How would your life change if you had an additional $12,283 each month?
Alas, this is the third installment of my quarterly alternative income report of 2021.
Before you continue, pls note that this blog post will not teach you anything of significant value. Income reports are one type of content that I regularly publish on my blog. I have been doing so from 2015 when I was making $80 per month, and it is largely for the tracking of my personal journey. With that out of the way, please feel free to reach out and chat with me on Discord – I’m there all the time.
As usual, the previous edition of this report (for 2021 2nd quarter) can be found here if you’re keen to read more.
A recurring theme which I have mentioned is that the build-up of net worth is no longer meaningful enough for me. It wouldn’t be that .. efficient if I don’t know how to make that capital work hard for me, isn’t it?
This is why my wife and I are focusing our time and efforts on both passive and semi-passive income streams that are able to sustain our lifestyle.
Along with my pursuit of improving our financial security, I have started writing a complementary series of blog posts regarding financial independence, retire early (FIRE) and surviving on purely on alternative income as an experimental attempt to live the FIRE lifestyle.
Recap : What are my alternative income streams?
If you’re already familiar with this series of blog post, please skip to the next section!
New to this? Please check out this blog post which I felt was rather detailed and about 90% of what it covered is gonna be the same.
To summarize, my alternative income streams consists of –
- Cash (or equivalent) – Interest
- Investment – Dividends
- Blog – Ad revenue
- Affiliate Marketing – Sales revenue
- Crypto income – Lending / staking / farming
- Others
I am a salaryman – Monthly income vs alternative income
I’m a pseudo-anonymous nobody, and like most people, I don’t make a ton of money from work every month when I first started out in the workforce. I earn enough, and I’m contented to have a roof over my head.
Curious about that “dip” in 2014? Go here.
Like most people, I was firmly entrenched in the “consistency” domain and regularly exchanged my time for money.
Since I wasn’t a high-achiever, I figured I’d side-hustle a little bit to keep up.
Fast-forward to 2019 and it was the first time that I have actually made more than $2,000 of alternative income in a single year. You can imagine how happy I was! There is something very magical about creating an income stream, even when it was merely Google AdSense coffee money 🙂
The rest, as they say, is history.
Total earnings for 2021 – third quarter (S$36,849)
And so, the third quarter of 2021, I generated a grand total of $36,849 or $12,283 per month.
Breakdown as follows –
- September 2021 – S$14,366
- August 2021 – S$12,277
- July 2021 – S$10,206
To repeat myself (hmm I feel so naggy), this is alternative income that is generated by expending my time and efforts which are limited resources that I have. Some income components are passive, whereas some are active.
Mini Q&A session.
1. Sustainability?
The focus of alternative income has always been on repeatability and sustainability, which is why none of what you see above is a result of trading activities and selling of assets. Those are separately tracked and not tabulated together with alternative income.
This actually applies for both traditional finance and crypto. For example, REITs’ distributions would be included whereas selling of SPH REIT would not be included. Likewise, crypto staking income would be included whereas selling of Bitcoin at $68,000 (just an example) wouldn’t be.
Sometimes, I see overly optimistic projections by folks that are unrealistic when bear market arrives. I’d suggest discounting such projections heavily, since a 50% decrease in price coupled with a 50% decrease in yield would mean that comfortable $4,000 income would quickly become $1,000 – and that’s not even the worst that the market can dish out.
I know, because that’s how brutal 2018-2019 was like. Easy 80-90% drops. I’d rather err on the side of extreme caution when making projections.
2. Principal-vs-earnings in crypto?
Exactly $40,000 in.
This was one question that popped up, which I have actually mentioned once back in July. I’m just a small fish.
I know there were many different moves being made last or this year. Nope, I didn’t make any big pivot overnight – and I have kept and added to all my positions on robo-advisors (such as AutoWealth, Endowus and Syfe) and SG equities.
Constantly de-risking.
3. Talk more about DeFi?
I haven’t done so, at least not much.
Most people who come by my blog, they’ll likely see my posts on centralized custodian platforms e.g. Crypto.com etc because I feel that’s the most suitable kind of products for the general population. There is a support system in place when they mess up, plus I have skin in the game. I use everything I write about.
The level of risk that comes with managing our own money, and the variety of threat vectors that exist plus the technical competency required to navigate the space all adds up to a huge challenge.
I lurk in a few chat groups and Discord servers, and observed how VVS Finance, a new Automated Market Maker (AMM) on the Cronos chain (by Crypto.com), totally obliterated investors who were late to the game in chasing the incredible yield. I see these same stories, week after week.
Things simply change too fast. I can write about a topic here and it’ll be rendered useless the next day due to a new development.
I doubt I’d write much about DeFi here. I might, but Discord is probably I’d be.
Meanwhile, in the normal life ..
Nothing special to add about affiliate marketing and blogging revenue etc as those are pretty much boring, auto-pilot stuff. I still write over here for fun because I enjoy doing so. I’m not feeling compelled to crunch out many blog posts and I only write when I feel like doing so.
And because of this blog, I have had the opportunity to connect with quite a number of people and I really enjoyed my chats – primarily on Discord. Thanks guys, I appreciate being able to use up much of your precious time!
On the investment side of things, REITs and Syfe REIT+ have been giving me regular dividends. Plus, it looks like yield is gradually going back up to pre-Covid levels!
Well, if your interest is piqued despite my disclaimer that I’ve added at the start of this post, stay tuned for the last alternative income report of 2021. Channels to connect with me are below – simply scroll down! I have neither courses nor paid groups to sell.
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Blog news & stuff
Recently, I created free eBooks for you – do check them out here!
No matter which is your preferred app or medium, there are plenty of ways to get notified whenever there are new blog posts!
Did I mention I have a brand new shop? Basically an upgraded version of my dedicated referral links & codes page and some are exclusive offers. In my virtual store, I penned down my thoughts and listed some awesome products and services that I’m already paying for that helped to supercharge my financial journey. Check it out – it might have something you want!
Hello! I’m Kevin, Turtle Investor
At the age of 30, I am the Personal Finance Blogger who laid claim to a negative net worth of minus $25,755 – and decided to turn things around.
- Seven years later in 2019, I hit CPF Full Retirement Sum (FRS) of $176,000 without making a single cent of CPF top-up
- In nine years, I have added more than $1 million to my net worth
- In total, I have earned more than six-figures in alternative income in addition to my job
My blueprint for financial independence can help give you a head start in your own FIRE – Financial Independence, Retire Early (optional) – journey. More tidbits about myself here if you’re curious.
I am married to a lovely wife and that means dual income with no kids. In my free time, I chase miles so that we can fly in business class. My hobbies include making pocket change off this blog and sharing everything I know with you!
Kev, what are your current thoughts with syfe reit+? read your post, and does your view still stand, on its long term sustainability and prospect,
have been DCA every month for just over a year. will you continue to hold to hold on to it?
its performance seems kinda dismal.
also i read somewhere, that the amount yield is skewed, as they include the referral fee earned as your “returns”? is this correct?
Hey FC,
The iEdge S-REIT Leaders Index is still reeling from the on-going impact of Covid and about .. 10% off its peak just before the pandemic, give or take? I bought into Syfe REIT+ as a passive way to get exposure to SG REITs, if there’s no big changes I’ll keep holding or adding.
If you’re referring to the chart in their dashboard, hmm. I think you’re right. The way they calculate/represent is probably not how I’d do it.
Building other investments avenues is the only way to go when aiming for total and complete financial indpendence.