsPinay Facebook Page for more money tips.
Also don’t forget to visit and join the SavingsPinay Community on Facebook for in-depth conversations.
Below are my must do’s related to blogging as the new month begins:
- Consistently publish 2 new posts a month. If you notice I’ve been lacking posts lately and I rarely post on a consistent schedule. I will try not to let procrastination get the most of me for June. I really want to publish two new posts a month that are helpful, valuable and relatable.
- Be at least one week ahead of blog posts. I’ve always wanted to get ahead of my blog schedule. I imagine getting ahead of at least one week of new blog posts will provide me a better work-life balance for June.
- Update 3 SavingsPinay Posts a week. I badly need to update past posts in SavingsPinay to optimize and to add proper ads inside. I have been longing to do this ever since my Kuya from Olanap.com helped me insert ads within my blog posts. This move goes the same with my other blog, IzzaGlinoFull.com wherein I must re-publish a lot of content.
- Send out weekly Newsletter. The weekly newsletter is an essential part of my engagement to SavingsPinay readers. I don’t just send a snippet of a new blog post I published. I actually manage to write and send a helpful guide, insightful tips and personal story to my subscribers.
May 2018 Blog Traffic Update
Another month where I hit 20,000 pageviews a month on SavingsPinay. Knowing that my blog is read or even visited 20,000 times is such a huge achievement for me.
You see, when I started SavingsPinay I never imagined it to be what it is today, a source of inspiration to others. Thank you for keeping this blog alive.
From 23,079 views last month I went up to 24,654.
With that here are my regular posts on SavingsPinay for May 2018:
55 Best Money Tips in Your 20s – How To Save, Invest, Retire Early and More
Cash Envelope System for Beginners
April 2018 Recap + Extra Income Report
Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions on How To Save Money
How I Make Money Blogging in the Philippines
1. Google Adsense Earnings – $30.83 or Php 1619.93
Difference from last month – -$4 or Php 210.18
This month my Google Adsense earnings was way below than my previous month. Although I still hit my $30 mark which is awesome, by the way.
This led me to my third Google Adsense earning this May.
Seriously after I earned my first 100 dollars from Google AdSense, it became much easier for me to reach my next payment threshold.
It took me almost four years to make money in Google AdSense and now I only need to wait 3-4 months.
This gives me so much hope that in near future I could earn $100 monthly, even more!
What did I do differently?
Owning my own domain and hosting made such a huge difference in my blog life.
That investment unlocked all the possibilities for monetization on my blog. For three long years I didn’t bother to have my own domain and web hosting.
I felt comfortable being a free blog.
Then my Kuya from Olanap.com said to me,
“Pag di ka .com, di ka lang hindi seseryosohin ng ibang tao. It also means na ikaw mismo ang hindi sumiseryoso sa blog mo”
Salute to you brother for changing my views and helping realize the value of investing in my passion.
If you are still blogging on free platform I highly recommend getting your own domain and hosting now. Try Pangalan, a one-stop shop to all domain and hosting needs.
Their PNSakto has everything you need to start a profitable blog.
Read Next: How To Generate Massive Traffic on Your Blog
2. Affiliate Income – Php 823.39
Difference from last month – Php 356.80
I make money by joining affiliate programs in the Philippines.
Affiliate marketing can be very hard to penetrate. I don’t think it could provide me a stable extra income anytime soon.
I have to know what I’m doing wrong and why I can’t seem to earn good income in this field. Also I try to be very selective with the companies and programs I partner with. I make sure I really use the product myself before recommending them to you.
The companies and programs I am affiliated with:
Pangalan – Php 617.00
You can buy domain or hosting plans through Pangalan with my link. I consider getting my own domain as the biggest turning point of my life as a blogger. With your own domain you will be easily remembered, get noticed and build authority. To learn more about Pangalan, read my How to Start a Blog post.
TravelBook – Php 46.80
I became an affiliate with TravelBook since August last year when they held a blogging contest which I fortunately won. If you want to book hotel or accommodation on your next trip then try to check TravelBook. They have tons of partnered hotels all over the Philippines and some even give huge discounts. To learn more about TravelBook, read my How to Earn as a TravelBook Affiliate post.
Lazada – Php 159.59
I recommend makeup or skincare products I use and include an affiliate link on my other blog, IzzaGlino. Here on SavingsPinay, I share financial books I read and other resource materials with their unique affiliate link. Make sure to check out some items on sale on Lazada. To learn more about Lazada, read my How to Make Money with Lazada post.
If you have any travel plans before the year ends check out TravelBook! They provide the latest budget-friendly hotel and accommodation and offer no credit card needed, pay at hotel stays for conscious travelers. Don’t forget to use my friend code 0225 upon check out.
4. Sponsored Posts – Php 0.00
Although I get inquiries about possible sponsorship and collaboration, I don’t really say yes to everything.
