Blog Income Report
It has been a LONG time since I reported blog income information. Many personal finance bloggers don’t report their income, and I think this is a mistake. It is fun and informative to see how others are doing. Most of us blog for fun, conversation, and community. ALL of us blog for the potential revenue, at least thats my opinion.
EARNINGS BREAKDOWN FOR March 2009:
- Adsense Income: $151.40
- CCM Income: $100.00
- Host Gator Income: $50.00
- Link Revenue: $80.00
TOTAL INCOME: $381.40
I’m pretty darn excited about these results! It was nice to finally get a hostgator.com affiliate sale. Also, it makes you feel really good when you are being contacted by other companies about advertising opportunities. CCM income is due to a referral who joined the company. This is a one time fee, but I will receive trail commissions too (which may or may not be significant).
Adsense is pretty steady, but is not growing. I have never really worked to understand how to drive adsense revenue, I’m just thankful that it is there. Most surprising to me is the usage that I get on my google search bar. That performs pretty well, all things considered. It doesn’t get used every day, but when it does get used, about 15% of the time is generates revenue…pretty cool!
So anyways, I love this blog! Sharing my thoughts on investing, entrepreneurship, personal finance, faith, etc. It really is fun to do. Income is a great by-product of a small passion. That being said, I’m firmly committed to generating $1000 per month of passive income from TAM by year end. Big goal for sure, but I’ve climbed higher mountains.
This seems like a great time to thank you all again! I truly appreciate those of you who support this blog with comments and links. These digital conversations and friendships are daily blessings in my life! SO THANKS!
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April 19th, 2009 at 2:05 am
A friend of mine just emailed me one of your articles from a while back. I read that one a few more. Really enjoy your blog. Thanks
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April 19th, 2009 at 2:05 am
Nice income, keep it up. I want to ask, what is CCM income?
KushMoneys last blog post..My First Time Building TV Site
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April 19th, 2009 at 2:59 am
congrats on the steady side income! It def is great to see how others are doing on the blog world and its even better to see your being humble and honest with us readers. $1000 is certainly a goal that can be reached. I”m sure with some further organic growth to your site, you will soon be setting even higher income targets!
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Aman,
I appreciate the encouragement. It is pretty exciting to have a little side income finally going on. I spent a year with a blogger blog that never made more than a couple of bucks a month!
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 19th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Way to go on the ads revenue. I still have a bit to catch up in regards to adsense, but I’ll get there. Not to show my ignorance or anything, but what is CCM?
Sires last blog post..Passive Income With Your Own Online Store
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Sire, you’re not ignorant at all. CCM is the Natural Gas distribution business that I blog about every now and then. I get $100 if someone signs up to become a natural gas broker. I don’t blog about it much, becuase the gas business is currently only available for sale in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. If we ever tackle the Down Under, I will get you hooked up!
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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Sire Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 7:34 am
No worries mate. That makes sense, and if you ever make it Down Under I’ll buy you a beer.
Sires last blog post..Passive Income With Your Own Online Store
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April 19th, 2009 at 7:38 am
That is pretty impressive!
Are you doing anything additional to drive traffic to the site?
plins last blog post..Free Diet Mountain Dew Twelve Pack Coupon Give Away (Drawing)
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
@plin
I give out TAM business cards to as many people as I can. That seem to be working over the past 4 months. Other than that, I have not. I don’t think the site is ready for me to spend any adwords dollars or anything like that. Most of my traffic, about 45% is still coming from Google searches for “Consumer Choice Marketing” and “Is Ford A Good Investment?”
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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Aman@BullsBattleBears Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Business cards are a great marketing sources that many overlook! Also people do look at a business card rather than digital ads we see all over the net
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April 19th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Congratulations!
And I think you’re right- there are very few bloggers out there (that I can imagine) that underneath it all would like to be making some decent money from their blog. I’m no different!
Congrats on all the revenue! I have a similar goal. I really would like to see Financial Nut doing about 1k in rev. each month by December of 2009. We’ll see! It’s pretty lofty and may require me to put in more hours.
Good luck to you and keep reporting. It’s a lot of fun to see how other bloggers are doing. Maybe you could report traffic stats, etc… next time too. That would be interesting.
Just so you know I have been reading your blog for awhile now and really, really enjoy it.
Trevor @ Financial Nuts last blog post..A Comprehensive Guide To Understanding The Pros & Cons Of Investing Into A Roth IRA
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Trevor, really appreciate the feedback brother! I feel the same way about your content, and am sure you will meet and exceed your goals.
I am going to give more regular updates, because like any business, it is important to monitor and measure results. I’ll give traffic data too!
