Getting Started with Blogging as a Source of Income

Earning money from home is my number one priority since I'll be laid off from my job outside of the home by the end of the year. My first step in getting started with using my blog as a source of income is to continue to learn as a blogger. While I'm not new to using my blog to create income, there is always something to learn. Knowledge is limitless!

Choose Your Blogging Platform:

 If you're new to blogging, you'll want to choose a blogging platform for your niche. If you're on a tight budget like I am, both WordPress and Blogger are free. I have tried them both and in my opinion, blogger is still the best.

Blogger's platform is simple to work with and you don't need HTML or any high tech fancy knowledge to get started. Blogger's even has a guide on setting up your own blog.

If you're setting up a new blog, keep in mind, you'll need a lot of patience. You want a catchy blog title and you will need to grow your blog with at least 20 or more blog posts before you will see any real progress with your blog. You will also want to gain the right audience for your niche before you can expect your blog to become profitable.

For some, a month of blogging or at least 20 posts with the right audience may result in a small profit as long as you are willing to put in a lot of hard work. For others, it can take several months before seeing a profit, especially if you don't have a lot of time to invest in your blog.

For me, it took several months before I saw a small profit, because I worked outside of the home full-time.

Your Blog Posts:

Most newbies think that writing about their day (I was one of these people) will make a great post. Unless you're a celebrity, no one wants to read about how your day went. 

What your readers want is a post, a niche that solves a problem for them or is useful in some way, but profitable for you. If it doesn't do that for your readers, chances are you will lose your audience and your blog will be a huge flop. 

Your niche should be one that you have knowledge in.  For example, my niche is creating  income online while living in a small town with an Autistic child. Two other niches I have knowledge in are creating recycled crafts and publishing books.

 If you're not sure if your niche will be profitable, you can do a Google search for your topic. Are there a lot of websites devoted to that niche in the search results? If not, you may want to consider another niche.

Some hot niches that are turning a profit:

• Making Money Online 
• Relationships
• DIYers
• Recycled Crafts
• Flea Market Flipping
• Health and Fitness

Growing Your Blog:

 If you plan on making only enough money to quit your job like I am, you probably won't need a domain name. However, if your goal is to make as much money as you can, you will want to invest in a web domain name for your blog, which can cost as less than $5 a month. If not, you can lose all of your hard work and believe me, it has happened. So please don't risk it.

If you're one step ahead of me and you want to learn more about how to make bigger money with your blog, I would suggest investing in a blogging program like The Money Mom Masterclass. I'm not there yet because I'm still working part-time  away from the home and my day is booked, but these guys have  a lot of good information and many moms are making thousands of dollars a month with the program.

My goal is to start with affiliate links as a source of income. I'm currently focused on Clinkbank for affiliate links, but there are other programs out there that are just as profitable. But before we get that far ahead, you want to make sure you have valuable posts and enough of them before you begin adding affiliate links or other sources of income for your blog.






 Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. She can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn.

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A Google Adsense Update

When I first started google adsense, there wasn't much to report, since clicks were far and in between. Lately however, my blog has picked up and readers have been clicking on my google ads, allowing me to make a little bit of money.

To give you an idea of how much you can make with google adsense, I've had a total of 62 clicks, making me $17.14. Not too shabby I don't think. What it boils down to, if every person that viewed my page, clicked on an ad once a day, I'd make $20 a day with google alone. Now times that by 5 days a week and that's $100 a week. So I would be making $400 a month with google. That's pretty good, especially since that's half of what I make through my job at work.

Soooo, here's the proof:

Do you use google adsense? If so, have you seen any progress?

A Cashcrate Update

For those who do not already know, I am a big fan of cashcrate.com. Although lately my earnings have been next to nothing, it's only because I haven't visited cashcrate in a few months due to a new job. Generally when I am able to visit cashcrate on at least a weekly basis, I can make around $8.00 an hour (I just did this morning)by simply filling out nothing more than their free surveys. Almost as much as I was making at my new job. Pretty insane for just sitting on your butt at home, huh??

