S1 EP4: The Slump
We just checked our calendar, and it seems that yet another month has passed before we realised. April was a bit of a wacky month, with a lot of things happening. We have been away for a long time again and we find that after this we always need to acclimate to the routines and habits of home. So hopefully May will bring us some more structure again.
Good things that happened this month:
- Earned some money (albeit not from our channels)
- TikTok seems to be growing slowly, but organically
- Received tickets for a ballet recital from our last interviewee, Marie-Louise. Loved going and watching the dances! Perks of being a journalist 🙂
Not-so-good things that happened this month:
- Went on a hiking vacation, only to end up failing and staying sick in bed
- No extra followers or subscribers (lost some on Youtube)
- Our doubts about whether this will work are growing and we are thinking about looking for a part-time job
Starting Off Hard
Let’s start at the beginning of the month. The first week of April we were dog sitting for some friends, which meant we were able to make some money passively while still doing some work. And honestly, we worked our butts off to finish editing two videos for April. So go ahead, show us some love and go check them out!
We Hiked the Mullerthal Trail in 3 Days. Read about it here!
Dancing Through Time: Celebrating an 83-year-old Ballerina.
The Big Fail
Just a couple of days after getting back home from the dog sitting gig, we left on another hiking trip – or at least, what should have been a hiking trip. We flew to Lisbon and then to Madeira to hike the MIUT (Madeira Island Ultra Trail), a running event in which you cross the entire island from east to west in just 115km (71.5 miles). But on day 3, we got so sick that we had to stop. At first we hoped to get some rest and then continue hiking, but it soon became clear that in our condition this would no longer be possible. We ended up spending a couple of days in bed to sleep it off, and had a couple of days left to do some more touristy activities. In retrospect, it was clear that we were both in desperate need of rest and doing nothing for a while so this actually came at a good time. If you want to know what happened, we’ll be posting a storytime on YouTube in May!
Not So Side Hustling
Our special edition challenge of April and May isn’t going the way we hoped it would. April has been such a busy month for us, that we were only able to focus on the challenge near the end of the month. So far, we’ve participated in a garage sale, finished upgrading one dresser, and sold some things on Facebook Marketplace.
Here’s a little breakdown of our earnings in case you’re interested:
Spent:
- €5 participation fee garage sale
- €11.5 woodfiller
- €5.59 hardware for dresser
- €29.99 paint
- €7.05 varnish
- €29 paint remover
Earned:
- €400 on two e-bikes
- €12.3 Garage sale
- €20 Old stereo
- €80 Subwoofer
Total Profit so far: €453.17
We do need to add a sidenote and say that the amount of money we made on the first garage sale is a rather wrong representation of the potential. We had 2 e-bikes for sale, which went for €200 each. In reality, the weather was bad, maybe 10 people showed up, and besides the bikes, we earned a measly €12 …
What is positive is that we both see tremendous potential in flipping stuff. If, like us, you don’t quite know how to get into this and are afraid of making wrong purchases, start by selling the stuff you no longer use and that’s just gathering dust in the attic. We’re doing this as well, and you’d be surprised how much some things are still worth.
Other Side Hustles
As for the affiliate idea, Print on Demand, Amazon KDP, or any other ideas, we haven’t been productive in any way. There were so many things going on in April, and we felt a bit out of it. With Madeira failing, we allowed ourselves a more relaxing trip for once. But when we arrived back home, everything felt slow and weird.
For May, we’ve already blocked out some more time to spend on figuring out the other side hustles, and we’ll be doing another garage sale at the beginning of the month.
Doubts and New Ideas
As we already said, April has been a bit of a weird month for us. We haven’t been able to shake the doubts about our experiment, and the motivation to keep going keeps on diluting. We’re seriously considering starting a part time job to earn at least SOME money or rather have a steady income, because right now, The Daily Duo isn’t bringing in any type of money. We so desperately want to make an income from our passions but living all these months without a steady income and with many questions is beginning to take its toll.
Another idea that has been running through our heads, is starting a foodtruck business. We really enjoy cooking, and were talking to family about it, and it just seemed like a fun idea. We still have no idea as to how to start, but the idea is definitely something we’ll explore a bit further. But if we’re being honest, a lot of ideas have been running through our heads lately. We really want to make something work and be able to stay self-employed. So if you have any ideas or tips for us on other fun side (or main) hustles, we’d LOVE to hear them!
To us it’s clear that May will be a very telling month for us. At the end of next month, we’ll be deciding on where we’re going with The Daily Duo, and if we’ll be jobhunting again soon…
Wish us luck!
Love,
Roddy & Céline