Hey,
It has been almost one year since my last Ask Me Anything here on Making Sense of Cents.
Since then a lot has changed, such as I had a baby and she is 4 months old now!
Ask Me Anything is literally that – you can ask me anything. If you’re struggling to figure out what to ask, here are a few of the topics you may want to know more about:
- Personal finance
- Blogging
- My life
- Travel
- RVing
- Sailing
- Being location independent
- Business
- Making extra money
And so on, and so on.
Seriously, ask me anything in the comments below, and I will take the time to answer every single one. Of course, please nothing inappropriate.
All right, go for it, ask away!
If you haven’t yet, please follow me on Instagram.
Here are links to common questions I’ve received in past Ask Me Anythings:
- How To Start A Blog Free Course – With this free email course, I will show you exactly how to create a blog, from the technical side all the way to earning your first income and attracting followers. Each day for seven days, you will receive an email in your inbox that will help you create a successful and profitable blog.
- 29 Best Stay At Home Jobs (#1 Is My Full Time Job!) – Do you want to work at home or work while traveling? Here’s a list to get you started.
- What It’s Like Living In An RV? – We lived in an RV full-time for several years. Here’s what I loved about it!
- Living On A Boat – The Good, The Bad, And The Beautiful – We have now lived on our sailboat for 4 years. Here’s what we like and don’t like about boat life.
P.S. If you’re looking to see all of the comments and questions, make sure to hit “Older Comments” or “Newer Comments” below. The comments break apart in pages once there are over 50 comments.
Fina says
What is your number 1 spruce of traffic to your blog? How many monthly viewers are you currently at? How do you maintain your monthly views. I find that my views fluctuate a bit and it can be frustrating.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
My traffic is pretty well diversified between Google, direct/email, and Pinterest. I am currently working towards getting more Google/SEO traffic, though. I find that being diversified really helps to lower drastic fluctuations, and, of course, once you have higher page views you won’t see as many drastic fluctuations because it usually averages out.
Arick says
Since you are location independent what do you guys do for health insurance? You have to worry about in-network providers with so many insurances I was wondering if you have coverage (if you have health ins) all over the U.S.? Thanks! Congrats on your newborn.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
It’s not perfect, but we use Liberty Healthshare – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/08/liberty-healthshare-review.html
Nan says
What is the number one and maybe number the number 2 most important pieces of advice you would give to seniors who have not saved enough for retirement and retirement and are looking for ways to supplement their income quickly. Thank you and cute cute cute baby daughter!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
This is a hard question for me as it’s not in my area of expertise nor do I have any first hand knowledge with it. So, I’d hate to give an answer that people find rude. But, I would look for ways to still save, as it’s never too late. Trying to find ways to perhaps make extra money without running yourself too ragged would probably be key, as well as evaluating your current expenses.
Lesley Hunter says
I’m just starting a blogging website and learning all the tools building a websit as a beginner with your advice, creating it myself. My yoga teaching shifted during Covid and now I feel the need for online presence & classes etc. It all is a little overwhelming, not sure best way to adapt my social media for my site best. What do you feel the most important area I should concentrate on!? Perhaps a silly question!? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you
Lesley Hunter says
I’m just starting a blogging website and learning all the tools building a websit as a beginner with your advice, creating it myself. My yoga teaching shifted during Covid and now I feel the need for online presence & classes etc. It all is a little overwhelming, not sure best way to adapt my social media for my site best. What do you feel the most important area I should concentrate on!? Perhaps a silly question!? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you
Cheyenne Stonerook says
how do you find the motivation to stay consistent with your blog? As someone who has been blogging for 3 years ( just started over ) so technically 4 months with my new blog, I find that consistency is one of my biggest challenges.
I have so many questions! Just a few:
When starting fresh with no traffic how many posts should I aim for a day?
Besides Pinterest and SEO is there any other platforms that will help propel my growth?
What is the best ad management company for blogs with <50k sessions (excluding google Adsense)?
I'm self taught through a lot of courses and research, how do I overcome my doubt and truly believe that this business model is possible?
Thank you for being an inspiration!
Fina says
You can apply for Ezoic ads! They do not have a page view requirement
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
1) Writing content in advance really, really helps to stay consistent. I like to be a few months ahead with blog posts so that I don’t fall behind.
