Welcome to the February business income report, where I share how I earned money online last month. Below is an update on how the business performed and what contributed to the results.
If you’re new here, you might wonder why I publish monthly income reports. If you’ve read these before, feel free to skip ahead.
This began as an extra income report focused on side hustles and the income I earned outside my day job. In October 2013 I left my full-time role as a financial analyst, and since then these monthly reports cover the various ways I make a living online.
People often ask why I publish my income publicly. Some think it’s unusual, while others appreciate the transparency. I publish monthly income reports for three main reasons:
- When I started, I knew nothing about side hustles or making money online. Reading other bloggers’ income reports inspired me to try new things. I publish my reports to motivate others and show that side hustling can meaningfully improve personal finances.
- Monthly reporting helps me reflect, learn from mistakes, and track progress. I treat these posts like a journal for the business.
- I want to show that making legitimate money from home is possible. There are many ways to earn online, and sharing real numbers and strategies helps other people discover options that might work for them.
Life is great now that I’m my own boss and a full-time blogger. I genuinely enjoy waking up each morning and love the freedom the business brings. These income reports are part of showing that you don’t have to be stuck in a job you hate—small changes and side income streams can let you enjoy life more outside of work.
How was business income in February?
I earned $160,211.27 from blogging and online activities in February, before expenses.
February was the highest month for my business so far. I never imagined I’d see monthly revenue above $100,000 from a blog, so surpassing $160,000 in a single month felt surreal. That said, I started from zero and built this income through consistent work over time.
If $100 or $1,000 feels out of reach to you, remember progress starts small. Early on I dreamed of earning $1,000 from my blog and thought $10,000 months were impossible. With dedication, your results can exceed expectations.
February’s strong performance was driven by several factors I’ve been focusing on:
- An affiliate promotion for a friend’s course launch produced five-figure earnings during the few days it was open. I don’t usually push launches hard, but I supported this product because it’s high quality.
- A feature in Forbes drove over 50,000 new visitors to the blog, generating many new email subscribers and positive reader interactions.
- Diversifying income sources: since creating my first paid product, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, my business now relies on affiliate marketing, product sales, sponsorships, and advertising. I’m also diversifying affiliate partners to avoid dependence on any single source.
- Investing in email: switching to ConvertKit made email marketing intuitive and more effective. I now have over 40,000 subscribers. Starting an email list early is one of the most important steps a blogger can take.
- Growing social media presence, especially Facebook. I grew from about 6,500 followers to 53,000 by the end of February, largely thanks to sharing strategies and consistent engagement. A strong Facebook presence helps drive traffic, list growth, and income.
Overall, February was a fantastic month across the board—business, courses, and personal life all went well. I feel grateful and excited for the year ahead. The business is growing and I have many ideas to pursue.
My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course continues to perform well with many new students joining. I’ve received many success stories, including students who significantly increased their affiliate income within weeks of applying course strategies.
If you’re a blogger, my course shares detailed affiliate marketing strategies and practical steps to monetize your blog effectively.
If you want to start a blog yourself, I created a step-by-step tutorial to help you start on a budget, with affordable hosting options and a free domain offer available through the hosting provider I recommend. Self-hosted WordPress made a big difference for my ability to monetize.
Breakout of February income – $160,211.27:
February’s total of $160,211.27 breaks down across several income streams:
- Affiliate income – $100,151.27 total:
- Bluehost (blog hosting tutorial) – $49,970.00
- Survey companies – $13,187.25
- MOTIF Investing – $1,472.00
- Ebates (tiered affiliate estimate) – $1,000.00
- Amazon FBA guide – $599.40
- Bookkeeper Business Academy – $515.87
- Facebook growth ebook – $486.00
- Personal Capital – $400.00
- Uber – $360.00
- $5 Meal Plan – $227.70
- Proofreading guide – $220.00
- Profitable ebook resource – $150.00
- ConvertKit – $145.20
- Digit – $135.00
- Blog traffic strategies ebook – $130.00
- Amazon – $101.35
- Ibotta – $100.00
- Freelance writing program – $98.00
- Izea/Sponsored posts – $62.50
- Miscellaneous affiliates – $30,791.00 (includes earnings from a late-February launch and other products sold in February)
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course – $44,051.00
- Sponsorships and advertising – $13,500.00
- Display advertising – $2,509.00
Total: $160,211.27
The figures above are for February before fees and expenses. Some business costs—virtual assistants, Teachable platform fees, technical support, email service, payment processing fees, and others—reduced the total by roughly $4,000. Affiliate payouts for the course amounted to $9,712.50. After expenses and fees, net was approximately $146,498.77 (this does not include taxes).
Please remember that as a self-employed business owner I cover taxes (typically over 30%), health insurance, and benefits that an employer would otherwise provide.
For a comprehensive overview of blog monetization strategies, see the guide on how to make money blogging on the site.
Below are links to some past monthly income reports. I publish an income update every month; a full archive of reports is available on the blog’s income page.
- $672 extra in May (2012)
- $6,523 in January (2013)
- $11,927 in October – I finally left my job (2013)
- $12,640 in January (2014)
- $23,758 in February – Monthly Online Income Report (2015)
- How I made $300,000 online in 2015
- How I made $979,321 in 2016
Comparisons and 2017 online income total:
- Total income in February 2017: $160,211
- Total income in January 2017: $139,233
- Difference from the previous month: +20,978
- Total in 2017: $299,444
Blog news
Overall, Making Sense of Cents is performing well. Here are a few things I’m considering:
- Whether to continue publishing income reports. If you find them useful, please let me know in the comments and suggest any additional details you’d like to see.
