How I Made $320,888 In One Year – My December Online Income Report and Annual Wrap Up

Welcome to December’s online income report where I show you how I made money online last month. It’s time to look at this month’s update and track how I did. If you’re new here, you may be wondering why I would want to publish my income report each month. You can simply skip to the next section…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: January 27, 2025

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Welcome to December’s online income report where I show you how I made money online last month. It’s time to look at this month’s update and track how I did.

If you’re new here, you may be wondering why I would want to publish my income report each month. You can simply skip to the next section if you’re not new here.

This all started out as my extra income report because in the beginning it was all about the money I was earning from my side jobs. In my side income reports from the beginning, I included all of the income I made except for what I made at my day job.

However, I left my day job as a financial analyst in October of 2013 and now my monthly income reports consist of the many ways I earn a living.

Many have asked why I would ever want to publicly post my income each month. Some think I’m crazy, whereas some are glad I’m open about what I’m doing. Whatever you think, I enjoy publishing my monthly online income reports and I share them publicly for three main reasons:

  • Before I started blogging, I knew nothing about side hustling and making money online. I didn’t think side jobs were worth the effort and I thought the only way to significantly increase your income was through raises and promotions at your full-time job. If it weren’t for others publishing their monthly income reports each month, I don’t know if I would have ever tried side hustling. I want to help show others the positives in side hustling and how it can change a person’s life. There are many different ways to make money online, and I like to share my story each month to help motivate others to improve their financial situation by making more money.
  • Secondly, I like to publish my income reports because it’s a way for me to look back, learn from my mistakes and actually see what areas need improvement. I use my monthly income reports as a way to track how I’ve done and I treat it sort of like a journal.
  • Lastly, I like to show others that making side money is possible and that there are many legitimate ways to make money from your home. If you are looking for information on the many ways to make money online, I published the article Monthly Income Report Roundup – My Favorite Income Bloggers that showcases many successful bloggers who are kind enough to share their income with the public each month. I’ll be publishing an update to this post soon, so please send me an email if you would like me to include your income report.

I know I say this every month, but it’s the truth. Life is great now that I’m my own boss. I look forward to each and every day and it’s a wonderful feeling. I truly love waking up every morning.

Above are just a few of the reasons for why I enjoy publishing my monthly income reports. I like to show others that you don’t have to hate your job and hate your life. You can make changes to your life and make money in a way that allows you to truly enjoy the life you are living. I’m not saying that you have to LOVE your job, I’m just saying that your job should, at least, allow you to do what you like to do outside of work (whether that be spending time with loved ones, painting, hiking, etc.).

$300K 2015 Wrap Up2015 Business Year In Review

Before we begin with my monthly online income update, I want to start off with my 2015 wrap up. 2015 was a great year for many reasons and you will read why below.

In 2013, my business income totaled $116,519. In 2014, it totaled $163,929.

In 2015, I made $320,888.

Yes, that means I almost DOUBLED what I earned in 2014.

Other than being able to double my income, 2015 was also a great year because it jumpstarted our digital nomadic lives. I traveled somewhere every single month in 2015 and we are doing the same in 2016 due to the fact that we will be living in our RV full-time. Being a digital nomad is a ton of fun and I’m glad we are able to live out this dream of ours.

The other main important highlight of 2015 includes the fact that I was able to ramp up my affiliate income throughout the year. In January of 2015, I earned $1,485 from affiliate income. This is a HUGE difference from the $31,915 I received from affiliate programs just in the month of December of 2015.

I think 2016 will be even better too. I learned a lot last year and I plan on improving my business even more this year. Due to this, I am extremely motivated and excited to see what will happen in 2016. I think it will be another fantastic year.

I want to thank all of you for making this possible. Without my readers, I don’t know where I would be.