If you're unfamiliar with the cashcrate program, cashcrate allows you to join their program for free and sign up for offers of your choice, all while getting paid. Many of these offers are 100% free. There is no credit card needed whatsoever. They don't ask you for money or to spend anything unless you're interested in their trial offers. All that is needed is a few minutes of your time.

With that few minutes you can make anywhere from $1.00 to $45.00. Many of the $1.00 offers are just surveys as I have mentioned above, that simply require a few minutes of your time. $1.00 may not seem like much, but believe me, they add up.

Even if you just wanted to work a couple of hours a week at filling out offers with cashcrate you could manage $60.00 per week. Not bad at all! If you're worried about how long this will last, don't worry. There are plenty of 100% free offers. There are currently seven pages of 100% free offers at the moment and are continuing to update with new offers each and every day.

If you're looking to make a little more money, you can also have people sign up under you. Once you have others join cashcrate, you're automatically making money without having to do a thing. The great part about it is, anyone who joins under those who've signed up under you, you get paid for.

So where's the catch? There is none. That is what's so great about cashcrate. One thing however that I do recommend. Be sure to use a junk mail address instead of a personal one, when you sign up with cashcrate. That's it!

If you've already signed up for cashcrate or you're interested in learning more about the program, please feel free to drop me a line. I am always interested in hearing from my readers!

Making a Move

About 3 years ago I made the biggest change in my life and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to start all over again. My decision to move there was thanks to a friend who I'd met through writing. She was a long time resident of Las Vegas and boasted about the city every chance she had.

While Las Vegas wasn't really for me due to the fact that I'm not fond of the desert 24/7.... it doesn't mean you may feel the same way. Las Vegas has many opportunities and a great place to be if you love the tourist life, the celebrities, gaming, etc. Job opportunities are extremely wonderful there as well.

If you're on the move whether you love the thought of a big city or your job is taking you new places..or you already live in Las Vegas, you might want to consider buying a home through Las Vegas Real Estate Properties. After all, doing it alone can be a pain if you've never been there before.

If you're not new to the area, but you're ready to make an escape like I did..... Las Vegas Properties can help you with that as well. Whatever your needs, check them out. If you're from Vegas or you're considering a move there, let me know. I do have friends who still live there and can be very helpful on getting around the city.

Please Note: This is a paid post.

I Want One!

I actually miss having a digital camera. They were so much fun and I could just shoot photos and upload very quickly without having to worry about the hassle of having anything developed. Plus I could see the photos right away.

I am hoping to get another digital camera soon, like maybe for Christmas. Wishful thinking on my part I'm guessing since my other half isn't really into gift giving. I guess if worse comes to worse I can just buy the camera myself. I found that ritzcamera.com has a really nice selection of digital cameras.

You can even get digital picture frames from them if you like. You can also use their bill me later purchase if your order is more than $500. Pretty cool I think... Especially since Christmas is right around the corner.

I really don't need anything fancy, however. I think a simple digital camera is all I need. One that will take crisp clear photos from up close or a distance..with the ability to see the photo immediately.

If you're wishing for a digital camera like I am for Christmas or whatever the occasion... Send your better half, friend or family member this way and have them check out ritzcamera.com for a nice selection of digital cameras.

This is a paid post and is sponsored by payperpost.

Log Cabins For Rent

My other half as always wanted a log cabin, so I thought I might make part of his dream come true by looking into Pigeon Forge vacation rentals. Pigeon Forge vacation rentals is located in Pigeon Forge, TN and has some really beautiful log cabins for rent. I found one with both a pool table and a jacuzzi...features we'd both love.

They have cabins that can accommodate both couples and those with families or pets. Prices range from $105 to $420 a night, depending on your ideal needs. If you're thinking of a vacation soon and love the idea of a log cabin or you know someone who does, check out Pigeon Forge Vacation Rentals and let me know what you think.

Please Note: This is a Paid Post.



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PayU2Blog

I just recently started blogging for payu2blog.com. I'm already impressed with this pay per post website. Not only are the posts easy, they pay quickly as well. I just started with them last week and I've already been paid $15 from them. it might not seem like a lot, but $15 is a lot of money for us.

