Welcome to the February 2018 business income report. Here I share how I earned money online last month and provide an update on how the business performed.
If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you might wonder why I publish monthly income reports. If you’re already familiar, feel free to skip ahead.
This began as an extra income report, focusing on money I earned from side jobs while still employed. In the early reports I included all income except my day job salary. I left my day job as a financial analyst in October 2013, and now my monthly income reports document the multiple ways I earn a living.
People often ask why I publicly share my income each month. Some think it’s odd, while others appreciate the transparency. I publish these reports for three main reasons:
- To show others what’s possible. Before I discovered blogging and side hustles, I thought the only way to significantly increase income was through raises at a full-time job. Seeing other bloggers publish income reports inspired me to try side hustling. I share my results to encourage and motivate others to improve their financial situations by exploring online income opportunities.
- To track progress and learn. Publishing monthly reports helps me look back, learn from mistakes, and identify areas for improvement. I treat the reports like a business journal.
- To show that earning money from home is achievable and legitimate. There are many ways to make money online, and I showcase different methods and resources to help readers find what works for them.
Life has improved since I became my own boss and transitioned to full-time blogging. I genuinely enjoy waking up each morning and working on my business. Sharing these reports is part of helping others realize they can make changes and shape a life that fits their goals, whether that means more time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or traveling.
How was business income in February of 2018?
I earned $179,139 blogging and online in February 2018, before expenses.
February was an outstanding month for Making Sense of Cents. In fact, it was my best month to date.
I participated in the Work-At-Home School launch in February, which generated $48,751.90. I won both the opt-in and sales contests for that affiliate launch. I spent January preparing and crafting emails to my subscribers, and the launch performed exceptionally well.
I typically prefer more passive income strategies—such as promoting affiliate products through evergreen blog posts—so I don’t often join launches. But Work-At-Home School is a high-quality resource created by a friend, and I anticipated it would do well.
I plan to participate in additional affiliate launches this year. I’ve been neglecting my email list, and launches can be a useful way to provide value to subscribers (helping them find useful products and services) while also generating revenue.
March is already looking strong with projected revenue above $200,000.
Despite the high income, my main goal this year remains improving work-life balance. I’m getting better but not yet where I want to be. My target is to work fewer than 10 hours per week during the spring and summer months.
EDIT: November 23, 2018 – Making Sense of Sponsored Posts is now available. It explains how I began earning from sponsored partnerships and how that income stream grew significantly.
I never imagined earning over $100,000 in a single month from blogging. It’s a reminder that I started at $0 and reached these results through hard work and persistence. If you’re aiming for $100 or $1,000 per month, know that those goals are achievable. I once thought $1,000 was unattainable—now I share this to encourage others that growth is possible with dedication.
Overall, February was excellent across blogging, courses, and life. The business is thriving, and I’m excited about plans for the year. My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course continues to perform well and attracted many new students last month, even without extensive guest posts or webinars.
If you’re interested in starting a blog, I created a tutorial showing how to start a WordPress blog affordably. Self-hosting is a key step if you plan to monetize successfully—my income accelerated after switching to self-hosted WordPress.
Breakout of February 2018 income – $179,139.02
In February 2018, the blogging business earned $179,139.02. Here is the breakdown by category:
- Affiliate income – $102,277.02 total:
- Work-At-Home School – $48,751.90
- Bluehost – $40,880.00
- Survey companies – $6,095.00
- Bookkeeper Business Academy – $837.25
- How To Work From Home Selling On Amazon FBA – $795.59
- Ebates – $500.00 (estimated, tiered program)
- ConvertKit – $463.80
- Student loan refinancing – $300.00
- VIPKid Teach English Online – $240.00
- Finance Your Detour – $239.40
- Six Figure Blogger – $198.50
- $5 Meal Plan – $152.58
- Miscellaneous affiliates – $2,823.00 (private promotions and small affiliate earnings)
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course – $43,224.00
- Sponsorships and advertising – $31,500.00
- Display advertising – $2,138.00
Total: $179,139.02
The figure above is for February before fees and expenses. Some fees and expenses reduced the total by roughly $5,000 (virtual assistants, course platform fees, technical help, newsletter expenses, transaction fees, and similar costs). I also paid affiliates promoting my course $7,550.80. After expenses and fees, I earned approximately $166,588.22. This does not include taxes; as a self-employed person I cover taxes (over 30%), health insurance, and benefits that an employer would otherwise provide.
For a guide to blog monetization, see my comprehensive resource on making money blogging.
Below are a few other monthly income reports from previous years. I publish an income update every month; for a complete archive visit the income page on the site.