I want to work for a company which is in line with what I blog and what you, my audience, likes to read.
Hopefully this year I will have the opportunity to work with brands that promotes the same mission and vision I have.
If you want to learn more about sponsored post opportunity on this blog, shoot me a message on izza@wordpress-661740-2303377.cloudwaysapps.com
YOUTUBE
Right now my YouTube Channel is not eligible anymore for monetization. It failed to reach the 1000 subscribers threshold set by YouTube.
This is still hard to process on my side considering the big plans I have to rebrand the channel.
Still, I am thankful that in a month I went from 854 subscribers to 933 subscribers. Thank you for believing with the big plans I have for the channel.
Currently the channel’s about section is now, “a lifestyle channel for girlbosses”.
I urge you to subscribe to me on YouTube.
Promise it will be worth it.
Subscribe to my channel.
How I Make Money in YouTube Last Month
3. YouTube Earnings – $0.00 or Php 0.00
Last month, I mentioned my decision to wait for my channel to reach its next threshold before uploading any new videos. But, after much consideration I guess rebranding to more of goal-setting, being a girlboss and financial videos is the best solution.
The goal now is to publish a new video every week and definitely delete videos that doesn’t resonate with my rebrand anymore.
It will be all about personal finance and lifestyle videos. If ever the beauty-related video will be more general like get ready with me, monthly favorites, routines etc.
For income update, I was able to reach my $25 threshold before my channel got suspended from YouTube Partner Program. So my Paypal account has extra $25 in it ready if I ever plan to purchase something online!
This is what’s good with YouTube as a passion project, even if you don’t shoot, edit and upload a new video, you will earn passively from the past views.
I am looking forward for my second YouTube payout next month since it will take a couple of weeks for my payment to reflect to my Paypal account.
Also I hope you can subscribe to my channel so I can continue with the monetization program of YouTube. As mentioned earlier all channel below 1000 subscribers are not eligible anymore to the program.
Help me get 1000 subscribers before June 20.
FREELANCE CONTENT WRITING
Another way I make extra income while working full-time is offering my service as a freelance content writing.
I work as a freelance content writer and blogger for hire since 2014. I specialize in the following topics:
- Beauty and Lifestyle
- Personal Finance and Business
- Freelancing and Startup Life
- E-commerce
- Blogging
- Domain and Web Hosting
- Investing in Stocks
- Weddings and Events
- Travel
I have a degree in Journalism and have been working in the corporate world as a documentation specialist – first in an IT firm and currently in an asset management company.
I genuinely enjoy writing for the web. I love helping businesses promote their services through quality content material. I enjoy meeting my clients’ needs on schedule and getting their message across all mediums.
The last project I did was I became a ghost writer for a personal finance blog.
I was able to write around 6-7 articles during the duration of the work. The money I earned already reflected on my extra income fund in October 2017.
But this passion project is not my priority anymore this 2018
I would love to focus all my energy writing for my blog. This year I am cooking something that involves A TON of writing.
This will leave me no time to write for others anymore. I also want to try and guest post to other blogs or online media, to grow the traffic of SavingsPinay and IzzaGlino.
Still if you are a business owner or a blogger who want to grow through content marketing and badly need some helping hand you can email me at izza@wordpress-661740-2303377.cloudwaysapps.com or my personal email izzaglinofull@gmail.com. I will get back to you if ever I can accommodate your request.
WEDDINGS AND EVENTS BUSINESS
Surprise!
I actually have a business and it’s something I’ve been doing in the past 7 years.
Izza Glino Wedding and Events is a full weddings and events production based in Taguig, Philippines.
Currently, I pushed all my plans and activities for this side venture to focus in keeping both SavingsPinay and IzzaGlino active.
The new version of the website is now in progress! I plan to launch it before May ends.
My goal is to generate active income with it that could fast track my journey to first one million pesos!
5. Izza Glino Weddings and Events – Php 0.00
There is still much tasks to do and efforts to make for this passion project.
I have an added extra income from the hosting I did last April 29 but I already used most of the it to purchase the luggage for my next travel.
Hopefully, there will be added extra income this month and in the next 2 to 3 months ahead.
My Net Worth for May 2018
Below is the simple spreadsheet to show my May 2018 Net Worth:
Here are the details:
1. Extra Income – Php 15,242.65
As I’ve mentioned in the intro of this post I spent most of my extra income in paying for airfare during my recently concluded Samar vacation with family, my upcoming trip in Korea and my planned solo trip for my birth week.
The Izza before will surely fret at the thought of losing money. But now, I have the confidence that no amount of money can ever replace making memories with your loved one.
You can read my post on How I Organize My Finances + Inside My Money Map for more details.
Here’s what I realized over the years of chasing financial freedom. There are three ways you can use any extra money you have whether it came from a side job, bonus or unexpected gift.
