Welcome to the August 2017 business income report, where I break down how I earned money online last month. Below you’ll find an update on the business, key lessons, and a detailed income breakdown for August.
If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you might wonder why I publish these monthly income reports. If you’re familiar with the site, feel free to skip ahead.
This series began as an extra income report focused on side jobs—any income outside my day job was included. I left my financial analyst role in October 2013, and now these reports reflect all the ways I earn a living through my business.
Many people ask why I publicly share my income each month. Some think it’s unusual; others appreciate the transparency. I share these reports for three main reasons:
- Before I started blogging I knew little about side hustles and making money online. If it weren’t for other bloggers publishing income reports, I might never have tried side hustling. I publish my numbers to show others the benefits of side income and how it can transform finances and life. There are many legitimate ways to make money from home, and sharing my story each month helps motivate readers to improve their financial situation.
- Publishing income reports helps me review my progress, learn from mistakes, and see which areas need improvement. I use these posts like a journal to track growth and make better decisions.
- I want to demonstrate that making side income is achievable. I highlight a variety of legitimate options so readers can explore ways to earn from home.
Life is great now that I’m my own boss and a full-time blogger. I look forward to each day and genuinely enjoy waking up every morning. These reports are a way to show readers that you don’t have to hate your job or your life—small changes and side income streams can create more freedom and allow you to spend time on what matters to you.
How was business income in August of 2017?
I earned $135,110.19 blogging and online in August 2017, before expenses.
August was an excellent month for the business. I’ve been working less than 10 hours per week, and my virtual assistant, who started in July, has taken on many time-consuming tasks. The business has been running smoothly with minimal hands-on effort from me. It’s rewarding to see past work continue to generate income while I enjoy more free time.
One of my main focuses this year has been achieving a better work-life balance, and I’ve made significant progress. I’m more efficient and less likely to waste time, which feels strange at first but is clearly beneficial.
August marked my eighth consecutive month earning over $100,000. I never expected to reach that level, especially from a blogging business. Remember, I started at $0 and grew this income through consistent effort. Small steps add up—don’t dismiss $100 or $1,000 as out of reach; those amounts are attainable over time.
This strong month, despite limited hours worked, resulted from several strategic efforts:
- Diversifying income streams. In 2016 I launched my first product, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. My revenue now comes from affiliate marketing, course sales, sponsorships, and advertising. I’ve also diversified within affiliate partnerships to reduce reliance on any single company.
- Focusing on email marketing. I began taking my email list seriously in April 2016 after switching to ConvertKit, which made creating effective newsletters much easier. My list has grown to over 60,000 subscribers. Building an email list earlier would have helped me accelerate growth, so I recommend starting one as soon as possible.
- Investing time in Facebook growth. I grew my Facebook following dramatically—from around 6,500 at the start of 2016 to 79,000 by August 2017. That growth has helped drive traffic, expand my email list, and increase revenue. My ebook on Facebook strategies contributed to this progress.
Overall, August was excellent across blogging, course sales, and life balance. I’ve been thinking “Life is really good” a lot recently—and I genuinely mean it. The business is growing, I have many ideas for the future, and I’m excited about what’s ahead.
My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course continues to perform well and welcomed many new students in August. I’ve received numerous success stories from students who saw dramatic improvements in affiliate earnings after applying course strategies.
If you’re a blogger interested in earning more through affiliate marketing, my course covers my exact strategies and can be a helpful resource. For those wanting to start a blog, I also offer a step-by-step tutorial on creating an affordable self-hosted WordPress blog—self-hosting makes monetization considerably easier.
Breakout of August 2017 income – $135,110.19
In August 2017, total business income was $135,110.19. Below is the breakdown by category:
- Affiliate income – $46,198.19 total:
- Bluehost (blog hosting referrals) – $30,520.00
- Survey companies – $7,432.50
- Ebates (tiered program estimate) – $1,000.00
- Bookkeeper Business Academy – $976.75
- $500 Savings Challenge – $565.00
- ConvertKit – $506.95
- Student loan refinancing – $450.00
- Facebook Strategies ebook – $348.00
- Uber – $250.00
- $5 Meal Plan – $224.70
- MediaNet – $191.46
- Izea/SponsoredTweets – $135.28
- Amazon FBA guide – $125.55
- Ibotta – $80.00
- Miscellaneous affiliates – $3,392.00 (private promotions and smaller earnings)
- Sponsorships and advertising – $16,700.00
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course – $69,808.00
- Display advertising – $2,404.00
Total: $135,110.19
The amounts above are for August before fees and expenses. Typical monthly fees and expenses (virtual assistants, course platform fees, technical assistance, newsletter costs, PayPal/Stripe fees, etc.) reduced earnings by roughly $4,000. Affiliate payouts for course promotion totaled $8,012.85. After expenses and fees, I earned approximately $123,097.34. This figure does not include taxes. Keep in mind that as a self-employed business owner I cover taxes (over 30%), health insurance, and other benefits an employer might otherwise provide.
For a guide to ways to make money blogging, see The Ultimate Guide To Making Money Blogging on the site.
