Welcome to my July business income report where I share how much I earned online last month. This update reviews the month’s results and offers context about my business progress.
If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you may wonder why I publish monthly income reports. Feel free to skip ahead if you’re already familiar with the series.
This began as an extra income report focused on side jobs and supplemental income. At first I listed everything I made outside my day job. I left my position as a financial analyst in October 2013, and since then these monthly reports document the many ways I earn a living online.
People often ask why I publicly share my income figures. Some think it’s unusual; others appreciate the transparency. I publish these reports for three main reasons:
- Before I started blogging, I knew nothing about side hustles or making money online. I assumed significant income growth came only from raises at a full-time job. Seeing other bloggers publish income reports inspired me to try side hustling. I publish my reports to show readers the potential of side income and to motivate others to improve their financial situations.
- Monthly income reports are a personal record. They let me review results, learn from mistakes, and identify areas for improvement. I treat them like a business journal and use them to track progress over time.
- I want to demonstrate that earning money from home is possible through legitimate methods. To help readers discover different paths, I’ve highlighted other income-reporting bloggers in a roundup post that showcases successful creators who publicly share their results.
Life is great now that I’m my own boss and a full-time blogger. I wake up excited each day and truly enjoy what I do. These reports also show that you don’t have to feel stuck in a job you dislike — it’s possible to make changes that let you live a life you enjoy, whether that means spending more time with family, pursuing hobbies, or traveling.
How was business income in July 2018?
I earned $113,235 blogging and online in July of 2018, before expenses.
Before diving in, please tell me in the comments if you still find these monthly income reports helpful. I enjoy writing them, but I want to know if readers still value them and if there are topics I should add or stop discussing.
July was another strong month for Making Sense of Cents and my broader blogging business. Recent months have hovered around the $100,000 mark due to a typical summer slowdown for personal finance sites and because I’ve been unusually busy — we had guests on our boat for much of July. I expect activity to pick up again in the fall.
My main goal this year remains improving work-life balance. I’m making progress but still aim to work fewer hours. Over the summer I’m targeting under 10 hours of work per week.
I never imagined reaching more than $1,000,000 a year from blogging when I started. My income grew from zero through steady effort, and that’s an important point: small beginnings can lead to much more with persistence.
As of July, the business is doing well. I feel fortunate — I catch myself saying “Life is really good” a lot because I genuinely mean it. The business continues to grow and I have many plans for the year ahead.
My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course continues to perform well with many new students joining. It remains a major component of my business without heavy promotional tactics like webinars or guest posts.
Breakdown of July 2018 income – $113,235.51
In July 2018, my blogging business generated $113,235.51. Below is the breakdown by income category:
- Affiliate income – $68,675.51
- Bluehost (blog hosting) – $42,280.00
- Survey companies – $9,125.50
- Six Figure Blogger – $1,174.73
- Ebates (tiered program estimate) – $500.00
- ConvertKit – $387.00
- Internet Scoping School – $354.48
- Bookkeeper Business Academy – $335.00
- How to Work From Home Selling On Amazon FBA – $235.60
- $5 Meal Plan – $148.20
- Miscellaneous affiliates – $14,135.00 (includes affiliate promotions with privacy agreements and smaller affiliate earnings)
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course – $24,947.00
- Sponsorships and advertising – $16,400.00
- Display advertising – $3,213.00
Total: $113,235.51
The figure above covers July revenue before fees and expenses. Typical monthly costs that reduce this number include virtual assistants, course platform fees, technical support, newsletter expenses, PayPal/Stripe fees, and other operational expenses — combined they totaled roughly $5,000 (rounded). I also paid $4,826.25 to affiliates promoting my course. After accounting for fees and expenses, my approximate net income for July was $103,409. This does not include taxes, which I cover as a self-employed business owner (taxes are typically over 30% when factoring federal, state, and self-employment tax).
For a comprehensive guide to blog monetization methods, check out The Ultimate Guide To Making Money Blogging for ideas on how blogs can generate income.
Below are selected past income reports and milestones to show how the business has progressed over the years.