Update on my business-related goals for 2015:

  • Grow my income by 15% for the year. PASS! I made $163,929 from blogging in 2014 and I made $320,888 in 2015. I almost DOUBLED my income from 2014!
  • Work on affiliate income. PASS! Affiliate income comprises a large part of my monthly income now.
  • Stop being shy. MEH. I would probably consider this to be a fail. This is something I am still working on. Speaking in public just makes me so nervous! I guess a few years of working at home will do that to you…
  • Work on publishing a book. PASS. I’m in the very beginning stages of this.

My business-related goals for 2016:

  • Double my income. Yes, I said double. I would love to double 2015’s income and I think it’s possible considering how well 2015 ended. It won’t be easy, but it will be well worth it.
  • Diversify my affiliate income streams. The majority of my affiliate income comes from Bluehost. While around $15,000 each month comes from other sources, around $25,000 a month comes from Bluehost and that’s something I would like to change. My goal is to increase affiliate income from other sources so that they are equal to or higher than what I’m earning from Bluehost.
  • Stop being shy. Interviews, podcasts, and public speaking still make me nervous, but I know I need to get over my fear so that I can take my blog further.
  • Become a book author. I would like to have this completed this year.
  • Create a course. I really want to create a course and help others more. There are many different topics I am thinking about so this is a hard decision.
  • Increase my page views to 1,000,000 each month. Okay, I realize this is sort of a superficial goal but it’s quantifiable and that’s what I like about it. I would like to hit one million page views a month before the year ends. Wish me luck!

Now, here’s my December income report!

How was my online income in December?

December of 2015 was my best month ever!

It was another great month for business income and work/life balance. I made almost $40,000, which I can’t believe. It’s crazy to think about how I’m managing a great work/life balance while still being able to increase my monthly income.

It’s an amazing feeling. I’m making a great income while enjoying the work I’m doing. I don’t think it gets much better than that!

The business is doing well and I’m very happy with it. I’ve been catching myself saying “Life is really good” a LOT lately. And, I mean it – life is really good. 

Anyway, I earned $39,292 in business income in December, before expenses.

If you are interested in starting a blog of your own, I created a tutorial that will help you start a blog of your own for cheap, starting at only $3.49 per month (this low price is only through my link) for blog hosting. In addition to the low pricing, you will receive a free website domain (a $15 value) through my Bluehost link if you purchase at least 12 months of blog hosting. FYI, if you are asking yourself “can you make money blogging?” – my top tip is to be self-hosted. This is essential if you want to monetize your blog as you will appear more professional and this will help you monetize your blog tremendously. My blogging income did not take off until after I switched to self-hosting.

Related articles:

How I Made $300,000 In 2015 - My December Online Income Report and Annual Wrap Up

The number above is for the month of December and before any fees and expenses (some fees and expenses that lower the amount above total around $1,900 (rounded up), which include virtual assistants/staff writers for my other websites, technical assistance on my websites, accountant fees, newsletter expenses, PayPal fees, etc., however, this does not include taxes) being taken out. After expenses and fees, I made approximately $37,392. 

Below are some of my other monthly online income reports. I publish an online income update every month but only included some of them below as it would be a very long list. If you head on over to my online income page you can find all of my monthly income reports from the past few years.

Blog news.

Making Sense of Cents is doing well and I’m very happy with everything.

I have a ton of blog topics already planned for the year and I’m excited to see each one get published. If there’s anything you would like me to cover, please let me know. I get my best ideas from readers!

Pinterest is still one of the main ways I receive referral traffic each month. I’m still using Tailwind and I highly recommend anyone who is interested in Pinterest traffic to try out Tailwind. Tailwind has saved me a ton of time and the analytics the site provides are great. Plus, even though I am automating a lot of my Pinterest work, I am actually seeing an INCREASE in traffic which is great.

Many of you have asked me about BoardBooster as well. BoardBooster is another Pinterest scheduling service and I am currently testing it out on my sister’s blog (FITnancials) to see which one I like better. I’ll let you know soon. They each have their pros and cons so it’s a tough decision.

Also, I have received many questions recently about how I’m staying connected to the internet so that I can work and travel in my RV at the same time. I use a Verizon MiFi and I am able to stay connected pretty much anywhere with it. I don’t know what I would do without this device!

