#34 Breaking Free from the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Trap
Some weeks I feel like I’ve got money figured out…
Other weeks, I’m googling “how to afford coffee without selling my soul.”
This week’s reads were full of clever, doable shifts that made me pause.
If you’re tired of surviving and want to start thriving — scroll on.
Think You’re Too Late to Start Making Money Online? I Thought So Too.
For the longest time, I believed TikTok was just for entertainment—dances, pranks, and trends.
Definitely not the place I imagined building an income stream.
But earlier this year, I changed my mind.
I kept seeing people online talk about how they were monetising their digital presence.
I already had this newsletter, so I thought… why not extend my wealth-building stories into short-form videos?
Turns out, TikTok—and even YouTube Shorts—can be more than just fun. They can be strategic.
I’ve always had a creative streak and enjoy exploring digital tools. So I gave myself permission to experiment.
One thing led to another… and now, I post my Shorts on both TikTok and YouTube.
From watching loads of YouTube creators share their journeys, I realised there are actually multiple ways to make money on these platforms:
✅ Affiliate marketing (what I’m focusing on now)
✅ Ad revenue (once you hit eligibility)
✅ Brand sponsorships and collabs
✅ Selling your own products or services
Since I already talk about wealth tools and products I actually use, affiliate marketing made the most sense for me.
To organise all my affiliate links, I used a tool called Beacons—think of it as a sleek, mobile-optimised page that houses all your links in one place (like Linktree, but with more features).
It took some learning, but I’m glad I started.
Because once you get past the overwhelm, digital monetisation isn’t some magic—it’s just step-by-step execution.
Here’s a simple path to begin—exactly what I did when I started:
- Pick a niche you already talk about (e.g., money, lifestyle, career)
- Create short, engaging content
- Set up your Beacons or Linktree page for affiliate links
- Post on both TikTok and YouTube Shorts
- Be consistent & stay curious—you'll learn as you go!
I also shared what got me to start my YouTube channel in an earlier newsletter issue.
Wealth Potpourri
Curious to see how I do it?
Check out my TikTok and YouTube to follow my digital income journey firsthand.
Please allow this noob to inspire you to take your first step too.
To your wealth and beyond.
Where readers get actionable, no-BS advice on how to create a successful business and build a rich life without sacrificing the things they love. Increase your income and live a life of YES!
Breaking Free from the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Trap
😬 Learn why living paycheck to paycheck isn’t always about low income—and how small shifts in mindset, planning, and automation can flip your financial script.
The No-Spend Challenge: Could You Go a Month Without Buying Anything?
🚫 This article dares you to try a 30-day no-spend challenge and gives tips on how to make it fun, eye-opening, and actually doable.
Bond Laddering: How to Earn Steady Income
📉 A beginner-friendly breakdown of how bond laddering works—and how it can provide predictable income without locking up your cash long-term.
Turn Your Stuff into Cash: 70+ Rental Ideas
💼 Got gear, furniture, or even a costume? This guide lists creative things you can rent out (even weird ones) to turn idle assets into income.
The Rise of Fractional Property Investing: Real Estate for Small Budgets
🏠 Think real estate’s out of reach? Think again. Learn how fractional investing lets you dip into property markets with less capital and more flexibility.
A daily Bitcoin-only newsletter that cuts through the noise, giving you the most valuable insights to help you take control of your financial future.
📚 THE AUTOMATIC MILLIONAIRE
This book teaches that consistent automatic actions, not timing or luck, build wealth steadily over time.
💡 The Big Idea: Automate your savings and bills so you don’t have to rely on your forgetful brain. It’s like putting your money on cruise control—sit back and watch it grow without lifting a finger.
⏰ Why It Matters: Small, regular contributions win the race, while big risky bets often end up as epic fails. Think of it as the tortoise vs. the hare, but the tortoise also drinks coffee and invests wisely.
🧾 Action Step: Set up automatic payments to your savings and retirement accounts today—your future self will thank you. Bonus: No more late fees or awkward “oops, I forgot” calls to your bank.
🤖 Hot Take: The title sounds like a financial superhero—ready to zap your debt and multiply your dollars. Just don’t expect it to wear a cape or do your laundry.
Goats: The Unlikely Landscapers With A $100k Paycheck
Goat rental for landscaping is a growing eco-friendly business that offers steady income with manageable startup costs and growing demand.
Starting a niche business like this shows how combining sustainability with smart marketing can create profitable and scalable income streams.
Saving, renting, investing... there are so many ways to grow without doing what everyone else is doing.
This week was your reminder that small budgets don’t mean small dreams.
Which strategy are you secretly curious to try?
P.S. Some links in here are affiliate links for tools and wealth-building products I personally use and love. If you snag something through one of them, you'd score a sweet deal and I'd get a perk—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping to keep the potpourri fresh!🍃