• About
    • Work With Me
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • New? Start here!
  • How To Budget
    • Ways to Save Money
    • Set Up A Budget
    • Stick To A Budget
    • Budget Printables
  • Easy Meals
    • 15 Minute Meals
    • Easy Lunch Ideas
    • Meal Planning
  • Home Organization
    • Home Management
    • Save Time
    • Home Routines
    • Home Management Binder
  • Make Money
    • Work From Home
    • Side Jobs
    • Money Making Apps
    • Hobbies That Make Money
  • Shop
↑

The Busy Budgeter

A balanced life for busy people!

  • Work with Me
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Shop
  • How to Budget
  • New? Start here!
  • Home Organization
  • Make Money
  • Easy Meals
    • 15 Minute Meals

How I Went From $18/month to $86,000/month Working From Home

By The Busy Budgeter | 44 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links

12191shares
  • Facebook 764
  • Twitter
  • Yummly

Genius! Great idea to work from home, great business, low overhead. I see business ideas all the time (the worst is MLM or multilevel marketing) and this is one of the best ones.

Update 3/16/2017: If you’re looking to increase your blog’s income, the FREE guide to Finding Affiliates that Work for You is a MUST GRAB. It even lists all of the top affiliate programs in every niche, organized by commission and topic. Grab it for FREE here for a limited time.

This is great! This helped me increase my budget all by doing what I love! Blogging! www.busybudget.com

 

About two and a half years ago, I lived a pretty chaotic life. I quit my career to stay home with my kids, was running a home day care for 50 hours a week, and we were just finishing paying off over $30,000 in debt.

My husband traveled all the time for work and I mostly felt like a single parent.

The word luxury wasn’t in our vocabulary. We were on a super tight budget. We didn’t eat out, we didn’t buy anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary, and when we did, we bought it from the thrift store, we didn’t even have paper towels in the house (much to the horror of our well meaning friends).

While we were happy, we were also exhausted.

I started a blog on a whim in 2014.

I wanted to teach people how we paid off most of our debt, and how we overcame our severe disorganization to make saving money and living on one income possible.

I wanted more than anything to make blogging my full time job. But, it seemed like a stupid dream. Something about as likely as me becoming a leading actress opposite Channing Tatum. (Sadly, I’ve given up on the Channing Tatum dream.)

My first month, I worked 10 hours a week and made a whopping $18. Which basically equates to about 45 cents per hour. I was totally thrilled with that $18.  I even called my mom weekly with income updates!

However, I didn’t give up, and 27 months later I’m making $86,000 a month from blogging. Which is insane.  INSANE.

So, let’s talk about how I did it. What were the steps that led me from $18/month in blog income to over $86,000 a month?

Want to learn how to start a blog? You can get step by step instructions here. 

There are actually four distinct steps. 

 

Invest in education.

The absolute best decision that I ever made in my journey to full time blogging was an investment in a class called Elite Blog Academy.

The problem in blogging is that some people do it for YEARS and don’t make money doing it. It’s like busy work. They put in their hours, but they’re not doing the right work. So, they’re just spinning their wheels and not getting anywhere.

I started the blog at the same time I started Elite Blog Academy. I took the class very seriously and I completed every single action step before moving on. It took me 9 months to complete the course.

But, by the end of it, I was making full time income. Then it quickly grew from there.

Elite Blog Academy was really key to me earning full time income from blogging.

In fact, I explained EXACTLY what EBA did for me in this video. 

Blogging as a business can be really overwhelming, and not to knock myself, but I‘m not super smart. I’m not the girl that understands things the first time or learns easily. (“C” students unite!)

Because it wasn’t overwhelming, I really succeeded in Elite Blog Academy. I didn’t have to understand how to earn full time income from blogging as a whole, I just had to complete the next step in the class.

When I started the class, I had no idea how bloggers made money. Halfway through the class, I had no idea how bloggers made money. At the end, I not only understood how bloggers made money but I had all of the things I needed to succeed.

I had a platform, I had pageviews, I had an email list, and I had built up trust with my audience.

The problem is that you need to have almost perfect timing (and be willing to invest- it’s not cheap) to get into Elite Blog Academy. It’s only open to enrollment for 5 days out of the year. Your best bet is to join the waiting list here. 

 

 

Commit to a year.

Blogging is kind of a weird business. There are a TON of benefits.

