Personal Archives | CAMGIRL ADVICE

Benefits of Camming: Is It Worth It?

July 2, 2019August 6, 2019 CamgirlMFC Leave a comment

So, you want to be a webcam model or are still on the fence about it – Let’s look at some of the things that make being a camgirl GREAT and some that may make you reconsider!

If you want to jump right into it, check out my Top Recommended Cam Sites!

Benefits of Camming

🤑

Money – This one is easy, and it immediately comes to mind when you think of camming. The money can definitely be GREAT. So great in fact, that you can be out-earning the doctors and lawyers in your city (Check out my post about the highest tips on Myfreecams here). While it’s hard to say how much exactly you will earn, this post has some good approximations.

Freedom (of time, setting your own hours, not having a boss) – This is one of the biggest advantages of camming. You can quit your day job, say goodbye to your boss and not work a minute more for someone else. It is certainly alluring, especially if you’re making more money in a few days than you used to make all month at your old job, and with it comes a sense of empowerment. It’s a beautiful feeling knowing that you’re earned this type of money yourself and that you have the flexibility to work when you wish.

Sexual Expression – For some, this is one of the most beneficial aspects of camming: Being able to explore and express your sexuality in a way that’s very safe AND that earns you money is very alluring and liberating. You can do what you please and what you’ve always wanted to try out and there is no stigma – quite the opposite, usually!

💸Gifts and Attention – Being a camgirl with multiple fans definitely has its perks. At a “vanilla job” (aka the regular, 9-5 job), there is no way you’d be getting lavish gifts, extra money, gift cards sent to you, but all of that is standard in camming. It’s really thrilling to get your first “just because” tip or a gift card to get those clothes or shoes you wanted. Sometimes it feels like all you have to do is ask, and one of your members will be right there to buy it for you.

Work options that are not available to you otherwise, be it due to a disability or life circumstances. The great thing about being a camgirl is that you can work as much or as little as you want/can, and no one will tell you how to do your job. If you can’t handle a full-time job – camming is perfect. If you have mental health issues (common in the industry), physical issues or a disability, camming creates a way for you to work fewer hours and still make great wage, and most importantly, to do it on your own terms.

Ability to create the life that you want. To sum up, being such a non-traditional job, camming can create so many opportunities for having the life you truly want. You can make a ton of money in your 20s, invest wisely, and then follow your dreams, be it starting your business, owning a farm, or just being a stay-at-home mom. It’s possible with camming due to its massive earning potential.

Downsides of Camming

Very short career timeline/Limiting your future options – Sure, you can be earning the big bucks if you’re lucky, but what happens once you start aging, or your life priorities change? Unfortunately, I believe that a lot of cam models will be stuck in this situation, with a big blank in their resume and no way of getting a well-paying job beyond adult work. It definitely can limit your options in the future, if you decide to leave the industry.

No benefits or paid time off – Say what you will about having a corporate job, but at least it does (usually) provide you with some medical/dental benefits, and a paid time off for any emergencies or just mental health days, in addition to vacation time. As a camgirl, you don’t have that luxury, so you need to plan your vacation around camming, and get used to not getting paid whenever you get sick and can’t be online. You are also on your own when it comes to taking care of your medical expenses.

Stigma – The adult work’s stigma, though lessening, is not going away. Most camgirls have to lie to their family and friends about where they work, and that can be a big emotional burden to carry.

Isolation – Isolation and lack of healthy social interaction is a very real problem for camgirl, because you get so wrapped up in the “Cam World” that you can kind of lose yourself. I made a post about the loneliness and isolation that comes with camming here.

Scams and Harassment – Unfortunately, scams, harassment, and even stalking in some cases, are common in the camming industry. It’s very likely that you’ll encounter some of them as a cam model. It does come with the territory, as there are members who think it’s okay to harass, intimidate, or even try to blackmail camgirls. It’s pretty disgusting behavior, and there is little you can do while it’s happening, but you CAN protect yourself ahead of time – read my post about it here.

So, despite all the negative elements, many camgirls LOVE their job and feel that it’s the best thing that has ever happened to them. I tend to agree – if you can be smart about minimizing your risks, and being realistic about your earning potential – you can absolutely have a great career in camming and enjoy its benefits for years to come.

Ready to get started? Check out my list of the Top Camming Sites to Join!