Overall, traffic increased in December and I received around 400,000 page views.

Top new posts on Making Sense of Cents last month:

What should a person blog aboutFeatured Question: What should a person blog about?

I feature one question from a reader in each monthly income report. Please leave a comment below if you have a question that you would like me to include.

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. I always recommend creating a blog around a topic that you are passionate about, that you are an expert in, that you like, or something else along those lines.

This can make blogging more fun instead of a chore.

You can blog about several topics or you can blog about one specific thing such as personal finance. I even recently had someone email me about starting a blog about lizards.

Yes, your blog can be about anything and/or everything. It’s entirely up to you.

Here are some possible blog topic ideas. The list doesn’t end here either. Choose one, all, or some. It’s all up to you.

  • Lifestyle;
  • Home;
  • Family;
  • Finance;
  • Crafts;
  • DIY;
  • Small business;
  • The outdoors;
  • Fitness and health;
  • Food;
  • Inspiration and advice;
  • Animals;
  • Travel;
  • Games;
  • Relationships;
  • School;
  • Electronics; and more!

That’s the beauty about having a blog. It can be anything you want it to be.

Should a person be an expert or have a degree in the niche they choose?

Another question somewhat related to the featured question is if a person should be an “expert” in their niche before they start a blog. I receive this question all the time and, due to that, I definitely think it’s something that needs to be discussed.

I don’t think you need to be an expert or have a degree in most cases when it comes to blogging.

I know many personal finance writers with blogs that track the financial mess they got themselves into. They don’t have financial degrees but are doing very well for themselves and help many people with their blogs. Many times readers just want to hear from you, follow a real person’s journey, read about how a real person made it through a problem, and so on. This is a great example of why degrees are not always needed.

However, if you are wanting to give advice about legal or tax matters where you could get someone in a lot of trouble if you tell them the wrong information, then, yes, you should be an expert.

Past questions:

My plans for my website and making money online.

Without any plans and goals, I think it would be very hard to run a business. Constantly working towards something can help keep a person motivated.

Below are some of the areas I am currently working on:

  • Promote more – I am doing much better at promoting my articles and I’m noticing a huge improvement. One area is still Pinterest – Pinterest brought around 150,000 clicks to my blog just in the month of December. I’m also testing out Facebook ads to see if they are worth it.
  • Create a book – Still working on this.
  • Accept more interviews. – I only took part in a few interviews in December, but I am happy with that.
  • Stop being shy – This is one of my main goals for the future. I am such a shy person and it’s something I need to work on if I want to grow my business.

Staff writing.

I only wrote one article for someone else in December. I only have one planned for January as well. As you can tell, it’s not something I’m working on growing as I am trying to focus on my business and my blog. However, it’s something that I’m still doing on a case-by-case basis.

Related articles:

Affiliate income.

Overall, I earned around $38,000 in affiliate income in December. Last month was the biggest month ever for me in terms of affiliate income.

I won’t see the payments I earned in December until 60-90 days later for most of the affiliate programs I’m in. Due to this, you won’t see those amounts reflected in my monthly income reports until then.

My main form of affiliate income is through Bluehost with my How To Start A WordPress Blog On Bluehost tutorial. However, I am looking to diversify my affiliate income and I have been researching other affiliate programs so that everything isn’t reliant on Bluehost. I’ve been doing somewhat well with diversifying my affiliate income so far, though, with around $15,000 earned last month coming from other affiliate programs.

I spent some time last month looking for new affiliate programs to join. One that I am looking to be more active with is Avant Link and Max Bounty. This is an affiliate link for them, but they have great companies under their program, such as REI. I recommend them if you’re looking for another affiliate program to sign up for.

EDIT July, 2016: I recommend checking out my online course for bloggers, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. I earn over $50,000 a month through affiliate marketing and I share my exact strategy and tips in this very informative online course. If you’re a blogger, then you NEED this course.

