Side Hustle Project: YouTube Channel

 YouTube has been around since 2005 and is widely used by everyone. From gaming to cooking videos, this platform has a plethora of content creators ready to suit anyone's needs. But the question here is, can you make money off "YouTubing"?

The short and simple answer is "Maybe". Most of us who use YouTube frequently enough, know that there are large channels with few thousands to few million subscribers and their videos usually chalk up crazy amounts of views. Content creators on YouTube earn revenue when they become YouTube Partners and their content qualifies for monetisation. So those ads you see placed at the start and in between your videos, that is where the money is made.

Now for someone to even qualify for the YouTube Partnership Program, there are a few criteria that needs to be met: 1) Minimum of 1000 subscribers 2) 4000 watch hours. Only after reaching these benchmarks would YouTube extend an invitation out for your channel and content to be reviewed for partnership.

In my personal opinion, the initial impetus for creating a YouTube channel should not be for revenue. If so, your channel will become dry of new content very quickly and you probably just give up. For myself, my channel serves as an area for me to document for journey into my various hobbies and to connect with others in the community. With the right mindset, you will probably last longer doing this and hopefully, in the long run, it can generate some side income for you. 

So that's why my answer is a "maybe". The hours that go into filming your content, editing and rendering is long and tedious. For those that are on the fence about doing so, my advice would be to just go ahead and get your first video out. The inertia and initial experience will always be awkward. But if you never try, you never know.

If you are interested, you can check out my channel here. Any feedback, comment or subscription is deeply appreciated.

SG FI Dad, out

Alternative Income Report: Jan 2021

 It has been a while since I last updated the blog. Took a short break to focus on work, family and plan for the upcoming year. It is time to take action on those plans as time waits for no one. It is already the middle of Feb and very soon the first quarter of 2021 will be upon us.

For Jan, we received $191.33 from interests and dividend returns. Not quite there yet at $200 per month that we are aiming for but very close. We are confident that we will reach our goal for 2021 with our continuous entry into the market.

On a separate note, I have started a YouTube Channel showcasing my hobbies. I will delve deeper into this on a separate post but if you are interested, have a watch and let me know what you think. Any feedback, subscriptions or comments is deeply appreciated!

Numismatics and Silver Stacking

 Thought I'd share on something less financially serious but more of a hobby. In recent years, I got interested in collecting coins, silver, gold and currency notes. Most people would associate this with what the older generation folks used to do or are still doing.

Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money and related objects. Nowadays, whenever I receive my change, I would take a second glance to check for error notes/coins as well as special serial numbers. When silver/gold coins are minted in limited quantities, I would also look to get them and send them for grading by a third-party coin-grading service such as NGC or PCGS. The highest grade that a coin/note can receive is 70 which states that it is Gem Uncirculated and there are no flaws that can be seen under x5 magnification.

For me, the act/hobby of collecting and accumulating precious metal coins and currency notes serves as a type of hedge. One is liquidity and I am able to use the notes for their face value. Two, silver and gold often serves as a hedge against inflation and they are a store a value, though they do not pay out/generate income.

If you are interested to see the items I have for sale, you can take a look at my listings here! There are other collectibles apart from coins and notes.

If you are a fellow silverbug/silver stacker, check out our merch store here! There might be something you are interested in!

PSA, if you missed out last year, Google Pay will give you $3 cashback after your first transaction. Use it to transfer money to your family and friends weekly to earn more! Click here to get started!

Let me know your thoughts and comments on numismatics and such hobbies!

SG FI Dad, out.

Goals for 2021

 It is typical for anyone to have resolutions and goals for the new year. I am like any normal person and have set my sights on certain goals to be completed for 2021. The saying goes 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail'. More importantly for me, incremental goals help me get some small wins and keeps my wife and I motivated on this journey.

Health related:

Lose 5kg and lower my blood cholesterol levels.

Both guys and girls struggle with body image issues. Recently with our LO around, it has been more difficult to find time for workouts. When I went for a recent health check-up, the nurse told me that my 'bad' cholesterol was on the upper range limit. This was a first and a wake-up call. No point doing so much financially but not staying healthy to reap the benefits in the future. My wife and I will be looking to workout at least 3 times a week in the upcoming year.

Precious Metals:

Add >1 oz of gold; Add >30oz of silver

Just a little hobby of mine. Gold and silver here includes graded and non-graded precious metals, bars and coins. Kinda see this as a hedge and having the physical metal to hold is just different from having it on 'paper'.

Investment related:

Continue with DCA strategy with new exposures; Increase CPF top-ups; Increase SRS top-ups.

We are going to continue with our DCA strategy but look for more areas that may have growth. In the upcoming year, we will also look to top-up our CPF and SRS accounts for investment and tax-deduction purposes.

That is some of the goals that we have set for ourselves this year. I will update accordingly every quarter and monitor our progress.

PSA, if you missed out last year, Google Pay will give you $3 cashback after your first transaction. Use it to transfer money to your family and friends weekly to earn more! Click here to get started!

SG FI Dad, out.

2020 Wrap-up

 What a year 2020 has been. Honestly, I think this year epitomizes the meaning of trials and tribulations. It was the year my wife and I welcomed our LO into our lives and she has been a bundle of joy and energy. But the year has also been challenging with the pandemic and changes to our working arrangements and environment. We are just thankful and hopeful that as we enter into 2021, the situation around us will improve and we will progress steadily towards normalcy.

We received $1135.84 this year in dividends. As we move towards 2021, we are looking to double this amount which would mean receiving ~$200 per month. Honestly, this is just one part of our portfolio and we do not mind the slow and steady progress (as long as there is progression).

We also did some tax optimization by doing some CPF voluntary top-ups. I am grateful that my wife sees value in doing this and planning for our family's future. She has made this journey towards financial security and eventually/hopefully independence is made easier and more enjoyable.

We will be going on a staycation sometime next month and will be doing a mini family-finance retreat as part of it. I am still working on the worksheets that will be made available to everyone who is interested. I feel that as a couple, if we understand what are each other's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to financial planning and spending patterns, it will make the relationship a lot stronger.

In my next post, I will be updating on our 2021 investment direction and strategy. No we won't be going into active trading but we are looking at stocks and ETFs that will grant us some growth and overseas exposure.

Here's wishing that everyone stays safe and healthy as we usher in the New Year!

SG FI Dad, out.