Did you hide what you do or be honest about your IM biz to your partner?

No, we have to communicate with each other about our expenses. I just be honest about it.

I had no partner, but I never spent more than about $70 when I started, anyway. A couple of domain-names and some hosting was all I needed. (I didn't know how to, then, but with hindsight I could actually have started off without spending a penny).

Definitely tell your spouse about it. You'll never know, she/he might be interested as well and two heads are better than one.

I do think that you might be spending too much on various guides, tools etc...don't!

Focus on one method at a time for starters as it's always tough starting out. It will get easier but you'll need to break your cherry before it gets easier, so to speak.

I've always share MOST of the information with my husband. Honestly, I had always hoped to be in big profits before divulging all the details...but that always backfires for me. SO, I just be honest now and discuss expenses with him first.

I'm 100% honest with my partner - I can't say I relate to the "hiding my IM biz" thing. Whatever market I'm in, I do quality work that I can be proud to call my own.

This is something that can consume a huge chunk of your life if you let it. I started out very much like you, the more I learned, the more there was to learn. I lost entire days in front of the computer trying to master the latest "must-have" skill. I spent a lot of money in the beginning that I really didn't have to spend.

This where a plan is important (and a budget). I read a great book during this time called "Ready, Fire, Aim". It talked about how trying to have everything perfect before taking action can actually keep you from accomplishing anything. Set a plan for yourself with smaller goals that lead to a larger one. My first goal was to make $100. I made a list of the things I could do in the next week to earn $100, then (most importantly) did them. Earning that first bit of money opened the way to earn larger amounts because I had proven to myself (and my doubting spouse) that I could.
The other important tool that I use now is accountability. At the end of each day, I make a list of the things I did that either brought in money or moved me closer to an important goal. Knowing I have to account to myself at the end of the day for how I spent my time keeps me on track and away from the internet blackhole.
Best of luck

I wasn't married when I started my business but my business has always been my business. What I spend he has no clue, nor does he ask. We just don't really discuss business with each other.

Sounds terrible, right? lol

I love what I do and I am super proud to share it with my family.

I read a quote..."More Do Less Think" and I try to follow that. Plus I also realize it isn't going to be perfect so I do my best and move on.

Honesty is the best policy

Besides you should never spend what you can't afford to lose in business thus in every case there should be no need to hide anything!

Your investing money in yourself, future, whatever - not crystal meth.

No need to be dishonest about anything.

If you are hiding how much you are spending because you're worried what your partner will say - it is almost always because you're scared they'll tell you the truth.

When I used to drink, I'd not tell my wife how much I'd had to drink that day "because she wouldn't understand and would blow it out of proportion". I'd drink at lunch-times but not tell my friends when we met in the evening "because they're uptight about drinking, making automatic assumptions about lunch-time drinkers".

Pretty soon, I was walking around thinking I was the only one who really understood alcohol and how to manage it. I'd avoid conversations about booze "because other people don't know what they're talking about, they don't understand what I doing, how I use alcohol, etc."

When I finally woke up about it, I realized that I knew all along that the reason I didn't want to discuss the pros and cons of drinking whisky after breakfast was because I didn't want to have to defend the practice out loud.

To cut the sharing short: if you're hiding things, being secretive and staying up at night worrying - you're probably wrestling with your conscience more than the problems of IM.

Why would I tell anything? Mystery is sexy. Let the hamster spin in their minds...

Instead of hiding it from her I introduced her to Fiverr, the Warrior Forum Filipino thread, Multiply, Ebay, created a blog for her which she maintains... She actively uses all of them, and is preparing to make a Facebook Page. Now I have a bigger problem due to honesty...

She wants this new site, and that new site, and can I try to sell stock photos on this site, or can you help me find a drop ship partner for my Multiply site, can you take 5 minutes and explain SEO to me, can you tell me one more time how Brad Gosse is using Fiverr Gigs to make money....Sometimes honesty creates a monster.

This question reminds me of my old poker show. We had a segment called "Daniel's Corner". Daniel Negreanu would give tips for living the poker lifestyle. In one episode, he said that when he was starting, he would average about a couple of hundred a day profit. That means some days he would make $1000, some days he would lose $600. When his mother asked him how he did, he would always answer, "I made $200."

My husband knows some about my business, and I discuss it with him if I'm going to spend much above normal, but there's only so much he wants to know. He has a standing invite to be shown more and even to participate, but so far it's not his interest.

Main thing he knows is that some months my income is frustrating, other months I beat his income.

He definitely doesn't understand all I do, but he knows that I don't want him standing over me as I work unless he's trying to learn about it. It distracts my thought processes to have someone right there if that wasn't a part of the plan or they aren't participating in some way.

Problems can occur when there is lack of communication especially when dealing with finances the best way to struggle is with your partner. Your partner can help you as well and we all know two heads are better than one. If you work with your partner then the process will go faster for you and behind every strong man there is a stronger woman holding him up lol.

Speak up. You will be surprised the support that can come from it. IT may be hard for them to understand why you are doing it, but they should understand that it is important to you and support you.

Its interesting because I am on the other side of the story.

My husband started an IM business. He told me very few things about it and didn't expand. All I knew was that after work he would spend hours and hours online trying to figure out how to make money online. And when he would spend money I was livid. Why would you spend a dime to make money?

But when he actually explained things to me and explained how it works I myself got hooked. And now we are both job free and earning our livings through the computer.

Tell her, she may be able to help you more than you know.