Annual Income Chart

Breakout of the payments I received in December ($39,292):

  • Staff writing, website management, and consulting – $1,400
  • Website-related (from the 3 websites I own – advertising and partnerships) – $5,977
  • Affiliate income (from BluehostEbates, etc.) – $31,915
  • Miscellaneous (not related to blogging and online income) – $0
  • Mystery shopping – $0

Please keep in mind that I work for myself when you read my monthly income report each month. This means I have to cover taxes (which are over 30%), health insurance, and all other benefits/expenses that an employer may provide.

Comparisons and 2015 online income total (before taxes):

  • Total business income in December: $39,292
  • Business income in November: $30,569
  • Difference: +8,723
  • Total in 2015: $320,888

How was December for you? Are you interested in earning income online?

If you are interested in starting a blog of your own, I created a tutorial that will help you start a blog of your own for cheap, starting at only $3.49 per month (this low price is only through my link) for blog hosting. In addition to the low pricing, you will receive a free blog domain (a $15 value) through my Bluehost link if you purchase at least 12 months of blog hosting. FYI, you want to be self-hosted. This is essential if you want to monetize your blog as you will appear more professional and this will help you monetize your blog tremendously. 

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions and statements are 100% mine and links are only placed to help you with your own blogging journey.

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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. Congrats on all of your hard work and effort paying off. Doubling any income is impressive – doubling a six-figure income…wow! Cheers to 2016!

  2. Michelle, this is incredible, well done. I’ve just got started blogging – your blog has given me the impetus to blog about my journey of getting out of debt and how I hope to change from living a 9-5 as a product manager to earning passive income (and returning to being self-employed) so first of all thank you.I wait in anticipation each month for your income reports.

    I do have a question, maybe for a bigger post, but any short answer you can give would be great (or if anyone else can weigh in with some advice). What would you say the best traction channels are for someone starting a blog in order to get traffic and engagement and what are the best tips you can offer.

    One last thing, a shameless plug (hope this is ok since it’s in the CommentLuv link) – I love that you set yourself goals for next year and shared them. I just did a blog post on the benefits of goal setting, would love it if you could take a read and let me know what you think. The article mentions sharing your goals as it makes you accountable to reaching them. I’m sure you will!

    Keep being awesome, and thank you again for being an inspiration.

    1. Hey!

      Short answer – I highly recommend Pinterest for a blog. It has completely changed my blog and helped improve it.

  3. Congrats for great result, don’t worry to be shy, you can became less shy with time little step by step, small changes big results!!!

  4. Dee @ Color Me Frugal

    Congrats Michelle! You are doing awesome and you are such a big inspiration to so many of the rest of us. Thanks for sharing!

  5. Allie

    Congrats MIchelle! Your blog is such an inspiration to myself and so many others. By sharing this, you not only give me clarity on how my blog can generate revenue but your passion for helping others goes above and beyond this, which is what I hope to do on my blog as well.

    I have an affiliate question – how long into your blogging career did you wait to contact affiliates? My blog is new but I already have people asking about the set up of it, which I used your bluehost link. I am referring them to your post but would love to have my own in the future too. Thank you!

    1. I didn’t start being active with affiliate marketing until around a year ago. I waited a LONG time because I didn’t think it was possible. I wish I would have started sooner! Definitely start soon Allie 🙂

  6. I am just SO SO happy for you, Michelle!! I cannot wait to see what 2016 brings for you. After I pass the CFP exam, one of the things I want to focus on is getting my affiliate income up (it’s not a huge part of my blog income right now). You’re posts are so inspiring!! 🙂

  7. What an amazing month and year Michelle! Congrats! Best of luck in 2016!

  8. Nick

    Fantastic! Congrats Michelle! Here’s to another great year! Keep it up.

  9. Amy @ DebtGal

    December was both good and bad. It wasbad because I got so caught up in holiday and family activities,I got off track with budgeting and spent more than I should’ve. However, it was a three-paycheck month for my husband, plus he received a holiday bonus that was a good bit larger than it’s been in past years. And we unexpectedly received a $246 property tax relief check from the state. So on average, it was a good month, but a little too spendy.

