When I started blogging, I thought this would be a fun hobby. One where I could get creative and talk about the mundane or exciting things I found interesting. But blogging has turned into a passion of mine. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it often.
But I enjoy it. It's brought me to connect with a lot of great people and do things I would never have the chance to do. I never knew that blogging would take up so much of my time and how much money I'd spend on the blog itself. Sarah and I were talking about this the other day, so I give her full credit for the idea of this post.
Here are a few things I spend my money on for my blog, I'll break down how much each thing costs for a year.
Things I buy for my blog:
1. Domain Name.
I use Go Daddy and it's $10 a year. I also pay additional for protection which is $8 for the year. So total = $18
2. Photo Editing
I will admit that I am cheap. I haven't paid for photoshop and I honestly don't see myself doing that anytime soon. PicMonkey can do a lot of what photoshop does and it's super easy to use. Oh, and it's $4.99 a month or $33 for the year to upgrade to Royale. Right now PicMonkey is offering a free week of royale so check it out. I plan on doing a tutorial on all the things you can do with it. = $33
3. Advertising on Other Sites
This obviously varies dramatically, but I'd say $50 a month-ish. Sometimes I don't sponsor anyone and sometimes I sponsor a lot of people. This is something I will continue to do as it has helped my blog grow immensely. = $300 (rough guess)
4. Advertising for my site
I use Passionfruit to sell all of my ads. It's an easy way to keep track of them all. = $50
5. Facebook Boosts
I really think that this can help your blog. I don't do it every week, but once a month, if I have a post I really care about, I'll give it a boost. =$100
6. Blog Design
This is a must have for me. I have a vision but I'm not wonderful at putting that vision into action. So I use Social and Chic for that. = $150
7. Photobucket
I've been using Photobucket for a long time to upload photos but I never needed the extra space. That was until the #Blogtober14 link-up crashed it! I paid to upgrade so that I could have more storage. =$50
8. Drop Box
I use Drop Box to store photos from my phone and have them easily accessible on my other devices. It's great if you're one of those people that can't bear to delete a picture off your phone. This frees up a lot of storage so I can continue taking pictures. =$100
9. Business Cards
Last but not least, business cards. I never knew how much I'd need these, except when I didn't have them.I might be biased, but I think my cards look pretty awesome.
I got them from a store in Dallas (but they ship worldwide!) called Signazon. Pricing varies but mine our full color and double sided. These are some of the highest quality cards I've ever seen and I've already started handing them out to everyone I know. Just because they look so good. About 500 cards is $30.
Signazon doesn't just offer custom business cards. Any printing job you need, they do. Custom signs for your shop or small business or even your Halloween party. Marketing materials, car magnets, decals, refrigerator magnets (perfect for Save The Dates), and even invitations and thank you cards. Basically, all your business and printing needs. I like working with a store that will respond back to me directly and let's me customize every single aspect. I'll be using Signazon again and again.
Also, check out 10 places to find online business ideas for ecommerce websites. This includes examples you can steal!! Totally useful.
So total, for the year, I'm spending about $531.
My e-course for Bloggers: Quit Your Job to Blog (as well as the others I offer) will help you decide what you should and shouldn't buy for your blog as well as how to establish a flourishing online community, monetize your blog RIGHT NOW, and build your brand! Check out more here.
What do you spend money on for your blog?
**Signazon sent me the cards to review, but all opinions are my own.
