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My Secret To Making $5 Million Online & Working Just 10 Hours A Week

Last Updated: May 4, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 26 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

For years, I was working anywhere from 60 to 100 hours per week.

I hardly got any sleep, barely saw my friends and family, and had very little time to do things for myself. It was exhausting, and I knew that I couldn’t do that long term. When I would think about what I wanted for the rest of my life, I realized I needed to make a change. Picture of family with words that say "How I Work 10 Hours A Week And Have Made $5 Million Online"  

See, when I first started this blog, I was working a full-time job, getting my master’s degree, and blogging in my spare time. Even though I didn’t start my blog to make money (I started it to keep track of how I was doing with my finances), I used any amount of my spare time to work on it.

Reaching new readers, making a good additional income stream, and meeting blogging friends was all very motivating. 

It felt good to work, but I knew I was working way too much. There’s no way I could continue like that forever.

After I quit my job to blog full-time, I was still working a ton, definitely more than 50 hours a week.

Eventually, I realized that I needed to focus on how I do things so that I could save time. I wanted to enjoy my life, travel more, spend time with friends and family, and more.

I had to rethink how I work and use my time so that I can get the most out of my days and weeks. At first, it was difficult to change how I did things, but now when I look back, I realize how different my life is now.

I now earn a great income, while working less than ever. My business is mostly on autopilot, and I just work around 10 hours a week.

As a new mom, this has been a lifesaver!

I can’t imagine if I had my daughter in the early days of starting this blog. It’s been about a decade since I started this blog, Making Sense of Cents, and I had no idea what I was doing. I spent a lot of time trying to figure things out, and even though it took a ton of time and energy, I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of those long weeks.

Now, I have my business running quite smoothly, and I’ve been able to make over $5 million online. There are some tasks that I definitely still do myself, such as writing blog posts and answering emails from readers. Other tasks, though, are automated and simply make my life easier.

I get to spend as much time as possible with my daughter, travel when I want, visit friends and family, and more.

I have learned so much in the decade since I started Making Sense of Cents. I’ve reached financial independence and live my ideal lifestyle. I work around 10 hours each week and spend the rest of my time with my family, traveling, and enjoying life.

Because I know people are shocked to learn how little I work, I wrote today’s post to help you realize how you may be able to save time so you can live the life you want.

Also, if you are interested in how I make money online, I recommend reading this article of mine – How To Monetize A Blog: How I Grew A $5 Million Blog.

[Read more…]

26 Comments
Filed Under: Blog

33-year-old mom makes $40,000 a month in passive income—and lives on a sailboat: How I work ‘just 2 hours a day’

Last Updated: April 5, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 6 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

33-year-old mom makes $40,000 a month in passive income—and lives on a sailboat: How I work ‘just 2 hours a day’

Hello!

I was just featured on CNBC again, and there are many new readers.

You can read the CNBC article here – 33-year-old mom makes $40,000 a month in passive income—and lives on a sailboat: How I work ‘just 2 hours a day’

If you are a new visitor – welcome to Making Sense of Cents!

Here are some blog posts that you may find helpful and enjoy:

  • How To Start A Blog in 15 Minutes
  • Affiliate Marketing Tips For Bloggers – Free eBook
  • 10 Best Things I Did To Build A $5 Million Dollar Blog
  • How To Start A Blog Free Course
  • Best Blogging Courses & Resources That Helped Me Make $100,000+
  • 29 Best Stay At Home Jobs (#1 Is My Full Time Job!)
  • 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money
  • 18 Passive Income Ideas To Earn $1,000+ Each Month

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or send me an email.

Thanks for stopping by.

-Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

[Read more…]

6 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Business Income

How I Make $280,000 Each Year Working Just 20 Hours A Week

Last Updated: April 16, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 15 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Do you want to learn how to start a money making blog?