Dealing with Loneliness, Isolation, and Secrecy as a Camgirl

March 11, 2019October 21, 2019 CamgirlMFC Leave a comment

Camming is not all fun and games (or adoration and gifts). It’s fraught with serious mental health challenges like loneliness, isolation, and secrecy. As a camgirl, you not only face challenges of working for yourself, but also having to deal with the societal stigma regarding sex work, and keeping it a secret from even your closest friends and family members. It’s really no wonder that a lot of girls burn out within a few years and go back to “vanilla” work (aka “normal”, socially-acceptable jobs). My estimate is that a camming career last on average anywhere from 3 to 5 years.

Within that time, you can develop and exacerbate all sorts of mental disorders due to pure social isolation that can come with camming. Anxiety, social anxiety, depression can unfortunately become very present when all you do is interact online instead of the “real world”. When your time is spent on cam and your mind is constantly occupied with ideas of what to do during your next cam shift, you start to separate yourself from your previous life, the things you used to do and the people you used to be around.

Living every day with a lie and being secretive about what you do all day can wreak havoc on your mental state. It can lead to burnout, substance use and abuse and send you down a dark hole.

So, what can you do to combat this, assuming the benefits you get out of camming outweigh the negatives?

First, try to not completely isolate yourself from your old friends and activities

Isolation and ensuing loneliness only alienates you further and locks you into your self-imposed box. It’s a good idea to keep seeing your old friends and not changing up your life too fast too soon. If you were going to an exercise class or another activity, continue with it, so that you don’t feel like you’re completely cut off from the world, spending your days in your camroom. You need to keep some normalcy in your life, so that your mental health doesn’t suffer. Plus, exercise is great for balancing and improving your mood!

Create a daily schedule that includes time with others and self-care

Having consistency in your daily life will help you feel confident and in control. Make sure you are not going on streaming binges/camathons and then spending days to recover. Having a set time for your camming shifts, as well as time to yourself (self-care is SO important when you’re a camgirl!), plus spending time with others will ensure you have a more well-rounded life. Moderation is key, even though it will be tempting to devote all your time and energy to camming when the earnings start to pick up. Remember, that while you do socialize on cam, you also need proper, face-to-face positive and friendly interactions. Don’t underestimate its impact it plays on your psyche.

Share your secret with someone you can trust

Keeping this double life going is hard. It weighs on you and can create a lot of pain and suffering. You might not even feel it at first, since you may be excited and exhilarated by what it’s like to make more money than you ever thought possible! However, at some point the excitement will wane, and you might be left with some unresolved issues about your job, your self-worth and this massive secret that you have to keep from others. Some girls may be lucky and be able to disclose their job to their parents, but most will keep it secret. In this case, it’s a really good idea to find a counselor you can trust, so you can work through some of the emotional issues. Journalling might help too, or finding a good friend to confide in. The point of this is to not keep your emotions hidden, and to express them in a healthy way.

Camming is hard, and you have to look out for yourself, because no one will do it for you. Take a look at my Camgirl Self-Care post for some more tips!

5 Things Camgirls Don’t Want You to Know

October 31, 2016February 25, 2024 CamgirlMFC Leave a comment

It should come as no surprise that camgirls keep some parts of themselves hidden from their viewers. Most girls like to have some separation between their real life and their cam persona, and there are certain aspects of camming that they definitely do not want you to know about. Here are Five Things Camgirls Don’t Want You to Know:

1) THE FACT THAT SHE HAS A SIGNIFICANT OTHER

The majority of camgirls hide the fact that they have partners, be it boyfriends or husbands. A lot of the times, they address them on social media as “roommates”, since they need to acknowledge the fact that they live with them. If you hear camgirls speak of male roommates, it’s more likely than not that they are someone they’re dating or married to. Why don’t camgirls want to be open with members about their relationship status? Well, some girls are, but the majority prefer to keep that part of their life hidden and go with the “single, horny girl” fantasy. Admitting to the fact that there is a significant other in their life can cost them tips and members’ loyalty, as some members’ egos would not be able to tolerate that their favorite camgirl might be involved with someone else. It really ruins that fantasy and they no longer have the same drive to take care and spoil their chosen camgirl.

2) HOW MUCH MONEY SHE MAKES

If you’ve been on camsites long enough, you’ll know that some girls make piles of cash daily. For anyone unfamiliar, check out my posts on the highest tips on Chaturbate and MFC. Of course, the majority of girls do not make these crazy payouts, but even an “average” camgirl is doing fairly well for herself. In addition to tips that you see online, there are offline tips, ninja (hidden) tips, and let’s not forget the offline money that most girls receive. This money is often never mentioned, but it should be acknowledged. Most camgirls receive not only Amazon giftcards, and giftcards to various stores of their choosing, but they also receive straight cash, be it via Paypal (not exactly recommended) or other money transfer sites and just plain $$$ in the mail! Considering that this additional cash is not reported to the IRS, your favorite camgirl is doing much better financially than you may think. In fact, she’s probably making more money than you.

3) HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES TO GET READY FOR CAM

You may think that camgirls can just jump on cam at a moment’s notice to entertain you, but for the majority, nothing can be further from the truth. It takes most girls from half an hour to 1hr+ to get ready for cam. I don’t only mean putting makeup on (even though it can take a lot of products!), and picking out outfits, but also getting emotionally ready to be cheerful, bubbly, confident on cam for hours at a time. It can be very taxing emotionally. Considering that a lot of camgirls tend to be introverted, this can be especially hard. So, if your favorite camgirl is yet again late for cam, don’t be too hard on her.

4) THAT SHE DOESN’T FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT YOU AS YOU DO ABOUT HER

Ok, this one is bound to ruffle some feathers. You may feel like your life revolves around a particular camgirl and you feel real romantic feelings toward her, but let’s face it, an average camgirl interacts with dozens to hundreds of members every time she’s online and needs to keep all her tippers satisfied and happy. Of course she will try to come off as attentive, caring and interested toward you if she wants to have you continue come to her room and tip her. Since her attention is spread across so many other guys just like you, she cannot possibly have the same type of feelings toward you as you do for her. That’s simply the nature of camsites. Knowing this, you should be careful not to let your feelings become too entangled with her feelings for your emotional and financial support. This brings me to the last point…

5) HOW DEPENDENT SHE IS ON YOU

Yes, she needs you. Every camgirl you interact with on a long-term basis really does need you to not only contribute to her income, but also keep her life as a camgirl alive at all. If you and other members were to disappear, she would feel that loss, not only monetarily, but emotionally too. Life as a camgirl is fragile – for the most part, you are alienated from your former friends, coworkers and family members, so maintaining a high income and work satisfaction becomes extremely important. Some girls may not even realize how much they depend on you, but the loss is definitely perceived once you’re gone. (And that’s when the real panic sets in!).

So, with that last point, go and leave your favorite camgirl a nice tip or an Amazon gift to let her know that you care. 🙂

xoxo

⋆ Camming Tips: Dos and Don’ts & Mistakes to Avoid

January 24, 2016August 6, 2019 CamgirlMFC Leave a comment

Camming is not as easy of a job as some people think (in fact, some people don’t consider camming a job at all!) and we all make mistakes as beginner camgirls. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re starting off as a cam model.

DO

Sign up with a camsite that you feel most comfortable on. Try out a few get a feel for them and don’t feel like you have to continue if you’re not feeling it. Here’s a good list of cam sites to check out.

Wear clothes that you feel comfortable in when camming. Don’t try to be a sexpot/pornstar when you are much more low-key and less sexual in real life. Members appreciate the authentic you! If you feel best in a t-shirt and shorts, rock them and it’ll show!

Smile! It’s such a simple thing, but makes a huge difference on how you’re seen. I guarantee that a smile will bring in many more tippers and money rather than sitting in front of a camera with an indifferent expression.

Make a plan for what you want to do during your shift. This is especially important if you’re just a beginner. One mistake many girls make is being unprepared on cam. If you go into it not knowing what your countdowns are going to be or what things you will offer (photosets, videos, high tip prizes), you will feel disorganized, lost and your shift will not be as effective. Always be prepared!

Add some props to make things interesting on cam. Sitting in front of a white wall will get boring. Have a whiteboard where you put your highest tipper amount and name, have a spinwheel that you can write custom prizes on, or just put some tapestries on your wall to make things more visually exciting.

Move around as much as you can (and want). Even if you cam sitting down, you can always move in your seat and lean in different ways that is more interesting to look at than someone slouching over a laptop. If you cam mostly standing up, it’s a great idea to dance or touch yourself in a sensual way from time to time. Try to keep guys’ attention on YOU!

Bring a water bottle with you to sip on during a shift. It’s surprising how dehydrated you can get with the bright lights shining on you and from talking for hours, so don’t forget to drink enough H2O.

DON’T

Use a built-in webcam. Use an external one instead. This is my #1 tip for a better, more successful experience on cam! The video quality will be *greatly* improved, which will translate into more viewers and tippers.

Overpromise and underdeliver. This happens a lot when you come up with a ton of games, raffles and contests to entice your members to tip, but get overwhelmed with the amount of work you have to do to deliver on those things. Be it custom photosets or videos, mailed packages or Skypes, all those things take time, so don’t offer things that you may not be able to fulfill in a timely manner.