-Peace
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 19th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Maybe you would make more money if you got a better theme lol kidding. Which revenue source do you think will bring you the most income in the future? Everyone I talk to tells me that I should be patient because google earnings will increase over time. What are your thoughts?
Studenomicss last blog post..How To Practice Delayed Gratitifcation
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
I think Adsense is going to be huge once I figure out how to use it properly. Right now, I just have these ads thrown into the blog theme, and I pray that surfers find interesting ads that meet their needs. I know for a fact though, that I can do more to be pro-active in getting results. I think private ad sales will be big too, but I need about 500 unique visitors a day, and I currently have just under 100…so we will see!
Love the theme dig!!! Yours sucks too
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 19th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
That is pretty good going Tam. You need to optimize Google Adsense ads to get the best out them. I wrote a ten part series on it.
Make Money Onlines last blog post..Samsung SSD Awesomeness
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April 19th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Hey, TAM
I quite enjoy your blog. Was following a bunch of comment links off of John Chow (I think) and found your site (have uncovered a few other great blogs that way). Enjoy your insightful/humble/informative posts, and am happy to see an email alert when a new posting shows up. I also like the look and feel of your site. I assume this is WordPress? Any suggestions on good WordPress template sites (I am new to this)?
I notice that I can’t find your name on your site (I wanted to start this email out with personal salutation). Did I miss it somewhere, or is that your personal desire to limit exposure of your personal info? Curious… maybe I will do the same when I get my blog going.
Cheers!
Marcus
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Hey Marcus,
Thanks alot for the thoughtful comment. I’m Brandon, by the way…thanks for asking. I thought I had it on my about page, Oh-well!
To answer some of your questions…I love uniqueblogdesigns.com for WP templates. Also love the design I use at http://www.bfranchise.com Check it out, if you like it, the link to it’s author is at the bottom of the site.
Let us know when you get the blog going, and send an e-mail to thealmostmillionaire@gmail.com if you want some help! Glad you stopped by, -B
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 19th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
That is great!
I know the feeling of seeing those number finally add up. The first time I received that Google wire, was so exciting. As my income comes from sales an not blogging. I do make income from my blogs, and expect to make several thousands from each blog by the end of this year.
Keep up the great work, I know it takes hardworkd and commitment.
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Thanks a lot Laura! Hard work is key to any great journey, at least on the front end. I hope I’m not working this hard forever…
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 19th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Congrats Brandon… FYI - if you’re signed up with the Hostgator affilite (pays $50.00) through Hostgator…
If you sign up as a Hostgator affiliate through Commission Junction - PAYS $100.00
keep up the great work!
Jakes last blog post..It’s Friday - I’m Itching for a Scratch From DJ Qbert!
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 12:12 am
Thanks for the great tip Jake. I was robbed!!! I’m going to give Commission Junction a look tonight. how can they pay out so much better than the company? that is crazy.
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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Jake Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Yeah really.. i have NO idea.. I know I had my affiliate links from Hostgator and realized it… I was checking somethings on CJ one day and came across HG and seen the payout difference.. I changed everything that night haha..
Jakes last blog post..It’s Friday - I’m Itching for a Scratch From DJ Qbert!
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April 20th, 2009 at 5:17 am
I really enjoy watching people’s blog income. Nice blog, with interesting posts. I’ll definitely come back.
Benjamin Cips last blog post..Taking action
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Appreciate that Benjamin!
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 20th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Awesome TAM…. I trust you’ll make your goals.
I need to step up my efforts… I’m well behind but I’m seeing positive growth in my adsense… the numbers are still small but the % growth is nice.
I really think traffic is the key to adsense… but I’m sure there are other factors too.
Thanks for sharing… it is encouraging!
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Thanks Dave, I believe you are doing all the right things. It is a slow trickle, but it really is nice when it starts adding up to a nice car payment or bigger:)
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 20th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Wow, you’re making big steps towards your final goal! It’s great to see a nice diversified income from the blog as well and I’m interested to see how it pans out in the future.
Creative Writing Tipss last blog post..Stories Centered Around An Object
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
CWT,
I plan on keeping you all posted on a more regular basis. March was a big step for me, and april is looking good too. Stay tuned, and thanks always for your comments!
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 20th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Almost millionaire,
I am glad to hear that you are enjoying your blog and that even better, you are able to derive a small amount of income from it.
Personally, I too would like to derive a small income out of my own blog. Unfortunately, with less than twenty hits per day after nine months of blogging, I would think that I would be quite a way off reaching this goal!
Never mind, the main thing is that we enjoy it - eh!
