Taxes serve as a kind reminder

If you listen closely, you can hear the collective groans of adults staring at their expense reports, emitting signals of stress as they review their year through dollar signs. It’s tax season, baby.

While I’m #blessed to have a husband who has taken on the burden of doing our taxes himself as soon as we got married (though my dad offered to continue his tradition of plugging in my W2s for us), I’ve taken on a very small role myself this year.

Though I’ve got my normal job, I’ve also got a few side hustles: in addition to owning a business (did you know that you can buy Sunshine with Savannah merchandise here?!), I also try to generate some extra income through freelance writing. And though more money is nice, it does seem like a torturous experience during tax-time. Forms on forms on forms on forms.

So, I’ve alleviated some of Chad’s stress and provided him with a spreadsheet of my expenses and profits spanning throughout 2019.

My Takeaway

As a blogger, sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers and statistics. You tend to look at growth in a linear pattern, noticing the follow counts and website visits and the dips and spurts that follow.

I didn’t necessarily think I’d make any money this year. (And I definitely didn’t. I lost money, lol.) However, I noticed a trend that doesn’t necessarily stand out as an analytic highlight: I have a definite network of support.

My log of donated money started in 2018, when Sunshine with Savannah was very much an experiment. I didn’t have a following or a niche or a grand plan for content. And yet, I had readers that believed in me and sent a few dollars my way anyway. Thank you to Alexis (my first donation), my dad, and my brother, who all donated to my Ko-fi account within my first weeks of hitting publish.

When I started selling merchandise, several family and friends jumped in to support me. My second cousin, Sheryl, has spent over $100 on my products, through several orders. I’ve sold my T-shirts, notebooks, and notepads to former teachers, aunts, family friends, and my grandma.

My biggest takeaway? It has to be that I have the best mom in the world. She has been my constant supporter, both as a reader and donor and inspiration. When I was looking up my Paypal receipts, I was able to reread her notes of encouragement and belief in me and my writing. Thank you, Mom, for always showing up for me.

Here’s the second thing: support, whether monetary or manifested through a like, comment, or share, is invaluable. To me, at least.

I’m Thankful

With my freshly-done tax glow, I’m feeling grateful. I won’t be able to write off more than 15% of my rent payment, and that’s okay. Because no one has written me off, either. (I’m sorry for that lame attempt at a tax joke.)

Thank you for your support, generosity, and readership. You fill my life with sunshine, always.