Be afraid to say no. The beauty of camming is that you are in control of what happens to you on cam, so if someone is being annoying/threatening/makes you cross your boundaries, say no to whatever they’re trying to get you to do and block them.

Speak badly about other girls on cam. No one likes cattiness (although starting drama between girls can sometimes translate into more tips if your members get sucked into it), and it’s almost inevitable that the other girl will find out. This creates negative feelings that don’t belong on cam. Stay positive!

Overdo it with drinking on cam. Yes, it’s a great way to feel more relaxed and sexual, but being blackout drunk on cam is bad news. I feel like we’ve all made this mistake. Guys tip for shots and get you way too drunk, yet you keep going because you see those tokens adding up in your account. If you decide to drink, set a limit for yourself and try to stay within it.

I hope these tips help with making you more successful on cam! Click HERE TO GET STARTED! 💸

Doing Taxes as a Camgirl – What You Need to Know

January 17, 2016August 5, 2019 CamgirlMFC 7 Comments

Tax season is upon us, so camming tax advice is due! What sort of write offs can you have as a cam model? Do you need to file your taxes? Do you need an accountant or can you do it yourself?

I’ll answer these questions here, but keep in mind that I am not a licensed professional and don’t know your particular situation. For any specific advice, I would always suggest asking an accountant.

First off, YES, you need to file taxes for any income you receive the previous year (if it’s over $400 if you’re in the US). Working for a camsite, you are classified as an independent contractor, and they will mail you a 1099 form listing your income. If you are not american, you’ll have to report your income earned yourself without the form.

What happens if I just don’t file taxes?

Well, somewhere down the line IRS will be contacting you asking why you haven’t been making payments and making sure that you do, in which case you will be paying late penalties. Another way to get on IRS’s bad side is overstating your expenses/write offs. If you have way too many or too many inappropriate expenses, it might raise some red flags resulting in an audit.

However, if you record your earnings and don’t go totally crazy with deductions, you will be fine.

I’ve never done taxes before! Should I hire an accountant?!

Possibly, but in a lot of cases an accountant is not needed. I understand that filing taxes for the first time or doing it for the first time as a self-employed person is scary, but tax software is really easy to work with and is created in a way that guides you through it step by step and corrects any potential mistakes. I recommend the TurboTax Home & Business version, which you can get as a PC/Mac download or as a disc.

If you want the peace of mind, I do recommend having an accountant assist you with taxes to ensure you’re covering all your bases and that you save as much money as you can when you file your return. Jeff Lang is a certified public accountant (CPA), specializing in tax preparation for those in the adult industry, so you don’t have to worry about going to an H&R Block and getting an accountant who may not be comfortable with your job or understand your situation. Jeff can also assist with quarterly estimates and business incorporation (S-Corp or LLC), and make the whole experience quick and easy.

If you mention the promo code, CAMTAX10, you will get $10 off your tax preparation fee!

Click here to get in touch with Jeff!

Write Offs for Camming

The beauty of being self-employed is that you can write off a lot of your expenses, but only those that you used directly for camming. That’s why deducting things like lingerie or makeup is a bit of a grey area and different people will tell you different things. To be on the safe side, I would not include expenses like makeup, clothes, lingerie, salon visits, tanning, plastic surgery, or toys UNLESS you can prove that you only used them for camming.

Also, remember to save all your receipts! You will have to show them if you’re ever audited.

So, here are the things you can write off:

- Part of your rent (You will have to report what percentage of your house is used for “business” and any expenses associated with it will count as deductions)
- Percentage of your utilities: heat, water, electricity, internet, phone
- Equipment, such as webcams, lights, camera (that you use specifically for camming), laptop (again, strictly for camming)
- Other supplies and camroom decorations
- Travel expenses (to go to conventions or photoshoots, including gas, flights, hotel room charges, food)
- Mailing supplies and expenses, if you ever ship any items to customers
- Other business expenses, like advertising, web design or hosting fees if you have your own website

Remember to save about 20-30% of your paycheck throughout the year to not be hit with a huge tax bill and not having money to pay it. Keeping track of all your expenses throughout the year is also a good idea, so that you’re not scrambling to find things at the last minute.

One more thing, if your tax bill is over $1,000 this year (if you’re in the US), you will be required to pay quarterly estimated taxes the following year, so be aware of that. Check out my post on quarterly estimated tax payments here.

Any questions? Let me know! Good luck!