    I’m looking forward to getting back into a routine and starting fresh with new goals this year.

    1. I hope 2016 is a great year for you Amy!

  10. Wow Michelle…. just when I think you cannot possibly impress me anymore…you go and do it. Hah! Seriously, a huge congrats to you on an amazing 2015. Thank you for continuing to be an inspiration to us all! I reached over $2,300 last month from blogging (my 12th month in) and even though I’m still early in my journey, your success continues to motivate me in my goal to make a full-time income from my blog 🙂 Thanks again for sharing these reports with us!! I have a feeling 2016 is going to be good to you girly!

    1. Thanks Christina!

      P.S. Do you post income reports? I’m doing an update soon on bloggers who post income reports and I would love to include you if you do.

      1. I do! I’d be so honored to be included 🙂 This is my last one (December isn’t up yet) –> http://embracingsimpleblog.com/november-2015-blog-income-and-traffic-report/

        Thanks Michelle!

        1. Awesome. I thought you did so that’s why I asked. I’ll include you. Thanks!

  11. Kara @ Money Saving Maven

    Congrats, Michelle! That’s amazing!

  12. This is awesome. Congrats on an amazing year Michelle!!

    1. Thanks Chonce. I hope it’s a great year for you!

      P.S. Do you post income reports? I’m doing an update soon on bloggers who post income reports and I would love to include you if you do.

  13. Stefanie OConnell

    You’re amazing! Love your goals for 2016 too. You should definitely do a course. I think that’s on my list too!

    1. Thanks Stefanie! You’re amazing too!

  14. I think what you are doing is amazing. You add so much value to people’s lives and thank you for sharing your successes with us! I just started a blog and it’s a lot of work but also a lot of fun! I have a ways to go and a lot to learn but I am so inspired by you!

    Keep moving forward regarding your shyness. You have so much to say and are a wonderful teacher. One of the best things I ever did was just practice and practice. It was just as easy to talk in front of 10 people as it was to talk in front of 100. You got this! http://susiegasparovic.com/is-your-complaining-robbing-you-of-your-peace-of-mind/

  15. Sarah

    That is insane! I’ve been reading your blog for almost two years now and I cannot believe how far you have come in such a short amount of time. Congrats on all your success and I look forward to seeing your progress in 2016.

  16. Melissa

    Hey Michelle, if you’re still looking for course ideas, how about how to get super awesome at affiliate income? Or how to buy a blog and make it profitable? Any of those (I feel like) are unexplored niches that would help a lot of people. Plus, clearly you’re an expert at it! 🙂

    Awesome 2015 for you – congrats on doubling your income! Are you going to FinCon in September? Can’t wait to meet you – you’re an inspiration!

    1. Thanks Melissa. These are both great ideas!

      Yes, I’ll definitely be at FinCon 🙂

  17. I love this Michelle!! Digital business is the Holy Grail for many people. Keep up the good work. Do a course.

    1. Thanks Michelle! P.S. Do you post income reports? I’m doing an update soon on bloggers who post income reports and I would love to include you if you do.

      1. I just started monetizing in December (yep-late to the game!) So, I won’t have reports ready until the end of this month…and they will be itty bitty. Keep me in mind for the next one after this-I would love to participate 🙂

        1. Aww okay! For some reason I thought you already had posted one haha.

  18. Serena Adkins

    My goal is to one day achieve the goals that you have. This is some great information that I plan to put into practice and tell my family and friends about. Amazing and thanks for sharing.

  19. Wow great advice! Ive been thinking about starting a travel/nature blog and i think im going to do it this year. I just need to start! Laziness gets to me sometimes! Thanks for the great post.

  20. fehmeen

    Very impressive achievements, I must say. It’s a huge motivation for amateur bloggers like us to see your monthly and annual incomes so thank you for sharing! Obviously, a wonderful course idea for your blog would be ‘how to make a fortune by blogging’. I know lots of people have done similar courses in the past but the ‘real tips’ still seem a bit hard to grasp.

