With the internet money-making train going at full throttle, it makes sense that many people are trying to change their lifestyle by making money online.
The opportunities are certainly there! You can become an affiliate marketer, promoting other peoples products or become a freelance writer, creating content for upcoming internet superstars.
The nice thing about making money online is that you don’t need a degree nor do you have to go to a job interview. Anyone can do it as long as you have access to the internet.
There’s one thing that most people don’t talk about when it comes to making money online and that is the additional expenses. Besides paying for a domain name, website hosting service, email marketing provider, etc.
Unlike a regular job, there are some expenses that you will now have to consider getting on your own when you’re your own boss making money online.
In this article, I will go over the additional costs to make money online, so you can prepare yourself for it before you quit your job. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Office Supplies And Equipment
Most regular office job will provide you with a new desktop, keyboard, mouse, etc. If something breaks or you need a new chair, the expenses are all covered by your employer.
I used to take advantage of this perk because it doesn’t cost me a dime! However, working online has its own blessing and curse. For example, if something breaks, I’ll need to cover it out of my pocket.
Fortunately, it doesn’t cost too much to have a fully operational online business! A $500.00 laptop from BestBuy should suffice. Heck, you can forget about the computer chair… just sit on your couch!
Health, Dental, Eye, and Life Insurance
Insurance is one of the most overlooked expenses because it comes out of your paycheck. When you don’t see the money yourself, you don’t think about it.
Most companies are required to offer you health, dental, eye, and life insurance. However, when you’re running your own business, you’ll have to be responsible to keep yourself insured just in case something happens to you.
Just because you don’t plan to use it any time soon, it’s still important to have it when you need it. Life is unpredictable!
Retirement Savings
Save now, so you can become financially free by the time you retire. This is all part of the common path of like. Work hard and hopefully, your employers offer you a pension or 401k. This will ensure that by the time you retire, you’ll have a large sum of cash to enjoy the remainder of your life.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to you if you make money online. Funny thing is, when you make money online, it’s almost like retiring early.
You get to do what you want such as make money while on vacation or spending time with your loved ones. However, I wouldn’t let the prosperous times get to you. Always put away money for a rainy day (emergency funds).
Taxes
Yup, even if you make money online, you’ll still have to pay taxes. Especially when you don’t get any tax deduction or your payouts each time. To help you out, I have prepared 5 tax deductions for your online business. However, please consult your tax preparer for confirmation because it may vary depending on where you live.
In addition, I have also prepared an article on how to file taxes as a blogger just for you! And here’s a personal tip for you! Do not spend every dime you make online! Put aside at least 50% of your earnings just in case for tax season.
WordPress Themes And Plugins
Want to redesign your website? Well, there are many options out there, both paid and free. I started my blog using a free WordPress theme and free plugins.
I did not plan to spend more money on premium themes or plugins, but I ended up spending the money anyway. I thought what I had was enough and I was wrong.
If you want to progress, you must be willing to invest in yourself and your online business.
Services
There’s going to come a time in your online business career where you’ll need help. For example, your blog is getting exceptionally popular, but you don’t have time to create content anymore. Instead of reducing your content publishing frequency, you can hire a freelance writer to write for you.
It’s going to cost you money and you’re probably thinking it won’t happen to you any time soon. But you have to see that is a possibility.
Right now, on Smart Affiliate Hub, I am the only writer because I can still manage and I love writing my own articles. But one day, I will resort to hiring writers while producing my own.
Utility Bill
If you’re reading this blog post on a computer, you probably have some sort of internet connection at home. However, depending on how many users are connected to your WiFi, you might need to upgrade your internet service.
For me, I have a separate office in my house for my online business, so I can separate my bills for that room just for tax purposes. This includes electricity, air conditioning, heater, etc. Again, please consult your tax preparers before writing off your spending as a business expense.
In Conclusion
Hopefully, this article was helpful. Unlike most make money online articles out there. I just want to be truthful to you, so you know exactly what to expect.
There’s no such thing as a no-cost opportunity. If it doesn’t cost you money, it’ll cost you time, and for the most part BOTH. If someone tells you that you can make lots of money by doing nothing and for free. He or she is probably lying to you or not telling you everything.
If you have any questions in regards to this article or how to make money online. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below!
Cheers,
Protected by Patchstack