Welcome to the July online income report. Below I share how I earned money online last month, what changed, and what I learned. This monthly update helps me track progress and keep a record of what worked.
If you’re new here, 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—tracking side hustle earnings in addition to my day job. After leaving my full-time role as a financial analyst in October 2013, these monthly reports now show the various ways I earn a living as a full-time blogger and entrepreneur.
Some readers ask why I publish my earnings publicly. While some think it’s odd, I share my monthly income reports for three main reasons:
- Before I started blogging, I didn’t understand side hustles or online income. Seeing others publish income reports inspired me to try new things. I hope my reports encourage others to explore legitimate ways to increase their income and improve their financial lives.
- Publishing these reports helps me reflect, learn from mistakes, and identify areas for growth. I treat them like a business journal to track progress over time.
- I want to show that earning side income is possible. There are many legitimate ways to make money from home, and I highlight different methods and resources to help readers find opportunities that fit their goals.
Life is great now that I’m my own boss and a full-time blogger. I genuinely enjoy what I do and look forward to each day. My goal with these reports is to show readers that you don’t have to hate your job or life—you can make changes that let you enjoy your time outside of work, whether that’s spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, or traveling.
How was my business income in July?
I earned $112,594.97 online in July, before expenses.
July was my best month ever and my first month with six-figure income, driven largely by the launch of my affiliate marketing course.
Page views were down, but revenue remained strong—demonstrating that income doesn’t always correlate directly with pageviews. I expect traffic to recover after summer.
My business continues to grow, and I’m excited about the ideas and opportunities ahead. I’m grateful for how far it has come and the lifestyle it allows.
If you’re interested in starting a blog, I created a step-by-step tutorial that shows how to start a self-hosted WordPress blog inexpensively. Being self-hosted was essential to my ability to monetize and grow my blog.
Breakdown of July 2016 income – $112,594.97:
- Affiliate income – $47,054.97 total:
- Bluehost (blog hosting referrals) – $29,770
- Survey companies – $11,980.50
- Ebates (estimate, tiered affiliate) – $1,000
- Amazon FBA-related referrals – $945.30
- MOTIF Investing – $736
- Credible – $450
- Bookkeeper Business Academy – $249.25
- Digit – $235
- Izea/SponsoredTweets – $221.35
- Freelance proofreading referrals – $207.52
- $5 Meal Plan – $200.25
- Building A Framework – $150
- Transcribe Anywhere – $98.80
- 30 Days or Less To Freelance Writing Success – $96
- Mystery shopping – $10
- Miscellaneous affiliates – $705
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course – $50,052
- Sponsorships and advertising – $14,000
- Display advertising – $1,488
- Staff writing – $0
The total above is for July before fees and expenses. I incurred roughly $4,700 in fees and expenses (virtual assistants, technical assistance, newsletter costs, design, PayPal/Stripe fees, etc.)—this doesn’t include taxes. After expenses and fees, I made approximately $107,895.
Keep in mind that as a self-employed person I cover taxes (which are over 30% in many cases), health insurance, and benefits that an employer might otherwise provide.
For a full look at different ways to monetize a blog, check the Ultimate Guide to Making Money Blogging.
Below are select links to past monthly income reports for context and to show growth over time.
- $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 (overview)
Comparisons and 2016 online income total:
- Total income in July 2016: $112,595
- Total income in June 2016: $68,440
- Difference from the previous month: +44,155
- Total in 2016: $488,466
Blog anniversary
This month marks five years since I started Making Sense of Cents in August 2011. I began the blog as a hobby to document living paycheck to paycheck and coping after my father passed away. I never expected it to become a business.
Since then, my life has changed dramatically. I now work for myself, travel full-time in an RV, and truly enjoy life. My blog transformed my future, and I often think my father would be proud.
If you’re considering starting a blog, go for it—there’s room for new voices, and you never know where it can lead. I offer a free course on how to start a successful blog for those who want guided help.