- $672 extra in May (2012)
- $6,523 in January extra income (2013)
- $11,927 in October income — I 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 July 2018: $113,235
- Total income in June 2018: $100,324
- Difference from previous month: +12,911
- Total in 2018 (year-to-date): $990,031
Blog news
Making Sense of Cents continues to perform well, and I’m pleased with the direction of the business. Next month I’ll attend FinCon in Orlando, Florida — my sixth time there — and I’m looking forward to meeting readers and fellow creators. If you’re attending, please share your goals in the comments so we can connect.
July was an especially busy month because we closed on a sailing catamaran in May and spent a lot of time handling boat-related tasks. Moving onto a boat has been time-consuming, so I’ve focused on getting ahead with content to maintain consistency once life aboard gets even busier. Overall site traffic for the month was about 500,000 page views.
Other blog updates:
- I’m launching a new series to answer practical financial questions and provide step-by-step tutorials — topics will include setting up a bank account, writing a check, finding an online bank, and building an investment account. What topics would you like to see covered?
- I’m exploring offering group coaching to reach more readers while providing a supportive environment for bloggers. Group coaching could replace one-on-one sessions that I used to offer but found time-consuming.
- Our community Facebook group continues to grow and now has over 12,000 members. It’s a place for readers to ask questions about finance, blogging, travel, and running a business.
- I released a free “How To Start A Blog” email course that has been popular — more than 40,000 people signed up. Based on that success, I also created a free “Master Your Money” email course with worksheets and a budget template.
Popular new posts last month:
- Welcome To Paradise – We’re Living On A Sailboat!
- To Pay Off Debt Or Invest — Which One Is Best For You?
- How This 34 Year Old Owns 7 Rental Homes
- Want To Live Your Best Life? It Starts With Saving
- Getting A Loan To Buy A Pet Is Ridiculous
- How This 25 Year Old Earns $10,000 A Month From Her Blog
- Can A No Spend Month Actually Help You?
Featured question: How can a blogger build relationships and network?
I answer one reader question in each monthly income report. Networking is essential for building a successful blog. Many bloggers treat others as competitors, but collaboration is far more productive. Networking helps you enjoy blogging, learn new skills, discover monetization strategies, and make meaningful connections.
Practical tips to build relationships as a blogger:
- Attend conferences and meetups. In-person events like FinCon are excellent opportunities to meet peers, learn from experts, and build long-term relationships.
- Comment on blogs and engage on social media. Thoughtful comments and genuine interaction help you get noticed and start conversations.
- Share other bloggers’ content. Promoting worthwhile posts shows appreciation and often leads to reciprocal support.
- Be active in Facebook groups and online communities. Groups focused on blogging, niche topics, or marketing are great places to connect with like-minded people.
The best networking happens naturally: start small, be genuine, and focus on helping others. Give more than you take, and avoid transactional or demanding outreach. Find ways you can genuinely support other bloggers — that’s how real relationships are formed.
My plans for the blog and business
Clear goals help me run a healthier business and stay motivated. Current objectives include:
- Get at least three months ahead on content. I’m currently less than a month ahead and will use August to build a content buffer so I can focus on life and other priorities.
- Grow the site to 1,000,000 monthly page views by the end of the year to reach more readers and increase engagement.
- Create two more products in 2018 to diversify income and provide additional value to readers.
- Grow the email list to 150,000 subscribers by year-end.
- Work fewer than 20 hours per week to improve work-life balance and maintain sustainability.
- Have fun — an important, if non-quantifiable, goal for the year.
Affiliate income results
In July 2018, affiliate income totaled $68,675. Affiliate revenue remains a cornerstone of my business because of its passive potential. Even when I spend less time on the business, affiliates can continue to generate income, which supports travel and a flexible lifestyle.
Blogging income doesn’t depend exclusively on page views. New bloggers can earn through affiliate marketing by promoting the right products to the right audience. That’s the core of what I teach in the Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course, which covers strategy, product selection, conversion techniques, trust-building, disclosure requirements, and many practical tools and tactics.
Since launching the course in July 2016, over 5,000 students have enrolled. The course includes multiple modules, lessons, worksheets, bonuses, and access to an exclusive Facebook community to support implementation and success.
How was July for you? Are you interested in earning income from blogging?