Should I Start A Blog? Here Are The Top Reasons You Will Love Blogging

Are you wondering should I start a blog? Have you been thinking about starting a blog for a while? Maybe you’re trying to find a way to make extra money? Today, I want to share why I love blogging so much, and how much it has changed my life over the years. My story may…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: June 4, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Are you wondering should I start a blog? Have you been thinking about starting a blog for a while? Maybe you’re trying to find a way to make extra money?

Is it a good idea to start a blog?Today, I want to share why I love blogging so much, and how much it has changed my life over the years. My story may answer your question of should I start a blog.

A lot of people wonder if I started blogging to make extra money.

The truth is that I had no idea you could make money blogging when I started Making Sense of Cents.

I was so clueless when I first started my blog. And, it seemed like a very random thing when I first heard about blogging, but I decided to go ahead and create a blog of my own.

Making Sense of Cents was started simply as a way to keep track of my own personal finance journey. Most people in my life didn’t even know I had a blog.

It’s so funny to think back to when I first started my blog, but I’m so glad I gave blogging a chance. I can’t imagine how different my life would have been if I didn’t have this website.

I was just like you, asking myself should I start a blog. I realized there was no good reason not to, so I learned how to start a blog. It completely changed my life, and I’m so glad I gave it a try!

Because of how blogging changed my life, I love telling others about it. That’s exactly what I’m doing today if you are on the fence about starting a blog.

Blogging helped me pay off my debt, quit my regular job, travel full-time, and more. The best part is that I love what I do. And, as you can tell from my business income reports, I now earn a great living from my blog.

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I first learned about blogging when I was reading a magazine that featured a personal finance website in one of the articles. I had no clue what they were talking about, but I was interested. I also knew that I needed to make a change because it felt like money was controlling my life.

I knew I wanted to be in control of my financial situation and pay off my student loans.

But, I did not create my blog to make extra money to pay off my student loans. Like I said, I had no clue that you could even make money from a blog. My blog was a hobby and outlet that helped me journal about my finances. It helped me keep track of my finances so I could stay motivated.

I quickly realized how much I loved blogging!

Then in October of 2013, I left my day job and became a full-time blogger. I had only been blogging for a couple of years, and it felt so good to turn it into my full-time job.

Learning how to create a blog has completely changed my life for the better, and it’s something that I recommend everyone try if they are wondering should I start a blog.

Blogging changed my life in ways such as:

  • I now love what I do and look forward to working each day.
  • I am able to help others improve their financial situation.
  • It will allow my husband and I to retire early.
  • Both me and my husband were able to leave our day jobs.
  • It helped me pay off my student loans.
  • We now split our time between a camper van and sailboat and travel full-time.
  • I have a flexible schedule.
  • I’m my own boss.
  • Blogging gives me freedom.

There are many reasons to start a blog, and I have found it to be well worth it.

So, if you have ever wondered should I start a blog, today’s post will help you decide if it’s right for you. Spoiler: You’re going to want to start a blog!

Here are reasons to start a blog.

 

Blogging is a lot of fun.

Before I started blogging, I never gave it a single thought. Like I said, I didn’t even know that they existed, let alone that it would be fun work.

Now that I’ve been blogging for several years, I can’t imagine not being a full-time blogger.

I enjoy helping others improve their financial situation, reading blog posts from others, finding new people to talk to, working on my blog, and especially writing.

I love waking up each morning to work, and I no longer dread work like I did when I had my day job. Blogging is both challenging and rewarding, as there is always something new to learn and you can reach many people through your blog.

 

You can help others.

If you’re wondering should I start a blog, think about your story, what you’ve been through, and how it can help others.

Even if you think your story isn’t extreme, I’m sure someone in the world would find it inspirational and helpful.

Even though I didn’t realize it would happen when I first started my blog, I have been able to help many people over the years, including myself!

Your blog can definitely help others, and without a blog your story never would have reached them. You may help them by showing them a new idea, help them improve their finances, create recipes, manage their life better, and more.