Just out of interest, in your view, how many hits per day would you think it usually takes before it was worth putting AdSense on a blog?
Andrews last blog post..How 35 workplace deaths were exposed in an internet chat room
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Andrew, I would say that it is never too early to start offering income and advertising options on your site. This gives you some time to figure it all out, even if the revenue is minimal. For instance, I had about 170 hits yesterday, and made just over $3.00 Some days are good, others are bad, or zero revenue days. But if the ads were not available, every day would be guaranteed to be a zero revenue day…food for thought, thanks for stopping by!
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 20th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Congrats on this! Nice work. I really need to get my adsense up and running. There is no time like the present.
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Brandon Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 10:28 am
Thanks Brother!
Brandons last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 20th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Wow.. that’s pretty damn good. I’ve never made once cent from my blog, but I’ve just changed my focus about using it as a source of revenue to cover my costs.
I hope I’m as successful as you.
Mikes last blog post..Stock Market Retrace
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Brandon Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 10:29 am
I’m sure you will be Mike, there are alot of great bloggers out there who will help you meet your goals just like they have helped me.
Just keep writing brother!
Brandons last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 21st, 2009 at 11:10 am
@Sire,
I was just at Johnchow.com and find it funny how you are always busting his chops. You really keep him on his toes! Good stuff
Brandons last blog post..Blog Income Report
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Sire Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 11:41 am
Who me? I just call em as I see em. Just because he’s Chow doesn’t make him the omnipotent blogger. Man the guy doesn’t even use the ’subscribe to comment’ plugin. Luck you reminded me because I went back to add to the twitter conversation.
Sires last blog post..The SEO Importance Of Permalinks
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Brandon Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 12:53 pm
It is just funny, most comments are like…You’re the man John, you are AWESOME John, Thanks John, We love you John…and then there are your comments, which actually get a response from him.
Brandons last blog post..Blog Income Report
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Sire Reply:
April 24th, 2009 at 5:01 am
I think that is because he feels he has to defend his position. Man, I like John, he comes up with so decent posts, but then some are pretty lame, and that is to be expected, after all, we are all human.
Sires last blog post..The 10 Stages Of A Twitterer
April 21st, 2009 at 11:24 am
I think its a very honest thing to do, post your earnings online. Most people claim to be internet successes - but where is the proof? At least this way most people can see how you are progressing to your goals!
Congrats
Chriss last blog post..Good news and bad news
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April 21st, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Really good.I just build my blog for 3 month and there are no income now.But i hope one day i could earn like you.
Batis last blog post..20 Great Short URL Comments part “1″
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Brandon Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 4:23 pm
@Bati,
Thanks for stopping by the site and leaving a comment. Good luck with you blogging! Stick with it, and give your readers interesting stuff, and I bet you will do much better than me. Learn all you can, that is the key!
Brandons last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 21st, 2009 at 8:18 pm
You should definitely put adsense at the very top of the page and on the top left or right of the page. It has to be visible for first time visitors of the site.
you could thank me later!
OD
Online Dividendss last blog post..Passive Income for March 2009
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Brandon Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Great tip! I’m going to fix that today!
Brandons last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 21st, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Adsense is indeed one of the best income generators out there. For me I found that you need to experiment with adsense placment, link colors/etc to find out the best strategy for your site. once you get it to the optimal point it can pay out some nice income every month!
What I’ve found to be the best placement is right below the post title on post pages, and in the left or right sidebar - right next to the content.
Bible Money Matterss last blog post..What If I Die? Make Sure Your Family Has All Your Important Information In One Place
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Brandon Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Thanks for the great tips! I just went in and changed some colors and added some Adsense to the top of the page on the right. I’ll let you know if performance picks up!
Brandons last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 22nd, 2009 at 12:57 am
Income would have been even better had you kept healthsurprise.com going. HAHA
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April 23rd, 2009 at 12:32 am
Great to see that you post your income on your blog which very few blogs do. Good post.
Beamers last blog post..How to throw a successful house party
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:44 am
Hey, thanks for stopping by the site Beamer. I think it keeps others motivated to know how their friends and peers are doing online.
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 23rd, 2009 at 1:17 am
Wow. You’re definitely doing better than I am, but I’ve only had my blog for a few months now. Hopefully things will pick up, and I’ll keep learning and trying new things.
Keep up the good work. I think I’m going to browse your blog a bit and “pick your brain”. LOL
Jennifer @ Money Saver 101s last blog post..Economy vs. Commerce: Funny Financial Comic
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:45 am
Thanks for the comment Jennifer, Stick with it! I didn’t make anything for several months when I was blogging on blogger…things are really looking better now, but I’m sure the best is yet to come. I look forward to stopping by your site and joining the conversation there.
