It’s been a full month since Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen drank their way into 2024 on Live TV. (It’s my favorite New Year’s Even celebration to watch. I have a small crush on Anderson that started back when I watched him in high school on Channel One. I’m getting off track and the blog post just started.)
I thought this weekend would be a good time to give an update on my three New Year’s Resolutions.
Resolution #1 – Lowering My A1C
My recent doctor’s visit resulted in finding out that my A1C was at 8.0. While not great, there was a definite decrease since I first started Ozempic.
At that same appointment, my Ozempic dosage was increased from 1 mg per week to 2 mgs. I’m optimistic about seeing a more notable change in my blood sugar levels next time I’m in the doctor’s office.
This morning I was ecstatic with my glucose number! It was 113! Typically I see numbers in the high 100’s or low 200’s when I first get up.
Things are definitely improving.
Resolution #2 – Earning Extra $200 per Month with a Side Hustle
Well….I’ve been trying.
I’m not sure how successful I will be in the upcoming months, but I did reach my goal of earning an extra $200 for January.
Here is how it’s going:
Survey Junkie
I have a total of $18.34 in my Survey Junkie account. I looked back at the date of my prior blog post and I had $2 in this account on 1/11.
I’ve only spent a handful of days this past month on the website. This is not something I do daily.
I don’t mind the surveys depending on what I’m doing. If I’m watching TV and want to try and work on a couple here and there, it gives me something to do.
You are not going to get rich off these surveys. I just looked at the website and I have options that pays $1.35 for a 10 minute survey, as well as one that pays $0.95 for a 12 minute survey. (Usually the surveys take longer than what they say.)
My intention is to not cash out any money from the survey websites until I have at least $50 in them.
InBoxDollars
I like InBoxDollars. It’s easy to use and just simple in the website design.
I have $30.04 in my account, at the moment. On January 11th I had $10.53. Again, this is not a website I go to daily. I probably check out the surveys that are available maybe a couple of times a week.
I did earn money this past month from InBoxDollars by downloading Monopoly Go and playing through some of the levels. I’m not a gamer by any means, but I enjoyed the game and it gave me something to do during halftime of basketball games.
If someone did enjoy playing games on their phones/tablets, this would be a good website for them.
I’ll keep using this website and cash out when I get to the $50 mark.
Craigslist & Facebook Marketplace
My husband, Brian, is taking charge of this aspect of making extra money. He has listed about 6 items so far and just sold a pair of car/loading ramps for $50.
He has an endless supply of items he can list, and he also seems to enjoy the whole buying/selling process.
I hate the talking/texting people so this is a good side hustle to leave to him.
Another positive to this venture is the fact that we are able to rid ourselves of items we no longer have a use for.
I love it.
Too much ‘stuff’ can make life overwhelming for me.
Prime Opinion
I heard about Prime Opinion in a survey I was completing for Survey Junkie. It was talking about how Prime Opinion usually pays people more per completed survey. I thought I’d try it out and it does seem to have better deals.
I have a total of $12.50 in this account. I’ve been on the website probably only 5 or 6 different times. I’m happy with it and will continue to try and work the total up to the $50 mark.
Other Income
We had an option this past month at work to complete a training out of work hours and get paid for it. Due to attending this event, I was able to make an extra $320. It was an enjoyable training, and I’m glad I went.
Totals:
Training: $320
Inbox: $30.04
Prime Opinion: $12.50
Survey Junkie: $18.34
Marketplace: $50
Total for the month of January: $430.88
Resolution #3 – Declutter/Organize House
Out of my three Resolutions, decluttering and organizing the house is my absolute favorite by far.
We were able to take two different loads of items to Goodwill this past month. They were not huge loads, by any means, but it was something.
I have another Goodwill pile already started and I hope to add to it this weekend.
Last week, I was able to organize a bookshelf. While this sounds like a small, inconsequential task, it was not. (It was a rather large bookshelf that was crammed with books.)
I filled a gigantic plastic tote, I’m talking the size of a small Christmas tree, with Nora Roberts books. I could barely get the top on, it was so full. Brian took it downstairs for me and I then moved the books that were overflowing on top of my headboard to the bookshelf.
I feel so much better now as I get ready to head to bed. My TBR pile is now moved off the headboard and organized where it should be on the bookshelf near the kitchen.
My next project is to tackle the China Cabinet.
The glass shelves are fine. They have Paris plates (don’t ask – story for a different time), Grandma Lovette’s cups and saucers, along with a few knickknacks and pictures here and there.
It’s the bottom storage area that is the issue. There are candles, old curtains, a frog clock, toaster, and many other odds and ends hiding behind the two doors. It should be interesting to go through and see what I find to keep, and what I can add to the Goodwill pile.
I’m actually looking forward to it.
Goals for Today:
- Complete a Few Surveys
- Take a Nap
- Start Organizing the China Cabinet