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Banelihackpacker Diaries is the name of the new YouTube channel I'm starting, which is more of a behind-the-scenes, diary-entries type channel that essentially documents the process of trying to build and monetize my main channel, Banelihackpacker. That monetized YouTube channel will be one of my sources of income to fund and re-start my dream life as a digital nomad, who travels, makes and uploads videos documenting those travels, and perhaps most importantly, manages various businesses remotely, which fall under the operational details as can be viewed at www.gwapsa.co.za

So, where am I? Where do I want to be, and how do I plan to get there?

I'm currently living in Soshanguve, at my late grandparents' house, which is supposed to be a temporary situation. I have R170 to my name, plus R19 segmented as R9 in my FNB business account and R10 in my personal account.

I'm on a social welfare grant, the SASSA R370 Social Relief of Distress or COVID-19 grant, and while it's already the 7th of April, the application status for last month's grant still says "pending." So, needless to say, I didn't get my 370 last month, with the 170 I mentioned left-over from a R400 balance-settlement a Web Design client paid.

Where I want to be is in my own quiet and serene place in Irene, within walking distance to the Irene Village Mall, from which bachelor pad townhouse or apartment I'll be re-launching my extensive global travels as the digital nomad I'm destined to be.

Now, as a 37-year-old, as of six days ago now (yes, my birthday is on the 1st of April, and that's no joke) -- as a 37-year-old bachelor, the prospect of building a life with one steady partner is definitely on the cards, so eventually, as a short leap from what would be my dream Irene bachelor pad, I'll want to lay down some roots in a dream house located in Cornwall Hill.

While I have a specific house for sale in mind, if I'm not able to purchase that one when the time comes, I could always find another dream home within the sprawling estate, or build one, whether on vacant land or over one which I would have purchased and remodelled, or even completely demolished!

So, that's where we want to be, in relation to where we are, and all I have at my disposal to get to where I want to be, is the mentioned R170 to my name, plus a fibre internet connection I'm supposed to be paying R299 per month for. But, due to some or other connectivity gremlins that are working in my favour for a change, between the two ISPs I was making the shift from the month-long free trial to the 299-monthly fee, they don't seem to be be able to shut down the service due to non-payment.

I just pray to the hacker gods that nothing happens which will require technical support, because I won't know who to call!

In the meantime that means I have the internet with which to make my dream happen, and that's pretty much it, because less basic living essentials and monthly bank account fees, less a further R200 per month to run my Reseller Web Hosting business, there's not much money, if any at all, to do anything significant with by way of growing it. That's assuming I actually even GET that monthly 370 SASSA grant, which as mentioned, it seems I might not even be getting anymore.

As far as the Banelihackpacker YouTube channel goes, which I'm pushing to get monetized by the end of this month, I'm at 173 of the 1,000 required subscribers, and 3,061 of the 4,000 public watch hours, as the two conditions to be met in order to get monetized.

I have to be creative about the types of videos I'm going to make, going foward, since I lost all the Phuket-Thailand footage I was coming along nicely with, having had to format my PC.