9 Ways to Make Money Blogging

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “how do you actually make money with a blog?” There really are so many different ways, and I want to show you that it is possible for YOU to make money blogging too! The best part….it’s totally up to you how much time you put into your blog, and how much you want to make.

1. Love what you are doing..

If you start a fashion blog, but don’t have a passion for fashion..I can almost guarantee that you won’t much on your blog. The best part of blogging is it is a way to make money doing something that you love. If you are writing about things that excite you and make you happy then your readers will feel that, they will be more inclined to read what you have to say, and return for more! So figure out what you love!

2. Google Ads

This is a quick and easy way to start making money from your blog. It’s easy to sign up and use, and every time someone clicks on your ads..you get paid! Visit Google Adsense to get started.

3. Market Your Blog

You need to get LOTS of followers on your social media accounts. Pin the articles on pinterest, share them on facebook and instagram. The more traffic you can get to your blog and website the better!



4. Make Your Blog Pleasing to the Eye

Mess around with different ideas, layouts, color schemes, etc. Visit other blogs that seem popular and notice what they do. If your blog is messy and hard to read then it doesn’t matter how amazing the article is….readers will exit out as quickly as they got there.

5. Affiliate Marketing

You can make a lot of money through affiliate links on your site, and there are SO many different affiliates out there I’m almost positive you can find some that will work with your blog. One simple example is Amazon. You set up an account, and put links to products on Amazon articles into your articles, and each time someone buys something from your link you get paid a % of the total! It’s definitely worth it to take some time, and research different affiliates and find some that will work best for you.

6. Write Posts Regularly

The more traffic you have, the more money you will make. So write at least a few posts a week, and make sure to pin those posts on pinterest. Get your name out there, so people want to click on the article even more when they see that you are the one who wrote it!




7. Don’t Let Old Posts Get Lost

It doesn’t matter if a post is 2 years old, you can still get people to read it! So go through your old posts, and re-pin them, or post them on Facebook or Twitter often to keep more and more people clicking to your blog!

8. Link Your Articles

Have links throughout your articles to other similar articles on your site. Make sure that you are advertising your posts on your blog, so when a reader comes they want to stay…instead of just reading the one article that got them there.

9. Create an Email List

You know that link that pops up on blogs…it’s easy to click out of, but it’s also easy to add your email if you like what you see! When you get people on the email list you can inform them of new and exciting things on your blog, and get lots of return readers!

For more information on blogging, please read the following Flipping Pennies articles:

5 Must Know Tips for the New Blogger

How to Start a Blog



How to Make Money Blogging

Traveling on A Budget: ITALY

If money is a bit of an issue, you don’t have to completely abandon your idea to travel to Italy! Believe it or not, it is absolutely possible to travel abroad on a budget. With a little planning ahead, some flexibility, and a desire to travel, anything is possible, even if you don’t have a plethora of cash!

When it comes to traveling, the first thing you want to have planned is your transportation. In most cases, you will likely have to fly to Italy. It is important to remain flexible with your dates and flight times. You can save hundreds of dollars if you fly at a time of day that would be less desirable to the general public. Anything to save a few bucks, right? Once in Italy, it’s extremely easy to visit all of your desired places on a budget. Italy has an extremely broad and developed train system. You can get pretty much anywhere in just a few hours time. There are bus and subway systems located in the larger cities, although these can be crowded. Walking is definitely the best option for avid sightseers!


When in Italy, accommodation can be cheap. Depending on the route you take, that is! Hostels are an inexpensive option for the young backpacker. They cost around 25 EUR a night, but are lacking when it comes to privacy. If you are looking for a little more privacy, but don’t want to spend a fortune at a local hotel, use AirBnb. AirBnB is a wonderful option for all travelers on a budget. Look for a place in the center of town, near convenience stores, tourist attractions, and yummy restaurants. If the only option you have is somewhere outside of town, look for a place with easy access to train or bus systems. It’ll definitely cut down on an stress you have when traveling through Italy!

The delicious food is what brings many travelers to Italy. But with delicious cuisine, comes higher prices. Before sitting down to eat, see if the restaurant or cafe charges a “coperta” fee. The fee is usually around  3 EUR, just for sitting down to look at the menu. Always look at the menu before sitting down to eat, and read to make sure you won’t be charged a fee. It is recommended to eat your main meal for lunchtime, and then have small snacks throughout the afternoon and evening. If you aren’t constantly eating out for every meal, you will notice a huge decrease in spending.  Of course, buying pizza by the slice is always an inexpensive (and delicious) option!


