Welcome to my first monthly income report.
I'm nervous about this, so bear with me! People often ask me how to make money blogging, which is why I'm excited to finally publish an income report.
I know I've said that I don't like income reports, but I've decided to try it out at least once and see how it goes.
A little about me.
I started FITnancials back in 2013 as a hobby blog and to document my 60-pound weight loss. I spent around an hour a week on it and sometimes didn't touch it at all. One year ago, I decided to go full-time on the blog and also quit my day job that was bringing me great income for someone my age.
Now, I'm making a steady $4,000 a month from my blog, and I get to work from home. My income has increased dramatically since October of 2016! I'll be making a post about my earnings for the first full year of full-time blogging soon. 🙂
Apart from blogging, I'm a senior in college with a 6-year background in the special needs community. I have been a Paraprofessional, Behavioral Therapist, an in-home caregiver, and more. I absolutely love this field, but after 6 years, I became incredibly burnt out.
However, I miss working in the field and sometimes think about becoming a special needs teacher. However, I love my blog and the life it gives me too much to give it up.
Reasons why I've decided to post an income report
1. To keep track of my goals, income, recaps, and also show all you what I've learned every single month from blogging.
2. To be transparent with my readers and show that it is possible to make a full-time income from a blog.
3. To show people that making $5,000 a month from blogging is something to be proud of. There are bloggers out there that think it's not enough. I'm guilty of this, especially since I have a sister who has already made a million dollars from her blog this year.
How much time do you spend on your blog?
I spend around 20-30 hours a week on my blog. When traveling, the hours tend to be all over the place.
How to make money blogging
There are many ways you can make money blogging. Some of these are:
- Sponsored posts
- Affiliate income
- Ad revenue
- Creating and selling your own products
My first product: Making Sense of Sponsored Posts
Learn everything there is to know about sponsored posts with my course Making Sense of Sponsored Posts.
Sponsored posts helped me become a full-time blogger and is my favorite way to make money blogging!
You also get access to a private mastermind group where you can ask any blogging questions and get help from me and other successful bloggers.
How much money can you make from a blog?
The amount of money you make from blogging is up to you. A vast majority of bloggers out there make no money, while others are making millions every year.
How much did you make in August of 2017?
Sponsored posts: $2,900
Affiliate Income: $576
Virtual Assistant: $900
Ad Revenue: $431
Free Products: $240
Top affiliate companies
- Ibotta
- Pinecone Research
- Nielson Computer
- Raw Till Whenever
- Maxbounty
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing
- $5 Meal Plan
- Ebates
Free products
I asked GlassesShop.com to send me a few glasses in exchange for a product review.
Glasses are expensive. This online shop makes it more affordable to get prescription glasses. I received both regular eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses. All but one of the pairs fit well.
My #1 Recommendation For New Bloggers
If you've never taken a blogging course and aren't sure which one to choose, Blog With A Full-Time Job is IT.
Do you want to build a successful blog but have a full-time job?
Do you want a profitable blog but aren't sure what steps to take?
If so, you must check out Blog With A Full-Time Job.
This is THE course to take if you want a step by step plan to build a profitable blog.
Use code ALEXIS15OFF for 15% off!
Here are just a few of the things you'll get:
- A specific plan for launching, growing and monetizing your blog while working full-time
- The exact strategy to grow and monetize your blog to a six-figure blog
- Learn how to manage your mind, productivity, time management (all VERY important for working at home and running a successful business)
- How to set up a beautiful looking blog that is completely customizable
- How to write blog posts specifically for monetizing
- Sooo much more + tons of bonuses, templates, worksheets, etc.
Popular posts from FITnancials this month
- 6 Free Monthly Budget Printables That Are Proven To Help You Pay Off Debt
- How To Teach English From Home And Make $14-$18 An Hour
- 50 Ways To Save $500+ Each Month
- 20 Side Hustles Perfect For Stay At Home Moms
- Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget
- 10 Free Or Cheap Things To Do In Cancun
Blog related posts
- How To Start A Blog – Beginner Edition
- How I Doubled My Pageviews In 1 Month
- How My Sister Went From $0 Affiliate Income to $50,000+ A Month
- Officially A Full-Time Blogger + Tips For You
Recap
The summer is generally a slower month as far as blogging goes. Most people aren't spending their time on a computer. Instead, they're outside and enjoying the weather. My website usually doubles in page views in the winter, which I'm looking forward to.
I'm also struggling with page views, and can't seem to get past the 75,000 mark. 6 of my main group boards all disappeared. Those 6 group boards were also my highest performing.
Life before I was a full-time blogger
I couldn't be more happy with my life.