1. Save it
Excess cash can be used to fund your savings. Open a new savings account or use any separate account your have deposit it.
2. Invest it
You can also choose to invest your extra money on a mutual fund, stock market, retirement accounts or other alternative investment in the Philippines. These type of funds are perfect for beginners plus opening fee are most likely around Php 5,000 to Php 10,000 only.
3. Use it
You deserve a reward for your extra hard work so why not use the money to go on a much needed vacation. You can also save all your extra money to buy your bigger expenses like luxury items, car, downpayment for a house etc.
Banner Advertising is something I wish I had done from the very beginning but fear got in me and put on my someday-maybe file.
Last March, I finally added Banner Advertising as part of my income stream for SavingsPinay. I am hoping this will help bring some money to add on my Extra Income Fund.
My weddings and events business is not making me any money at time being.
One of the ways I’m looking to increase this number by next month is offer Banner Advertising on the blog.
If you have a business or even a blog and you want to receive some referred traffic through banner ads please visit this link.
Related Posts about Making Extra Income:
21 Best Side Hustles To Start This 2017
8 Important Reasons To Start a Side Hustle
2. Savings Account – Php 38, 719.12
One of my goal this 2018 is to reach Php 60,000 savings and put it on a passbook account.
Currently I am still half-way of this goal partly because last year I used most of my money to invest.
I’ve explained all about this in my 2017 Year in Review – Life, Goals, Finances and More.
This year I really want to tick-off this goal so that by 2019 I can focus on investing more.
I am currently saving 10% of my income from my full-time job. And to really boost my savings this year I decided to follow to increase my saving percentage by 1% every month.
A separate savings account is prepared for this and I’m happy to report that I am on track.
Related Posts about Saving Money:
How To Save Money Each Month : A Definitive Guide for Pinoys
The 50-20-30 Budget Rule and How It’ll Save Your Finances
3. Stocks – Php 37, 257.53
The Philippine stock market continues to fluctuate in the month of March. 7 out of 10 stocks I have were red and it seems like they will continue to downtrend till April.
This is exactly the reason why you should not invest without a proper savings first. You need to be financially ready at times when the stock market is not working on your will.
Also, if you are investing for the long-term like me, you can’t be swayed by my emotions easily.
Related Posts about Investing in Stocks:
I’m Finally Investing in Stocks
Stock Investing 101 : The Frequently Asked Questions
4. Mutual Fund – Php 58,539.00
I’ve been investing in mutual fund since 2014.
For the first three years I experienced slow growth in my mutual fund earnings.
I even experienced a loss in my last update.
The current state of the Philippine stock market affected the market value of my mutual investment big time. I’m not happy at all looking at my portfolio.
From almost Php 9000 gain in January down to a negative. Undoubtedly, sad.
But then I again I’m keeping my investment intact. Mutual Fund is a good parking lot for whatever savings I have so I will still believe that as the market goes up once again, the returns I have will return and even grow bigger.
Related Posts about Investing in Mutual Fund:
Investing in Mutual Fund for Beginners : The Complete Guide
Best Mutual Fund in the Philippines : 2018 Update
5. FarmOn – Php 17,000.00
As of April 2018, the total money I have invested on crowdfunding through FarmOn is Php 17,000.
My rice investment started in January 2018 and I have to wait for the next six to eight months for the return.
The squash, on the other hand, was just last March 2018 so I’ll probably see the return by the end of the year.
Excited how this new investment vehicle will turn out in the next 6 to 8 months. I’ll now stop adding any investment in FarmOn until my first plot of rice gained it’s return.
Related Posts about Investing in Online Farming or Crowdfunding:
Cropital, Philcrowd and FarmOn: Best Alternative Investment in the Philippines
How To Invest in FarmOn: A Step by Step Guide
Notes:
For stocks and mutual funds, the figures reflected are market value already.
For online farming, the figures reflected are my starting capital.
6. Receivables
I know my receivables is too much and I have to do something to decrease this and reinvest instead.
Both Receivable #1 and #2 are money owed to me.
Other Assets are combined value of items I own that has market value like aircon (I won on a raffle), LCD projector and gadgets like Ipad Mini and previous HP laptop.
7. Liabilities – Php 0.00
I currently don’t have any liabilities, debt or credit.
Final Notes from SavingsPinay
I hope you enjoyed my April Recap and Extra Income Report. By the way, I am still working full-time. I have no plans of quitting unless I feel confident enough that my extra income can support me towards financial freedom.
Now that the extra income I have is almost gone, I have to work more on my side hustle. This is my priority for May.
Please go over my other blog to read all about the events and happenings that took place in my personal life.
Thank you for reading my post. See you on the next recap and extra income report.
I hope you can give me some feedback about this new layout in the comment section.
How is your finances for May 2018?
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