Of course, when traveling across the world, everyone wants to do some fun activities.  There are some free activities too! If you chose to stay at a hostel, see if they offer a free walking tour through the city, usually, just a tip for your guide is recommended. It’s recommended that you plan your travel time around the festival schedule. Consider going in February for the Venice Carnival, or over Christmas for the Rome Christmas market. Festivals are free to enjoy, and allow for a great insight into a culture. Do some investigating and see if the museums you are interested in seeing offer free admission for a time period or day of the week. Relax in Villa Borghese park in Rome for a free afternoon with a stunning view of the city.

Traveling on a budget is totally possible, and you may even find yourself in an area you wouldn’t have expected. Keep your mind open when it comes to accommodations, travel, and activities while traveling. You may come across something great!

5 Ways to Save $500

Making money is virtually everyone’s favorite pastime. However, sometimes saving money is so much more satisfying than simply making money.  Just relax for a moment, and imagine what you could do with an extra $500 dollars every month. If you chose to save it, you could be on your way to a vacation in paradise. Or maybe, the extra $500 can be used towards getting out of debt. Sometimes, it can even be used to do fun activities with your family. Because lets face it, what’s life without a little fun? If you’re interested in saving a little cash each month, here are five ways to cut your spending, and increase your savings.

Avoid The Grocery Store

I know, this sounds completely insane, but it isn’t as crazy as you’d think! For one week every month, forgo your trip to the grocery store. Your family members probably think they’re going to starve, but with a little creativity, that just isn’t possible! Use this week to fully use any items you have leftover in your pantry or freezer. Make meals with the leftover pasta, those frozen fruits and veggies, and all of those soup mixes you swear you’d make (but never did). Find fun recipes online to put your old items to good use, it will be so much easier to get through the week if your meals are yummy! At the end of the week, your savings should be anywhere from $60-$100 depending on the size of your family.

DIY IT! 

Summer is here, and a pedicure may be hard to scrimp on. This can be an expensive luxury, especially if you’re getting multiple a month! Instead of spending upwards of $25 on your next pedicure, try doing it at home! Pick a fun polish, and have a girls day with your daughters or friends! Don’t worry if your painting skills aren’t quite up to par, you’ll be a pro in no time! Hair cuts are another source of monthly expenses, especially if you’re adding hair coloring into the mix! Instead of dropping $150 at the salon, consider making an appointment at a hair school instead. The students are professional, and always have supervision. You can get a cut and color for under $50. Seriously, and all for a cut exactly like the one from your salon!

Sell Something

Bring a little more money into your home by selling something you don’t use much anymore. This could be things like clothes, furniture, or old electronics. You know that old iPod that is sitting in the drawer, broken, because it was dropped in some water? Most times, many parts are salvageable, even if it does have water damage. You can sell old Macbooks (that are broken) for $475. What an easy way to make some money! Not only does selling these items help cushion your bank account, but because many of the parts are being used in other models, you’re recycling and cutting down on contributing these items to landfills.

Prorate Utilities

If you notice that your utility bill seems to spike during certain months or seasons, it may be time to prorate your service. When you prorate your service, you are able to predict your monthly utility bills. This allows you to budget more effectively, and gives you a heads up when there is a spike in your bill. Depending on the time of year, you could save hundreds with this method.

Cell Phone 

Don’t worry, we aren’t telling you to completely ditch your cell phone. We are telling you to ditch the expensive phone plans! It sounds like a headache, but it could really be worth your while. Downgrade to a lower plan that could save you between $10-$20 every month. This is perfect if you find that you aren’t using all of your monthly data, why pay for an expensive plan if you don’t even use all that is allowed? There are tons of plans out there that cost $30 per month for a basic phone plan and data limit. Also, don’t upgrade your phone every two years. While this seems like a killer deal, there are tons of hidden fees!

Saving $500 a month has never been so easy with these tips. What are some other ways you save money every month?