- $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 February 2018: $179,139
- Total income in January 2018: $114,812
- Difference from previous month: +64,327
- Total in 2018 (YTD): $293,951
Blog news
Making Sense of Cents is doing well. My husband, Wes, was on a long sailing trip in January and most of February, and I used that time to write heavily. I produced roughly three months of content and aim to complete more in March so I can focus on other projects during the spring and summer.
Being ahead on evergreen content helps maintain a healthier work-life balance, especially since the nicer months bring more travel and the sailboat shopping process is starting. I’m also brainstorming a personal finance product to launch this year—if you have ideas, leave a comment to help me brainstorm.
Traffic in February was around 400,000 page views. This underscores that page views alone don’t determine income—February was one of my lower traffic months but the highest income month ever.
Other updates:
- My sister joined as a virtual assistant in July 2017. She manages Pinterest images, Facebook group moderation, social media scheduling, and more, freeing up my time for product creation and strategy.
- I’m considering offering group coaching sessions in the future to help more people while using my time more efficiently than individual coaching allowed.
- The Making Sense of Cents community Facebook group continues to grow and now has over 10,000 members where readers can ask questions about finance, blogging, travel, and entrepreneurship.
- I launched a new interview series showcasing people doing remarkable things—first up was JP, who retired at 28 with a net worth over $2.25 million.
- I released a free “How To Start A Blog” email course that has attracted over 38,000 sign-ups, and also a free “Master Your Money” course that includes budgeting lessons and worksheets.
Popular new posts on Making Sense of Cents last month:
- How To Side Hustle – Answers To The Most Common Side Hustle Questions
- Don’t Compare Your Beginning to Someone Else’s Middle
- Change Your Life By Becoming A Frugal Freak – 11 Ways To Be More Frugal
- Retiring Early: Is Early Retirement For The Crazy and Boring?
- How to Make Money Self-Publishing Short Romance Novels on Amazon
- How Elizabeth Reached Financial Independence by 32 And Moved To A Homestead
- What Traveling Full-Time For 3 Years Has Taught Me
- Our Financial Detour: How Budgeting Freed Us To Follow Our Dreams
- How a New Blog Grew Traffic 10,000% in 6 Months, A Must-Read For New Bloggers
Featured Question: How much does it cost to start a blog?
I feature a reader question each month. Starting a blog can be very affordable. When I began Making Sense of Cents, I spent almost nothing on blogging expenses—under $100 in the first year for hosting and a domain. Through my “How to Start a Blog” tutorial you can launch a blog for less than $100.
There are optional purchases that can make blogging easier, such as premium themes, courses, and tools, but you can do much on your own. My early years involved doing everything myself, including design work.
As a blog grows, expenses typically increase. For many years I spent only 1–2% of revenue on expenses; now it’s commonly 5–10%. You don’t need to spend that much at first—scale expenses as your business grows.
Common ongoing expenses include a computer, hosting and design, courses and resources, email newsletter service, virtual assistant or editor, technical management, and transaction fees. In the beginning you don’t need all of these; I spent very little in year one but increased investment later to support growth.
For a detailed list of expenses associated with running a larger blog, refer to my complete monthly expenses breakdown.
My plans for my blog and my business.
Goals help drive progress. Current priorities include:
- Get at least three months ahead on blog posts. I’m currently around three months ahead, which makes it possible to focus on other projects and enjoy a better balance.
- Grow Making Sense of Cents to 1,000,000 monthly page views. I’d like to reach one million page views monthly by the end of 2018 to serve more readers and increase engagement.
- Create two more products to sell. After the success of Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, I plan to launch two additional products in 2018 to diversify revenue.
- Grow to 150,000 email subscribers. I aim to expand the newsletter list to reach more readers.
- Work less than 20 hours per week. I’m striving for better work-life balance; some weeks still stretch long and I want to reduce that.
- Have fun. While not a measurable goal, I’m looking forward to enjoying 2018 and what it brings.
Affiliate income results.
In February 2018, I earned $102,277 in affiliate income. It was likely my best affiliate month to date, thanks in part to the Work-At-Home School Summit launch.
Affiliate income remains a favored revenue stream because of its potential for passive earnings. This flexibility supports travel and other lifestyle goals while generating income. Affiliate marketing doesn’t require massive page views—new bloggers can succeed by promoting the right products in the right way.
My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course, launched in July 2016, has had over 4,500 enrollments to date. The course covers affiliate fundamentals, product selection, conversion optimization, building trust with readers, disclosure requirements, essential tools, promotion strategies, and more.
Whether you’re a new blogger or experienced, the course is designed to help you build a reliable affiliate income stream.
How was February for you? Are you interested in earning blogging income?