I am so, so excited about this month’s online income report! This is my highest month ever, including the two years I freelanced and blogged only (I currently have a FT job in addition to freelancing and blogging).
And, the even more exciting news is I only spent about 10 hours this entire month freelancing and blogging! This is where my years of hard work on the blog are finally starting to pay off, and honestly I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this little blog of mine!
If you’ve been considering starting a blog, now is the time to start one! It’s by no means a “get rich quick” scheme, but it absolutely will give you an extra source of income in due time. You can read my post on How Long It Takes to Make Money with Your Blog to get a better idea here.
Ok, let’s get started with this month’s income report!
In July, I made $3,249.61 freelancing and blogging. Here is a breakdown of my income, and below I’ll dive into even more details:
- Freelancing: $1,914
- Blogging: $1,335.61
Freelancing
I am a personal finance freelance writer. I broke into this field 100% because of my blog on personal finance. If you want to write on parenting, start a parenting blog; if you want to write for small businesses, start a blog on that. Whatever your passion is, I highly recommend you having your own blog on that topic to showcase your work and develop a portfolio without having to get clients.
Once you have some posts under your belt, you can start applying for freelancing positions. Your writing samples are your blog entries π
So, how did I make so much freelancing in so little time?
One word: Contently. If you are a freelancer, you need to have a profile on Contently. Contently is a platform that companies use to find freelancers. They reach out to you; so once your profile is done, you don’t need to do anything else to stay active.
I created my Contently profile almost one year ago and just last month got my first job with them! The pay is (obviously) very good, and they pay as soon as you submit your work. No waiting around for 60 days to get a payment with Contently!
Blogging
While I’m super stoked about making almost $2,000 freelancing, what I’m most excited about is breaking $1,000 this month from the blog! August will probably be back down to $500 or so, but I expect September to be back over $1,000.
Here is a breakdown of my blogging income:
- $121.91 Ads: My ad income has gone from $5/month when I first started blogging to now over $100/month and growing! Next month will be closer to $200 π Long term, I don’t like the look of ads. But, my site doesn’t have a huge amount of traffic and it’s one of the ways I monetize my blog for the time being.
- $400 Sponsored posts: Companies often email me asking me to either insert a link into an existing post or write a new post surrounding their company. If it fits within my blog and the price is right, I do it!
- 813.70 Affiliate sales: This is the BEST way to make money blogging, in my opinion! This income comes from Bluehost, Make Over Your Mornings, Pinterest Presence and a few others. Basically, when someone purchases a product I recommend, I get a small kickback at no extra cost to the buyer. Amazon Affiliates is another fantastic affiliate program, but I usually recommend business-type products since that’s what my audience wants!
What We Do with Side Income
My husband and I both have FT jobs, so we really don’t “need” side money but I do think it’s something everyone should work at achieving. For starters, a side job can easily turn into a FT gig if you want it to. If my blog starts making $10K a month, I don’t see a reason to stay at my FT job. If it starts making $20K a month, well, my husband could very easily leave his job, too. This would provide so much freedom for our family. And can I just say that I truly do believe that one day my blog WILL make enough to allow us to quit our jobs?!
For now, though, having side income allows us to not be on a strict budget in day-to-day life. We save most of it, but we also take road trips and go out to eat and grab coffee/dessert in the evenings. I cannot remember the last time I was actually worried about money; and trust me, it’s a nice feeling.
You can also start a side hustle to eliminate some financial stress. While I’m all for blogging, there are dozens of ways to create an extra stream of income.
One up-and-coming way is with Uber. Since I have little kids, I’ve never done this. But if I were kid-free, you can bet I’d be Uber-ing it up on my commute to work and on the weekends. It sounds like a fun way to meet people, plus you easily can make a few extra hundred per week. You could babysit, pet sit, buy and sell antiques or furniture, do yard work or garden on the weekends, etc. I think the best part about having a side gig is the fact that you can do something you actually enjoy! I love blogging; and to be honest even if I didn’t make money, I’d still be doing it.
What’s your passion?! How was your July?!
Congrats on your best side income month ever!! I’m so proud of you, you make balancing all that you do look so effortless! π So looking forward to seeing where your blog is headed and following along with your success!!
Thanks, Christina!!! Right back at you!!! Big things in 2017 haha!! π
Awesome, way to go! I’m going to have to look into Contently soon.
Yes!! It took me maybe 10 minutes to set up my profile. I’m hoping I continue to get jobs from them! Best of luck to you, too!!
Wow congratulations. I set up a Contently profile recently too. Hopefully it gets some traction soon.
Awesome!! I will send some good vibes your way! I was shocked when I got the assignment. It’s over now, but like you I am hoping for some more!!
Thinking of migrating my WordPress.com blog to WordPress.org. Which BlueHost plan do you recommendβthe “plus” or the “pro”? Thanks!
Hi! Fantastic idea!! I know many people who’s income increased significantly just from making the switch π I would actually go w/ the basic plan unless you have a good amount of traffic already. I have the basic plan still actually! But if not, I’m sure the plus would be good and you can always upgrade later if you need to!
Here’s my tutorial to help walk you through it https://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com/start-a-profitable-blog/ and if you use my link I’ll send over my blogging book for free!! π
This is amazing. Congrats on having such a great month!! I love how you have barely worked and are doing so well!!
I am looking forward to doing the very same with my new blog. Thanks for being so open and sharing your journey. xo
Good to see your income reports are growing month by month. I think you will increase your signups on Bluehost by creating a custom coupon code specific to your blog. This makes your readers feel extra special about signing up through your links. Email your account manager and ask for one.