Today, I am sharing a great interview with Kristin Hanes from The Wayward Home. Kristin earns $280,000 a year from her alternative living blog where she talks about RVs, van life, tiny homes, boats, and more.How I Make $280,000 Each Year Working Just 20 Hours A Week. Do you want to learn how to make money blogging? Here's how I earn a great living blogging and get to travel full-time as a digital nomad.

Kristin is a journalist and former radio news reporter who founded The Wayward Home and The Wayward Home Podcast as a place to learn about alternative living.

She currently lives on a sailboat and in a Sprinter van, and has written articles about alternative living published in Good Housekeeping, Business Insider, Marie Claire and SF Gate. Kristin’s also been featured in Business Insider, SF Gate, KPIX TV, Fodors and Lonely Planet, among others.

In today’s interview, questions answered include:

  • How much have you earned blogging over the years?
  • How do you earn money on your blog?
  • Where do you get your ideas for new blog posts?
  • How do you get readers and traffic to your blog?
  • How do you manage traveling and working? What tips do you have for digital nomads?

Plus more!

Today’s interview will help you get started and perhaps even introduce you to a new way to make money from home. Or, maybe you’ll learn how to start making more money with the blog that you already have.

Kristin shares many great tips on how to grow a money making blog in this interview.

If you want to start your own blog and learn how to become a blogger and get paid, this is a great article to help you get started. [Read more…]

15 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Extra Income

My Favorite Black Friday Weekend Deals

Last Updated: May 27, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 1 Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hey,

The deals are now over.

I recently published How To Save Money During The Holidays (20+ Ways To Save & Make Money!) if you are looking for ways to save money this holiday season.

Even though the sales have ended, I have other content you may be interested in:

  • The Best Blogging Courses & Resources That Helped Me Make $5,000,000
  • What Is A Blog, How Do Blogs Make Money, & More
  • How I Successfully Built A $1,000,000+ Blog
  • How To Start A Blog FREE Course
  • Selling Printables on Etsy Ebook
  • Sell on Amazon Starter Course
  • Build A Voiceover Action Plan From Scratch Minicourse
  • Start Your Virtual Bookkeeping Business
  • Turn Your Passion For Visiting Thrift Stores, Yard Sales & Flea Markets Into A Profitable Reselling Business In As Little As 14 Days
  • Become a Proofreader 76 Minute Webinar
  • Pinterest Virtual Assistant Training Workshop

 

Tip for shopping this holiday season:

There are a few other ways to save this holiday season by using easy cell phone apps! Don’t forget to:

  • Scan your grocery receipts with Fetch Rewards. Fetch Rewards is a cash back and gift card cell phone app that rewards you for purchases that you’ve already made. With Fetch Rewards, you can earn points by submitting your receipts to the Fetch Rewards app from any grocery store. Yes, ANY! You can sign up for Fetch Rewards here.
  • Shop with Rakuten and get cash back at online retailers. All you do is click on a store that you want to shop through (they have tons of stores such as Kohls, REI, Toys “R” Us, etc.) and shop just like how you normally would shop online and get cash back. Plus, when you sign up through my link and make a qualifying purchase, you receive a free $40 cash sign-up bonus.
  • Get cash back at gas stations with Upside. I recently downloaded this and it is very easy to use. GetUpside is a mobile app that helps you find gas stations, groceries, and restaurants where you can earn cash back. You simply sign up for a free account, and then look at the GetUpside app to find places near you. You can earn up to $0.25/gallon cash back at gas stations, up to 30% back on grocery purchases, and up to 45% back at restaurants. You can check out GetUpside here to learn more.

I use all three of these apps and highly recommend them if you are looking for easy ways to save money right now.

Enjoy!

1 Comment
Filed Under: Blog, Budget Tagged With: Extra Money

This 33-year-old mom makes $760,000 a year in passive income

Last Updated: March 16, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 11 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hey,

This article from CNBC has been very popular lately, so I just want to say hello to all of my new readers.

