Day 139 of My Journey to $40,000 Per Month (I Almost Had a Small Existential Crisis)
Today is Thursday, July 2nd, 2026, and it's officially Day 139 of my journey to building an online business that generates $40,000 per month.
First off...sorry for disappearing for the past 2 days.
A lot happened behind the scenes, and if I'm being completely honest, I had a bit of a small existential crisis about my business and where I'm headed. Nothing catastrophic, but one of those moments where you step back and ask yourself, "Am I really spending my time on the right things?"
I think everyone chasing a big goal eventually has moments like that.
The important part is that I'm back.
So let's dive into today's update.
June Income Update
The total amount of money that officially hit my bank account during the month of June came out to...
$4,305.95.
Not bad at all.
I've definitely had higher months before, but progress is still progress.
And just to keep things completely transparent with you guys, the majority of that money is still coming from my full-time overnight call center job rather than my online business.
I don't want to pretend I'm living some flashy laptop lifestyle while secretly making all my money somewhere else. That's not what this blog is about.
This is me documenting the journey exactly as it happens—the wins, the setbacks, the exciting parts, and the frustrating parts.
One day I fully expect these updates to look very different.
But for now...
This is where I'm at.
July Is Already Underway
So how is July looking so far?
Right now the amount that's hit my bank account for the month is sitting at...
$72.97.
That came from an affiliate commission that landed a couple of days ago.
Obviously it's still very early in the month, so we'll see where that number ends up.
Every month starts somewhere.
My Email List
My email list has now dropped slightly to 2,667 subscribers.
Yeah...
It's slowly been shrinking.
But here's the interesting thing...
Even though the overall number has been going down, my email open rates have actually been climbing.
And honestly?
I'd rather have a smaller list of people who actually read my emails than a huge list that completely ignores them.
That said, I definitely want to start growing the list again.
My current plan is to keep publishing more YouTube review videos, and I'm also seriously considering experimenting with paid advertising again once it makes financial sense.
The list may be smaller today...
But I don't expect it to stay that way forever.
My AI YouTube Experiment
One thing I've actually been having a lot of fun with lately is creating AI-powered YouTube review videos.
They're getting more views.
They're bringing new people to my channel.
And they're adding new people to my email list.
So overall, I'd say the experiment has been encouraging.
The only downside?
They're expensive.
AI credits aren't cheap.
So now I have to start asking the business questions instead of the creative questions.
Is making 2 videos every day actually worth the cost?
Are they bringing in enough leads and future sales to justify the money, time, and effort?
Or would I actually get a better return by focusing on making 1 really good video every day instead?
I honestly don't know yet.
That's one of the things I'm trying to figure out as I build this business.
Sometimes entrepreneurship isn't about working harder.
It's about figuring out where your next hour is most valuable.
I Started Applying for More Jobs
Something else I worked on today was applying for more jobs.
Yep...
I'm actually considering getting a second full-time job on top of my overnight call center position.
Sounds crazy, right?
Maybe.
But hear me out.
Ideally I'd find something relatively low stress—maybe working as a cashier, a bank teller, or something similar during the day.
If I could pull that off, I'd be getting pretty close to earning 6 figures a year from employment alone.
And honestly?
That extra income wouldn't be for buying fancy cars or expensive watches.
It would go toward paying off debt faster...
Buying more paid advertising...
Investing in my business...
And giving myself more opportunities.
Because the truth is...
More money creates more options.
People love saying, "Money doesn't buy happiness."
Maybe.
But money can absolutely buy freedom.
Money can buy time.
Money can reduce stress.
Money can allow you to take chances you couldn't otherwise afford.
And those things matter.
Now, if you've been following this blog for a while, you probably know I've said before that I hate pretty much every job I've ever had.
That's still true.
I don't suddenly love working.
But sometimes your frustration with your current situation becomes stronger than your dislike of working.
Eventually something inside you says...
"Enough."
That's kind of where I am right now.
I'm not satisfied with where my life is.
I'm not satisfied with where my finances are.
I'm not satisfied with where my business is.
And while none of that feels great...
It also gives me fuel.
Because discomfort has a funny way of forcing you to move.
So that's exactly what I'm going to keep doing.
Moving.
Learning.
Building.
Trying new things.
Making mistakes.
Trying again.
I'm not giving up.
Not even close.
I still fully believe I'll eventually build the life I've been dreaming about.
And hopefully, by documenting every step of this journey, maybe it'll help you believe your own goals are possible too.
That's It for Day 139
Thanks for following along with another update.
Whether you've been here since Day 1 or you just stumbled across this blog today, I genuinely appreciate you spending a few minutes with me.
If you're also trying to build an online income—or maybe you're just curious about what's possible—I put together a free training that walks through one of the ways I personally make money online.
You can check it out here:
👉 https://jacksdigitalventures.com/freetraining
No pressure at all. I simply hope it helps you get a little closer to whatever financial goals you're chasing.
And if you'd like to connect with me on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or anywhere else I'm active online, you can find all of my links here:
👉 https://jacksdigitalventures.com/linkinbio
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in tomorrow's update.
