So, let’s get good and uncomfortable and chat about money.

Did you squirm in your seat a bit? I did. I’m cringing and squirming, actually.

It’s okay. I’m comfortable with me and you being uncomfortable. And, since you’re here 100% by choice, if you don’t like the context of this post you can just not read it, right? If you’d rather see a cute kid eating ice cream, I can deliver that content HERE 😉

Back to business…

I am sharing this information, mainly for  those of us who make a living blogging and selling online who also have an interest in monetizing their sites, wondering if they can make money via their blog, and/or have an interest in accomplishing a financial goal (i.e. paying off debt, having extra cash, increasing savings, etc.).

For a long time, when I described my work to those outside of this industry, I’ve kind of shrugged it off as some second-rate vocation – a glorified hobby, more or less, that just so happened to provide me an income. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth and completely minimizes the significant time, effort, and brain space I’ve put into not just creating tangible products, but also the management of marketing and advertising, social media sites, a blog, and relationships with those in Babbling Abby/Inspired Apple community that I hold so dear! For someone whose background is in psychology and education, I’ve had to do plenty of independent learning and research about how to do most of this. I’ve had a lot of other online entrepreneurs who’ve shared tips and tricks with me, too, but I’m currently a one-woman-band. Most companies delegate the responsibilities that I do singlehandedly to various departments or leaders within a specified field. I do it all, as do many others who have online small businesses and/or blog for a living. This is a pretty complex J-O-B, and I’m continuously learning and growing within it but the bottom line is this: I’ve realized it’s okay to make an income from a site that I have spent years creating and developing. It’s actual work and being compensated for that work through sponsorships, ads, and affiliate relationships is a-okay.

The second reason I’m choosing to write this post is because I want you to recognize that you, too, are capable of making an income blogging. Whether your niche is parenting or education or mental health or food or travel, you can generate income from your site. I’ve only recently been working on this, so I have no idea what this will look like from month to month, but I figure I have to start somewhere. Same goes for you. I’ve waited a looooong time to put a valued interest in creating blog income and definitely wish I would’ve done so sooner.

Lastly, we have some family financial goals that we want to accomplish and I know we’re not alone in that. If you’re in this category of people, then maybe this post will show you a way to work towards that, too. Personally, we want to be debt free by the time we’re both forty. Our fortieth birthdays will bookend 2022 –  with Brandon celebrating his in January and mine in December. So, there’s a decent stretch of time before we’re there…but no wiggle room to wait. We decided that any income generated through the blog would be thrown at our debt. Here’s who and what we owe…

Our mortgage on our home is obviously our largest and most daunting debt, followed by a car loan. The medical bills are comprised of those for a minor surgery I had last winter. We purchased a TV from Best Buy and a new washer and dryer from Home Depot when we moved into our  new home – both with 0% interest for a set amount of time. But, due to this month’s blogging income, we’ll be able to wipe out the Home Depot bill and put the overage toward Best Buy. (We tithe to our church, so that amount is factored in before we spend any of that money.)

Not too shabby for the first month of monetizing my blog!

I intend for this to be a monthly feature on the blog and to hopefully share out what I’m learning. Are you interested?  Do you make money from blogging? Have any tips, tricks, or general comments you’d like to share? Questions? Let’s discuss in the comments below!