2) I’m not sure if you mean publishing or writing?
3) TikTok, Youtube, email lists, guest posting, etc.
4) I’ve heard good things about Monumetric.
5) You just have to start. Pretty much everyone feels this way and I hear this question multiple times a day. You just have to make the leap and push past it!
William Smith says
Michelle,
I currently have a blog – http://www.worklifeid.com and am a published author with Hatherleigh Press – look up Exercises for Perfect Posture (as an example). My wife and I started a side business making soap and we are in 16 locations now (www.lincroftsoapco.com).
I’d like to continue growing my publishing/writing footprint via the blog but it’s time consuming with the new soap business. I enjoy both and am at a little bit of a crossroads on how to spend the time. We both work and have 3 kids…so the current pace is probably unstainable!
Thanks in advance for any feedback. Congrats on the new little one! William Smith, New Jersey
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hello! Have you tried writing content in advance? I find that batch writing content really helps me to manage my time better.
Another idea would be to outsource certain tasks on your blog, such as writing and social media.
Catherine says
Congrats on your new baby girl! Lots of fun adventures ahead!
I, too, have a new baby at home. My son is now 7 months old. My husband works a lot of hours, so it’s just me and our 3 boys most of the time. How do you manage your work schedule with a new baby at home? I’m struggling to get any work done most days.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I am lucky that my husband is at home with me, but it is still difficult to find the time since he does have to manage our boat full-time (and is constantly fixing things, checking weather, being our captain, etc by himself).
This is an area that I am struggling with still and I have hardly worked since last year before the baby came. Writing a bunch of content before the baby came really helped me. I also have a virtual assistant and an editor.
Thomas says
Is it a good idea to cover many different topics on a blog, or stick with the same topics and new story lines?
I’m leaning to casting out a net of different story types but sort of related to the same theme.
Page is under construction at the moment. FYI
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I think having a central topic is usually better. Then, finding ways to connect your blog posts to that topic.
For example, I write about many different things here on Making Sense of Cents (travel, lifestyle, household), but I always try to find a way to connect the topic to personal finance.
David P Smith says
Hi Michelle,
How would you recommend adding affiliate programs to our current website http://www.petstovets.ca for pet products, pet services and pet insurance?
Pets To Vets is a pet transportation service operating in Vancouver BC for 8 years.
Thank you
David
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Do you have a blog? That’s a great way to add affiliate links.
Samantha Burnett says
I would like to start a lifestyle blog, but I’m worried I won’t make enough income from it. How do you prepare and organize the affiliate marketing so it isn’t overwhelming?
Also, what did a the best digital or downloadable product for a lifestyle blog featuring fitness, food and self care?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
For your first question, I recommend taking my affiliate marketing course for bloggers – https://makingsenseofaffiliatemarketing.com/. I recommend starting with less than 10 affiliate programs so that you don’t get overwhelmed with the many different options.
2) Are you wondering about what you could sell or give away as a freebie optin? I’m not in any of those niches so it would be hard for me to say. Seeing what others sell in that niche already would probably be your best bet.
Samantha Burnett says
I’m looking for a selling option for a form of passive income. Do ebooks sell as well as a course? I’m not ready to be selling a course yet
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I think ebooks sell well, yes.
Tina M. says
Any advice on using your real name or fictitious name for blogging? I want to blog but am not fond of my real name so public. How do you keep people from finding you in the real world is a concern for me.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I started out using a pen name and eventually switched to using my real name. I prefer that I’m more “public” now, as it’s simply easier. But, yes, you can hide your name. You can do things such as use domain privacy, don’t use pictures of yourself, start new social media accounts just for your website, and so on.
Samantha Burnett says
When starting to network with other bloggers, do you have to stay in your own niche or is it advantageous to seek bloggers that are in other niches?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Starting with your own niche is great because more of the advice that you receive will be applicable to you. Plus, you’ll more likely secure guest posts, interviews, and so on from those in your niche because they will be writing about the same topic.
Jessie says
What steps did you take to start earing an income from your blog? I have a blog and feel so scattered from information overload for the steps that actually work to generating an income that could replace my day job.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I recommend reading this to see how I first started making money blogging – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2017/04/how-to-make-money-blogging-online.html
For me, I started differently than most – it was just a hobby. So, I didn’t start my blog with the intention of making money. If I were to start again, I would work on page views, growing an email list, and affiliate marketing right from the very beginning.
