How I Earned $136,807 in May Blogging (How to Beat the Summer Slump)

Welcome to the May business income report, where I share how much I earned online last month. Below is a clear, honest breakdown of the month’s results and updates on the blog and business.

If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you might wonder why I publish an income report each month. If you’re already familiar, feel free to skip ahead.

This began as an extra income report documenting side-job earnings while I still had a full-time job. I included all income from side hustles but excluded my day-job salary. I left my role as a financial analyst in October 2013, and now my monthly income reports show the many ways I earn a living online.

Many readers have asked why I publish my income publicly. Some think it’s unusual; others appreciate the transparency. I publish these reports for three main reasons:

1. To inspire others. Before I discovered side hustles and blogging, I didn’t realize how much extra income was possible. Reading other people’s income reports motivated me to try side hustling. I share my own reports to show the possibilities and encourage readers to improve their financial lives.
2. To learn and track progress. Publishing monthly reports helps me review what worked, spot mistakes, and set goals. The reports act like a business journal.
3. To show that earning money from home is achievable and legitimate. There are many real ways to make money online. I also highlight other bloggers who share their income publicly so readers can learn from multiple examples.

Since leaving full-time employment, I’ve become a full-time blogger and business owner. I genuinely enjoy being my own boss and appreciate the freedom it brings.

How was business income in May 2018?

I earned $136,807 blogging and online in May 2018, before expenses.

May was an excellent month across the business. While future months may be lower—often around $100,000—due to seasonal trends and a busier personal schedule, I expect revenue to pick up again later in the year. The summer months often mean slightly lower traffic for personal finance sites, which I address in the Featured Question section.

My top goal this year remains improving work-life balance. I’m making progress but aim to work less than 10 hours per week during the summer months.

I never expected to earn over $100,000 in a month from blogging. It’s important to remember I started at zero and grew this income through consistent effort. If you think small amounts like $100 or $1,000 are out of reach, know that steady work and learning make growth possible.

May was strong on multiple fronts: course enrollments, affiliate income, and overall business health. I often find myself saying, “Life is really good.” The business is growing, I have new ideas, and I’m excited about what’s ahead.

My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course continues to perform well, with many new students joining last month. It’s still growing without heavy promotional tactics like guest posts or webinars.

If you’re interested in starting a blog, I created a step-by-step tutorial to help you begin affordably. Being self-hosted is essential if you want to monetize effectively—my income accelerated after switching to self-hosted WordPress.

Blog news

Making Sense of Cents is doing well and I’m pleased with the progress. May was unusually busy because we moved from RV life onto a sailboat. We closed on our catamaran mid-month and much of our time was devoted to transitioning to boat life, so business work slowed.

Recognizing that boat life will demand attention, I’m prioritizing getting ahead on content so the site can continue running smoothly while we adjust to living aboard.

Overall traffic for May was around 400,000 page views.

Other business updates:

• My sister joined as a virtual assistant in July 2017 and has been helping with Pinterest images, Facebook group management, social scheduling, and more. That support frees up my time for product creation and strategy.
• I’m exploring group coaching options to help more bloggers at once, since individual coaching is time-intensive.
• The Making Sense of Cents Facebook community continues to grow and provides a place for readers to ask questions about finance, blogging, travel, and business.
• I started a new interview series featuring interesting people doing notable things, beginning with someone who retired at age 28 with a net worth over $2 million.
• I launched a free How To Start A Blog email course that’s helped over 40,000 people begin blogging. Based on the positive response, I also released a free Master Your Money email course with financial lessons and worksheets.

Popular new posts on Making Sense of Cents last month:

• How we went from $0–$10,000/month blogging in less than a year
• How This Couple Retired at 38 and 41: An Interview With OurNextLife
• 6 Actions To Take To Find Your First Customers When No One Knows You
• 29 Money And Life Lessons I’ve Learned
• Editing And Writing Strategies That Will Take Your Content To The Next Level
• Tricks To Get More Done In Less Time
• 37 Crazy and Creative Strategies To Pay Off Debt From Real People
• 10 Delicious Summer Lunch Ideas
• Why I Love Living In A Vehicle

Featured Question: How do you deal with a blogging slump?

I answer one reader question each month. This month’s question is about handling the summer blogging slump.

Summer is a great time to start a blog: you can prepare content for a busier season later in the year, brainstorm ideas, and work in nicer weather. But many established bloggers see lower traffic and income in summer because readers are spending more time offline. A slump can be discouraging, but it’s a normal part of running an online business.

My tips for managing a summer blogging slump:

1. Relax. Slow periods are normal. Traffic and income often rebound—don’t panic.
2. Think beyond summer. Use slower months to plan and work on projects that will matter in fall and winter.
3. Complete delayed projects. Finish courses, update and optimize posts for SEO and monetization, refresh images and Pinterest pins, write posts for future publication, pitch guest posts and interviews, and prepare evergreen content.
4. Diversify income. If one revenue stream dips, expand into other monetization methods—products, different affiliate programs, sponsored content, and more.
5. Enjoy life. Some bloggers choose to slow the pace in summer—publish occasionally while taking time off, working fewer hours, and recharging.

A summer slump isn’t a crisis—use the time to improve, plan ahead, and enjoy some downtime.

Plans for the blog and business

Goals help maintain focus. Current priorities include:

• Get at least three months ahead on blog posts; currently about one month ahead.
• Grow site traffic to 1,000,000 monthly page views by the end of the year.
• Create two additional products to diversify income.
• Grow the email list to 150,000 subscribers.
• Work fewer than 20 hours per week and improve overall work-life balance.
• Have fun and enjoy the process.

Affiliate income results

In May 2018, affiliate income totaled $50,664. Affiliate earnings remain a major, largely passive part of the business and make travel-friendly income possible. Even with less time devoted to the business lately, affiliate revenue continues to perform well.

Affiliate marketing is a strategy any blogger can use regardless of traffic levels if done correctly. My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course teaches the practical steps for success, including product selection, conversion optimization, disclosure requirements, and promotion strategies.

The course includes multiple modules, lessons, worksheets, and an exclusive community. It’s designed for bloggers at any experience level across niches and countries.