  • You can start for very little initial investment (about $3.49/month to start a blog and get your website up).
  • You can do it on your own time so it’s an easy second job.
  • Most people blog as hobby never even realizing that you can make serious money from it, so it’s way to make a living from something you would likely do for free. 

Side note: I don’t mean that growing a blog into a business isn’t hard, it is! It was a long first year! But I do mean that in comparison to my 9 year career in law enforcement or my three years running a home daycare, blogging is ridiculously easy and fun.

The trade-off is that it’s going to take time to make money from this. It’s not something you can start this Friday and be pulling in cash at the end of the month.

Here’s a graphic that shows my income to give you an example. Keep in mind I started in September of 2014, so from then until the chart starts, I made pretty much nothing. 

Just look how easy it is to increase your income by blogging! This is such a great idea! www.busybudgeter.com

It’s a risk, don’t get me wrong. You can start a blog and find out that you just aren’t great at it and not grow into full-time income. But, you risk very little money and all you risk is time. With a traditional business, you usually need a pretty significant capital investment (read:$$$) in order to make the kind of money I make from blogging, and even then you need to wait several years to pay off loans before your profitable.

The key to my success in blogging was that I committed to one year. No matter what, I would be blogging for 10 hours a week for one year. When I had the flu, I blogged all weekend to make up those hours missed; when we had our daughter, I blogged in the recovery room. (No joke!).

While 10 hours a week seems like a pretty simple thing, in reality people struggle with going to the gym 3 times a week or logging their calories eaten (Which takes, what? 10 minutes?) so as simple as it looked on paper, it was actually pretty difficult to do.

This in one of the biggest reasons that blogs fail. They “fall off the wagon” before they ever see  any income.

There were SO MANY times I wanted to quit during those “45 cent per hour” months.  If I had, I would never had made it to full time income from blogging and I certainly wouldn’t have made this high amount of income.

Having an end date helped me push through those hard months. Being able to say “It’s just for this year, then I’ll stop” gave me an exit strategy that helped me push through. By the time the year was over, I was full time and it was a lot easier.

The assessment test really helped out with making me figure out what I want to do with my blog and my writing! Thanks! www.busybudgeter.com

Calculate your ROI constantly.

ROI means the return on your investment. To me, in its’ most basic form, it means that I always try to do more of what makes me money, and less of what doesn’t and I track that weekly and monthly.

Every week I add up the income earned from each of the income sources for the blog, and compare it to my goal for the month. This gives me an opportunity to get a feel for what the results are of the things I change and to get really familiar with what makes money and what doesn’t.

When an opportunity comes up, I try to figure out the potential ROI before I make a decision. And each week, I look at the tasks that I completed for the week and figured out which tasks made the biggest difference to income, and which tasks were things that were wasted time.

Side note: While focusing on ROI is super important, I should point out that building a trust with your audience (and maintaining it) is the foundation of a profitable blog. So everything you do should be serving your audience.

Elite Blog Academy has helped make my blog more accessible and I'm having fun learning more! www.busybudgeter.com

Outsource, outsource, outsource.

I quickly figured out that I had a lot of weaknesses in the blogging world. I am absolutely awful with technology, I can’t type (Seriously… I hunt and peck and it takes forever for me to edit.) I’m fairly bad with grammar and spelling. The list goes on.

I calculate my hourly rate (the profit for the month divided by the hours I work) and then anything I can get someone else to do faster, cheaper, or better… I outsource.

I explain my system of outsourcing and the order that I outsourced here…

Life now…

It’s been an insane two and a half years. At this point, my life looks so different from what it did then. It’s still busy, but it’s good busy, the kind of busy you have when you love what you do.

I work between 20 and 30 hours a week from home, and I totally went to Great Wolf Lodge last weekend on a whim because we could AND we have a super fancy trash can. (Okay, not exactly impressive… but we’re still pretty frugal; old habits die hard).

I guess I’m saying all of this to emphasize: If you’ve ever thought about it, if you’ve ever heard of blogging and wondered if you’d love it. Then try it. Even if you can’t invest in Elite Blog Academy.

Grab the free blog training and just try! You have no idea what you’re capable of. I certainly didn’t. But the only thing I couldn’t stand the idea of is living with regret and not trying.