- Reducing post frequency during the summer months (June–August) to 1–2 posts per week to improve work-life balance when traffic and engagement often slow down.
- Increasing investment in advertising on Facebook and Pinterest to reach new readers and grow traffic, subscribers, and income. Historically my business expenses have been low, and I plan to reinvest more into promotion.
My Forbes feature from January continues to drive traffic. I’m also guest posting on other sites more often to reach new readers and plan to publish at least one guest post per month for the next year to test results.
February traffic was about 520,000 page views. Referral traffic dipped from January, which is typical for finance sites, but my goal remains to reach 1,000,000 monthly page views in 2017.
Recent blog updates and free resources include:
- A free “How to Start a Blog” email course that helped over 15,000 people sign up—designed for beginners who haven’t started a blog yet.
- A free “Master Your Money” email course launched after the success of the first free course. It offers money-management lessons and worksheets, including a budget template.
- Plans for a third free email course to be released in the spring.
- Plans to create a free personal finance support group on Facebook where readers can discuss money, ask questions, and receive support.
For those who asked how I stay connected while traveling in an RV: I use a Verizon Mifi for reliable internet access and I’m testing a new unlimited option through AT&T to compare coverage and cost. For now I maintain both services while evaluating the best long-term choice.
Popular new posts on Making Sense of Cents last month:
- 15 Reasons You’re Broke And Can’t Save Money
- 50 Easy Ways To Save Money – Start Saving Thousands Each Year
- How To Make Money By Becoming A Cooking Instructor
- The 7 Money Mistakes That Shaped My Life
- The Power of Meal Planning – 6 Reasons Meal Planning Will Change Your Life
- How Melissa Made $40,000 In One Year Flipping Items
- 43 Extreme Things People Have Done To Make Money
- Stop Comparing Yourself To Others And Live Your Own Life
- 7 Lessons I Learned From My Short Sale
- How To Travel On A Budget And Still Have The Time Of Your Life
Featured Question: What are some affiliate program ideas for different niches?
Each month I answer a reader question in these reports. Leave a comment if you have a question you’d like featured.
Many bloggers tell me they struggle to find affiliate programs in their niche. In reality, most niches have affiliate opportunities. You may need to search merchant sites, affiliate networks (ShareASale, Awin, etc.), or look for an “Affiliates” link in a site footer.
Below are ideas for affiliate programs by niche to help get you started:
- Finance: IGain, $5 Meal Plan, Tradeking, TurboTax, Ibotta
- Parenting/Family: Grove Collaborative, The Container Store, Wayfair, Educents, Hello Fresh, My Freeze Easy
- Travel: Airbnb, CheapFlights, Expedia, Booking.com, World Nomads, REI
- Crafts/DIY: Cricut, Fabric.com, Tiny Prints, Scrapbook.com, Etsy
- Food/Recipe: Graze, Thrive Market, Food Blogger Pro, Gluten Free Cooking School, Eat Drink Paleo
- Healthy Living: Raw Till Whenever, Mindvalley, $5 Meal Plan
- Beauty: Julep, Sephora, Ulta
- Blogging & Business: Ultimate Bundle, ConvertKit, FreshBooks, Teachable
Most products and services offer affiliate programs, so if you enjoy a product there is likely a program available. For bloggers serious about affiliate marketing, my Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course lists dozens of program ideas across niches and shows how to apply, get approved, and promote affiliate offers ethically and effectively.
Past featured questions covered topics like increasing affiliate income, whether large page views are required to make money, monetizing new blogs, handling viral posts, and more.
My plans for the blog and business
Having clear goals helps me run the business effectively. Current priorities include:
- Earn $1,000,000 from the business in 2017. This goal emphasizes growing passive income while improving work-life balance.
- Improve work-life balance. I want to step away from the business more easily without constantly checking devices.
- Get at least three months ahead on blog posts. I’m currently two months ahead and aim to reach three months before the end of March 2017 to allow more flexibility for travel and offline activities.
- Grow to 1,000,000 monthly page views. I want to reach more readers and increase engagement by the end of 2017.
- Do more live interviews, podcasts, and webinars. These formats are a priority, though traveling and variable connectivity require better scheduling.
- Create another paid product. After the success of the affiliate marketing course, I plan to develop an additional product to diversify income.
- Promote the blog and business more effectively. I’ve been increasing investment in Facebook promotion and have seen significant traffic improvement.
- Continue learning and improving. I’m taking courses and testing new strategies to grow the business.
Affiliate income results
In February 2017 I earned $100,151.27 in affiliate income, the highest affiliate month so far. Part of that came from a short affiliate launch, so I don’t expect the exact number to repeat each month.
I’m a strong believer in affiliate income because it can be a passive, scalable revenue source. Even new bloggers can succeed with affiliate marketing if they follow best practices for promoting products ethically and building trust with readers—topics I cover extensively in my course.
Since launching the course in July 2016, over 1,600 students have enrolled. The course includes six modules, more than 30 lessons, worksheets, bonuses, and an active private Facebook group. It walks through everything needed to build a sustainable affiliate income stream, including how to choose products, increase conversion rates, follow disclosure rules, and use the necessary tools.
How was February for you? Are you interested in earning blogging income or starting a blog? I’d love to hear about your progress and questions.