Welcome to the December business report, where I share how I earned money online last month. Here’s an update on what I worked on and how the business performed.
If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you might wonder why I publish a monthly business report.
These reports began as my extra income reports, where I tracked side-income outside my full-time job. I included every dollar I made from side hustles, excluding my day job earnings.
In October 2013, I left my position as a financial analyst and shifted to full-time blogging. Since then, my monthly reports have covered the many ways I run and monetize my business.
Many readers ask why I publicly share monthly updates about what I’m working on. Some think it’s unusual, and others appreciate the transparency. I enjoy publishing these reports for three main reasons:
- I want to help others. Before I discovered side hustles and blogging, I didn’t realize how many legitimate ways there are to boost income. Other bloggers’ income reports inspired me to try side hustling, and I publish my reports to show what’s possible and encourage readers to improve their financial situation.
- I use the reports as a learning tool. Publishing monthly updates helps me reflect, learn from mistakes, and see where the business needs improvement. They’re also a way to stay accountable to my goals.
- I want to show that making money from home is realistic. There are many honest ways to earn income online, and I aim to show readers how those channels work in practice.
Life has been wonderful since I became my own boss and a full-time blogger. I genuinely enjoy my work and look forward to each day. My blog allows me to create a life that fits my interests and priorities, and I like to share that perspective so others know it’s possible to change their situation.
Is this the end of income reports?
I have an important announcement: after years of publishing monthly income reports, I’m changing the format. Starting now, they will be Business Reports. I’ll continue discussing strategy, goals, progress, and lessons learned—but I will no longer include detailed income numbers.
Why remove the numbers?
There are several reasons for the change:
- I want to be helpful. Some readers find the large income figures intimidating or unattainable. Removing dollar amounts shifts the focus to tactics, processes, and actions that anyone can use to grow their own business.
- I want to feel less pressure. Publishing revenue each month created pressure to maintain a certain level of income. I’d rather concentrate on the work and progress than on meeting monthly revenue expectations.
- Safety. As our lifestyle involves travel and living on a boat, broadcasting precise earnings can make us easier to locate. For safety reasons, I prefer greater discretion.
- Privacy. I also value more personal privacy and prefer not to constantly disclose financial specifics.
If you’re looking for past numbers, I’ve published income reports for many years; they remain available for those who want to study them. Going forward, the monthly reports will focus more on actionable advice, goals, and what I’m working on—still useful for readers who want to learn and replicate strategies.
Business Year in Review
Before diving into the December update, here’s a quick annual wrap-up. It was a strong year for the business for several reasons.
Highlights from past years show the growth and evolution of the blog and business:
- 2013: $116,519 (the year I left my day job)
- 2014: $163,929 (first full year self-employed)
- 2015: $320,888 (focused more on the blog and stopped freelancing)
- 2016: $979,321 (I launched my first product, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing)
- 2017: $1,536,732
- 2018: over $1.5 million (through November)
The business grew about 10% over the prior year, and I worked significantly less—roughly half the hours. I focused on the parts of the work I enjoy the most: writing and helping readers with personal finance, travel, and side-hustle topics. This year I plan to continue with a similar approach and focus on smaller product ideas like printables and budget-related tools rather than large course launches.
I attribute much of the success to a few consistent actions:
- I prioritized building and improving my email newsletter. Email remains the most reliable audience channel because you own the list. Switching to a focused platform and creating quality opt-ins accelerated list growth and made newsletter marketing far more effective.
- I diversified income streams. Alongside advertising and affiliate marketing, I developed paid products and courses that complement the business and provide more stable income.
- I promoted affiliate products more strategically. A few well-planned affiliate launches to my email list produced excellent returns and taught me the importance of intentional planning.
- I raised sponsored post rates and focused on higher-quality partnerships. That allowed me to work less while delivering more meaningful collaborations with brands.
I plan to continue these priorities while maintaining a healthier work-life balance in the coming year.
Goals
- Get at least three months ahead on blog posts. Being prepared reduces stress and gives me space to focus on other priorities.
- Work less than 40 hours per week. I aim to keep more consistent boundaries around work to preserve free time and energy.
- Be more present. With more travel and sailing planned, I want to enjoy life outside the business without feeling tethered to the laptop.
- Read six books. I’d like to read more for enjoyment rather than only for work-related learning.
- Have fun. This is a reminder to prioritize joy and experiences.
Now, here’s the December business update.
New course — Making Sense of Sponsored Posts
My new course on sponsored posts has launched. It’s a step-by-step guide that explains how to build a successful sponsored partnership strategy—what to charge, how to approach brands, how to structure deals, and how to handle legal and disclosure requirements.
Whether you’re new to blogging or have been at it for years and haven’t had success with sponsorships, the course covers the full process. Sponsored content can be intimidating for many bloggers—this course is designed to remove that uncertainty.
I started blogging as a hobby in 2011 and didn’t expect to make money. A few months in, I earned my first $100 from an advertisement. That small reward showed me blogging could be monetized, and over time my sponsored partnership strategy evolved to become a major revenue stream. Today, sponsored collaborations are a significant part of my business, and this course shares what I’ve learned.
Blog and life news
December was a productive month. There were no major shifts—mostly I used the time to get ahead on content since we plan to spend several months in the Bahamas on our boat. I prefer to be well-prepared, so I can enjoy travel without feeling behind on work.
We sailed from the St. Pete area to Key West in a 33-hour solo trip. It was a memorable journey and a reminder that running a location-independent business provides incredible freedom.
By the end of December I was about two months ahead on posts and aiming to finish more content to cover the first quarter. Total traffic for the month was around 400,000 page views.
Other updates:
- I’m developing a series of practical tutorials to help readers with specific financial tasks—opening bank accounts, writing checks, choosing online banks, setting up investment accounts, and more. Suggestions for additional topics are welcome.
- The Making Sense of Cents community Facebook group continues to grow and now includes over 13,000 members who discuss finance, blogging, travel, and business topics.
- I released a free How To Start A Blog email course that has attracted over 50,000 sign-ups and received positive feedback.
- I also offer a free Master Your Money email course with financial worksheets and a budgeting template, which has been well received.
- Other free resources include guides on increasing affiliate income and tips for sponsored posts.
Affiliate marketing results
Affiliate income in December was similar to November. Historically, affiliate revenue increases significantly between January and May as readers focus on financial goals for the new year. To prepare, I’ve been working on:
- Building a better funnel to deliver ongoing value to readers even when I’m traveling or have limited connectivity.
- Planning affiliate promotions in advance—promotions for the first six months are already mapped out.
- Experimenting with ways to grow traffic and reach new readers.
- Analyzing top-performing affiliate posts to improve conversions.
- Finding and vetting new affiliate products that align with audience needs.
Even while spending less time on daily operations, affiliate income remains a strong and partially passive revenue source that supports a mobile lifestyle. I teach affiliate strategy and best practices in the Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course, which has helped thousands of students learn how to use affiliate marketing responsibly and effectively.
Final thoughts
This past year was rewarding both professionally and personally. I’m grateful to readers for following along and supporting the blog. Moving forward, monthly Business Reports will focus on actionable strategies, updates, lessons learned, and goals rather than raw income numbers. If there’s anything you’d like to see included in future reports, please let me know in the comments.
How was the year for you? Are you interested in building income through blogging or other side hustles?