Samantha Burnett says
What are your top tips for eliminating school debt fast?
Do you have to have a lawyer write out disclaimers and privacy policies so you know they’re legitimate?
Is there a template that should be used for making a legible and easy-to-read blog post?
How do you respond / react to anyone who leaves negative or inappropriate comments? How do you not let it get to you personally?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
1) My top tip would be to find ways to make extra money. That’s what I did to pay off mine. You can learn more here – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2017/01/how-to-pay-off-student-loans-repayment.html
2) Yes, you will want to make sure they are legitimate. For legal templates, I recommend reading this – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2019/07/3-super-common-legal-mistakes-bloggers-make-and-how-to-fix-them.html
3) Hmm I don’t know of any templates. Everyone has a different style.
4) I either delete them (if they are especially negative, inappropriate or creepy), or respond to them. If it starts to get to me, I will simply delete and move on because I don’t need crazy people in my life, haha.
Samantha Burnett says
What do you recommend for resources on how to make a good income from a blog?
There are so many out there and it’s overwhelming especially when some contradict one another
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Here are my favorite blogging resources – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2021/07/best-blogging-courses.html
Ilakkiya Maheswaran says
Hi Michelle!
I’m wondering, how long did it take you to see an income with your blog and how did you stick it through? How do you know what readers want to learn most about?
And as a Canadian blogger, there isn’t much around about paying taxes, declaring your blog as a business or sole proprietorship, etc. Any advice there?
Thank you!!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
It took me 6 months to make my first $100. But, I could have made money sooner. I didn’t know that blogs could make money when I started mine so it was not a goal.
I have a long list of blog topics to write about. I gathered this list from topics that I’m personally interested in or have come across, as well as things like reader questions.
I recommend reading this to learn more about how I started – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2017/04/how-to-make-money-blogging-online.html
I don’t feel comfortable giving legal or tax advice for Canadian blogs as it’s not my expertise. You may want to reach out to a Canadian blogger and seeing what or who they recommend, or doing a Google search.
Ashley says
How are you guys adjusting to parenthood?! Has anything surprised you with it’s ease or difficulty? Lol
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
We have found it easier than expected! Marlowe is quite easy so far 🙂 There are definitely things that are harder now, such as going anywhere, and things take a lot more planning haha.
ronn simonson says
Hi Jason,
What are the benefits of completely finishing all the work from plumbing trim, electrical trim painting ect….from the top floor and coming down floor by floor? Also, what are the cons. What sequence seems to be more efficient?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Jason?
Disha says
Any advice for someone who’s blogging for less than 6 months? And is it normal if I didn’t make any money yet?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
My top piece of advice is do not give up! Many people will give up right at around 6 months. Yes, it is 100% normal to not make any money at the 6 month mark.
Macy Sarbacker says
Hi Michelle!
1. How much time per week do you spend on your blog now?
2. How does this differ to when you were getting started?
3. Do you have a team or assistants that help you now? If so, how big is your team?
Thanks!!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hello!
1) I spend less than 10 hours a week on my blog right now.
2) In the beginning when I first was full-time with my blog, I was spending anywhere from 40 to 100 hours a week on my blog.
3) Yes, I have a virtual assistant, an editor, and I outsource other tasks such as technical management and occasionally graphic design.
William Smith says
thank you for feedback. I haven’t tried batch writing content, but will do that. I have a commute in the morning and can dictate posts on the way!
Thanks again
Liann says
Hi Michelle,
My husband and I run https://www.thefreedomadventure.com/. We have taken your Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course and consistently review it. Unfortunately, we are having a difficult time being approved for affiliates. Prospective affiliate partners have not remarked why we were turned down other than we ‘do not fit the criteria’.
Is there ONE specific area we should focus on to increase our chances of approval (IE more social media footprint, website design/user interface, increasing blog post frequency, etc)? We currently publish one per week.
Thank you!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Have you tried emailing them for more information as to why you were denied? What affiliate programs have you applied for? It’s not normal to be denied, so it is odd that this would be your norm.