Before I was a blogger, I was attending college and working 3 jobs. Life was tough because I rarely got sleep and worked at a job that was stressful. I was a special education teacher, a nanny, and worked around 5 or so hours a week on my blog.
Waking up every day was a pain. I wasn't making good money and did not enjoy my job. When I wasn't at work, I was sleeping or working on school work. I thought that's how life is, and you had to suck it up and get used to the cycle.
Don't get sucked into the cycle!
College Life
Some of you may be wondering why I'm still in school. I'm so close to graduating and don't want all those years of school to go to waste. I want to get my degree in case I decide to use it one day.
I also like the idea of teaching English abroad in Asia or Europe. Generally, you need a bachelors degree to do that (and you get paid better compared to not having a degree). We plan on moving abroad one day, and having a bachelors degree makes it easier to get a visa in certain countries.
Blogging Friends
I made a new blogger friend this month, Lisa at Not On A Budget. She's helped me with SEO and ranking on Google.
I also want to mention my first ever blogging friend, Tiffany, from Beautiful Dawn Designs. She designed most of my printables that you can check out here. If you're a blogger, you'll definitely want to check out her blog where she shares amazing content related to being a successful blogger. She's helped me a ton with Pinterest and increasing my page views.
Fincon
I will be at Fincon this year, so please let me know if you're going! I won't know anyone there besides Michelle (my sister).
My plans for my blog
1. I'd love to start working on a digital product. The health and fitness field is saturated with fitness products, so I'd want to create something in another field.
2. I started a free resource library on my blog and it's doing REALLY well! The library currently contains 10+ printables. There are monthly budget planners, meal plan templates, travel checklists, daily planners, and more.
3. I'd love to do more collaborations and partnerships with other blogs.
4. I'd love to start a YouTube channel. I've always thought about doing this, but people on YouTube are so brutal in the comments. I don't have thick skin, and I already get enough mean comments on my blog, so I'm scared! Natalie Bacon has been such an inspiration for me, and I love watching her channel, which you can check out here.
Goals for FITnancials
1. Get to 20,000 followers on Pinterest.
2. Hit 100,000 page views per month. Pass!
3. Get 2 months ahead of blog posts.
3. Get to 3,000 email subscribers. Pass!
4. Get to 5,000 likes on Facebook.
Life Goals
J.D. has 2 years left of school, and then we're off to who knows what. We have a lot of ideas in the air, such as full-time RVing, moving to Europe or Canada, or moving to Arizona. Neither of us has ever been to Arizona, but it's been calling out our name for awhile it seems like.
We like that Tuscon is both bike-friendly, has mountains, is vegan-friendly, and is super duper cheap. We plan on being pretty aggressive with our student loan payments once we graduate.
See you next time
If you would have told me that by age 24, I'd be making $5,000 a month working at home, I would've laughed SO hard at you. There are days when I'm in shock by the fact that I work at home. I'm my own boss at 24. It's. So. Friggin. Cool.
Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone who has been a follower since I started this blog. If you're trying to become a blogger, I hope I could help you a bit with how to make money blogging.
I'm not sure if I'm going to continue income reports, but I figured I'd post at least one to see how it goes. How do you think I did this month? What else would you have liked me to cover in my income report?
Actionable Tips:
- Check out my Free Resource Library to get tons of free printables
- Join my Facebook Community where we share tips related to fitness, health, and more
- Check out my top recommendations for health, finance, and blogging
Related articles to read:
- 16 Real Work From Home Jobs That Pay Up To $75,000 A Year
- 7 Books To Become A Better and Happier You
- Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget
Do you have an income report? Leave it in the comments!
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I loved reading your blogging income report. It’s so inspiring for newbie bloggers like me. I will be at FinCon as a first-timer and would love to meet up!
That’s awesome! I’m so excited for Fincon.
Enlightening! Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading your path to where you are now. I look forward to more!
Ben recently posted…How to use ETFs in your portfolio
Thank you!
Thanks for the motivation! I keep coming back to your site! I love how clean and well organized it is. You are doing so well for yourself without coming across as spammy or salesy. Can’t wait to see you hit all those goals!
Renee recently posted…Becoming Minimalist: 3 Thoughts Keeping You in the Clutter
Thank you so much!
This is so awesome and I can’t wait until I get to that point! I am finally making just about $1000/month and almost been blogging for a year (with a few months that I took off due to life changes) and it feels like a lifetime until I am able to make $5000/month with my blog. By the way, do you use a network to get sponsored posting opportunities or do you reach out to companies and brands yourself?
daniella recently posted…26 Cheap Crock Pot Meals
Hey Daniella! You’re doing awesome and making more progress than most people!
I do use a few networks, but many of my sponsored opportunities are from people reaching out to me.