    1. I definitely think I want to do a blogger course 🙂

  21. Stockbeard

    Ha, I’m nowhere near your numbers, but at least I’ve been consistently making 5 figures from my online activities for the past 4 years now. Hoping I can increase the numbers this year, but I will definitely not reach 6 figures 🙂

    Congrats!

  22. Michelle

    Wow! What an amazing year Michelle, good job. I’m doing my best to start earning income online. Since I’m out of the 9-5 world at the moment, what better thing to try and do, right? I hope one day I can get to the level of income that you’re at! Congrats and keep up the great work.

  23. Elizabeth

    Wow Michelle this is so amazing! You are such an inspiration. Congratulations and I am sure 2016 will only be better. ! I was wondering if you had an tips on how to choose a theme or where you can buy them? Or if you have a theme post ? Thank you !

    1. I highly recommend Genesis! That’s what is used on my blog – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/Genesis

  24. Kate @ Cashville Skyline

    Wow, Michelle. Echoing what others have said, this is really inspiring! I’m excited to see what you’ve got planned for 2016. And let me know if you stop through Nashville! 🙂

    1. Thanks Kate! I’ll definitely let you know 🙂

  25. Whoa, Michelle, this is AMAZING!! Congratulations! You’ve obviously worked super hard to make this happen.
    I’ve been thinking about starting a second website for a while, since my blog doesn’t actually make any money, and hearing about this makes me really inspired to try to start it sooner rather than later.

  26. Thanks Steve! I am currently at 400,000 views a month. I include my monthly page views in every post. Major referrer is Pinterest.

    1. Thanks! Are you active on Pinterest?

      1. Yes, I’ll have to share some Pinterest tips soon. It’s on my loooong list of blog topics haha.

  27. Owen Wilson

    I love cookies.

  28. What an amazing year; congratulations to you! Doubling your income when it’s already so high is a fantastic aim – looking forward to seeing whether you achieve this or not, I have a feeling you will 🙂

  29. Amazing year! You did awesome and your goals for 2016 are really lofty too. Love it!

  30. Wow. Your 2015 was awesome. I need to step my game up with the affiliate income.

  31. Michelle, awesome 2015! You’re killing it. Once again, thank you for the motivation!

    Best of luck in 2016!

  32. Fervent Finance

    Congrats on a great year. Interested in learning about the book!

  33. Congratulations Michelle. I expected no less with all the hard work you’ve put in over the years. Well done and to many more years of success.

  34. As always, your income reports are incredibly inspirational and motivating.

    I love an ambitious goal and doubling your six figure income certainly qualifies! Mine is equally ambitious (for me); get to $10k monthly website income by the end of 2016. I think I’ll need more luck than you!!!

    Have a great 2016 Michelle.

    1. Good luck with your goal! 🙂

  35. Congratulations on an incredible year!! Your success is so motivating, I hope to get there one day!

  36. Sandra Venables

    Michelle, so lovely to find your blog and to read your honesty! One of the most essential elements in affiliate marketing, I believe, is honesty. So, congratulations on that – and of course, on your income for the year. It’s great to see people making money from affiliate marketing, it’s essentially word of mouth marketing and something that many businesses use (but don’t pay you, the consumer, for generally).

    Well done, and I will be following you more on your travels, and sharing your tips on making money online with our audience too – they’ll love it I’m sure.
    Kind regards
    Sandra & Julie
    Two Angels

  37. Mrs Snow

    Hey Michelle,

    Congratulations and fantastic work on your blog in 2015! What a year, and you must be so proud to see the fruits of your labor.

    Your success is inspiring and I think it’s really cool to publish your earnings. I wish you the best in 2016 and keep rocking!

    Best,
    Maria

  38. Thanks for always sharing more details Michelle! I’m just starting to venture into affiliates. I always stop and visit when I need info! 🙂

    I’m also shy in a way too like you. I’m using Periscope to help get over that! LOL. I’m so a behind the scenes person.