Below are several other monthly income reports I’ve published over the years; you can find the full archive on the site’s income page.
- $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 (2015)
- How I made $300,000 online in 2015
- How I made $979,321 in 2016
Comparisons and 2017 business income total:
- Total income in August 2017: $135,110
- Total income in July 2017: $110,897
- Difference from the previous month: +24,213
- Total so far in 2017: $1,049,720
Blog news
Making Sense of Cents continued to progress well in August. I completed the switch to HTTPS after Google began warning sites without SSL certificates. I hired a technical specialist to make the transition smoothly and recommend seeking technical help for this important update.
I also switched from Shareaholic to Social Warfare Pro to preserve social metrics after moving to HTTPS—Social Warfare Pro has been a much better tool for my needs. I’m also testing the Awin affiliate network after receiving an invitation to try the platform.
Traffic for August was around 400,000 page views.
Notable blog and business updates:
- My sister started as my virtual assistant in July and has been handling tasks like updating Pinterest images on older posts, managing Facebook groups, and scheduling social content. Her help frees my time for product creation, outreach, and maintaining work-life balance.
- I’m exploring group coaching as a way to help more people at once while creating a supportive community for bloggers.
- I launched a community Facebook group for Making Sense of Cents, which quickly grew to over 7,000 members and provides a place for readers to ask questions about finance, blogging, travel, and running a business.
- I started a new interview series highlighting people doing interesting and unconventional things—retirements, van-life entrepreneurs, debt payoff stories, and more.
- I released a free “How To Start A Blog” email course that has attracted over 29,000 sign-ups and received positive feedback. I also launched a free “Master Your Money” course and plan a third free course soon.
Popular new posts from the site in August:
- How I’ve Earned $434,698+ From One Online Course Without Webinars Or Spending Money On Advertising
- For Those Who Want Life To Speed Up – Are You Dreaming Too Much About Tomorrow?
- How This Successful Family Makes Travel Blogging Work For Them
- Credible Review – Refinance Your Student Loans And Save An Average of $18,668
- How I Paid Off My $400,000 Mortgage In 7.5 Years, Before I Was 32
- Our 10-Day Sailing Charter Around The British Virgin Islands
- How We Paid off $86,000 in Debt in 5 Years – with 7 Kids!
- 7+ Ways To Make $500 By The Weekend
- Common Full Time RVing Questions Part 2 – Don’t You Hate Each Other Yet?
- How To Save Money Fast
Featured Question: How should a person come up with a blog name?
I feature one reader question each month. Choosing a blog name can be one of the most difficult parts of starting a site, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are my tips:
- Make it easy. Choose a name that’s simple to spell and type. Avoid overly long or complicated words so readers can easily find you.
- Think about your content. Consider the topics you’ll cover and the audience you want to reach. Brainstorm descriptive words related to your niche.
- Use a thesaurus. Explore synonyms and related words if your first choices are taken or don’t feel right.
- Make it catchy. Alliteration, humor, or a memorable phrase can help your blog name stick in readers’ minds.
- Use your name. If you prefer a simple approach, using your own name as the blog title is a common and effective option.
Naming your blog can be straightforward—pick something easy to remember and aligned with your content. I’d love to hear how you chose your blog name; please share in the comments.
Plans for the blog and business
Setting goals helps run a successful business and keeps you motivated. Current priorities include:
- Aim to earn $1,500,000 from the business in 2017. I adjusted this target mid-year after reviewing progress. My focus remains on building more passive income while maintaining a better work-life balance.
- Improve work-life balance. This is my main goal for the year and I’ve made progress, though there’s always room for improvement.
- Be three months ahead on blog posts. I want to be further ahead on content planning to reduce stress and allow time for other projects.
- Grow the blog toward 1,000,000 monthly page views. While ambitious for the year, growth in email subscribers has been a positive sign.
- Do more live interviews, podcasts, and webinars. Living and traveling full-time can complicate scheduling, but I plan to increase live appearances when possible.
- Create another product to sell. After the success of my affiliate marketing course, I’m considering a new paid product to diversify revenue further.
- Promote the blog and business more effectively. Increased focus on Facebook and other channels has already improved traffic and engagement.
- Continue learning and improving. I’m always exploring new resources and courses to sharpen skills and stay current.
Affiliate income results
In August 2017 I earned $46,198.19 in affiliate income. Most of this was passive and came from older content on the site—I spent less than an hour on affiliate strategy all month. Affiliate income is especially appealing because it can be very passive, allowing for travel and flexibility while still generating revenue.
I plan to publish more affiliate-focused posts—perhaps one per month—to review products and services readers ask about. Affiliate marketing is accessible to new bloggers when done correctly; that’s the focus of my Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course, which has helped thousands of bloggers improve their affiliate earnings.
The course includes six modules, over 30 lessons, worksheets, bonuses, and access to a private Facebook group. Topics covered include introduction to affiliate marketing, product selection, conversion strategies, trust-building with readers, required disclosures, tools, and promotion techniques.
Whether you’re new to blogging or have been at it for years, the course is designed to be practical and actionable for a wide range of niches and experience levels.
How was August for you? Are you interested in earning income from blogging?