Update 3/16/2017: If you’re looking to increase your blog’s income, the FREE guide to Finding Affiliates that Work for You is a MUST GRAB. It even lists all of the top affiliate programs in every niche, organized by commission and topic. Grab it for FREE here for a limited time.

 

More You'll Love:

  • Easy Budget Binder Step By Step: Just 2 Minutes a Day!Easy Budget Binder Step By Step: Just 2 Minutes a Day! I know a ton of you are completely overwhelmed.  You're trying to get started with […]
  • Simple Home Management System: Less Time & Better ResultsSimple Home Management System: Less Time & Better Results Do you ever feel like you just can’t get ahead in your home?  You need to take a […]
  • The Best Planner for ADHDThe Best Planner for ADHD   I’ve tested and used dozens of planners in my search for the best planner […]
  • 3 EASY HOME HACKS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE IF YOU’RE DISORGANIZED.3 EASY HOME HACKS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE IF YOU’RE DISORGANIZED. If you're constantly feel like a hot mess, then you may be chronically disorganized. […]
FTC Disclosure of Material Connection: In order for us to maintain this website, some of the links in the post above may be affiliate links. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and/or believe will add value to readers

Filed Under: Blogging, How to Blog, Make Money Tagged With: noads

Comments

  1. Holly says

    February 19 at 9:59 pm

    WOOHOO GIRL! You are rocking it! I love reading your income reports, they are so inspirational!
    Holly recently posted…Blogging For Beginners | MoneyMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Rhonesha says

    February 19 at 11:14 pm

    This is just the motivation I needed. I really wanted to take Elite Blog Academy but could not afford it. I’m so glad this free class is coming up. My husband and I are trying to have a baby and I don’t want to go back to my traditional job. There are so many resources out there and it can get overwhelming which causes frustration. I’m hoping this class will help me get more organized and goal oriented.

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      February 22 at 3:22 pm

      The free class is amazing! Seriously, you won’t regret it. Best of luck 🙂

      Reply
    • nc says

      July 4 at 11:44 am

      how did you free class go, usually you do not get much in a free class let me know thanks

      Reply
  3. Caroline – Cow Country Housewife says

    February 20 at 10:45 am

    Girl, you’re AMAZING! I’m SO happy for you!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
    Caroline – Cow Country Housewife recently posted…The Blogging Class that Made Me a Full Time BloggerMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Nabankita says

    February 20 at 11:12 am

    Congrats for this huge achievement!

    You have seriously skyrocketed your income in an appreciating manner!
    I just loved your “return on your investment” concept. Thanks for sharing your strategies!

    Reply
  5. Melissa says

    February 20 at 1:17 pm

    So what exactly makes your blog so much money? The advertising?

    Reply
    • Megan says

      February 20 at 3:57 pm

      That’s exactly what I was wondering! I even went back, thinking I’d missed income part.

      Affiliates sales? If so, which ones? Own product? Ads?

      And even tho $86k sounds great, did it take 5k to make that? Or 75k?

      Traffic?

      There’s just no information here. :/

      Reply
      • The Busy Budgeter says

        February 20 at 10:08 pm

        Thanks for the feedback! I linked to information on how I make money on the blog here: https://www.busybudgeter.com/how-do-bloggers-make-money/ I release income reports every month to explain where the money comes from specifically, and expenses this month were about $20k, but most of that is outsourcing to grow. My expenses at this level are completely different than a newer blogger though. I have a full time employee and 5 contractors.
        The Busy Budgeter recently posted…How I Went From $18/month to $86,000/month Working From HomeMy Profile

        Reply
  6. Erin @ View From Our Terrace says

    February 21 at 7:25 am

    Okay so I am having my second baby in the next month but I don’t think my computer will be there will me – too funny!! That is real commitment!

    But seriously, you have been such an inspiration to me – can’t believe how far you have come in a year! Congratulations!!
    Erin @ View From Our Terrace recently posted…Four Ways to Make Money as a Stay at Home MomMy Profile

    Reply
  7. June says

    February 21 at 10:56 am

    This is so inspiring! I come back to your posts again and again for motivation to persevere. Thanks for sharing your story and income reports.

    Reply
  8. Natalie @ NatalieBacon.com says

    February 21 at 1:16 pm

    This is awesome!! Congrats gf!! Can I put a special request in for monthly income reports?! 🙂
    Natalie @ NatalieBacon.com recently posted…Should You Focus on Making More or Spending Less?My Profile

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      February 21 at 3:13 pm

      Always! 🙂 I’m SUPER BEHIND right now. I need to do December (92k) and January ($86k).

