The $1K Side Hustle Experiment: Boosting My Income Before 2024 Ends
Hey everyone! Today, I wanted to hop on here during a little work break to share something exciting. I’m starting an experiment—a 1K experiment, to be exact. My goal? To make $1,000 per month by the end of the year.
Sounds simple enough, but let’s face it—this year’s been extra tough. I’m not just doing this for 2024; I’m trying to revamp my whole income game for 2025. Let me walk you through what this challenge is all about, what I’ve been doing, and how you can follow along!
Why the $1K Experiment?
With the holidays approaching and costs climbing, I want to create new income sources. Getting ahead for Christmas is a huge motivator for me. This experiment isn’t just about desperate hustle—it’s about laying down smarter strategies for building sustainable income streams online.
My focus will primarily be on digital products because those are the things I love creating. But I can’t forget—making $1K isn’t just about setting it and forgetting it. Passive income takes some real upfront work, and that’s what I’ll be sharing. This journey will run up until the end of the year, starting now. So if you’re interested, stick around—I’ll show you how this plays out.
Here’s a breakdown of where my income has come from so far.
August 2023: What I’ve Earned So Far
I wasn’t seriously trying to make any real income in August, but I still managed to put up some small wins. Let’s take a look.
Etsy Store
In August, I made $21 from my Etsy shop, mostly from a couple of sales that came in randomly on the 27th and the 29th. I honestly haven’t put much effort into Etsy this year. In fact, I wasn’t even promoting it! But sitting back has cost me—my conversion rate this year is down compared to last year.
It’s a wake-up call for me to get back into the game. I know there’s potential here, and the only person stopping me is me! The products that I did sell have been sitting on my Etsy for a while, and they’re actually two of my best sellers.
While it’s not a magic number, it’s a reminder that small efforts can lead to real sales opportunities. Now that I’m being intentional, I expect to see far better results.
KDP Sales: Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Here’s where things get slightly more exciting. My KDP sales for August brought in $5.17. Not bad, right?
This is all from a single book I published months ago. I made a couple of sales this month, but there’s definitely room to do more here. The goal for my KDP platform is simple: create more books.
With the Christmas season coming up, gift-focused books could sell really well, so I’m shifting my focus toward creating those over the next month or so. If I can get a couple of products ready to go before then, I think I’ll be in a strong position to hit my goals this holiday season.
The Plan for the Next 90 Days
I’m all about building momentum as I gear up for 2025. No more sitting back passively hoping for things to happen. I’m sharing this because I want you to see there’s no magical, overnight way to make cash online—it requires consistent action. But, rolling with two income streams like Etsy and KDP gives me room to grow, and if I can focus, I think $1K a month is within reach.
Here’s what’s next:
- Getting Consistent on Etsy – I’ll be revamping my existing listings and rolling out new products—especially digital ones. Etsy loves when you’re active, so that starts now.
- More Books on KDP – I’ll push out more book options as we approach the holiday season. Think about it: Christmas presents, planners, journals—they’re all things people are looking for right now!
- Holiday Planning – My income streams need to be laser-focused over the next few months for the holidays. I’m thinking specifically about products that align with what people are buying for gifts.
Why You Should Follow Along
Whether you’re looking for ways to bring in a side income, or you’re just curious to see how I’m doing this behind the scenes, I invite you to join me. I’ll be sharing more about what’s working and what isn’t.
This experiment can serve as a blueprint for anyone trying to grow a small side hustle into something more meaningful. If you’re struggling like me, or just in need of something to reignite your income potential, let’s go through this together.
Closing Thoughts
This $1K experiment is my way of attacking a problem we all face: the need for extra income in a time when things are more expensive than ever. Finding new ways to earn is really important right now, especially with holiday spending coming fast. My experiment is about making sure I head into 2024 confident that I can balance both my creative passions and my need for financial security.
If that resonated with you, feel free to keep track of my progress and even join me in this journey! Let’s see just how far we can push things before the year wraps up.
Here’s to building better income streams together! 🧪
Ready to follow along? You can join the $1K Experiment here and watch the income grow step by step.
