When I started this blog in February 2020, I had a lot of ideas for what I “should” blog about, and I felt a lot of pressure to choose a niche and stick to it. But I have so many interests and things I explore that I didn’t want to paint myself into a corner. So I figured the niche of my blog, if that would be a thing for me, would naturally reveal itself as time went on. I figured I would eventually notice a pattern in the blogs I chose to post.

My tendency to write about setting up my home and work spaces and detailing my experience with the products I’ve tried became clear almost immediately, so I decided to try to become an Amazon affiliate. I worked hard to meet the requirements in the allotted time and celebrated the day I was accepted into the program.

But the point is that whether I’m writing about a product, minimalism, or learning Japanese, I love writing for my blog. It’s super fun to have something that’s totally mine. I can write whatever I want in whatever voice I want without being subjected to a manager’s approval or whatever. It’s given me a lot of freedom as a writer, and it’s truly fun to have a low-pressure, low-cost outlet for my creativity.

And I have a lot of opinions, sure, but my favorite thing is when my opinions or experiences help others. I’m grateful that readers reach out to ask questions or tell me that yes, this is helpful.

Nothing makes me happier than knowing my writing is helpful for others. That’s why I’m adding a button for readers to Make My Day.

So I added my Make My Day button as a way for readers to support my work and keep this blog ad-free.

Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others.

Siddharthe Gautama

Why “Make My Day”?

I debated on whether or not to add this button for a while before I actually did it. I realized that I feel strongly about paying for software I value, and why shouldn’t writers — including me — be paid for their work as well? In fact, I’ve looked for the virtual tip jar on some blogs when I found their work helpful, and I was disappointed when I couldn’t find it.

The actual Buy Me a Coffee service was the first option I think about using. It’s a name people are becoming more familiar with, and I liked the language they use. “Buy me a coffee” is something we say to friends after we do something nice for them and don’t want to accept money. It also implies a reasonable amount of money that’s in reach for most people.

But when I researched the company, I found a lot of reviews that were concerning. For example, some people complained that their accounts were shut down without notice (so they didn’t know the reason), and they lost access to funds that were given to them by fans or clients.

I wasn’t able to find a more promising alternative, so I decided to go with a payment processor called Stripe that’s built into WordPress.

I brainstormed a lot of options for my Stripe-powered button, including direct copycats (“Buy Me a Chai Latte” and “Buy My Cats a Treat”) or guilt-driven (“Help me keep the lights on”), neither of which felt good to me. Ultimately, I chose the phrase Make My Day because finding out my writing has been helpful to someone literally makes my day, every time. And it never gets old.

What to expect when you Make My Day

If you choose to make my day, first of all: Thank you! I appreciate every single gift.

When you click the Make My Day button, a pop-up window appears so you can provide your credit card information and change the default amount ($5) to any amount you choose. The charge will appear on your statement as hippopubco, which is my indie publishing company.

You’ll click the $5 pay once button, and the pop-up window will be replaced by a little loading icon. Then you’ll see the message below, thanking you for the gift and confirming your email address:

Please note: Some of the language in the email confirmation says “subscription,” but it is a one-time payment. I’m in contact with WordPress on how to update the language in the emails and will update this when that’s ironed out.

Want to support the blog in another way? Try one of these options:

• Make a purchase through a link on a blog that has the affiliate disclaimer.
• Make a purchase from My Favorite Things page.
• Buy from the Books page.

Thank you!

Feature photo by Jess Bailey Designs