If you’re new here I’ve posted income reports ever since I started this blog, almost four years ago. I initially had goals of making a few hundred dollars per month and then slowly growing that amount. Luckily, that’s what I’ve been able to do.
In 2012 I decided that earning money online was going to be the only way I could create the life I wanted living in a small town with no good job options. I dove in head first and started trying things out. I’ve failed at sooo many different things and have had great successes with others.
As of now I earn an income through being a freelance writer, virtual assistant, and blogger. (And yes, I know how crazy that sounds to most people!)
July 2016 Income
July was kind of a slow month but still turned out to be pretty good. Summer months, specifically July and August, tend to be some of the slowest since everyone is outside enjoying the summer. And I don’t blame them one bit!
Since I receive most of my payments 30-90 days out the slowness of July (and probably even more so this month) won’t be reflected until September or October.
In July I earned a total of $7,783.75.
Income I use for the reports is money I actually receive during the month.
It broke down like this:
- Freelance Work (Writing, Virtual Assistant) – $1,725
- Ad Networks – $3,449.31
- Affiliate Commissions – $2,450.44
- Sponsored Post – $150
- SEO Guide – $9
(If you’re confused about what any of those breakdowns mean you can check out this post for further explanation.)
I also switched out my website design and took down some of my ads. This could make my income drop a bit but I thought it was worth experimenting with. I guess in a few weeks I’ll have some better insight on that and can make further decisions.
If you’re interested in getting started online here are some popular posts on the topic:
- How to Start a Freelance Writing Business from Scratch
- 10 Business Ideas for Women
- 5 Proven Ways to Monetize a Blog
- Work From Home Data Entry Jobs
- 5 Different Types of Social Media Jobs
If you currently have a blog but are having trouble building traffic or making money you can get Ruth Soukup’s free e-book 7 Ways to Boost Your Blog Income Overnight for free here.. Ruth is the creator of Elite Blog Academy which is the course that helped me 10x my traffic and income.
(Elite Blog Academy is not currently open but you can still download the free e-book and get on the waiting list for the next enrollment.)
Recommended Blogging Tools
If you’re wondering what tools I recommend for blogging, here’s a list:
Domains and Web Hosting –Bluehost. If you’re interested in blogging but haven’t yet started you can get hosting from Bluehost for as little as $2.95 per month PLUS a free domain name when you go through this link which is just for my readers. If you need help getting set up you can find a step by step tutorial here.
Social Media Scheduling – For Pinterest I use Tailwind. I started using this about a year ago with great results. Tailwind is affordable and super easy to use. You can get a free month of Tailwind with this link.
I’m also subscribed to Hootsuite as I used to use this for scheduling my virtual assistant clients Twitter accounts. I still use it for mine. Although, truth be told I don’t really love it and could probably do without.
For Facebook I just use the built in Facebook scheduler.
Bookkeeping – GoDaddy Bookkeeping. I absolutely love this bookkeeping software. You can read my full review here.
Photos – I find a good majority of my photos on Pexels. This site is free with copyright free images. If I can’t find one there I’ll buy an image off of 123rf.com or look for one on Haute Chocolate which I also have a subscription to.
I use PicMonkey to edit all of my photos.
Best Blogging Course – Elite Blog Academy. If you’re looking for the best blogging course I highly recommend Elite Blog Academy. It is expensive but it was what helped me go from a couple thousand dollars per month to at least $5k per month. (Join the waiting list or read my review here.)
Personal Happenings in July
July was a laid back month. We just hung out with family and stayed home quite a bit.
In farm news I got attacked by the rooster – I know you were just dying to know that 🙂 It was way more traumatizing to me than I feel like it should be. He’s went from semi-aggressive to super aggressive. Not sure I can keep him around too much longer.
I have gotten a lot of green beans canned and corn froze but still have much, much more to do.
School starts back on August 15th. That means only one more week to be home with the girls. I have mixed emotions about that. On one hand I feel like summer went by too quick but on other hand I’m super ready to get back to a set routine.
Yay for routines!
How was your July? When do your kids go back to school?
That is great news! Not about the chicken though. Your income report is still going strong and continues to be a strong motivator for others and I am sure for yourself as well.
As far as my July goes, it was filled with building my blog at night and spending time with family. We have had a couple bbqs which in my family I definitely look forward to. As for school, mine is three and I did have to enroll her in preschool last month. It was really tough as I have had family watching her for a year and now had to send her to school. I call it school because this time I chose to use a preschool vs daycare. I am adapting and she is learning a lot which is nice.
Thank you for sharing this. Looking forward to August income report.
Good job on all the hard work!
And I know how hard sending your baby to school for the first time is. I’ll be in a panicked mode the whole week of the 15th after sending mine! But after the initial adjustment period everything works itself out. 🙂
Congrats for the month, it is been a good month apart the attack from the rooster…I’m sure you’ll find a good deal for everyone…wow, in Italy schools start from the middle of September….so another week of summer holiday enjoy IT with your family!!!
Thank you.
Middle of September sound good to me. Summer has went by too quick.
I’ve been attacked by geese….sounds funny but literally the most terrifying moment of my life! Glad you are okay 🙂
Great report this month!
Thank you. And geese can be brutal. 🙂
I was terrorized by a rooster at about age 4 or 5. Mean thing kept trying to bite me on the heel / achilles tendon. Ouch! I couldn’t stop running around the outside of the house with the dang thing chasing me. Finally, my Mom opened the kitchen door for me! Whew! I was saved. I hated that thing. He was mean.
Love the new blog design. For a minute, I thought I was at the wrong website!
I bet it was super traumatizing at that age! This one kept trying to fly up and peck me in the legs. Luckily I had a feed bag in my hand and could knock him back down but he was relentless lol. After he didn’t stop the first 4-5 times I thought I was going to have heart attack.
Darn roosters!
Alexa!
Nice design! And congrats on your income 🙂 I just started earning income from my newest blog, but it’s small for now.
I can relate to a slow month in July! But, it just gives me time to spend outdoors and have fun with my twins!
Thanks for sharing your journey with us!
Thank you and congrats on your progress as well!
No kids yet and am glad that I am out of school now.
Dang, that’s a fantastic month, congratulations! It inspires me to look for other side income opportunities.. I’ve been trying to research a couple but I can’t quite find the right fit for me. I am continuing to blog, which is something that I love to do, but hard to find time to do other stuff on top of work. I’ll be checking out your other posts for more ideas!
It took me at least a year to earn $500 – $1000/month blogging. And I tried SO many other ideas and failed. Just keep trying and stick with blogging. Eventually you’ll get it all figure out 🙂
I love reading inspiring reports like these….especially our ad and affiliate marketing income. I just picked up an affiliate marketing course so hopefully I can increase my own income in the coming months!
Good luck! And stick with it. It will come with time 🙂
Congrats Alexa for a great month! Love your new design. I have one more week before kids go back to school, and me too look forward to going back routine!! 🙂
Very impressed by your efforts as a single moms income. This definitely inspires me a lot, and bet does to others as well. Thanks for sharing!