    Anyways, thanks again Michelle! Happy New Years! 🙂

  39. Big bucks! Congrats! Have you or will you be sharing your net worth and how you’ll be investing your money? That would be fun to read.

    I shot you an e-mail about another potential revenue stream. Please let me know if you didn’t get it and no hurry getting back to me.

    Thx,

    S

    1. I don’t plan on sharing my net worth due to the fact that I’m so open about my income. Have to have a little privacy haha! And I’m getting to my emails now. I’ll email you today 🙂

  40. Congrats on a huge year Michelle!! I remember the day you left your full-time job and pursued your online career full-time, and I’ve loved watching your growth and success along the way! You are an inspiration and I can’t wait to see what you accomplish in 2016!!

    1. Thank you Shannon 🙂

  41. I plan on doing a budget post soon!

  42. Melissa

    Your income reports have been a jaw dropper since the first day I found your blog. Kudos for finishing the year so strong! I’m sure you’ll knock it out of the park in 2016. 🙂

  43. People are still baffled and mentally in the dark about blogging and turning it into a full-time income transitioning from a side hostile toward full-time Internet marketing career.Believe it or not Michelle, you’ve given a lot of people hold that not only can they create a full-time living by blogging the World Wide Web, but also gave them whole that it could be their career for a lifetime even if they have a day job or no job at all. Your humble-down to earth approach about blogging and turning it into a business keeps readers attracted to you: a very good thing. Keep doing what you doing and looking forward to learning as much as possible about blogging and content marketing from you! 🙂

      1. You’re welcome, Michelle! 🙂

  44. Brittney

    Congrats on such an outstanding year – doubling your income in a 12 month time frame is crazy! If you’re looking for course suggestions, I’d say do one on affiliate income. It looks to be something you’re extremely successful at and that a lot of people (including myself) would be interested in learningabout. Here’s to a better 2016!

    1. Yes, I think that’s what I’m going to do. Thanks!

    2. Have to agree with you Brittney that Michelle does a fantastic job of blogging and giving aspiring affiliate marketers-bloggers of all levels hope that there’s more than enough $ gUaP $ to be made by everyone on the world wide web! 🙂

  45. Shannyn

    I wish we shared a zipcode, I would take you out for a well deserved glass of champagne, but I think you’ll be doing some celebrating on your own, or we can take a rain check for FINCON!

    High fives lady, that’s an awesome year!

  46. Jen

    This is amazing and again truly inspirational! I remember reading your old posts of wanting to double your last yearly income. Congrats! It would be awesome to hear about your journey in Fincon if you ever speak!

      1. Jen

        I haven’t decided yet but think it would be really great this time because it’s only 2 hrs away from me! Are you going, Michelle?

  47. Congrats, Michelle! What an amazing year 2015 has been for you. I don’t comment on your blog that often anymore, but I do love your instagram and you are inspiring so many people! Here is to a wealthful 2016!

  48. This is my first time on your website and WOW! I saw your posts from 2012 of your monthly income and it is amazing to see how much you have grown. This is very inspiring. I hesitate to show my past growth in my business and now I see the power in doing it because it inspires people to follow. I love your energy and the authenticity.

  49. Hi Michelle!

    Your December Income Report is blowing my mind! Congratulations! =)

    BlueHost is performing amazing for you! I am promoting it too but unfortunately I didn’t receive any referal yet. I updated your income report on my list of Favorurite Bloggers Income Reports, however I only included your profits.

    My December Income Reportis ready as well. I know there is nothing to compare with yours but little by little I’m growing it up.

    Keep up the amazing job!!

    Francisco

  50. Great job, Michelle! Cheers to making even more in 2016.

  51. Sylvia @ Professional Girl on the Go

    Congrats on an awesome 2015 and I just know your 2016 is going to be epic! Every month when I read your income reports and I am still amazed. You Rock Michelle!