Liann says
IHG, Tripadvisor, and Home Depot as of recent. Other than the response that we do not fit the criteria, we have not received any other indications as to why. We were also turned down by AdSense. Any ideas – is there something specific we should be focusing on to try to win them over?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
AdSense usually isn’t worth the time. I recommend checking out Monumetric, Mediavine, and Adthrive once you get the page views.
Have you tried emailing the companies to see why you were denied?
Liann says
Thanks Michelle. I have, but receive a standard reply of “does not fit our criteria at this time.” I’ve sent a follow-up e-mail to inquire about the specific reasons, but have not received a response.
As for Home Depot, however, they provided me the list of “one or more reasons”:
– Publisher Type
– Site Traffic
– Promotional Type
– Brand Safety
I appreciate your time. Thank you for your recommendations regarding Monumetric, etc.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Home Depot may be looking for more home improvement type blogs? I’m not sure as I don’t know anyone who is an affiliate for them. I would continue trying as it may just be that you got unlucky and tried the very few that are just more selective.
Liann says
Yes, it’s so strange since we have an entire series of rebuilding our entire master bathroom ourselves featured on the blog! In any case, wanted to reach out and let you know that TripAdvisor finally responded!
After 2 applications denied and 2 emails, I received a message from TripAdvisor that stated “I had a second look at your site and think you’d be a great fit.” I received an offer from them today. It’s great news, but surprising it took so much effort for a response!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Oh, well that’s great to hear!
Coach Kat Frati says
Our house is being sold and my husband and I are going to live in our RV for a year or two in the US until we build a new house in Maine. We are trying to figure out where to receive our mail. Tips?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
We belong to a mail forwarding company called St. Brendan’s Isle. All of our mail gets sent there, and then they forward our mail to wherever we are.
Estelle says
Hello,
Can you tell me what is the best way to format my social media page to try to get individuals to donate to a cancer research foundation? Is there a way to DM celebrities to get their attention?
Thank you!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
This is not something I have ever done so I have no idea. I recommend hopping on Google and doing some research.
Jonnita Stubbs says
How and why would you outsource your blog writing? Do you just give them ideas(outlines) as to what you want to say?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I do not outsource blog writing, but others do.
Some may give their writers outlines, others may just give a general idea of what kind of blog posts they are looking for.
Samantha Burnett says
What’s the best way to make a successful social media account(s) ie. Pinterest and Instagram? Can you have a business account while having a personal one?
How do you organize and manage everything needed for taxes on a blog? It seems so intimidating!
What are the top course that should be taken before or right as I start my blog?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
1) This would be a very difficult question to answer in one comment, as there are full courses on each subject. I would recommend finding a course on the subject of Pinterest and another on Instagram to learn more. Yes, you can have more than one account.
2) You could use an Excel sheet, use accounting software, etc. I recommend having an accountant who specializes in blogs if you are intimidated.
3) I recommend reading this – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2021/07/best-blogging-courses.html
Walter says
What legal documents (Privacy Policy, Terms Of Use, etc.) do you recommend we purchase for a blog. I see that you use documents from DisclaimerTemplate.com. Are these the best ones to purchase or are there others that are also good. I would want something that is cost effective and covers the GDPR requirements and any other requirements that are critical to blogs.
Thank you.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I recommend checking these ones out – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2019/07/3-super-common-legal-mistakes-bloggers-make-and-how-to-fix-them.html
DeWayne Strickland says
Hi Michelle,
I’ve been following your blog on and off for years now — congrats on the baby! — and my question is:
What is the easiest side hustle besides blogging? I know blogging is a good one, but what would you do if you weren’t blogging?
Thanks,
DeWayne
CybersecurityAwareness.digtial
Staying Safe Online Rocks!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hey DeWayne!
Thanks so much.
It’s hard to say what the easiest would be, as everyone is different so what is “easy” will be different from person to person. If I weren’t blogging, I’d probably be doing something like freelance writing. It’s pretty similar, haha.
Drew B says
How do you know the affiliates you advertise for on your website are trustworthy businesses, sure some of these programs look great like the recent Facebook marketing course, but I often wonder if these products are truly effective at all. As a millionaire, you probably don’t have time to try the things your affiliates promote, so how do you ensure these are reliable businesses?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
This is something I teach in my affiliate marketing course – https://makingsenseofaffiliatemarketing.com/
I always make sure to do a LOT of research on an affiliate program before I promote a product/service. I turn down probably 99% of the affiliate programs that I am emailed about because they aren’t a good fit for my readers.