You can read the CNBC article here – This 33-year-old mom makes $760,000 a year in passive income—and lives on a sailboat: ‘I work just 10 hours a week’

If you are a new visitor – welcome to Making Sense of Cents!

Here are some blog posts that you may find helpful and enjoy:

  • How To Start A Blog in 15 Minutes
  • Affiliate Marketing Tips For Bloggers – Free eBook
  • 10 Best Things I Did To Build A $5 Million Dollar Blog
  • How To Start A Blog Free Course
  • Best Blogging Courses & Resources That Helped Me Make $100,000+
  • 29 Best Stay At Home Jobs (#1 Is My Full Time Job!)
  • 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money
  • 18 Passive Income Ideas To Earn $1,000+ Each Month

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or send me an email.

Thanks for stopping by.

-Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

[Read more…]

11 Comments
Filed Under: Blog

How I Make Over $10,000 Each Month With A Niche Site

Last Updated: February 20, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 4 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Are you interested in starting a website? Today, I am interviewing Mike Futia on how you can start a money making niche site.

A niche site is a little different from a traditional blog, and he will be teaching you all about that today.

How I Make Over $10,000 Each Month With A Niche Site

Mike Futia is the founder of Stupid Simple SEO, where he teaches bloggers how to scale their traffic and income with SEO.

Mike recently sold a niche site for over $100,000, and he has also taken three different niche sites to over $10,000 in monthly earnings each. I have also taken a course of his, and I highly recommend them due to the wealth of knowledge that he shares.

Plus, over 4,000 students have enrolled in his Stupid Simple SEO and Niche Site Academy programs. He’s also the founder of the software NicheFinder.io.

He is an expert on this topic, and I’m excited for you to learn more.

In today’s interview, questions answered include:

  • What is a niche site? How is this different from a “normal” blog?
  • How much money can a niche site make?
  • How can you monetize a niche site?
  • How long does it take to monetize a niche site?
  • What are the most profitable niches for blogging?

Mike also has a free webinar – How To Build A Money-Making Niche Site. In this free webinar, you will learn how one of Mike’s students sees 200,000 pageviews per month (in just 8 months), why niche sites are a great way to make money, his 3-step framework for creating your niche site and making money with it, and more. [Read more…]

4 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Career, Extra Income Tagged With: Blog, Career, Extra Money

Blog Income Reports From A Multi-Million Blog (My Real Reports!)

Last Updated: March 1, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 15 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

If you’ve ever wondered how I make money, then this is for you – it’s dedicated to my blog income reports!

I absolutely love blogging, and I am so glad that I randomly started this site a little over a decade ago. Blogging has taught me so many things, and I have helped countless people improve their finances.Blog Income Reports From A Multi-Million Blog (My Real Reports!)

Plus, I have been able to earn a great income doing something I truly love to do!

One of the things I started doing in the early days of Making Sense of Cents was to publish personal finance blog income reports. They were a monthly breakdown of how much money I made and where it came from, such as affiliate income, sponsored posts, etc. I also answered FAQs and talked about different things happening in my life and business.

If you’re interested in blogging or simply want to learn more about my site, my income reports include a ton of information.

I’ll explain more shortly, but I no longer publish my income. However, I still have a lot of people asking where they can find my old income reports. That’s why I decided to put together this page. 

My income reports started because I wanted to share how much money I was earning from my side jobs, which included blogging at the time. These reports included all of the income I made outside of my day job. This included income from mystery shopping, answering surveys online, selling items on eBay, and more.

Eventually, I quit all of my side jobs and focused solely on Making Sense of Cents. That’s when my reports really changed, and they became blogging income reports and showed the many different ways that I earned money from this site. [Read more…]

15 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Business Income, Extra Income Tagged With: Blog, Extra Money

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Making Sense of Cents welcome page photo
Hello and welcome!
My name is Michelle and I'm the author/owner of Making Sense of Cents. Learning how to save money and make more money changed my life. It allowed me to pay off $40,000 in student loans, start my own business, and I now travel full-time.

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