Apr 11 2009
Another Day, Another SIX Dollars, Maybe SEVEN
Being “RETIRED” means I often find myself searching for things to do to keep myself busy, you know, to keep my mind active. That means doing something other than picking up dog poo in the yard, washing dishes, doing laundry, and vacuuming a little.
I chose “blogging” as a way to earn a few dollars from my writing. Writing novels didn’t pay. They just sit here on the hard drive. Oh, I sent one novel to my Mom and she printed it out–all 167 pages. I just don’t think it is ready for publication; perhaps I’m not really that creative when it comes to being a “novelist.”
So “blogging” it is. I have several blogs besides this one, and I write about politics, the 1960’s, photography, fitness, diet, other blogs and dogs.
At one time or another, I’ve run advertising from many of the popular sites. If you read a lot of blogs you know which sites I am speaking of. If you don’t read a lot of blogs, then–Google Adsense, Project Wonderful, CMF Ads, PepperJam, Adbrite, Text-Link-Ads, Widgetbucks, Share-a-Sale, Adgitize, and Amazon. I think that pretty much includes all that I have used. There are others. As you can see I have tried many; I have also cancelled many.
Some of these sites only pay if someone BUYS something after clicking on an advertisement. Some pay only if a someone “clicks” on an ad. Some pay just based on how many visitors to my sites see the ad. Some bloggers pay just to put a link on my site. I don’t see a lot of money from any of these. Nobody has ever purchased anything after clicking on an advertisement on my blogs that would trigger a commission payment to me. I wonder how many ordinary folks make any “real” money on blogs.
That’s why I say, “today I made another six dollars, maybe seven.” My wife just laughs at me. She asks how many HOURS I spent “working” on my blogs today in order to make the six or seven dollars. I say it comes out to maybe $1.75 per hour. “How wonderful,” she says, “you must be so excited about that.”
Ummm…so that makes me feel like an old geezer just being humored along. I think she hopes I will tire of blogging and go back to work in the real world. That doesn’t even sound like fun any more.
Quite some time ago I wrote about my efforts to find CREATIVE things to keep my mind active. Here is a post from the Archive entitled “Joys of Retirement - Creative Time.”
those little bits add up though
And it is nice to have that money coming in for something you enjoy doing, isn’t it?
I assume that most of us that do it must enjoy it, since as you correctly observed, the hourly wage is quite often not so hot
The money I make from blogging have something to do with my self respect. I loved working. I hated retiring, though I love retirement. I think blogging gives me some of the pleasure I got from working - minus the big paycheck, of course.
Maxie
http://womenoverfifty.today.com
I am far from retirement, but I’m a SAHM that’s just trying to make enough to pay for the kids to go on field trips and go to the movies. So I blog to do that since it isn’t going to bring home a paycheck like my husband brings home. But it’s fun! I’m also working on a novel that I’m hoping will get out there and be a best seller. But that too is a slow process. I love your blog!