5 Ways to Save $500

5 Ways to Make Money Snapchatting

Use your phone camera to make some extra money! Seriously, even if you don’t have any idea what Snapchat is, it’s easy to learn and you can make a lot of extra money while doing it! If you love sharing your life with your friends and family, this could be just the gig for you. Really, it is completely possible to make money Snapchatting all day! Here is a comprehensive list of companies looking for photography and video gurus to run their company owned Snapchats. According to a representative, you can make $40,000 working for FabFitFun as a Snapchat coordinator. FabFitFun is a  company based around the health and beauty needs of women. Users can subscribe to a monthly box filled with makeup, nail polish, hair products, and more fun items. Some experience is needed, as this company is looking for someone who has at least a year of experience managing social media accounts for businesses. Job responsibilities include maintaining a content calendar, and of course, Snapchatting. PopSugar is looking to hire a Snapchatting guru with at least a few years of hands-on video experience. Workers will make between $40,000- $50,000 every year, and be responsible for creating “stunning” video content that is posted daily. Those interested can apply here. Of course, you could always work for the company in charge of the madness! Work for Snapchat as a Story Editor, and make a whopping $60,000 every year. A college degree is required, and they are looking for an extremely visual thinker to help manage content for the company’s account. Apply here! If you are based in Los Angeles, and have always dreamed of working for Time, apply for this gig.  Time is looking for a content producer to make and create short form videos for various social media outlets (like Tumblr). The estimated salary is between $40,000-$60,000 yearly. The job will be centered in the people and entertainment categories, and there will be a lot of celebrity news.  The company promises room for growth, so this could be perfect for anyone! Fashion lovers rejoice! If you love fashion and the icons behind the designs, this job working for Hearst (Cosmopolitan) would be perfect for you. Employees would be expecting to create diverse, unique, and fashionable content for it’s Snapchat discover channel. Seriously, how cool would it be to say that you worked for Hearst magazines?

If you want to make money online, there are a million ways to earn a living on the internet.  Here are a few related posts that can help you decide which direction is right for you!

How to Start a Blog

How to Make Money Blogging

8 Legit Ways to Make Money From Home

How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs

20 Ways to Turn Crafts into Profits

10 Ways to Earn a Living on the Internet



5 Ways to Make Money Snapchatting

15 Work at Home Companies that Pay $12 an Hour or More

There are a lot of different ways to work from home, and I listed a lot of different companies that will allow you to do so on the post 25 Companies That Pay You to Work From Home. A lot of those ideas are temporary or extra side money, but I wanted to make a list for those of you who are looking for a good job making a decent extra income from home. So, here are 15 companies that you can work for from home making at least $12.oo or more per hour (Some are repeated from my other article).

Brighten Communications– They hire telemarketer callers, and pay between $12-$18 per hour. You need high speed internet, a land-line that can call long distance, a printer, and fax machine.

The ACT– They are always looking to hire readers to read and score the essay portion of the ACT. Pay is based on experience, but starts at $12.00 per hour. You do need at least a bachelor’s degree, and they prefer teaching experience, but it isn’t required.


Hilton Worldwide– Work for this well known hotel chain from home doing reservations and customer service. They are a very reputable company and offer great benefits for employees!

Blue Zebra Appointment Setting– Cold calling appointment setting. Start at $15-$25 per hour based on experience!

Executive Scheduling Associates– Work from home scheduling appointments for financial wholesalers starting at $12 per hour.

American Express– Visit their page and search “virtual” in the “search for job” box, and all of their work from home options will appear. I have heard a few of them start at $16 per hour.

Working Solutions– They hire independant contractors to do sales, technical support, and customer service. Looking for experienced and well educated employees, and start you at $20 per hour!

Virtual Office Temps– Hire virtual office assistants, and pay up to $28 per hour. Looking for committed, long term, part and full time employees.

Panda Tree– Starting at $12 per hour training students in Spanish and Mandarin.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel– A travel company that hires you to help customers with their travel plans. Starts at $15 per hour.

Harris Connect Fundraising– Pay $12-$15 per hour for at home fundraising and sales.

Alorica– At home agents doing customer service calls. It’s not an hourly rate, but you get paid a per minute, or per call rate.

Rosetta Stone Work from home as a language coach. Pay is about $17 per hour.

Zero Chaos– Conduct search evaluation ads and quality ratings. Pay is $15 per hour.

Blooms Today– Assist customers with their purchases. Earn an average of $15-$25 per hour with unlimited potential based on performance.

I have said it before, and I will say it again… The best way to earn a living from home is to start a blog.  You are in complete control of your income and you have a flexible schedule.  You can work when you want to and do something that you love.  If you are more interested in working from home for yourself, visit How to Start a Blog and learn how to Make Money Blogging.