Drew B says
Thanks for the response Michelle, I will feel a lot safer purchasing a program if it’s a subject I would be interested in, in the future. I know you have an Amazon FBA affiliate but I don’t like the physical walking into a store model. A reliable and trustworthy dropshipping affiliate would definitely be something I’m interested to see in the future! I’ve been following this blog for 4 years and look forward to seeing your future content!
DNN says
When you 1st started blogging, how many days a week did you blog until you started making money after your site launched?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I was blogging pretty much every single day, I believe. I don’t recommend that – I had no idea what I was doing.
It took me 6 months to make my first $100 blogging. But, like I’ve said, I didn’t know blogs could make money and I wasn’t trying to make money with my blog.
DNN says
At least you’re honest, Michelle. Nobody started out knowing everything about the internet and making money online. Not even Sergey Brin, Larry Paige, nor Bill Gates. So hey, consider yourself a champion. You stuck it out and kept going, even in times of uncertainty! 🙂
Deborah Daley says
I am in a huge hole that i haven’t a clue how to get out. Financial, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I need help but dont know where to turn. I want to know how i pull myself out to stay out? I due to demands of family id prefer a self employed option over a 9-5 job as i am a carer for my parents so something flexible or self employed would be best. What ideas do you have? Much appreciated xx Thanks Debs xx
Morgan says
Hi Deborah! I’m not Michelle but I prayed for you.
As for side hustles, I am in the same boat as you having a hard time searching for side job. Maybe check out some of Michelle’s past blogs where she usually has a big list of them in which some are flexible. I would maybe try searching through her entire website for those kinds of blogs of hers and see if they fit with your schedule. Hope this helps.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hey Deborah,
So sorry to hear this, I hope things improve for you soon. I recommend checking out this list of work at home jobs – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2022/02/stay-at-home-jobs.html. Yes, sounds like being self-employed would allow you to have a more flexible schedule.
Ally says
How do you update your resume when changing into a different career path?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I did some research and here are some articles you may enjoy:
1) https://www.thebalancecareers.com/career-change-resume-writing-tips-4134292
2) https://www.themuse.com/advice/this-is-how-you-spin-1-resume-for-5-different-industries
Meredith says
Love the blog, and congrats on the baby!
My question: If you are location independent, what do you do about addresses for passports, bank accounts, IDs, and basically other official documents that require an address and proof of address.
Thanks very much!
Cheers,
Meredith
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thank you so much! We use a service called St. Brendan’s Isle for our address and mail. The address they give us is on our driver’s license, we use it to vote, and for everything else just like a normal address.
Roxi says
Hi Michelle! Congratulations on your baby girl!
When you first started blogging, did you create a business plan? What are some resources and tools you recommend for bloggers to create a business plan for their blogs when starting out?
Thank you for your time!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Nope, I did not have a business plan. I did not start my blog to make money or anything like that – so I had no plan with it for anything. I don’t know of any tools that will help you with this, but I’m sure it exists if you search online for it. Sorry, I don’t have any personal recommendations. I simply just write down what I want to work on.
Sandra Steele says
I am 60 years old and I retired in 2019 from a career in Military pay. I wanted to give back, but also make a little income, so I tried my hand at being a personal finance coach. That venture has not resulted in no income and of course the pandemic had a little bit to do with it. I have spent money and have made nothing. Can you recommend a way of making extra money, that is not to hard, and I don’t have to spend a lot of money to make money.
Sandra
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hey Sandra,
Thanks for your question. I recommend starting with the below linked blog post of mine to see what may interest you.
https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2022/02/stay-at-home-jobs.html
Dixie says
Hi Michelle,
Wonderful blog and I look forward to reading you whenever you pop up in my email! I’ve tried a couple of your ideas (without too much success). I’ve realised one should love what they are doing and the money will follow. Even if it doesn’t, at least you’ll be happy.
I spent many years after I retired from Fire and EMS doing jail and prison ministry. You don’t go into that for the big bucks, but man, what a blessing! And you are a blessing. Your enthusiasm for life, family, adventure and helping others live and deal with life is an inspiration. Thank you.