The only drawback with this site is you must blog about whatever they assign to you, so if it's something you're not into, it can be a problem. Also the posts only pay $5 per post, but the posts only need to be 60 words long, so I think it's well worth it.

If you like my writing and want to help buy me a car, click here

Weight Loss With a Patch??

I'm very leery when it comes to weight loss ideas, especially when they cost a lot of money and then they simply don't work. That's what's great about the hoodia patch from hoodiapatchtrial.com. They offer you a free 1 week trial, so you know whether it's going to be worth it or not.

The patch is actually made with with authentic South African hoodia, a plant that resembles a cactus and is said to be an excellent way to fight hunger. Formulated in a patch, the hoodia patch allows your brain to think that you're fool..letting you lose weight. It boosts your metabolism while suppressing your appetite. How cool is that?

The hoodia patch has been seen in Oraph Winfrey's O Magazine and on 60 minutes Report. I love Oprah Winfrey and anything she has to say, so I'm already excited that this product may very well be worth looking into. While I may not really need to lose weight, I know readers who are trying to lose weight and I have friends and family wanting to do the same thing.

I believe with the combination of a healthy diet, exercise and a little extra help with a product like the hoodia patch, losing weight can be one less stress in our lives that we have to worry about.

If you're looking for help in losing weight, but don't want to waste money on a product you're not sure of, check out the hoodia patch and get your free 1 week trial. You may very well find that it's the right weight loss product for you.

Please Note:This is a paid post

A Career In Real Estate

At one time I was seriously thinking about a career in real estate after a friend of mine suggested it. She sold homes and made a reasonable amount of money doing so. It was a wonderful idea at the time, but I turned it down for a more reasonable offer in another career choice. For a while I wondered how I would have done as a real estate broker, but I know now that a career in real estate was not for me.

Every person varies however, and even though a career in real estate may not be right for me, it certainly doesn't mean you might not enjoy it! if you've thought about going into real estate, Fastclass.com may be able to help you. Fastclass.com is a Real Estate School Directory that provides information for schools on Real Estate, Mortgage, appraisal, and even Home Inspection. The other great thing about Fastclass.com is they provide you with links to online classes. How cool is that?

If a career in real estate sounds right for you, give them a try and let me know how it goes!



This is a paid post and is sponsored by Payperpost.

Debt and Credit Cards

If you're trying to get out of debt like I am, many people will tell you to avoid credit cards. For the most part there is some truth to this. When you're trying to get out of debt, credit cards can be a big problem... especially if you love spending money. For some however, credit cards can be a blessing if they are used the right way.

Take Mint Credit Cards for instance. They offer no interest on balance transfers for 13 months. This can be helpful when you have other credit cards with high interest rates. You can transfer high interest cards to Mint Credit Card and pay off those balances in 13 months. After that the interest rate is at 14.9% for most consumers. Still not bad for a credit card rate.

Mint Credit Cards also offers a 24 hour customer service line and you can manage your account with them online. Less hassle! How cool is that!

If you have other high interest rate credit cards, you might want to give them a shot and see if this offer is right for you and apply for a credit card from them.

This is a paid post and is sponsored by payperpost.

Getting Creatively Insane with Desi Baba

I decided to drop by and see what was new with John Chow when I found his review on Desi Baba. So who the heck is Desi Baba? Well, he's some guy who's creating an insanely interesting life and looking for reviews. Ahh entertainment at its best! So, what does Desi have to offer as far as blogging? Well, readers can find some interesting insight on making money through blogging and blogging how to's. The unique difference about Desi's blog is that he adds a personal touch to his posts. For instance, Don’t Blog Harder, Blog Smarter starts off as -"When I was young, around 11 or 12 years old, I used to watch this cartoon show on Disney Channel...."  Desi also varies his topics. He's not just about making money or blogging knowledge as you can very well learn under the advice category! Looking for a little debate? Check out his politics category. I think by far my favorite is the entertainment category. If you're looking for something different in blogging, be sure to drop by Desi Baba's Blog and say hi. After all, how can John Chow go wrong?