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How I Made Over $500 With My Blog To Pay Off Debt

May 13, 2009 By 7 Comments

5001Almost nine months ago I started this blog, Stumble Forward, to help those who would like to find simple and unique ways to get out of debt and save up some money.

Well after nearly 9 months of writing post, commenting and answering emails I have finally started to make a few bucks blogging on the side.  In fact I have made over $500 in that time.

So how did I do it?

I will share that with you and more.

How I Made $500 To Pay Off Debt

Before I go any further I want to mention something up front.  If you’re looking for some ‘get rich quick’ scheme–this isn’t it, nor do I promote them.  The method I used took a little bit of time and a little bit of hard work, and if you are willing to do that then read on.

First off, you need to set up a blog.  Now this may seem like a very hard task at first but once it’s set up the hard part is already complete.  In fact, you can find some great free resources with a great little website I’ve been using called, Become A Blogger.

‘Become a Blogger’ has a great 10-step video series showing everything you need to do to set up your blog.  Everything from finding your domain name to optimizing it.

Now at this point, you will also have to decide what you want your blog to be about.  For your first blog, pick something that you are passionate about.  If it’s video games then do that.  Don’t pick what is popular at the moment.  For me, it was helping people find simple and unique ways to get out of debt and save up money.

Second, once you have your blog set up start writing content.  Now, these first two steps may sound a bit mundane but content is the currency of the web and without it you have nothing. If you create great and useful content from the beginning then people will come back.

Third, market your blog to others.  This implies a whole lot of tactics and tips I don’t want to get into right now, so instead check out ‘Blog Mastermind’.  ‘Blog Mastermind’ is an entire membership site totally dedicated to helping bloggers build a successful blog from A to Z.  The program includes everything from forums and coaching calls to lesson plans.

‘Blog Mastermind’ was worth every dollar I spent on it.  So take some time and check it out.

Fourth, build it and they will come.  After several months of working hard putting content up on my site and marketing I finally got my first email to put some advertising up on my website.  But it didn’t stop there. Shortly after, I received emails one after another over the span of a few months asking me to put up some advertising on my website.

The best part about this whole situation is that I didn’t contact any of these people to post any ads–they all contacted me.  Now obviously this won’t work in every niche but I would venture to say that it would work in bigger markets, like finance, or making money online.

It’s Your Turn

Take some time and try it yourself.  It has worked for me so I know it can work for you.  If you already have a blog and have had some luck at this, share your experience below by leaving a comment.

Chris

Filed Under: Debt Managment Tagged With:

Become A Blogger To Get Out Of Debt

February 5, 2009 By 1 Comment

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Lately, I been talking about using a home based business to get out of debt.  I’ve talked about the idea of doing this and giving you the tips on finding a business that will help you get started.  Today I am going to uncover one of those opportunities that you can take advantage of right away.

Become A Blogger

If you are deep in debt and need to find a way to generate some sort of extra cash look no further.  I have a program here for you that is such a program and here’s the best part it’s FREE!

First, let me give you a quick overview then I will dive into the details in a second.  Become a Blogger is a revolutionary new online video course that takes you step by step to setting up your own blog business from the ground up.  With the easy to follow videos any body can set up their own blog within a few hours and be up and running. 

If this sounds like a business opportunity for you keep reading however I don’t want to make this sound like on of those get rich quick deals cause it ain’t.  So if your ready lets get started.

What is Become A Blogger And Why Can It Help You Get Debt Free

First off you may want to browse the website a bit to get a feel for what they have to offer.  You can check that out here at www.becomeablogger.com

Once you get to the site you will that their is a sign up for their great ebook, The Roadmap To Become A Blogger, that you can get for free that will give you a ton of information about how get started.  I suggest you print this out and read it cover to cover. 

Next once you have that done you will want to check out the videos.  Now the site may change at any given time when your reading this so just bare with me.  Their are ten videos altogether.

  • Video 1   Why You Should Use WordPress
  • Video 2   How To Get Your Own Domain Name
  • Video 3   How To Get A Web Host
  • Video 4   How To Install WordPress
  • Video 5   How To Upload Files To Your Web Host Through FTP
  • Video 6   Choosing A WordPress Theme For Your New Blog
  • Video 7   How To Install And Use WordPress Plugins  
  • Video 8   How To Create Your First Blog Post And Blog Page
  • Video 9   What RSS Is And Why You Need It
  • Video 10 How To Use Feedburner For Supercharging Your RSS Capabilities

Take your time to go through these 10 videos to set up your own professional blog.  Each video is about 15 to 20 minutes long.  By the end of the 10th video you will have your own blog setup and be ready to roll.

Now you may be wondering what this all has to do with getting out of debt.  Well first these videos give you the base to start form.  You have to start somewhere.  Second, over time you will be able to put up advertising, sell affiliate products, and many other options.  Eventually you will be able to profit from this. For now just know that those options are available just not at the beginning.  I’ll will be discussing that in a later post.

The Pros and Cons Of Blogging To Get Out Of Debt

The are many great things about starting a blogging business to get out of debt but the reality is that their is also some down sides to this as well.  Here I hope to give you the real dirt on using this as a method to pay off debt.