I’d be interested in some info on printing vinyl stickers, heat transfers and screen printing. Instruction, advice, quality suppliers, equipment… Any suggestions?
Thanks again,
Dixie
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hey Dixie!
Thank you so much for your comment.
The only somewhat related blog post I have on this subject is https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2021/08/how-to-sell-stickers-on-etsy.html
Josue Exilorme says
Hello, Hope all is well! I just created a blog and wanted to take your affiliate marketing course but I wanted to know first how can I generate traffic on my page. What is your best SEO strategy? Do you also have a course on that as well?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hello!
I have taken the SEO resources here – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2021/07/best-blogging-courses.html
Bhawna Balchandani says
Hello Michelle,
Thank you for the email and Congratulations on the baby.
First things first- I loved your course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. I loved it as much as I love your blog name, Making Sense of Cents.
I know we had been connected on your private FB group for quite some time and have exchanged a couple of comments.
However, after reading this email, I thought I should ask you a few things that could help my blog at its initial stage.
This is our Blog- https://www.pennycallingpenny.com/
I see 1000 unique visitors per month on our blog and affiliate earnings are less than $50 a month. We have not geared our attention toward the earning of course because I realize it takes at least a year to settle and it’s been 7 months of ups and downs with the blog.
We also have recently built a user profile of how our blogs will sound to the reader, our target market you know? And wanted to add a few things that we read in your course.
But I still wanted to ask a few questions:
1) Going specific like this article-https://www.pennycallingpenny.com/make-extra-money-in-san-antonio/. have a high chance of getting traffic than staying general like this maybe- https://www.pennycallingpenny.com/how-to-make-money-online/ ?
We started with generic because the blog was super new and now we’re mixing it. But what should be the ideal ratio according to you?
2) Do you have a user profile for your blog? Any target market?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hello!
Thanks for your comment and for being a reader.
1) I think this is just up to you, and there’s no ideal ratio. The question instead you should be asking is “Do you want a blog that reaches local readers?” Or, do you want it to be more general and reach more people around the world? Neither answer is “correct” – it’s more just about the type of blog you want to run.
2) Nope, not really. I simply write content that I am interested in 🙂
John Culotta says
Hi Michelle!
Congratulations on your little blessing!
Just wondering what steps you would take to scale a business (blog) to the next level? I own 2 blogs in the web and graphic design space and make a decent full-time living from affiliate revenue, sponsored posts, and Ezoic display ads, but still working about 60 hours a week and am not sure how to scale up to the next level. Most of my traffic is organic from Google (about 1.2m year), 100k twitter followers and a few thousand email subscribers.
Thank you!
John
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
If I were you, I would work on improve the amount of email subscribers that you have. With that kind of traffic, I think email would do wonders for you!
Gary Grewal says
Congrats on the arrival of Marlowe! Didn’t know about St. Brendan’s Isle, friends of mine have used Escapees. I think implementing one thing from the courses you take are important, as mentioned in the Slight Edge.
I didn’t know you never outsourced your writing! I was considering doing that in order to improve SEO and get more page views, but I guess you know your audience best.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thank you! Yes, Escapees is another option.
No, I don’t outsource my writing. I do have an editor, though, who helps a TON with my blog posts and that saves me a lot of time.
Penelope Ford says
Hi! Congrats on the new arrival!
I would like to create a subscritpion-based FB group. I affiliate for investing courses and would like to create a group where I go live teaching and analyzing different assets on a weekly basis.
Do you have any resources on how to set something like this up? I’ve googled this, but I’m coming up short. It’s a lot overall, but looking for step-by-step instructions on how to do this.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Sorry, I don’t run a subscription based FB group now do I know of any resources that teach this. Good luck! I’m sure there is something out there that exists.
Guadalupe Sanchez says
What’s your advice when it comes to collaborating with other personal finance bloggers (I.e., working on a post, sharing each other’s info)?
