How I Earned $145,319 in October While Traveling the World

Welcome to the October business income report, where I share how I earned money online last month. Below I summarize October’s results, explain why I publish these reports, and offer updates about my blog and business.

If you’re new here, you might wonder why I publish an income report each month. Feel free to skip ahead if you already know my background.

This started as an extra income report since the beginning of my blog. Originally I listed everything I earned from side jobs while still working a day job. I left my position as a financial analyst in October 2013, and since then these monthly reports reflect all of the ways I make a living online.

People often ask why I publish my income publicly. Some think it’s odd, while others appreciate the transparency. I continue sharing these reports for three main reasons:

Seeing other bloggers publish income reports inspired me to try side hustles and online business when I knew very little about them. I want to show the positives of side hustling and how it can improve someone’s financial life. There are many legitimate ways to make money online, and I share my journey to motivate readers to improve their finances.
Publishing monthly income reports helps me track progress, learn from mistakes, and identify areas for improvement. I treat them like a business journal to measure how I’ve grown over time.
I want to demonstrate that earning side income is possible. Blogging and other online income streams can be legitimate ways to work from home. I’ve linked to a roundup of income reports from other bloggers to highlight the variety of paths people take.

I truly enjoy being my own boss and working as a full-time blogger. I look forward to each day, and sharing these reports is part of how I connect with readers and help others explore alternative income options.

How was business income in October 2018?

I earned $145,319 blogging and online in October 2018, before expenses.

October was an excellent month for Making Sense of Cents. I worked a bit more than usual to prepare a new course launch, got ahead on content where possible, answered emails, and planned blog tasks for early 2019.

Note: I was finishing a new product focused on sponsored posts. That course, Making Sense of Sponsored Posts, launched later in November 2018.

I never imagined I’d reach the level of income I now make. I started at $0 and built this business through sustained effort. If you think $100 or $1,000 is unattainable, remember that growth often comes gradually. With hard work and persistence, progress is possible.

Overall, October was strong across the board—blogging, courses, sponsorships, and personal life. I’ve been reflecting often on how fortunate I am and how much I enjoy this work.

My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course continues to perform well, with many new students enrolling. The course remains an important passive income driver without relying on guest posts or webinars at this time.

If you’re interested in starting your own blog, I provide a step-by-step tutorial to set up a self-hosted WordPress blog at a low cost. Being self-hosted is essential for professional presentation and long-term monetization.

*This chart only goes back to May 2017. You can find all of my income reports on my income page.*

Breakout of October 2018 income – $145,319.74

In October 2018, my blogging business generated $145,319.74. Here’s the income breakdown by category:

Affiliate income – $72,042.74, including major contributors such as:
- Bluehost – $32,200.00
- Survey companies – $9,877.00
- Six Figure Blogger – $2,301.00
- Ebates (estimated tiered program) – $500.00
- Internet Scoping School – $452.10
- ConvertKit – $391.99
- Bookkeeper Business Academy – $363.75
- Credible – $350.00
- Amazon FBA related posts – $247.10
- Personal Capital – $200.00
- $5 Meal Plan – $141.30
- Miscellaneous affiliates – $25,018.50 (includes some affiliate promotions where exact figures are private and smaller affiliate earnings).
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course – $53,650.00
Sponsorships and advertising – $17,500.00
Display advertising – $2,127.00

Total: $145,319.74

The figure above is gross income for the month of October before fees and expenses. Monthly fees and expenses that reduced this total were roughly $4,000, covering virtual assistants, course platform fees, technical support, newsletter costs, PayPal and Stripe transaction fees, and similar items. In addition, affiliate payouts for promoting my course totaled $8,488.80. After these expenses, my approximate net income for the month was $132,830.94. Taxes and other owner-related costs such as health insurance are not included in this net figure.

As a self-employed person, I cover taxes (over 30% in many cases), health insurance, and other benefits typically provided by employers.

For more on blog monetization strategies, I maintain a comprehensive guide covering different ways to make money blogging.

Below are links to selected past income reports; I publish monthly updates and keep an archive of past reports for anyone interested in tracking long-term progress.

$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
How I made $1,536,732 in 2017

Comparisons and 2018 business income total:

Total income in October 2018: $145,319
Total income in September 2018: $104,814
Difference from the previous month: +40,505
Total in 2018 to date: $1,350,448

*Annapolis Boat Show in October 2018 – I share travel photos on Instagram.*

Blog and life updates

October was a busy travel month: we attended the Annapolis Boat Show, went to a wedding in Rochester, hosted visitors on our boat, and sailed to Key West on a friend’s boat—a 39-hour journey. Despite traveling, I managed to get work done and keep the business moving forward.

We closed on our sailing catamaran in May and have spent much of our time outfitting and adapting to life aboard. With so many boat projects, I’m prioritizing getting ahead on content so I can focus on living on the boat once we depart the marina.

My goal for November was to finish writing posts and hand them off to my editor through the end of Q1 2019. I tracked traffic at about 400,000 page views for the month.

Other business updates include:

Developing a new series of practical finance tutorials to cover topics like opening a bank account, setting up investment accounts, and other basic financial tasks. I welcome topic suggestions.
Exploring group coaching as a way to help more people at once and foster community support for bloggers.
Growing the Making Sense of Cents Facebook community, which offers advice on finance, blogging, travel, and business. It continues to expand.
Publishing a free “How To Start A Blog” email course; over 40,000 people signed up and the response has been very positive.
Following the success of that course, I also released a free “Master Your Money” email course with money management lessons and free worksheets.

Featured question: Other than affiliate marketing, what’s your next favorite way to make money blogging?

Affiliate marketing is my favorite income source because it allows posts to earn revenue for years, which suits a travel lifestyle where internet access can be unreliable. However, sponsored posts are my next favorite monetization method.

Sponsored posts (or sponsored partnerships) are paid promotional content on blogs or social channels, paid by brands to reach new customers. My first blogging income was from a sponsored post, and sponsored partnerships helped me grow the business enough to leave my day job. Currently I typically earn between $10,000 and $25,000 per month from sponsored partnerships.

I like sponsored posts because:

You can be paid to promote products or services you genuinely support.
They’re location-independent—you can work from anywhere.
Sponsored partnerships are relatively easy to find.
More brands recognize the value of influencer collaborations.

Because sponsored partnerships are a reliable revenue stream, I created the Making Sense of Sponsored Posts course to teach how to find, negotiate, and deliver sponsored content effectively.

Plans for the blog and business

Setting clear goals helps run a successful business. Current priorities include:

Get at least three months ahead on posts. I’m working to move from being less than a month ahead to a three-month buffer so I can focus on other tasks and boat life.
Create two more products to sell. After the success of my affiliate marketing course, I plan to launch additional, smaller products in 2019.
Grow to 150,000 email subscribers. I passed 100,000 subscribers and hope to reach 150,000 as a longer-term goal.
Work fewer than 20 hours per week. I aim for better work-life balance; some weeks still stretch long, so reducing hours is a priority.
Have fun. Enjoying this journey is important even if it isn’t a measurable goal.

Affiliate income results

Affiliate income in October 2018 totaled $72,042. With plans to cruise full-time, building passive income streams like affiliate revenue is particularly valuable when internet access may be intermittent.

Affiliate marketing remains a favorite due to its passive potential. New bloggers can earn through affiliate programs by choosing the right products and using proper promotion strategies—topics I cover in-depth in my Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course.

The course launched in July 2016 and has helped over 5,000 students understand affiliate marketing fundamentals, including picking products, increasing conversion, disclosure requirements, and many promotion strategies.

How was October for you? Are you interested in earning income through blogging or other online ventures?