I earn extra income through blogging. There are tons of great side hustle options out there, but in my opinion, blogging is the BEST side hustle for several reasons.
(If you’re interested in starting your own money making blog, check out my free step-by-step guide for setting up a WordPress blog on Bluehost.)
Set Your Own Hours
Most jobs require a set schedule. Even with something more flexible (for example, pet sitting), you’d be given a specific time when you need to show up to walk a dog. With blogging, I can literally work whenever I want.
If I’ve had a long day at work and I don’t want to blog when I get home, I don’t have to. If I’m feeling under the weather, I don’t have to call in sick. I just don’t work. I work when I want to.
Side note: If you’re working with clients on sponsored posts or freelance writing, you may have deadlines to meet. Still, you have plenty of flexibility with your schedule and can still work when you choose to – as long as you meet the deadline.
Be Your Own Boss
As a blogger, I am my own boss. I can prioritize tasks how I want to and I can focus on whatever I choose to. I don’t have someone telling me that I have to work on Pinterest today or write x number of blog posts.
Some bosses aren’t exactly easy to deal with, so it’s great to be your own.
Introvert-Friendly
Blogging is the perfect side hustle for introverts. I spend the majority of my blogging time reading, writing, and posting on social media.
If I had a side hustle in a customer service position, it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be happy with it. I love that blogging allows me to be true to my introvert nature.
To all of the extroverts reading this, blogging is an awesome side hustle for you also!
There are plenty of ways to connect with other people (if you want to) through blogging – you can email other bloggers, leave comments on their blog posts, collaborate on projects, or attend in-person networking events or conferences like FinCon.
It Matters
I could get a part-time job as a barista (and there’s definitely nothing wrong with that!), but I’d probably be feeling a little frustrated if I did. My day job (payroll and accounting) can get a bit dull – as much as I like working with numbers, it feels a bit meaningless at times.
In contrast, blogging is definitely meaningful. It’s something that I’m passionate about and that I love to do. I’d keep doing it even if I wasn’t making any money at it.
Anyone Can Learn It
You don’t have to be an amazing writer, social media guru, or talented photographer to run a successful blog. As long as you have basic writing skills and a story to tell, you can do it.
I’m not an amazing writer. Some of the most popular blogs out there are written by mediocre writers. You don’t need an English degree or a background in professional writing.
The only skill you need is the ability to learn. There is a TON of information out there to help you with everything from writing a viral blog post to developing a social media strategy to creating an email list to rocking SEO.
Learn New Skills
When you start blogging, you’ll learn all kinds of new skills. You could use these skills to start another side hustle (for example, a digital marketing business) or to change careers.
I’ve learned so much about social media, WordPress, coding, and marketing. I never would have learned these things without my blog.
It Helps People
Wouldn’t it be great if you could make money doing what you love AND you could help people at the same time? This is possible with blogging.
While making money with blogging is important to me (because of my student loans), I’d continue blogging even if I didn’t make money.
Why? Because my most important priority with blogging is helping people. Reading personal finance blogs inspired me to pay off my loans and change my life. My hope is that my blog will motivate others to make smarter financial choices.
Unlimited Earning Potential
I know this sounds hard to believe, but the earning potential with blogging is truly unlimited. Michelle at Making Sense of Cents makes over $100,000 per month – yes, you read that correctly. Most bloggers don’t make that much, but there are plenty of bloggers who earn a full-time living through blogging.
There are also many with smaller blogs who earn significant part-time side hustle income with their blogs. Here is a list of some bloggers with links to their most recent income reports so you can see exactly how they’re doing it!
Blogging is Awesome!
Blogging is the best side hustle! You can set your own hours, be your own boss, learn new things, help others, and make money.
Start now. What’s stopping you?
Check out my guide to setting up a WordPress blog on Bluehost.
YESSSS to all of this! Blogging is how I started side hustling, and eventually how I was able to go full-time! I did add freelancing and being a virtual assistant to my list, but my blog does fairly well. I recommend it to (almost) everyone!