I just opened WordPress thinking to write about work, incomes, and asking for your suggestions on marketing myself with better results in 2024. The first title that popped up on their site said, start making money and the one underneath asked, “What would you do if you won the lottery?”

Coincidence? Odd timing, eh? Anyway, yes, I’d like to start making money. I bring in less than $18,000 per year and live comfortably, no better than just that. I’m living my dream life. A home (small and sweet), colorful, fenced yard, river, ocean, community, beaches, dogs, friends, food grown and picked. It’s an amazing life yet I want to up the quality of my lifestyle, better clothes and footwear, vehicles that are unlikely to break down in the near future!, stucco the casita, replace the old doors. I’m not asking much but just, a sense of quality and abundance.

Most of my days are spent with hours doing work for free, online, in person, volunteering this that and the other. Always, probably always will. I help. Because I can. Yet…I’m also tired of living under poverty level. Going without. Living simply. By choice.

Now though, I’d like to bring in another $500 to $1500 month. But how?

Over summer, I work and earn about $1500 month as a campground host. Free place to live. 30 hours a week for them. Then free time to work on writing and being creative, hiking and exploring. Last year, I made about $1000 month from that job. My goal though is to complement those hours/income with mentoring and working with writers on their books. I’ve tried advertising on the various social media platforms but to not much success. I’ve had odds and ends of such editing jobs which I’d like more of. But…What else can I do? How do get paid for the things I do, can do, offer? Editing, writing, photos, sketches, working where I can? How do I live in abundance?