      Reply
  9. Melissa says

    February 21 at 2:16 pm

    Rosemarie, this is awesome!! I’m taking EBA 3.0 this month, and I’m super excited. I recently quit my job (don’t worry, I was side hustling long before and know I can pay my bills! :)) because I want to take my blog to the next level. Your tenacity is inspiring!

    Reply
  10. Deacon says

    February 21 at 2:38 pm

    You are my hero, way to go!

    Reply
  11. Heather says

    February 21 at 8:34 pm

    I’m so excited to see this! I just signed up for EBA 3.0 and I can’t wait to get started!

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      February 22 at 3:18 pm

      Oh, yay! Congratulations 🙂 It’s an amazing course and it totally pays off. (clearly!)

      Reply
  12. Misty says

    February 22 at 6:45 pm

    This is incredible- congratulations! What a blessing that your success is allowing you to employee others… looking forward to reading about where the journey takes you in 2017:]
    Misty recently posted…13 Indoor Games to Get Energy Out of Active KidsMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Holly says

    February 22 at 9:40 pm

    Give the people what they ask for. We want the next two income reports! 😉
    Holly recently posted…How to Become a Morning PersonMy Profile

    Reply
  14. Mahesh Kumar says

    February 23 at 1:19 am

    Wow! Your income has raised exponentially from 2015 to 2017. I’ve heard of the Elite Blog Academy course from different mommy bloggers that I am connected with. I think it should be worth getting enrolled to this course, especially for stay at home mom bloggers who want to get some good returns with their efforts. Thanks for sharing it with us.
    Mahesh Kumar recently posted…5 Characteristics That Define a Professional TranscriptionistMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Leah says

    February 27 at 12:52 pm

    Just curious, do you get affiliate advertising commission from EBA if we go through your link? I’m hoping to sign up, and if it helps someone else in the process I’m all for it 🙂

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      March 2 at 3:52 pm

      Yes we do – and I got your email. Welcome aboard 😉

      Reply
  16. Lisa says

    February 27 at 3:31 pm

    That is quite inspirational. I’m new to your blog and have enjoyed poking around; I’ll definitely be back!

    Reply
  17. Kecia | OnlineIncomeMom says

    February 27 at 5:59 pm

    WOW, that spreadsheet is amazing! I have been blogging for almost ten years, but I just signed up for EBA at the end of December on your recommendation. I am not making anywhere close to what you are each month, and I want to change that!

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      March 2 at 3:53 pm

      EBA is definitely going to help you with that! I’m excited for your journey 🙂

      Reply
  18. Melanie @ Gather for Bread says

    March 3 at 9:29 am

    So encouraging! Way to go!
    Melanie @ Gather for Bread recently posted…Lemon Blueberry Yogurt BreadMy Profile

    Reply
  19. The Busy Budgeter says

    March 11 at 9:43 am

    Absolutely! The first year of blogging is definitely the hardest. You’re putting so much time and effort in while wondering if it’s going to pay off or if anyone’s even reading. But that’s okay! You’ll get there – and you’ll have that much more experience by the time you get that first subscriber 🙂

    Reply
  20. Bill says

    April 14 at 12:33 pm

    Great article! I hear what you say about getting discouraged the first year. I’m about 3 months in and it’s depressing to see that half your Google analytics hits are coming from your own house lol. I’ve never been so psyched about my career as I am about this, so I’ll keep at it. But it’s great hearing your tips and ideas!
    Thanks,
    Bill

    Reply
  21. gurpreet says

    June 7 at 11:15 am

    That is really inspiring.
    I jusy wanted to know what are the source of your income?

    If you have already published blog post on it then please let me know that.

    Thanks

    Reply
  22. Ms. Frugal Asian Finance says

    June 7 at 11:15 am

    Thank you for such an inspirational post! It’s so amazing that you decided to share with us what has helped you so successful at increasing your blog income for free. 🙂
    Ms. Frugal Asian Finance recently posted…May 2017 Blog Traffic (2nd Month) – 11,014 ViewsMy Profile

    Reply
  23. Smith says

    June 7 at 1:32 pm

    This is amazing… got inspiration from this post.. Thank you

    Reply
  24. Rinkesh says

    June 8 at 1:33 am

    This is superb. Is this totally from affiliates or contain income from advertising too?

