If you’ve ever wondered how I make money, this is for you – it’s all about my blog income reports!
I love blogging and am so glad I started this site over a decade ago. Blogging has taught me so much and has helped many people improve their finances. Plus, I’ve been able to earn a great income doing something I truly enjoy.
In the early days of Making Sense of Cents, I published monthly personal finance blog income reports. These reports broke down how much money I made and where it came from, like affiliate income and sponsored posts. I also answered FAQs and shared updates about my life and business.
If you’re interested in blogging or want to learn more about my site, my income reports are full of useful information.
Although I no longer publish my income, many people still ask where they can find my old reports. That’s why I created this page.
My income reports started because I wanted to share how much money I was earning from my side jobs, including blogging. These reports covered all the income I made outside of my day job, like mystery shopping, online surveys, and selling items on eBay.
Eventually, I quit all my side jobs to focus solely on Making Sense of Cents. That’s when my reports really changed, focusing on the many ways I earned money from the blog.
Over the years, my income reports have sparked a lot of questions and comments. Some thought I was crazy for sharing my income publicly, but many appreciated the transparency.
I had three main reasons for writing my income reports each month:
1. Before blogging, I knew nothing about side hustling or making money online. I wanted to show others the benefits of side hustling and how it can change your life. There are many ways to make money online, and sharing my story motivates others to improve their financial situation.
2. Publishing my business blogging reports helped me look back, learn from my mistakes, and see where I could improve. They held me accountable and measured my success.
3. I wanted to show that making extra money is possible and that there are many legitimate ways to earn from home.
Honestly, I enjoyed writing my income reports too!
I stopped publishing my income reports because they put unnecessary pressure on me to keep earning more each month. I realized that my income was just a number and didn’t reflect my quality of life. I also felt like I was repeating myself month after month. Privacy became more important to me as well, as sharing personal financial details started to feel unsafe.
I’d love to bring back some form of my income reports, but I’m still figuring out the best way to do that. Let me know in the comments below what you’d like to see!
Here’s a bit more about my blogging journey:
### How much have I earned over the years from my blog?
Here’s a quick summary:
– In 2013, my business income was $116,519. This was the year I quit my job to become a full-time blogger.
– In 2014, it was $163,929. My first full year of self-employment.
– In 2015, I earned $320,888. This was the year I stopped freelancing and focused solely on my blog.
– In 2016, I made $979,321. I created my first product, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing.
– In 2017, I earned $1,536,732.
– In 2018, I earned over $1,500,000.
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– Day 1: Reasons to start a blog.
– Day 2: How to decide what to blog about.
– Day 3: How to create your blog on WordPress.
– Day 4: How to make money blogging.
– Day 5: Tips for passive income from blogging.
– Day 6: How to grow your traffic and followers.
– Day 7: Miscellaneous blogging tips.
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### How did I build a million-dollar blog?
I started my blog on a whim after reading about a personal finance website in a magazine. Initially, it was just a hobby to track my personal finance progress. When I started in 2011, I didn’t even know people could make money blogging!
My interest in blogging grew, and after six months, I began to make money. A friend connected me with an advertiser, and I earned $100 from my first advertisement deal. That deal sparked everything and made me want to learn more about monetizing my blog. Now, I earn a great living from my blog, which started on a whim.
### How did I make money by creating and selling my own product?
In July 2016, I created my first online course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. Since then, I’ve helped over 8,000 students and earned over $1,000,000 from it. This was without any webinars, Facebook Lives, guest posts, or a launch period. It’s an evergreen course that spread mainly through word of mouth.
### My blog income reports from over the years
I published many income reports from 2012 to 2019. These reports detailed what I worked on each month, how I earned money, my business goals, and more. You can find them below:
– $672 extra in May 2012 – My first month blogging income report!
