Blog - Page 4 of 214 - Making Sense Of Cents

Is Making Money From A Blog Actually Possible? Your Top 21 Questions Answered

April 23, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 48 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

I earn over $100,000 a month through my blog. Here are your most common questions about making money from a blog and my answers. I started my blog in August of 2011, and it’s something that has completely changed my life.

Back then, I never realized that making money from a blog was something you could do. I don't think I even looked into how to make money with a blog back then as it was never my goal when I first learned how to start a blog. I certainly never thought blogging would drastically change my future, but I’m so glad I gave it a shot.

Blogging has allowed my husband and me to leave our day jobs, travel full-time, see family and friends more, meet great people, and have one heck of a great life.

Because of the great experience I’ve had, I love helping others realize that making money from a blog is something they can do as well.

I never thought it would be possible, but here I am. Plus, I know many, many other bloggers in all sorts of niches who are making a great living online. [Read more…]

4 Simple Ways To Save Money On Fuel

April 21, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 11 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

The following is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

According to The Motley Fool, American drivers use around 656 gallons of fuel each year, per person! Therefore, a family could conceivably use well over 1,000 gallons of fuel each year.

After doing the math, that same family would be spending several hundred dollars per month on fuel alone.

Since we RV full-time, we spend a good chunk of change on fuel each month. Our RV gets 6-7 miles per gallon; our Jeep, which doesn't do much better, gets about 13-15 miles per gallon.

Depending on the month, we spend anywhere from $100 to over $1,000 on fuel. We don’t drive very far during some months, but other months can consist of long hauls across the country. We recently drove across Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri to see family.

On that trip alone, we drove around 3,000 miles and spent around $1,500 in fuel! [Read more…]

How We Paid Off $100,000 in Debt in 40 Months: Marriage and the Military

April 20, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 11 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hello! Today, I have a great debt payoff story from Nolan Martin. Nolan is a military officer who successfully paid off $100,000 in debt in just 40 months. Below is his story.

We were incredibly anxious to get our lives started together. Fresh out of college and new to the military life, I convinced my wife, Erin, to marry me. Like most new couples, we both entered the relationship with plenty of debt on both sides. I was fortunate enough to receive a “career starter” loan of $35,000.

Erin represented the “normal” in America with over $40,000 in student loans. Then of course came the things you have to buy in a new marriage: the car, the house, and the puppies. On February 1^st, 2012, we had accumulated over $100,000 in debt.

The reality didn’t really hit us until we looked at the bank account after getting our first house. When you see the summary page of your accounts and it says, “You Owe $297,000,” it is enough to make you realize that you have to make some significant changes.

It was on this day, that Erin and I realized we wanted to live a debt free life and were willing to make the sacrifices it would take to be successful. [Read more…]

How This Couple Retired In Their 30s and Now Travel Around The World: An Interview With Go Curry Cracker

April 18, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 22 Comments

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How This Couple Retired In Their 30s and Now Travel Around The World: An Interview With Go Curry Cracker My monthly Extraordinary Lives series is something that I really enjoying doing. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today's interview is with Jeremy, Winnie, and Julian, also known as the family behind Go Curry Cracker.

With the goal of traveling around the world, Jeremy and Winnie were in their 30s when they retired around six years ago. Their 3-year-old son travels with them and has already been to 29 countries as well!

They were able to do this by saving intensively – over 70% of their after-tax income.

In this interview, you'll learn:

How they retired in their 30s.
What made them want to retire early.
How they live comfortably, rent houses with private pools, fly business class, and travel a ton – as opposed to the myth that early retirees are boring and just eat beans and rice to survive.
How they decided on the amount they needed to retire.
What they do about health insurance in early retirement.

And more! This interview is jam packed full of great information! [Read more…]

I Thought I Was Too Good For Community College

April 16, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 73 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

4 reasons you should go to community college first Whether you are about to head to college (no matter what your age may be), if you have a child who is about to attend college, or if you know someone who is about to experience this, then this article is for you.

When I was around 17, I applied to several different colleges, but one mistake I made was that I didn't even give community college a thought.

Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to going to community college, like thinking it is for those that can’t get into a “regular” college, for those that don’t have enough money, or for those that have no other options. When, in fact, these are all far from the truth.

And, sadly, I bought into these myths and thought I was too good for community college.

The stigma about going to community college is absolutely ridiculous. [Read more…]

How I Made $241,649 In March 2018 Blogging

April 9, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 69 Comments

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How I Made $241,649 In March 2018 Blogging Welcome to March 2018's business income report where I show you how I made money online last month. It's time to look at this month's update and see how I did.

If you're new to Making Sense of Cents, 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: [Read more…]

How I Paid Off Over $42,000 in Student Loans in 34 Months (Earning $36,000 Per Year)

April 6, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 29 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Today, I have a great debt payoff story from Val Breit. She paid off $42,000 in student loans in 34 months, while earning $36,000 per year. Below is her story. Enjoy!

How I Paid Off Over $42,000 in Student Loans in 34 Months (Earning $36,000 Per Year) I burst into tears.

For the first time, I was selecting my own student loan lender to help pay for my graduate school tuition.

After seeing the chart that explained the $50,000 I projected to borrow for college would actually cost me nearly $100,000 to repay, I cried. Hard.

I knew I was not going to earn very much as a school counselor, so I felt like this was a death sentence. I was going to be paying off this student debt forever.

After this harsh reality slapped me across the face, I got my act together and decided I was going to do whatever I could to avoid paying that horrifying $100,000 amount.

After 6.5 years, I graduated with a 4.0, a master’s degree in school counseling, and over $42,000 in debt. After consolidating, my loan servicer put me on the standard 20-year repayment plan, but I knew there was no way I was going to be paying for my college education that long. [Read more…]

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