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      June 12 at 9:20 am

      It’s a mixture of affiliates, advertising income, sponsored posts, and creating products 🙂

      Reply
  25. Karen says

    July 9 at 6:21 am

    I absolutely love the layout and style of your blog I’m so jealous. I am new to the blogging world and hope to become successful also. Thanks for all of the helpful tips

    Reply
  26. Rayhan Islam says

    July 17 at 1:00 pm

    Glad to read your story. Thanks a lot for sharing.

    Reply
  27. The Busy Budgeter says

    August 7 at 8:56 am

    Hey there! Email busybudgeter@gmail.com and we’ll get it sorted out 🙂

    Reply
  28. Erin says

    August 27 at 4:20 pm

    Hi Rosemarie! Just curious – what gave you your first big boost? You blogged for four months and had over a hundred dollars coming in Month 5. Any tips?

    Thanks for your post! It’s super encouraging to hear success stories! 🙂
    ~ Erin @ LittleYellowHouseAdventures.com

    Reply
  29. Crystal says

    August 31 at 10:32 pm

    Makes me want to work harder on my blog and not give up. Need to give it some time and see where I can go with my blog.

    Reply
  30. ali says

    September 24 at 2:13 am

    I really appreciate that you present the reporting requirements in a brief and concise way.

    Reply
  31. Jolisa says

    November 15 at 12:21 am

    I love writing. I love talking. I’ve been told a dozen times that I should blog. Do you have to have a specific topic to blog about? I mean, what do I blog about?

    Reply
  32. Stormy says

    September 4 at 7:20 pm

    What an inspiration! And I love the blog update. Looks gorgeous.
    Stormy recently posted…Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Review: Is it worth the money??My Profile

    Reply
  33. Suladys R says

    October 27 at 1:05 am

    Woohoo!!! I love seeing women growing and becoming amazing.
    What is the most memorable moment you had with your blog?

    Reply
  34. Elaine says

    June 26 at 1:14 pm

    I’m only inspired by you. I am currently working as a nurse assistant in a rehab facility all day 3-11. Mainly because of a car accident, it falls for all age groups, and it is a good job, but sometimes I’m super tired, I work 16 hours in a shift to earn extra money, but … I don’t do anything literally. I get paid, pay my Car insurance and everything else and pay my rent, which is 1000. That’ll kill me! And I work every other week. I’m new to YouTube and want to make money as I said, while I do what I love … I just got Inspiration from you!

    Reply
  35. Samuel says

    December 8 at 5:33 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing!!! I’m so inspired just by reading this and I love the way that you explained everything in full transparency. Keep up the good work coming and please keep posting quality articles like this.
    Regards
    Samuel

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Recent Posts

Ultimate Dinner Platter and Charcuterie Board Ideas (Easiest 15 Minute Meals).

Ultimate Dinner Platter and Charcuterie Board Ideas (Easiest 15 Minute Meals).

February 22nd, 2021

Time Based Tasks: The Easiest Productivity Hack.

Time Based Tasks: The Easiest Productivity Hack.

February 12th, 2021

How Can I Get My Reluctant Spouse On Board With Hot Mess to Home Success?

How Can I Get My Reluctant Spouse On Board With Hot Mess to Home Success?

February 10th, 2021

Blow Money- The Little Known Secret To Sticking To Your Budget

Blow Money- The Little Known Secret To Sticking To Your Budget

February 1st, 2021

Best Budget Buys of 2021 For Busy Moms.

Best Budget Buys of 2021 For Busy Moms.

January 21st, 2021

Busy Budgeter Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Ready to save a TON of money?

Get step by step budget help with the FREE 90 day budget bootcamp!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

  • How To Budget
    • Ways to Save Money
    • Set Up A Budget
    • Stick To A Budget
    • Budget Printables
  • Easy Meals
    • 15 Minute Meals
    • Easy Lunch Ideas
    • Meal Planning
  • Home Organization
    • Home Management
    • Save Time
    • Home Routines
    • Home Management Binder
  • Make Money
    • Work From Home
    • Side Jobs
    • Money Making Apps
    • Hobbies That Make Money
Copyright ©2021, The Busy Budgeter. All Rights Reserved. Contact Rosemarie@busybudgeter.com. Privacy Policy
Design by Pixel Me Designs