What does $100 mean to you? If you live in America its meaning probably doesn’t change much from one day to the next, but for those living overseas that $100 can mean everything one day and nothing the next.

Think back to when you were striving for that first $100 check from Adsense. How did it feel when you got there? Pretty good, right? It’s a milestone, an achievement, a point at which you can say “I made it”.

But what about me, Angel; what is $100 to me?

I’m a blogger living in Thailand. I’ve been listening to the pro bloggers tell me I can make money for years and I’ve decided to get my butt in gear and put this to the test. But when you’re new to putting time and effort into seriously making online bucks and living in Thailand, you start to realize that the “buck” is part of the problem.

Thailand’s currency, the baht, is currently at its strongest point for a decade. The dollar, on the other hand, is weak. You can see where I’m going, right? I’m English and so I’ve never had to pay much attention to the mighty dollar, but now that I’m trying to blog for money I have to take it into consideration.

Two years ago when I arrived in Thailand, that $100 check would have pocketed me a cool 4,000 baht – almost enough to pay my monthly rent. Fast forward to the present day and I’m looking at about 3,400 baht. The more money I make, the more the difference will be, and the more it is accentuated by the fact that prices in Thailand have not come down over the past two years.

All the major money-making schemes use US dollars. I’m yet to find any viable alternatives that can generate the same stream of revenue, so I find myself determined to become a pro blogger, but having to work doubly hard to make up the slack caused by the flailing dollar and the stubborn baht.

So next time you’re looking at your Adsense earnings, spare a though for your compatriots living in Thailand who need to put in that little bit more elbow grease to really get somewhere in this game.

Looks like I’m not the only one in this boat, as John Chow recently blogged on the same topic. He lives in Canada.

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Tags: Blogger rant //