How I Earned $5 Million Online Working Just 10 Hours a Week

For years I worked between 60 and 100 hours a week. I slept little, rarely saw friends and family, and had almost no time for myself. It was exhausting, and I knew that pace wasn’t sustainable. When I thought about the life I wanted to lead, I realized I needed to change.

When I began this blog, I was juggling a full-time job, earning a master’s degree, and blogging in every spare moment. I didn’t start the blog to make money — I started it to track my finances — but I devoted whatever free time I had to growing it. Reaching new readers, building an additional income stream, and connecting with other bloggers felt rewarding and motivating.

It felt good to work, but I was burning out. Even after I left my job to blog full-time, I still worked more than 50 hours a week. Over time, I realized that the way I worked needed to change if I wanted to reclaim time and enjoy life. I wanted to travel more, spend time with loved ones, and simply relax sometimes.

Rethinking how I used my time wasn’t easy at first, but looking back I see how different my life is now. I earn a very comfortable income while working far less: my business runs mostly on autopilot and I work about 10 hours a week. As a new mom, that balance has been invaluable. I can’t imagine having my daughter during the early, chaotic days of blogging.

It’s been about a decade since I started Making Sense of Cents. In the beginning I had no idea what I was doing and spent countless hours learning and experimenting. Those long weeks were part of the journey that made everything possible. Today my business runs smoothly and I’ve earned over $5 million online. I still write posts and respond to reader emails, but many tasks are automated or handled by others. That frees me to spend meaningful time with my daughter, travel, and enjoy life.

I’ve learned a lot over the last ten years. I’ve achieved financial independence and crafted an ideal lifestyle: roughly 10 hours of work per week and the rest of my time devoted to family, travel, and personal interests. Because people are often surprised to hear how little I work, I wrote this post to share practical ways you can save time and shape your life to match your priorities.

Here’s how I save time and work 10 hours a week

I have a to-do list

I keep an ongoing to-do list, and it’s one of my top time-management tools. Everything that needs doing—small tasks and big projects—goes on the list. Without it I would feel disorganized and likely forget important duties.

I’m not naturally the most organized person, so my list keeps me on track. It doesn’t have to be complicated: I keep a simple list on my phone, though some people prefer physical planners. The point is to capture daily, weekly, and monthly tasks so you don’t lose momentum.

I live by my calendar

If something is coming up that I might forget, I add a reminder to my calendar. This prevents mental clutter and helps me manage deadlines without anxiety. My calendar reminders include:

Estimated quarterly tax payments
Interviews I’m scheduled to take part in
Deadlines for sending invoices to companies
Periodic checks of affiliate links to ensure they work
Business tasks with specific due dates

I even add items that are more than a year away to avoid future surprises. This simple habit helps me know exactly what to focus on each day and month.

I set working hours for myself

Working from home offers flexibility, but it can be hard to “turn off.” I recommend clear working hours so you can focus during the day and step away when work is done. A basic schedule should include a start time, a lunch break, an end time, and any other rituals that break up the day. Even a loose routine helps you enter the work zone and reduce distractions—especially helpful as a new parent.

I work ahead

Working ahead is a game changer. Early on, I wrote and published posts on the same day or the next day, which was stressful and rushed. After learning that some bloggers stay months ahead, I began planning content well in advance. Today I try to be 3–6 months ahead, which has drastically reduced stress.

Benefits of writing ahead include:

Never feeling out of ideas
Reduced last-minute pressure
A backlog of finished content
Writing only when I’m in the mood and productive

I also batch-write, producing multiple posts during productive stretches and then taking breaks from writing for weeks or months. This allows me to focus on other aspects of the business and improves work-life balance.

I outsource tasks

I still handle strategic and creative work—writing posts, brainstorming marketing and revenue ideas, and answering reader emails—but many tasks don’t require my personal attention. For those, I hire help. Outsourcing lets you focus on high-value work and find experts for specialized tasks like accounting or legal matters.

My team includes an editor, virtual assistant, Pinterest assistant, graphic designer, and technical support. Spending money on outside help often increases productivity and income, so it’s an investment rather than an expense.

I cut out distractions

Working from home makes distractions easy. Social media, TV, and notifications can all derail productivity. I’ve removed apps from my phone that pull me away from work—no Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter on my device. Some people use apps that limit screen time or put their phone in another room while working. Minimizing distractions saves enormous amounts of time.

I use tools to automate my business

Many tools, plugins, and platforms can automate core functions of your business. While setup takes time, automation pays off handsomely. I automate newsletters, course delivery, ad management, backups, spam filtering, and more.

Examples of tools I use include ConvertKit for email automation, Teachable for hosting courses and handling payments and affiliates, and ad management services that save huge amounts of time. There are countless other automation options depending on your needs.

I use affiliate marketing on my blog

Building passive income reduces the hours you need to actively work. For me, affiliate marketing is the primary passive income stream. A single well-written post can generate revenue for years if it continues to attract traffic and is updated occasionally.

Affiliate marketing lets you share products or services with readers and earn a commission when purchases are made through your links. Typical tips for affiliate success:

Be honest in reviews. Mention negatives if they exist or avoid promoting products you don’t believe in.
If you’re performing well, ask for higher commissions.
Build a relationship with your affiliate manager for exclusive deals, bonuses, or commission increases.
Be strategic with link placement—beginning, middle, and end of posts are often enough; use call-to-action boxes to highlight offers.

Want to find time to get stuff done?

If you want more free time for travel, family, or side projects, the strategies above can help. For years I worked full-time while building my blog and even did school full-time alongside work. I regularly logged 100-hour weeks during those seasons. If you’re trying to start a side hustle but can’t find time, look for pockets in your day to repurpose: use lunch breaks strategically, leverage vacation days, and use short gaps efficiently. Being organized and creating a realistic schedule are key.

In conclusion

I used to spend an incredible amount of time working each week to reach my goals. That initial effort was necessary, but finding smarter ways to use my time reduced my workweek to about 10 hours while maintaining a strong income. Although not all of my earnings were generated while working only 10 hours a week, I now make a great living working far fewer hours than most people.

Here are the core habits that helped me save time:

Keep a to-do list
Use a calendar to avoid forgetting important tasks
Set work hours
Work ahead
Outsource tasks
Cut out distractions
Use technology to automate the business
Build passive income through affiliate marketing

What do you do to save time in your day-to-day life or business?