Best,
TAM
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Blog Income Report
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April 23rd, 2009 at 5:22 am
You’re really kickin’ it!!! So what article are you submitting for my carnival, there are some already in and it’s looking really good! Your best one on cashflow, inspiring! Like these numbers are inspiring… keep it up!
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April 23rd, 2009 at 5:32 am
All, I can remember when TAM was just a small-time blogger on blogger:), and he was excited about his first $133 google check! Look how far he’s come - it’s possible! Hopefully now I can catch up to you Brandon. Looks like it’s that business card trick that’s giving you the edge…. I remember thinking, wow, I can aim for making $133 in 6 months like you did - but I made it long before that! I’m in a bit of a plateau again now, though, but hope to be kicking things to the next level again soon with my recent increase in traffic, which is now averaging at least 200/day.
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Thanks for the blast from the past comment…you prompted my latest post, so if you hate it, it is your fault!!
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Tips for New Bloggers
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April 23rd, 2009 at 9:22 am
[...] was at ZERO. If you want to take a look at another example of numbers, check out the earnings at The Almost Millionaire (I don’t think Brandon will mind my posting this, as it’s up on his site, after [...]
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Brandon -
Congrats on turning a nice profit on your site! I hope to see numbers like that someday.
Either way - I still find it interesting and inspiring to see other blogger’s stats so thanks!
Matt @ My Financial Recoverys last blog post..Credit Card Situation Update
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Thanks for the encouragement Matt. I like you blog, and think you are going to do well. Hope the tips on my next post help you a little bit!
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Tips for New Bloggers
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April 24th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Doing well and great breakdown. Just be careful of Adsense TOS when putting down specific income $$. For a 6 month old blog, you are doing well and I was at about the same level as you (though sources were a bit different). Good luck growing!
Andys last blog post..Blogging Becoming a Serious Money Business
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 25th, 2009 at 2:00 am
Thanks alot for the comment Andy. I enjoyed your blog and appreciate the heads up about about the TOS. I don’t think I’m violating, but the rules do change, so you never know. I really appreciate you bringing it up though, as I’m not always aware of those types of issues.
Best,
TAM
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Tips for New Bloggers
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April 26th, 2009 at 12:17 am
Wonderful stuff, Brandon. I’m sorry I’m so late to see this, but man, you’re way ahead of me as far as monthly income, and I’ve probably been trying longer than you. You da man! LOL
Mitchs last blog post..Six Things I’ve Learned About Affiliate Marketing
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Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 27th, 2009 at 2:01 am
I’m not feeling like the man until I’m bringing in that one to two thousand per month. That is a sweet spot for my online ventures this year. Thanks for the props though!!!
Almost Millionaires last blog post..Tips for New Bloggers
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Mitch Reply:
April 27th, 2009 at 5:13 am
You’re growing, and any time it’s “progress” rather than “regress”, it means you’re doing well. Hey, I’ll take that $300+ off your hands. lol
Mitchs last blog post..Six Things I’ve Learned About Affiliate Marketing
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 27th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Maybe I’ll do a contest, and you can win the $300 bucks or something like that. I really would like to get my RSS subscribers up, and I think the only way to do that is with a cash giveaway contest. Do you think Personal Finance blog readers will go for that?
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Tips for New Bloggers
April 27th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I don’t think the type of blog matters, as anyone loves to have the opportunity to go for money. You just have to make it worth their while to even try.
Mitchs last blog post..Linkshare
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The Almost Millionaire Reply:
April 27th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
I agree! I’m going to do something soon.
The Almost Millionaires last blog post..Tips for New Bloggers
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April 27th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Congratulations! Looks like you’re doing an excellent job so far. The most important part of this post, though, was that you said ‘I love this blog.’ No matter how much you make at the end of the day, that makes it worth the effort!
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April 30th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Thanks for the encouraging comment on my blog! I hope May goes better than April. I’m trying to think of some ways to help enforce healthy spending habits. We’ll see what happens. =)
Dr. Faiths last blog post..*sigh* I did a terrible job in April!
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May 2nd, 2009 at 1:27 am
I can’t believe it. After blogging since 2006, I actually received a Google Adsense check directly deposited into my business account.
It comes no where near covering my expenses, but it sure is refreshing to see that the system really works. Cool stuff!
Mikes last blog post..Financial Homework
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June 15th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Amazing post, It is really wonderful.
solicitorwills last blog post..Conveyaning steps for buying a property
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February 19th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
I love clipping coupons! I save approx. $50 a Month doing this! I suggest getting electric scissors when cutting coupons in bulk!
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