Welcome to the December business income report, where I share how I earned money online last month. Here’s the monthly update and a breakdown of how things performed.
If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you may wonder why I publish income reports each month. If you’re familiar with the site, feel free to skip ahead.
This began as an extra income report, focused on side hustle earnings while I still had a day job. In those early reports I included all income outside my full-time employment.
I left my day job as a financial analyst in October 2013, and since then my monthly income reports have documented the various ways I make a living online.
Many readers ask why I publicly share my income every month. Some think it’s unusual, while others appreciate the transparency. I publish these reports for three main reasons:
- When I first learned about side hustles and making money online, it was because other bloggers shared their income reports. That inspired me to try side hustling, and I aim to motivate others by showing what’s possible. There are many legitimate ways to earn from home, and sharing my experience may encourage others to improve their financial situation.
- Publishing monthly income reports helps me review progress, learn from mistakes, and identify areas to improve. I treat these reports like a business journal and a tracking tool.
- I want to demonstrate that making meaningful extra income is possible. For those seeking examples, I previously compiled a Monthly Income Report Roundup that highlights many bloggers who share their results publicly.
I truly enjoy being my own boss and working as a full-time blogger. Having control over my schedule and work has improved my quality of life. I don’t say you must love every aspect of your job, but your income-generating work should at least allow you the freedom to pursue what you enjoy outside of work.
2017 Business Year In Review
Before diving into the monthly numbers, here’s a summary of 2017. It was a major year for the business for several reasons described below.
Two posts I recommend reading for background are:
- How I Successfully Built A $1,000,000+ Blog
- How I’ve Earned $434,698+ From One Online Course
Business income grew substantially over several years:
- 2013: $116,519
- 2014: $163,929
- 2015: $320,888
- 2016: $979,321
In 2017, total business earnings were $1,536,732.
This was a large increase over 2016 and exceeded my annual goal. Beyond income, 2017 included full-time travel, outdoor activities, and a better work-life balance overall.
I credit several actions for the success in 2017:
- I grew my email list. Relying solely on social platforms is risky because of algorithm changes. An email list is an owned audience. After switching to ConvertKit in 2016 and focusing on opt-ins, signup forms, and wording improvements, my list grew to over 70,000 subscribers. If you don’t have an email list yet, start building one now.
- I accepted every interview request. In 2017 I accepted more than 100 interview opportunities. While they take time, they expanded my reach and I’ve learned to enjoy podcasts and interviews.
- I diversified my income streams. My business now relies on affiliate marketing, course sales, sponsorships, and advertising. I also began promoting additional products as affiliates to create more passive revenue.
- I promoted affiliate products to my email list more intentionally. A major affiliate launch to my list produced five-figure results. This showed the power of targeted email promotion.
- I posted less frequently but promoted more. Publishing fewer, higher-quality posts and spending extra time on promotion has been more effective than daily publishing.
- I focused on Facebook growth. I grew the Facebook following from about 6,500 to over 80,000 during 2017, in part thanks to content strategies and an ebook I created. I also created a free Facebook community for readers to boost engagement.
These changes had a significant and positive impact on the business. I continue to learn and refine strategies, and I expect 2018 to be even better.
My 2017 business income goal had been $2,000,000 (an average of about $166,666 per month). I’m grateful to readers and customers who made the year possible—thank you.
Business goals for 2018:
- Get at least three months ahead on content publishing to reduce stress and free time for other projects.
- Grow the site to 1,000,000 monthly page views to reach more readers and increase engagement.
- Create two additional products to diversify revenue beyond my existing course.
- Grow the email list to 150,000 subscribers.
- Maintain a workweek under 40 hours to improve work-life balance.
- Have fun and enjoy the process.
Now, here’s my December income report.
How was business income in December of 2017?
I earned $126,260 blogging and online in December 2017, before expenses.
December was another strong month. After visiting friends and family, we returned out west and spent time in the Tucson, Arizona area to enjoy warmer weather. I spent much of the month catching up and working ahead before upcoming travel.
I’m working on a new product about monetizing sponsored posts and have opened a waitlist for interested readers.
This marked my twelfth consecutive month with income above $100,000. I began at zero and grew the business through consistent effort—so if you’re starting small, growth is possible over time.
Even modest earnings like $100 or $1,000 are achievable with dedication and the right strategies. I used to think $1,000 per month was an ambitious goal, and now I share that larger results are attainable.
My course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, continues to perform well and attracted many students last month. Student feedback and success stories reinforce the course’s value, with examples of dramatic affiliate income increases reported by learners.
If you’re starting a blog, I provide a low-cost tutorial to get started and recommend self-hosted WordPress for monetization potential.