– $994 extra in June 2012
– $1,425 extra in July 2012
– $1,603 extra in August 2012
– $3,275 extra in September 2012
– $3,700 extra in October 2012
– $5,114 extra in November 2012
– $5,770 in December 2012
– $6,523 in January 2013
– $5,983 in February 2013
– $7,862 in March 2013
– $7,859 in April 2013
– $7,641 in May 2013
– $10,192 in June 2013
– $11,117 in July 2013
– $9,554 in August 2013
– $12,334 in September 2013
– $11,927 in October 2013 – I finally left my job
– $13,387 in November 2013
– $12,160 in December 2013
– $12,640 in January 2014
– $13,454 in February 2014
– $12,100 in March 2014
– $13,493 in April 2014
– $12,747 in May 2014
– $12,787 in June 2014
– $14,937 in July 2014
– $15,272 in September 2014
– $14,136 in October 2014
– $14,534 in November 2014
– $13,673 in December 2014
– $15,396 in January 2015
– $23,758 in February 2015
– $15,151 in March 2015
– $32,474 in April 2015
– $20,635 in May 2015
– $23,471 in June 2015
– $25,138 in July 2015
– $23,992 in August 2015
– $31,030 in September 2015
– $33,482 in October 2015
– $30,569 in November 2015
– $320,000 in 2015
– $44,782 in January 2016
– $49,607 in February 2016
– $72,196 in March 2016
– $71,761 in April 2016
– $69,085 in May 2016
– $68,440 in June 2016
– $112,594 in July 2016
– $90,188 in August 2016
– $102,911 in September 2016
– $99,607 in October 2016
– $106,383 in November 2016
– $979,321 in 2016
– $139,233 in January 2017
– $160,211 in February 2018
– $130,856 in March 2018
– $131,448 in April 2018
– $120,104 in May 2018
– $121,861 in June 2018
– $110,897 in July 2017
– $135,110 in August 2017
– $113,267 in September 2017
– $136,829 in October 2017
– $110,656 in November 2017
– $1,536,732 in 2017
– $114,812 in January 2018
– $179,139 in February 2018
– $241,649 in March 2018
– $104,065 in April 2018
– $136,807 in May 2018
– $100,324 in June 2018
– $113,235 in July 2018
– $110,284 in August 2018
– $104,814 in September 2018
– $145,319 in October 2018
– $159,592 in November 2018
– $1,500,000 in 2018
– January 2019 – Traveling full-time
– February 2019 – Traveling full-time
– March 2019 – Blogging from home
– April 2019 – Blogging from home
– May 2019 – Blogging from home
– June 2019 – Blogging from home
– August 2019 – Blogging mistakes
– September 2019 – Growing a loyal audience
– October 2019 – Online income
– 2019 – Annual wrap-up
### What blogging courses do I recommend?
I’ve taken many blogging courses over the years, which have helped me grow my blog’s income and page views. Here are some of my favorites:
– Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing – My course on affiliate marketing for bloggers, with over 8,000 students.
– Making Sense of Sponsored Posts – A course I launched with my sister, Alexis, to help bloggers earn money through sponsored posts.
– Traffic Transformation – A guide with strategies to increase your blog’s page views.
– Pinterest Traffic Avalanche – A course on getting free monthly visitors to your website through Pinterest.
– Stupid Simple SEO – My favorite overall SEO course.
– Easy On Page SEO – An easy-to-follow ebook on on-page SEO.
– Site Speed Course – One of the best courses for improving your site’s speed.
### Do you have more questions about blogging?
If you want to learn more about blogging, check out What Is A Blog, How Do Blogs Make Money, & More. This resource answers questions like:
– How do I come up with a blog name?
– What blogs make the most money?
– How do you design a blog?
– How many views do you need to make money blogging?
– How many blog posts should I have before launching?
– How do I get my blog noticed by Google?
– How long until a blog makes money?
– How do blogs make money?
– How do bloggers get paid?
### Blog income reports summary
Publishing my income reports over the years allowed me to see what I was working on each month and reflect on my progress. It helped me grow significantly and stay motivated. Plus, I know my reports have helped many people. I’ve received countless emails from readers who found them helpful.
Do you want to make money blogging? What do you think of blog income reports?
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