My Multiple Sources Of Income

When I meet people for the first time and they ask me what I do for a living I say that I am a NYC photographer who specializes in headshots, portraits and architectural photography.  However that is not exactly the full truth. Yes I am a photographer but the only reason I say that is because it is too difficult to say... 

PhotographerRetoucherVideographerLogoDesignerBloggerInvestorSalseroEbayerLandlord

So in case you ever wondered or I ever meet you in the future and during our conversation you ask me what I do for a living I can easily point you in the direction of this blog post to save us both a heck of a lot of time. 
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Photographer
For the last 5 years I have taken my photography hobby and turned it into a nicely growing career. I usually charge anywhere from $200 to $500 a job (sometimes more) and every so often that number doubles due to the after work load. Word of mouth has been spreading and I am working more and more consistently. This is my main source of income but the 7 below are all competing for my undivided attention which makes me wonder when I should hire an assistent. ent. . 

Retoucher
All of those hours upon hours of learning photoshop has paid off and nicely. I usually negotiate and touch up a certain amount of pics per photo session but nearly 100 percent of the time my clients want many more photos to be touched up. Although retouching photos is time consuming I am really efficient and can turn around a photoshop before and after job faster than Superman can save Lois Lane. I charge $25 a photo and can sometimes see a $200 pay day from one job even if I was not the photographer.
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Videographer
Aside from my personal Youtube channel, winning the Secure Denture Adhesive video competition, or going viral on my Doritos Crash The Super Bowl video I make money doing video work for various clients. I don't necessarily promote myself as a videographer because editing is a bitch. However, I can make $100 to $500 on a job and throw that income into the pot for my kids to eat out of.  

Logo Designer
I was a graphic designer for 15 years and was part owner of a tee shirt company with my step father but I left that lifestyle behind me after my salsa career BOOMED and took me all over the world and back. Recently, since I started the Yakezie challenge, I have been commissioned to create logo designs for both challengers, members and outsiders. I can make anywhere from $25 for a touch up to $200 for a full logo design and avatar. 

Blogger
I wish I could say I make a ton of money on blogging but I would be lying to you and more so to me. There are so many people that make a decent amount of money blogging but the fact of the matter is I am probably not the most niche blogger in the blogosphere. However and this is a big HOWEVER, if it weren't for my blogging the 4 income sources I mentioned above wouldn't be a real subject to talk about. In fact, had it not been for blogging I wouldn't have started logo designing, made money on adsense, or had a venue to brag about how great of a photographer I am with a portfolio to match. :). Putting the before stated aside, on average I would say I make about $50 a month blogging. 
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Investor
Yes I have saved some money over the years but because of lack of interest I haven't touched my investment portfolio since ET phoned home... To a large degree that is a good thing because I was able to fully recover from the HUGE market dip of 00 and 08. However that being said, ever since I joined Yakezie I have been influenced by all of the personal finance bloggers that I have befriended. In fact, in the last 2 months I have spent several hours a week being mentored by my step father who is a seasoned investor. My portfolio is starting to get diversified and I can honestly say that I am starting to see a little light at the end of the investment chart tunnel. I would say, aside from capital growth and my risk tolerance, I will be looking at an annual return of 5 to 6%. 

Salsero
At one time I was one of the most successful salsa dancers in the world. Fortunately I made a career turn in 2004 and have found successes along the way but I have always had my foot in the salsa scene. If you remember, I stopped teaching salsa in December 2011 because my family life along with my  PhotographerRetoucherVideographerLogoDesignerBloggerInvestorSalseroEbayerLandlord life were taking up so much of my time. I felt it was the best decision for my students and me because I was no longer able to give 100%. However, I still have a salsa dvd series and a salsa timing cd which I wholesale and retail monthly. On average I can bring in about $75 a month and that's without lifting a foot. :)    
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Landlord
Being a landlord was a major source of income for many many years, however, after the housing bubble burst lowering the equity of my home and the tax abatement expiration I have been in the red ever since. Recently the housing market has seen a pulse and I applied for a tax appeal. If all goes according to plan I will be able to get back into the green. You might be wondering why it's on my list. The reason is I can offset any losses with some of the gains I have achieved from what you have read above and if my calculations are right I can be looking at an additional $100 a month by years end. Yes this is speculative but very noteworthy. (Keep your fingers crossed).

Ebayer
Even though this is the last income source on my list and the least profitable it is nothing to sneeze at. I not only liquidate some of my personal stuff monthly but I sell for other people as well. I make about $50 a month. It might not sound too impressive but it takes no time at all and recently I sold a ring on Ebay for $580. Although that's not the norm it might be just the right amount of bling to add in to this post.   

How do you make money?

Until tomorrow,

Jai