15 Work at Home Companies that Pay 12 an Hour (or more!)

25 Companies that Pay You to Work From Home

Whether you are looking for full time employment, a second job, or just a little extra spending money there should be something here for you! There are so many resources out there today, and this is just scratching the surface…but hopefully you can find something on here that will work for you! 1. Aim for A Tutoring– They are always looking for part and full time tutors in almost any subject. Click the link and apply…I’m sure there’s at least one subject you are good at! 2. Balance Your Books– If you’re good with numbers and want to do book keeping this is a great option. 3. Amazon– They hire customer service reps working from home…usually starting at around $10.00 per hour. US only. 4. GigBucks– Choose from a bunch of different tasks on the site where you can come up with solutions to help these companies. They start at $5 and can go up to as much as $50, so if you are good at problem solving definitely click on the link. 5. iBotta– One of many mobile phone apps that you can earn money from using. 6. Apple– Get a job in customer support through chat and over the phone for their products. 7. Groupon– Another great customer service job from home. Make sure you know how groupon works before applying for this job. 8. MySurvey– If you’re just looking for a little extra cash, online surveys is a great place to find it! My Survey is a perfect place to start. 9. Blue Zebra Appointment Setting– This is cold calling from your phone. I have heard you can make up to $15-$25 an hour based on experience! 10. Nordstrom– They hire seasonal at home customer care workers. 11. Inbox Dollars– Another great online survey website. Easy way to make money! 12. Leapforce– Evaluate search engine results. 13. Task Rabbit– Complete menial tasks and errands for different companies. 14. Casting Words– A transcription job. If you are good at listening and a quick at typing then this is a perfect job for you! 15. Measurement Inc.- Work from home scoring tests. 16. American Express– They hire you for sales related jobs working with inbound calls. I hear you start at around $16.00 per hour! 17. Sylvan– Another from home tutoring option. 18. Zero Chaos– They hire you to track the effectiveness of online ads. 19. EA Help– Offers virtual assistance help to customers with different tasks throughout the day. 20. Lion Bridge– Search engine evaluating job. 21. Pearson– Another test scoring company. 22.VIP Desk Connect– They hire you as sales brand ambassadors to connect with customers. 23. Kibin– Online proofreading/ editing job. 24. Dell– Online and over the phone tech support job. 25. Instagram– Photographer and travel blogger.
25 Companies That Pay You to Work From Home

4 Good Reasons You SHOULD Be Using Credit Cards

I am going to play devil’s advocate here.  WHAT IF… credit cards were good?  So often we hear all the bad and dangers about credit cards.  Today, lets focus on the GOOD associated with credit cards and the reasons you should be using them, responsibly. 1. Credit Cards Establish Credit History There are many ways you can create credit history, but the easiest is definitely by using credit cards.  For ten years, our goal in marriage was to get completely out of debt and we accomplished this at the 10 year mark- yay us! We were debt free (minus the mortgate) and we were so excited!  We didn’t have any other debt.  In fact, I didn’t even own a credit card.  I am so responsible!  Long story short, after applying for a store credit card for an enormous discount on school clothes, I was given a $200 dollar limit, which was just insulting.  I was shocked and a little confused.  I should have stellar credit!  The truth, is that I had NO credit.  My name wasn’t on most of our previous loans, to make financing simpler.  So we applied for a skymiles credit card and started using it in our everyday life.  All the bills were automatically charged on the card and I pay it off monthly.  My credit score has dramatically increased and I am establishing a credit history, which will make other financing or other things a little easier. In order to qualify for a home loan, or other financing, you will need a credit history to get approved. Credit history is different from your credit score because it shows how long you have had credit, and whether or not you are using it. So, the best way to create a credit history is by using your credit cards and then paying them off each month before you acquire interest. 2. Simplicity If you don’t have a credit card, it can make life a little tougher.  You can’t even reserve a rental car without a valid credit card (yes, some will take debit cards.) If you have a credit card, you can use it to pay all of your bills, set up automatic payments, etc.  I am weary of having automatic payments charge my debit cards.  I have had companies maker errors and take out more money than expected, and it can really mess you up if the money comes out of your checking account when you aren’t expecting it.  I like to be able to review my charges and be sure everything looks right and then pay my statement. Using a credit card for all of your purchases makes paying bills so easy and great!  Each month, you check your statement, review your purchases and pay your statement, and you are all done!  This is a method you should only use if you are very disciplined and do not spend more than you have budgeted each month.  If you aren’t careful, you can find yourself with a balance.  Only do this if you spend less than you make and are good at keeping your expenses less than your income.  It can get away from you pretty quickly, if you don’t pay attention and spend like a sailor, only to find that you are short at the end of the month. And if you can do this, congratulations.  This shows great self-control and responsibility. 3. Improves Your Credit Score When you have and use a credit card, it will help you raise your credit score.  As long as you are careful and pay your bill each month on time and are careful not to be late,  your credit score will improve.  Also, if you keep your balance below 50% of your credit limit, and pay regularly, you will have a higher credit score than if you didn’t have or use a credit card at all.  As I mentioned above, it is important to have some sort of credit history.  Don’t let your cards sit dormant.  Use them, pay them off and keep them active.  Be careful not to apply for a million cards, hoping to improve things “quicker.” Each time you apply for a credit card or loan, your credit takes a small hit.  So be thoughtful in which cards or loans you apply for. 4. Credit Card Rewards  Yes, yes and yes!!  I can’t believe I missed out on credit card rewards for most of my life. About a year ago, I got a Capital One rewards card.  I put absolutely every expense we have on my new rewards card, and we will be able to take my family of 6 on a pretty great vacation next summer, using only our rewards.  If you are spending money anyway, you might as well get paid for it.  I have all of my monthly bills, excluding my mortgage automatically charged to my Capital One rewards card and I get 2 points for every dollar that I spend.  School shopping, Christmas gifts, and oh so many medical bills the past year.  My only regret is not having done it sooner.  If you are wondering what the best credit card rewards program is, you can see my summary of the different offers here. Be sure to read all terms and conditions and use the card the way it is intended.  If you rack up a balance and pay lots of $ each month in interest, it isn’t really worth it.  I only use my card for the purchases I make each month anyway, and then I pay it off on payday each month.  That way, I pay no interest but I get the rewards.  It is perfect for someone that is disciplined enough to spend that way and budget to be sure the money is there to pay off when the statement arrives. Remember I am not discrediting the warnings against using credit cards. They are a common pitfall for acquiring unnecessary debt. If you can be financially responsible and use credit cards in a positive way, they can benefit you in many ways. Read more about credit cards, budgeting and more in my Getting Out of Debt Series below:

