Blogging is a full time job. Whether you're a full time blogger or not, there's just so much to do. From writing, taking photos, editing, social media-ing, to monetizing, it seems like the “to-dos” never end. But I think I've found a way to balance my very busy life and my blog. Last month, October 2017, I made over $15,000 from my blog. I didn't have a crazy sale. I didn't publish 33 posts. In fact, I was traveling the entire month. I spent exactly 5 days home, and most of those days were spent catching up on laundry. I'm going to break down how I made money on my blog, even when I had lots going on. I promise if I can do this so can you.
I'm not an income report blogger. I know they are interesting and I definitely enjoy reading them, but it's not something I feel like sharing often. I feel that for me to talk about my money is like I'm going topless down the street in broad daylight. I love blogging income reports, when done right, from people like Michelle of Making Sense of Cents. It makes sense (pun intended) for her to publish posts like this on her blog, since her blog is financed based.
I shy away from it because I'm more lifestyle based. But I was thinking about it: if I blog about living your best life and figuring out your dreams, money sometimes has to play a role in this. I'd like to think I'm pretty savvy at finding ways to save and make money, even when I'm doing nothing but traipsing through the Romanian countryside or walking the cobblestone streets of Rome. To be a better resource for bloggers and entrepreneurs, I thought it was time to share an income report, of sorts.
Now before you start rolling your eyes at the life of a full time blogger, realize that I worked for years at an 8-5 job. I remember the dreaded meetings, the long commutes, and the overtime that seemed to happen all too often. Keep in mind I started my blog while working full time, and I decided to leave my job after I started making an income blogging. So it's absolutely doable whether you work full time, part time, have 6 kids, etc.
Let me tell you this: I DID NOT quit my job to travel the world. I didn't quit my job to blog. I don't believe in jet setting without a plan. I don't believe in racking up $1,000s of dollars in debt in order to see the world or live your dreams. I think you can make money, save money, and still live life to the fullest. I made sure I had a plan in place. One that was scalable, that I felt could help me increase my salary over time, while also giving me the freedom to live more of a location independent lifestyle. Yes, I bolded this whole paragraph because I think it's important.
So often I see people focus on living their best life by saying things like, “Just do it!” That's nice, but it doesn't really get you from point A to point B. Making money blogging can seem scary. But honestly, it's been one of the best investments for myself and my future. So let's break it down.
Income Report for October 2017
Affiliate Income
A note about Affiliate income- I ONLY promote products and services I myself use. I make sure I try them out before actually promoting them.
Siteground (this is the web host company I use and highly recommend): $1,800
Genius Blogger's Toolkit– each year I participate by offering a product in this awesome group of bloggers. It's literally 100s of tools for $97. I'm also an affiliate for the product. I made: $5,671.25
Other Affiliates (These were smaller programs that still added up to help me make revenue this month): $480
Product Sales
When I say product, I mean what I sell from my own website. This is purely stuff that I created, market and sold from my website. I offer Lightroom Presets and an Instagram eBook: $1,773.25
Sponsored work
I don't do a ton of sponsored posts but when I do, I only do ones that involve big payouts. That's because I spend a large chunk of my time writing and creating content for the posts: $5,000
Advertising
Mediavine (Note, requires a minimum of 25,000 sessions over the last 30 days.) $1,030.68
Total income for October = $15,755.18
Of course, in order to make money you do need a website. Here's why I think everyone needs a blog (plus how to start one) that will show you why and how to start a blog with PURPOSE! You also need direction and most of all: a little help.
I think having a balance between blogging/work/life is essential. And it's not something I've always been very good about. I recently read 4-Hour Work Week (a game changing book, y'all!) but what I found so phenomenal was his refusal to let work hold him back. We all have the same amount of hours in a day. How can some people be successful, yet have so much fun? The answer is finding out your strong points and figuring out how to create your dream life.
I feel that I'm well on my way to doing that. Especially given the fact that I traveled to Romania, Italy, and Austria in October, yet still managed to make over $15,000. And in case you are wondering, these trips were packed. Most of the time I didn't have a second to check email or update Twitter.
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