Welcome to the August business income report. Below I share how I earned money online last month, break down the figures, and explain what I’m focusing on next.
If you’re new here, you might wonder why I publish monthly income reports. In short: they began as side-income updates, evolved into full business reports after I left my financial analyst job in October 2013, and now serve three main purposes.
- Inspiration and proof that side income and online work can be life-changing. When I first discovered other bloggers sharing monthly income reports, it opened my mind to side hustles and online income streams. I publish my reports to show tangible examples of ways to earn and to motivate readers to improve their own finances.
- Record keeping and learning. Sharing my income publicly helps me review results, learn from mistakes, and track progress—like a business journal that highlights what needs improvement.
- Validation that legitimate work-from-home income is possible. There are many ways to earn from home; monthly reports illustrate real, actionable income sources and help readers discover new opportunities.
Being my own boss and a full-time blogger is wonderful. I genuinely enjoy waking up each morning and doing work that fits my life. I don’t claim that you must love every minute of your job, but a career should let you enjoy life outside of work—spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, traveling, or anything else that matters to you.
How was business income in August of 2018?
I earned $110,284 blogging and online in August 2018, before expenses.
August was a very strong month. The business performed well and I enjoyed having more flexible hours; I estimate I worked under ten hours per week at times, though I miss being more consistently productive.
Recent months have shown similar totals—around the $100,000 mark—partly due to the typical summer slowdown for personal finance content and because our family had many visitors in July and August. I expect traffic and earnings to pick back up in the fall.
My main goal this year remains improving work-life balance. I’m making progress but still have room to get better.
Note: I’m continually building products and improving offerings. Since launching my flagship affiliate marketing course, it continues to perform well and attract new students. I also occasionally promote free resources and courses I’ve created to help people start blogs and manage money.
I started from zero and grew this business through consistent effort. If you think earning $100 or $1,000 online is out of reach, remember that incremental growth and persistence can lead to much larger earnings over time.
August was rewarding across the board—blog performance, course sales, and my personal satisfaction with how things are going. I often catch myself saying, “Life is really good,” and I mean it.
Breakdown of August 2018 income – $110,284.31
In August 2018, the total business income was $110,284.31. Below is a categorized breakdown:
- Affiliate income – $59,516.31
- Bluehost (tutorials on starting a blog) – $35,280.00
- Survey companies – $10,372.50
- Stupid Simple SEO – $5,401.30
- Six Figure Blogger – $1,695.59
- Credible – $1,050.00
- Personal Capital – $900.00
- Bookkeeper Business Academy – $596.50
- Ebates (tiered affiliate; estimate) – $500.00
- ConvertKit – $430.20
- Internet Scoping School – $387.02
- $5 Meal Plan – $142.20
- Miscellaneous affiliates – $2,761.00 (includes some partners that requested privacy)
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course – $38,706.00
- Sponsorships and advertising – $9,000.00
- Display advertising – $3,062.00
Total: $110,284.31
The figure above is before fees and expenses. Monthly business costs such as virtual assistants, course platform fees, technical assistance, newsletter expenses, and payment processing fees reduced the total by roughly $4,000. I also paid affiliates promoting my course about $5,350. After expenses and fees, my take-home was approximately $100,934. Keep in mind I cover taxes, health insurance, and other benefits personally since I’m self-employed.
For context, the blog’s archive includes many past income reports, showing how the business evolved from side hustle earnings to a full-time income source.
Comparisons and 2018 business income total
- Total income in August 2018: $110,284
- Total income in July 2018: $113,235
- Difference from previous month: -$2,951
- Total in 2018 (year-to-date): $1,100,315
Blog news
Making Sense of Cents continues to grow. August marked seven years since I launched the blog, and it’s been amazing to watch how life has changed during that time.
I’ve fallen behind on some content due to life events—most notably closing on and preparing to live on a sailboat. Boat ownership introduces a lot of new tasks and changes how we manage time, so I’ve prioritized catching up on writing and scheduling content ahead of busy stretches.
This month I attended FinCon in Orlando, which is always a valuable conference for networking, learning, and staying connected to the community. If you attend such events, set clear goals so you make the most of them.
Traffic in August was around 500,000 page views. Other updates and initiatives include:
- Developing a new practical finance series covering topics like opening bank accounts, finding the right online bank, building investment accounts, and more. I’ll welcome topic suggestions from readers.
- Considering group coaching to reach more people and provide peer support—this would be more scalable than one-on-one coaching.
- Growing the Making Sense of Cents community Facebook group, where readers ask questions and share ideas. The group continues to expand and offer valuable peer-to-peer support.
- Continuing to offer free email courses—my free “How to Start a Blog” series and the “Master Your Money” course have both been well-received and have helped thousands of people get started.
Popular new posts last month
- My 7 Year Blogiversary: What I’ve Learned And Love About Blogging
- When was the last time you did something that scared you?
- 6 Things That People Finance That Leave Me Speechless
- We Spent $43,486 To RV For One Year – How to Spend Way Too Much Full-Time RVing
- Personal Capital Review 2018 – Manage Your Money For Free
- Is A Credit Card Emergency Fund A Smart Idea?
- The exact template that helped my site earn $95,000 in affiliate income last year
- 11 Real Ways To Make Money Before The Holidays
- Would you risk your relationship and finances to cosign for a friend?
- 10 Easy Instapot Recipes – My New Favorite Gadget!
- Ditch Your Car And Walk More
Featured question: How do you come up with ideas for new blog posts?
I feature one reader question each month. Here’s how I consistently generate topics after years of blogging:
- Life experiences: I write about topics I’ve personally encountered. Firsthand experience often leads to the most authentic, helpful posts.
- Reader questions: Many posts originate from emails and comments asking for clarification. Turning a reader question into a full post helps many people at once.
- Research and reading: Interesting statistics, surprising headlines, or misunderstood topics I read about can spark new posts.
- Brainstorming sessions: I regularly review older content to expand on ideas, consult analytics to see what topics perform well, and keep an evolving idea list.
- Reader surveys: Occasionally asking the audience what they want to learn generates quick, high-value topic ideas.
With these methods, I maintain a long list of post ideas and add to it daily, so I rarely run out of inspiration.
My plans for the blog and business
Goals help maintain focus and momentum. Current priorities include:
- Get at least three months ahead on published posts. I’m currently under one month ahead and want to use September to build a buffer so I can focus on life events when needed.
- Grow the blog to 1,000,000 monthly page views by the end of the year to reach more readers and increase engagement.
- Create two additional products to diversify income streams beyond the affiliate marketing course.
- Grow the email list to 150,000 subscribers to improve course and product reach.
- Work less than 20 hours per week on average to maintain a healthier work-life balance.
- Have fun—keep enjoying the process and the opportunities the blog provides.
Affiliate income results
In August 2018, affiliate income totaled $59,516. Affiliate revenue remains one of the most passive and reliable components of the business, which is especially valuable when travel or lifestyle changes temporarily reduce active working hours.
Affiliate marketing is accessible to new bloggers as well as experienced ones. With well-targeted content and ethical promotion, affiliate income scales without requiring massive page view numbers. My course on affiliate marketing covers strategy, conversion optimization, product selection, compliance, and promotion techniques for bloggers at any level.
How was your August? Are you exploring ways to earn income from blogging or other online work?