Breakdown of December 2017 income – $126,260.51
December revenue totaled $126,260.51. Here’s the breakdown by category:
- Affiliate income – $64,828.51, which includes:
- Bluehost – $44,660.00
- Survey companies – $12,982.50
- Amazon FBA related content – $1,458.30
- ConvertKit – $1,105.00
- Bookkeeper Business Academy – $915.50
- Ebates – $500.00 (estimated)
- VIPKid – $460.00
- $500 Savings Challenge – $310.00
- Ibotta – $295.00
- Facebook ebook – $226.00
- $5 Meal Plan – $174.30
- Teachable – $150.60
- Student loan refinancing – $150.00
- Izea/SponsoredTweets – $147.87
- MediaNet – $147.34
- Miscellaneous affiliates – $1,146.10 (private promotions and smaller earnings)
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course – $47,716.00
- Sponsorships and advertising – $10,000.00
- Display advertising – $3,716.00
Total: $126,260.51
The figure above is before fees and expenses. Estimated fees and expenses for the month totaled around $5,000 for virtual assistants, course platform fees, technical assistance, newsletter services, payment processing fees, etc. Additionally, affiliate payouts for those promoting my course totaled $7,983.85. After expenses and payouts, my approximate take-home for the month was $113,276.66. Keep in mind I also cover taxes, health insurance, and benefits typically handled by an employer.
For a comprehensive overview of blog monetization strategies, see my guide on making money blogging.
Below are some past income reports and milestones published over the years, illustrating the gradual growth from small side income to a full-time business.
- $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 totals
- Total income in December 2017: $126,260
- Total income in November 2017: $110,656
- Month-over-month difference: +$15,604
- Total income in 2017: $1,536,732
Blog news
Making Sense of Cents performed well in December. Highlights from 2017 and plans for 2018 include launching a new sponsored-posts product, creating personal finance offerings, and continuing to build community.
I recently migrated the site to HTTPS and switched social sharing plugins to preserve social counts after the migration. Traffic for the month was around 600,000 page views.
Additional updates:
- My sister joined as a virtual assistant, handling Pinterest images, Facebook group management, and social scheduling, which freed up time for product development and strategy.
- I’m considering group coaching to help more people at scale while creating a supportive community.
- I launched a Facebook community group for readers, now with thousands of members seeking advice and support.
- I started a new interview series highlighting extraordinary people and their financial or lifestyle achievements.
- I released a free course on how to start a blog, which has attracted tens of thousands of sign-ups, and a Master Your Money email course focused on money management.
- Plans for a third free email course are in development for the near future.
Popular posts from last month
- Are You Making Your Life Difficult? 18 Ideas To Simplify Your Life
- Change Your Life By Saving Just $1 More Each Day – How Much Should A Person Save Each Month?
- How We Paid Off $40,000 of Debt While Saving for a Rainy Day in Less Than Two Years
- How I’ve Paid Off $29,000 In Debt By Living In a Van
- My Favorite Personal Finance Blog Posts From Making Sense of Cents
- How To Reach Your Goals
- How To Teach English From Home And Earn $14 to $26 An Hour
Featured Question: Is 2018 too late to start a website/blog?
A common reader question is whether it’s too late to begin a blog. The short answer: no, it’s not too late.
When I started, people claimed the market was saturated, but blogging continues to offer room for growth. Companies increasingly value online influencers, and opportunities for monetization across blogs, YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms are expanding. Each blogger brings a unique perspective, and many monetization strategies remain available and evolving.
Blogging requires ongoing learning and adaptation, but the potential to build an audience and generate income persists. If you’ve been considering starting a blog, today is a good day to begin. I offer a free course to walk you through the process.
My plans for the blog and business
Goals I’m actively working toward include:
- Getting three months ahead on posts to reduce pressure and create room for new projects.
- Reaching 1,000,000 monthly page views to expand reach and impact.
- Creating two additional products to diversify revenue streams.
- Growing to 150,000 email subscribers.
- Working fewer than 40 hours per week while maintaining productivity.
- Enjoying the work and having fun along the way.
Affiliate income results
In December 2017, affiliate income totaled $64,828.51. Much of this was passive, driven by existing content rather than new, time-intensive promotion. Affiliate marketing can be highly effective for bloggers of all sizes when done strategically. My course covers the full affiliate strategy, from choosing products to building trust and optimizing conversion.
The Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course launched in July 2016 and has helped thousands of bloggers improve their affiliate income. The course includes modules, lessons, worksheets, and an active student community to support implementation.
How was December for you? Are you interested in earning blogging income?