15 Legit Ways to Make an Extra $1500 a Month

8 Reasons to Get Out of Debt Right Now!

20 Things You Are Forgetting to Budget

12 Expenses You Should Never Put on a Credit Card

10 Useful Tips for Using Credit Cards

12 Ways to Reduce Your Utility Bill

54 Side Hustles to Make Extra Money

10 Personal Finance Tips That Could Will Your Life

4 Tips to Improve Your Credit Score

How to Budget when You Don’t Make Enough Money

Learn to Cut Back

Make a list of the money you have flowing out into different expenses. If you have cable, or streaming networks you pay for, such as Netflix or Hulu, put those on your list next to how much money it costs you each month. If you have smartphones in your family write those down as well. List magazine subscriptions, gym passes, art classes, or anything that comes to you as a regular expense. Then you need to look at your list and decide how to cut back. Maybe you can just eliminate a few things, or maybe you need to cut it all out for a little while until your bank account becomes more stable. There is no point in paying for a huge cable bill, or random magazine subscriptions that you never read, while you’re struggling to make ends meet. The more you cut the better off you will be.

Get into Survival Mode

Don’t spend money on things you don’t need. You have to get into a survival mode and focus only on the essentials. Avoid eating out, shopping sprees, going out to movies or events, or anything that is unnecessary. If you can control your spending habits and you can cut back on these things, you will be amazed how much money you save. It doesn’t mean you can’t have fun though. Start making a fun meal plan with ingredients you already have at home, look online for free date ideas that can still get you out of the house, and find ways to mix and match pieces in your closet to wear them in ways you never have before. Overall, just make sure you are only spending money on the things you have to have to survive.

Make More Money

To help you feel more fluid in your budget, you’ll need to find ways to make more money so that you can attack your financial situation from both ends. There are a lot of ways to make money from home on the side.  You can pick up extra shifts at work, or get resourceful and see if any of these 50 Ways to Make Money on the Side are good options for you.  If you don’t have a job that pays well enough and you are having hard time getting ahead, consider finding a new job, improving your skills or even getting educated in a new trade or field to improve your quality of life.

Related Posts:

How to Start a Blog

How to Make Money Blogging

8 Legit Ways to Make Money From Home

Top 54 Side Hustles to Make Extra Money on the Side

Prioritize Your Bills

If you have a lot of bills to pay, make sure you decide which ones have to be paid off first. Hopefully you cut back on everything from the list you made, but now it is time to sort through what important bills are MOST important. Take care of things like your house payments and energy bills first and then keep moving down through the things that are most important for you to keep surviving and having your basic needs met.

Keep a Positive Mindset

Overall, remember to stay positive. Of course this is easier said than done, but it is so important when trying to get out of a financial bind and start to plan effectively. Negative thoughts are destructive and won’t help you moving forward. Try to think each day about good things that happen to you, opportunities that come your way, connections you have with other people that could help, and really anything that keeps you positive and focused on your ultimate financial goals. If you can’t master a positive mindset, you other strategies could fall apart.

How to Budget When You Don't Make Enough Money