The Pros Of Blogging

  • The videos make this an easy business to start.  If you can follow a step by step process this will be a piece of cake.
  • The investment cost are minimal.  In the beginning all you have to pay for is a domain name and a web host.  That’s it, for now.
  • You can do it part time form home.  You don’t need to rent office space for this however once you become very successful you may want to consider it.  Blogging is the real home based business.
  • Blogging gives you complete control of your time.  You can do it how you want.  If you want to work a few days or just a few hours a week it’s totally up to you. 

The Cons Of Blogging

  • Now immediate pay out.  Unlike some business opportunities blogging doesn’t pay out big up front.  With blogging it takes time to achieve this. 
  • No personal mentors to help you when you get stuck.  Once you have the first ten video complete you are pretty much on your own.  However their is a premium available but it is closing Feb. 6, 2009 and reopening at a later date.  I will have more info on this in a later post.
  • No immediate rush of traffic.  As with making money with your blog the same holds true with pulling in a lot of visitors.  This again will take time to achieve.
  • There are some upfront cost.  You’ll pay around $10 a year for a domain name and around $10 a month for web hosting space.  However over time you could up adding more cost like a list management service, advertising, and even a mentoring program.  This all cost money and can add up over time. 
  • If you aren’t very tech savvy you may have some issues here and you may even have to pay someone to take of this for you, of find someone you know.

Are You Ready To Become A Blogger

Now that you have a place to start all you have to do is take action.  Even though it may take a lot of time and hard work you should know that it can be done.  Blogging won’t help with paying the bills right away so don’t get discouraged if it don’t work out right away.  In most cases it may happen within a few years to several years, whatever the case don’t get discouraged.

Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day.  That’s the way businesses operate.

Finally, are you going to start a blogging business to get out of debt?  If your are, great.  If you already have a blog and you are using it for this purpose you are already one step ahead of the crowd.  Take time now and get started with your blog.

To your blogging success,

Chris

 This post was recently featured on The Carnival of Money Hacks #51 by Your Money Relationship.

 

Filed Under: Business Opportunities Tagged With: , , , ,

10 Essential Money Habits You Should Live By

December 11, 2008 By 1 Comment

On Monday I talked about 10 bad money habits you should ditch immediately.  Today I’m going to do the opposite.  I’m going to give the 10 money tips you should live by.  Though you should know that some of these things you may already be doing this post is mostly meant to be a list to get you motivated toward building better money habits.

  1. Pay yourself first.  This is such a simple tip but I had to include it.  I hear a lot of people say this but are they doing it?  Setting money aside before you pay your bills is important.  What if that next big issue comes up and you need money now?  Also don’t just set some aside for an emergency fund, set some aside for retirement as well. 
  2. Know where your money is going.  Knowing where your money is lets you know where those little leaks in your budget are and makes plugging them a lot easier.  If you have more month than money this is the first place to start, and this may also make you realize how much money you are  spending on stuff I really didn’t need.
  3. Pay off your credit cards every month.  Keeping your credit cards paid off every month does two things for you.  First, it will boost your credit score by showing financial institutions that you can handle money and two, it’s a lot easier when you don’t have to make minimum payments every month.
  4. Pay off your bad debt first.  Bad debt is the debt that doesn’t benefit you in any way.  For example a bad debt would be credit cards.  They have high interest rates and no benefits to holding the debt.  A good debt would be your mortgage.  Though still being a debt it has special advantages.  They have lower interest rates and interest is usually tax deductible giving you more money back at tax time.  Though you may want to talk to your CPA for more info on this.
  5. Have money set aside for emergencies.  I covered this a little in tip 1 but I thought it should also be said that you need to have a fund for those times that you need that extra cash.  Having an emergency fund helps in many ways but most of all it will help you sleep better at night knowing that you aren’t living paycheck to paycheck.
  6. Contribute to your retirement plan at work.  If you have a full time job that has a 401k or some type of retirement plan this is one of the simplest ways to save.  Money coming from your paycheck untouched allows you contribute to your retirement before it gets to your hands.  With an out of site out of mine philosophy you will be surprised how the money can add up in a few short years.
  7. Constantly looking for ways to cut cost.  I like to do this a lot.  Many times I will look at things I can cut cost on such as Internet, cable TV, telephone and many other things.  I’ve found ways to save money on all of these and more and you can too.  I will also requote my car insurance and property insurance, and look into refinance options to see if I can save money on my mortgage.
  8. Understanding your needs and wants.  There is always a fine line between what you want and need.  Though this really comes down to your habits.  If it’s hard for you to go to Walmart and walk out of there without picking up something you didn’t intend to buy there you bought based on wants.  If this is tough for you look for support such as your spouse when going to these places and stick to the budget.
  9. Start saving for retirement early.  This tip won’t apply to everyone but if you are a bit younger or know people who are younger this tip applies to you.  Saving for retirement early has two advantages.  First, it’s much cheaper to fund retirement because you have more time to do it.  Second, you also get the compound effect out of you money by doing this.  Read this post to learn more about that.
  10. Review your credit card statements.  Reviewing your credit card statements can save you big bucks.  I recently was skimming though one of my recent statement and seen I was making a $30 payment to a payment protector program I didn’t even agree to sign up for.  Canceling that one program saved me $360 a year.  It’s also a good habit to check over other statements you get like your phone bill, insurance bills, cable bills, and whatever else you might have.

Are there any other good money habits you live by?  These are a few that I live by, yours might be different but leave comment below and share your stories.

Filed Under: Money Managment Tagged With: , , , , , , ,