Welcome to the January online income report. Each month I publish a transparent breakdown of the money I earned online the previous month. This report covers how I performed in January and why I choose to share these updates publicly.
If you’re new here, you might wonder why I post my income every month. If you’re a returning reader, you already know the reasons.
What began as an “extra income” series focused on side jobs has evolved since I left my day job as a financial analyst in October 2013. Today my monthly income reports include all the different ways I earn a living online.
People frequently ask why I’d make my income public. Some think it’s odd; others appreciate the transparency. I publish these reports for three main reasons:
- When I first started, I knew very little about side hustles and online income. Reading other bloggers’ monthly income reports inspired me to try new things. I publish my own reports to help others see the potential of side hustles and to motivate readers to improve their financial situations.
- Sharing monthly results gives me a record to review. These reports function as a business journal—helping me learn from mistakes and identify areas that need improvement.
- I want to demonstrate that making money from home is realistic. There are many legitimate ways to earn online, and I aim to highlight these opportunities so readers can find approaches that work for them.
I genuinely enjoy being my own boss. Waking up excited for the day is a feeling I don’t take for granted, and my business lets me spend more time doing what I love. Publishing these reports helps show others that it’s possible to change your work and lifestyle so you can enjoy life more, even if you don’t love every aspect of your job.
How was my online income in January?
January was my best month yet—I surpassed $40,000 in monthly revenue, which still feels surreal.
To put it in perspective, I earned $15,396 in January last year. That means my monthly income has nearly tripled in one year.
The business is growing, and I have many plans for the future. I’m thrilled with where things are heading.
I earned $44,782 online in January, before fees and expenses.
The number above reflects revenue for January before fees and expenses. Typical expenses for the month—virtual assistants and staff writers, technical support, Facebook advertising, accountant fees, newsletter and PayPal fees—totaled approximately $3,200 (rounded up). After those expenses, I made approximately $41,582. Taxes are not included in these figures.
Below are selected past monthly income reports. I publish an update every month; for a complete archive, visit my income page on the blog.
- $672 extra in May (2012)
- $6,523 in January extra income (2013)
- $11,927 in October income – I finally left my job (2013)
- $12,640 in January income (2014)
- $23,758 in February income – my monthly online income report (2015)
- How I made $300,000 online in 2015
Blog news
The blog continues to do well. Lately I’ve been publishing more side-hustle interviews—recent topics include freelance writing and proofreading. Upcoming interviews will cover making money on Amazon, bookkeeping, voice-over work, transcribing, and more.
Pinterest remains a primary traffic source. I use a scheduling tool that has saved time while increasing traffic. I’m also testing another scheduler on my sister’s blog to compare pros and cons.
For mobile internet while traveling in an RV, I rely on a Verizon MiFi device. It keeps me connected almost anywhere and is essential to my workflow.
Overall, traffic increased in January to about 500,000 pageviews.
Top new posts last month:
- 40+ Side Hustle Ideas and Tips From The Experts
- Become A Brand Ambassador And Make Extra Money
- Common RV Questions – Yes, I Even Talk About What We Do With #2
- Early Retirement Myths Busted
- Make Money Proofreading By Becoming A Freelance Proofreader
- Things You May Feel When Paying Off Debt
- 30+ Ways To Save Money Each Month
Featured Question: How can a blogger increase their pageviews?
I answer one reader question in each monthly report. If you have a question you’d like featured, leave a comment on the post.
There are many strategies to increase blog pageviews. Here are the approaches I find most effective:
- Publish high-quality posts – Your content should be valuable and helpful. Quality encourages repeat visits. Aim for substantial, well-researched posts; many of mine range from 1,500 to 3,000 words.
- Be active on Pinterest – Pinterest is a major source of traffic. Create eye-catching images, write compelling descriptions, pin regularly, and favor long images that perform well on the platform. I use simple image editing and scheduling tools to streamline the process.
- Use other social media – Explore Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other networks to diversify traffic sources.
- Post consistently – Regular publishing keeps readers engaged. Long gaps between posts make it harder to maintain audience interest.
- Network with other bloggers – Collaborate and build relationships. Genuine interactions, sharing, and cross-promotion benefit everyone.
- Guest post – Writing for other sites exposes you to new audiences who may subscribe to your blog.
- Make sharing simple – Ensure social sharing buttons are easy to find and that shared text and links appear correctly. Avoid titles in all caps and other deterrents to sharing.
- Create catchy headlines – A strong headline significantly increases the chance readers will click through.
- Learn SEO – Search engine optimization takes time to master but pays off in consistent organic traffic.
- Make navigation easy – Help readers discover related content through clear navigation, categories, tags, a search bar, and internal links in each post.
I also recommend resources from authors who’ve grown traffic quickly—practical, affordable guides can accelerate learning and results.
My plans for the website and online income
Clear goals and plans keep me focused. Current priorities include:
- Promote more. I’m improving promotion and seeing meaningful gains—Pinterest alone delivered around 172,000 clicks in January. I’m testing Facebook ads but remain cautious about return on investment.
- Create a book. This project is in progress.
- Accept more interviews. I took a few interviews in January and plan to do more selectively.
- Double my income. I aim to double 2015’s revenue. It’s ambitious, but I consider it an exciting challenge.
- Diversify affiliate income. I’m working to reduce reliance on any single affiliate partner and to grow earnings from multiple programs.
- Create a course. I’m in the early stages of a course to help others increase affiliate earnings and would welcome input on what topics would be most useful.
- Increase pageviews to 1,000,000 monthly. This measurable goal helps guide content and promotion efforts.
Staff writing
I wrote one article for another site in January and plan a few more in February. I’m pacing myself to prioritize course creation and blog improvements.
Affiliate income
January was also my biggest month for affiliate income. I earned approximately $60,000 in affiliate commissions, though most affiliate payments are paid 60–90 days later and will appear in future reports.
Bluehost remains a primary affiliate source through my “How to Start a WordPress Blog” tutorial, but I’ve been actively diversifying. Last month, roughly $15,000 came from other affiliate programs, and I plan to expand those sources further.
Breakdown of payments received in January ($44,782)
- Staff writing and website management – $1,721
- Website-related (advertising and partnerships across my sites) – $8,886
- Affiliate income (Bluehost, Ebates, survey companies, and others) – $34,175
- Miscellaneous (not related to blogging) – $0
Keep in mind that as a self-employed person, I cover taxes (typically more than 30%), health insurance, and other benefits and expenses that an employer might otherwise provide.
Comparisons and 2016 online income total (before taxes)
- Total income in January 2016: $44,782
- Total income in December 2015: $39,292
- Difference: + $5,490
- Total in 2016: $44,782
How was January for you? Are you interested in earning income online?
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