  52. Holy cow you did so good in 2015. I would love to make that kind of money in one year. I just barely made over 100k i think for 2015.

  53. Bryan

    Michelle, this is awesome. It has got to feel good to continue to grow. You are inspiring all the time by being so transparent and forward.

    Thank you!

  54. Wow – Michelle you are an inspiration. Huge congrats for such an epic year! You’ve inspired me to start publishing my income reports – which are pennies compared to yours. But now that building my business is my core focus, it should help with accountability. All the best for a great 2016.

    1. Yay! I love reading income reports from others 🙂

  55. Dane Hinson

    Mind…blown! This is truly impressive. Your income trajectory is unbelievable and inspirational for beginning finance bloggers.

  56. I enjoy reading your blog and your income report posts. I truly enjoy how you break it down and keep it honest. I love your drive and it is something I have admired for a long time. To see you almost double your income it’s truly inspiring. Congratulations on your success.

  57. Nayeli

    Hello Michelle!

    I’m happy to hear it was a great year for you! I want to thank you for inspiring me to finally start on my journey to passive income through blogging (and other online projects). Your openness with your wins and failures has helped me tremendously. Thank you for sharing this great information with us.

    I hope you accomplish all of your goals this year 🙂

  58. AMAZING Michelle! I always love reading your posts but this is just so incredible I know you cna definitely double in 2016!

  59. You’re a major inspiration, congrats on all of your successes so far (and I know there are more to come). I hope I can figure it all out and have success too! I’m only in month 4 and I’ve earned $0..52 from amazon and about $1 from google, lol 😉 I’ll keep trying!

    1. Haha the first few months are always the hardest 🙂

  60. Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank

    Michelle, that is a lot of money from side hustling! I can’t believe that it’s even possible. But, it is possible! This year, I am hoping to make as much as this from my side hustle! I feel challenged. 😀

  61. Tyler @ Oddball Wealth

    An inspiring post! It’s wonderful to see others being successful while living out their lives. Congratulations on succeeding your income goals this year and thank you for sharing. I look forward to reading about your future successes!

  62. Donna Lutz

    Hello,
    (It’s me again)

    I don’t think I understand the affiliate income part. I think that is why I am so confused. Are people paying you for your articles? Blog? Thanks for your help.

    1. Hello!

      Affiliate income is when you promote someone’s product (such as when I promote Bluehost) and I get paid if someone purchases through my link. So, if you started a blog through Bluehost and used my link, then I would get paid for referring you to them.

      1. Donna Lutz

        OHhhhhhhhhhhhh ok. Got it.
        Thanks

  63. Thanks! I hope you have a great 2016.

  64. I’m still so amazed when you put these out each month!

  65. I worked at a small firm as a valuation analyst. Most people don’t know what that is so I just simplify it and say financial analyst haha. I specialized in valuing closely-held businesses and investment banking services.

  66. LOVE THIS! Can you share what or some of the Affiliate Marketing companies you work for? I currently only do 2 and it is kinda “meh”. I own Diary of a Fit Mommy and I bring in around $20,000 a month, but would LOVE to raise that for the year 🙂

    1. Hello!

      Other than the ones listed in this post, I also am an affiliate for companies such as Republic Wireless, Swagbucks, and more.

  67. Monica

    can you create a basic store where you sell things using the link for bluehost?

  68. Tyler Coburn

    Thanks for the great info, just starting my own blog so its awesome to see the options of how to monetize it! Keep up the great posts!

  69. Linda

    I just found your blog through MMM comments. All I can say is WOW! You are an inspiration. I’ll be reading more of your articles in the future.

  70. Kaitlynn Marie

    Reading this really makes me think. I don’t know how, but I do know I will make money online. I just started blogging a little over two months ago, and I don’t expect to be making money from that yet. But the wheels are already turning. I’ll figure it out, that’s for sure. In the meantime I’ll keep checking back here, because your posts are amazIng.

    1. Yes, your blog is still very young. Give it time and I’m sure you’ll make something 🙂