Blog news
Overall traffic dipped slightly—typical for summer—landing around 400,000 page views in July. Here are recent blog updates:
- I launched a free “How To Start A Blog” email course. Over 3,000 people have signed up so far.
- Based on the success of that free course, I’m creating a free budgeting course with tips and worksheets to be launched soon.
- I’m considering a free personal finance support group on Facebook to give readers a place to discuss money and seek help.
- I switched to an email platform that improved my email marketing and helped increase affiliate revenue—your email list is a powerful asset.
For those curious how I stay connected while traveling in an RV, I use a Verizon MiFi device. It provides reliable mobile internet where public Wi-Fi is slow, inconsistent, or insecure.
Top new posts on Making Sense of Cents last month:
- Are You Stuck In Debt? Let’s Ditch The Cycle Of Being Broke And In Debt
- 9 Work From Home and Travel Careers
- 4 Ways To Earn Money With A Fitbit
- What To Do When You Lose Your Wallet
- Best Ways To Save Money In The Summer
- The Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course is HERE!
My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course
I launched Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing on July 5, 2016. The launch exceeded my expectations: around 400 students enrolled during the initial promotional period, and I plan to expand promotion and affiliate partnerships over time.
I ran a relatively low-key launch focused on my email subscribers and waitlist. Using an email platform made segmenting and scheduling promotions simple and effective, allowing me to manage the launch while focusing on other responsibilities.
Student feedback has been encouraging, which is very rewarding. Creating a course was a big learning experience, and I plan to launch more courses in the future.
Featured question: What did I learn from launching my course?
I highlight one reader question in each monthly income report. This month’s question asked what I learned from creating and launching my course.
Key lessons from the course launch:
- Timing matters. Launching during a busy or holiday season can reduce visibility. I’ll consider launching in slower months or increasing promotion afterward.
- Creating a course is manageable. The early overwhelm is normal; talking to other creators helped normalize the process.
- You don’t need a huge, complicated launch to succeed. I earned over $50,000 in the first month without webinars, podcasts, or a massive guest post campaign—targeted promotion to an interested audience worked well.
- Study other courses and creators. There’s valuable, practical guidance available to help with course creation and marketing.
- Choose the platform that fits you. I used Teachable and found it intuitive for both students and instructors.
If you’re considering creating a course, I recommend it—courses can generate passive income and help many people simultaneously.
Past featured questions cover topics like increasing affiliate income, traffic needs for monetization, blogging niches, and course launches.
Plans for the website and future income
Clear goals keep me motivated. Current priorities include:
- Promote more: I’m improving promotion across channels—Pinterest brought about 150,000 clicks in July. My goal is to reach 500,000 clicks from Pinterest by year-end.
- Continue learning: I paused in July but plan to resume training and learning to improve skills and strategies.
- Accept more interviews: July included several interviews related to the course launch, which were enjoyable and helpful for exposure.
- Double my income: I aim to double 2015’s income. Given current momentum and 2016 results so far, this target feels achievable.
- Create digital products: Completed—Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing launched successfully.
- Increase page views: I set a goal of reaching 1,000,000 monthly page views before year-end as a concrete metric to pursue.
Staff writing
I didn’t accept staff writing assignments in July. I’ve been selective about staff writing and have referred potential clients to others when appropriate. Shifting focus from freelancing to growing my own blog has improved both income and work-life balance by concentrating efforts on one primary business.
Related articles discuss how to start freelance writing or become a virtual assistant for those interested in freelancing paths.
Affiliate income
In July I earned $47,055 in affiliate income. Affiliate earnings dipped slightly because I focused much of my time on the course launch, showing how passive affiliate strategies can continue to generate significant revenue even when active promotion is limited.
I’m a strong believer in affiliate marketing for bloggers because it can scale and provide steady income while supporting lifestyle goals like full-time travel.
The Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course covers everything from fundamentals to advanced tactics, including choosing products, improving conversions, disclosure requirements, essential tools, and Pinterest strategies under current rules. It’s designed for bloggers at any level and across niches.
How was July for you? Are you interested in earning income online?