I started my blog about a year and a half ago and it’s hard being the “new kid” almost everyone says they don’t accept guest posts or collaborating with others so I’m finding it difficult to build a community where I get the opportunity to meet others in the personal finance world!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Have you tried starting out by perhaps doing some of the following such as:
1) Commenting on blogs
2) Writing roundups for your blog where you include other bloggers (this is a more simple ask and most bloggers would take part in this)
3) Sharing other people’s blog posts on social media
DNN says
Hey Michelle,
I was thinking about what you wrote in the last comment about how you don’t recommend in so many words that a person should blog every day. I was doing that for a while and I’m trying to do that now. But thing is, I sometimes find myself falling short of staying accountable to myself creating content and publishing every day. Sometimes, I just need to take a rest so my eyeballs in mind can rejuvenate.
My next question to you is this… When you first started blogging every day for the first six months… Did you have a certain word count quota you set for yourself to publish for every blog post? In other words, did you set a goal to write and publish 1500 words or more per blog post for six months? Or did you just blog away to your hearts content regardless how many words were in the blog post?
Thank you for your response 🙂
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I should reword what I said earlier. I meant to say that I don’t think it’s required to blog every day. That’s a lot for most people, especially a new blogger.
I did not have a word count quota. I just wrote whatever I felt like.
Amanda says
Hello!
My husband and I are hoping to travel around and start a family at the same time. I understand this may be too personal to ask, but how did you manage prenatal care and childbirth? Did you stay in one location or were you able to find care as you moved? Obviously things change, but how do you manage this as she grows older? Do you plan to homeschool?
There are far too many people quick to dismiss an idea simply because they were not willing to consider or try it, so I am hoping you may have ideas to bounce around. 🙂
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
This is a long story, haha.
During the summer, when we were off the boat, I had a doctor in Colorado. I was actually on a waitlist for a doctor in Florida (where our boat was). I was on the waitlist very early in my pregnancy, as they were already full with pregnant moms when I was only about 12 weeks pregnant. I had heard that a LOT of doctors offices were experiencing this as well due to the baby boom that is currently happening. Due to that, we tried to sit still during my pregnancy because no one had room anywhere. But, when I was about 20 weeks pregnant, the doctor’s office in Florida called me and said they had room as one of their patients had moved. So, we made the journey down to Florida and moved back into our boat when I was around 32 weeks pregnant. I stayed there for the rest of my pregnancy as I wanted to be close to my doctor.
I don’t think this situation is normal, but I found it very difficult to find prenatal care due to the current baby boom. I have heard that it’s normally easier to find care as you travel. But, right now it seems like many doctors have very long waits and aren’t accepting new patients. I have talked to a few others and this seems to be somewhat common around the US right now. I was told by doctors’ offices that this is because a doctor can only realistically accept so many deliveries in a single month, and because my due date was at the end of the month, I was fighting for a spot with women who were 4-5 weeks further along than I was (and they already claimed all the spots as they knew they were pregnant well before I did).
What a lot of full-time travelers do is they will find a doctor and go back to that same doctor throughout their pregnancy. That means they may fly back to that same provider or drive back. Then, once they are in the third trimester, they will stick a little closer to that doctor to avoid any issues.
We are unsure of what we will do for school for her just yet. We have a few years to think about it.
We have not had any issues finding a pediatrician for her, though. That has been just fine.
DNN says
Congratulations on your newborn, Michelle. I know you’ll do exceptionally well as a new mother! 🙂
Amanda says
Thank you so much for this response! I really appreciate it
Suzi Lewiz says
Hi Michelle! I hope you and the family are all well! My question is – what provider do you recommend for collecting email addresses and sending out newsletters? Thank you!
Been following you for a long time by the way! Love seeing your journey on Instagram! : )
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hello! I use and recommend Convertkit – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/convertkit
Suzi Lewiz says
Thank you!
Morgan says
Since you said “Ask me anything”. This would be off topic from personal finance but do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, you can accept him right now through prayer and during prayer we are to repent from any sins. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.” This website called “Better you living” explains the gospel (means good news) and even has a prayer for those looking to start a walk/relationship with God. Hope this helps. If you decide to accept his son Jesus in your life, then big congrats. Hope you have a blessed day!
Jalpan Dave says
Have you ever looked at any of the following ETFs for an “all in one approach” and what do you think of them?
1) TRTY
2) GAA
3) RPAR
4) UPAR
5) PWS
6) TRND
7) GDMA
6) TRND
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Legally, I try to stay away from any specific investment advice or giving my thoughts on questions like this in order to protect myself and my blogging business. Sorry!