For example: My blog posts help and motivate others to improve their financial situation as well as their overall lives.

I have received many emails over the years from readers who have used my advice and motivation to pay off debt, save for retirement, start a business, and more, and it makes it all worthwhile. 

 

It’s affordable to start a blog.

Blogging is a very affordable hobby, side hustle, or business to start.

In fact, it’s one of the most affordable businesses to start.

If you are interested in taking the steps to learn how to create a blog, I have a tutorial that will help you create a blog of your own for cheap, starting at only $2.75 per month for blog hosting (this low price is only through my link). In addition to the low pricing, you will receive a free website domain (a $15 value) through my Bluehost link if you purchase at least 12 months of blog hosting.

This means that you may be able to start your blog for less than $50 a year. I started my blog with super cheap blog hosting, I designed it myself (even though I had no experience ever doing something like that), and more. I did pretty much everything myself so that I could save money, and while it was a learning experience, it was well worth it.

I spent less than $100 total for the whole first year of Making Sense of Cents.

 

You can be your own boss.

With blogging, you can be your own boss. Keep that in mind if you are asking should I start a blog, as it’s one of the most positive parts of blogging. You can decide what type of business you’ll run, your schedule, your goals, and more.

I never had dreams of being my own boss. I always thought I’d work for some corporation.

Then, I started blogging and realized how much I love being my own boss.

I love being in complete control of what I do, and becoming self-employed may allow you to feel that way as well. I enjoy deciding what I will do each day, creating my own schedule, determining my business goals, handling everything behind the scenes, and more.

I actually have a rule in my life/business that says I don’t do anything unless I want to. While I still say yes to many amazing opportunities, I’m not doing anything that feels like a total drag or is against my beliefs. This has really helped improve my work-life balance, which is great because being able to choose how you earn a living amounts to making sure you love everything you do.

I honestly love each and every service I provide – writing online, networking, interacting with readers, and more.

Running an online business (and being your own boss) may not be for everyone, but it’s something I enjoy.

 

Having a flexible schedule is amazing.

One of the best things about working for yourself and being a blogger is that you can have a flexible schedule.

I can work as far ahead as I want to, I can create my own work schedule, and more.

I love being able to work for a few hours in the morning, do something fun during the day (such as a hike or a lunch with friends), and then work later at night when I have nothing planned. I can also schedule appointments during the day, and it’s really no big deal.

I can work at night, in the morning, on the weekends – I can work whenever.

 

You don’t need previous experience to be successful.

In order to become a blogger, you don’t need any previous experience. You don’t need to be a computer genius, understand social media, or anything else.

These are all things that you can learn as you go.

Nearly every single blogger was brand new at some point, and they had no idea what they were doing. 

I’m proof of that because I didn’t even know that blogs existed when I started Making Sense of Cents, and I definitely didn’t know that bloggers could make money. I learned how to create a blog from the bottom up and have worked my way to where I am today. It’s not always easy, but it’s been rewarding!

With blogging, you’ll have a lot to learn, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It’s challenging, but in a good way!

 

Blogging can allow you to travel and/or work from home.

Another great benefit of creating a blog is that you can work from wherever you want.

Because of blogging, I was able to sell my house in 2015 and have been traveling full-time ever since. It’s great knowing that I can work wherever I want.

Plus, having no commute is really amazing!

 

You can make a living blogging.

If all of the positives above aren’t great enough, you can actually earn a living by blogging.

No, not every single person will become a successful blogger (it’s NOT a get-rich-quick scheme), but I know many successful bloggers who started in a similar way as I did – blogging as a hobby and it just grew from there.

For me, I have earned a high income with my blog, and I have enough saved to retire whenever I would like. I am still working on my blog, though, as I enjoy what I do.

 

You can earn money while you sleep.

One of the things that I love about blogging is that the things you do now can help you to earn somewhat passive income, such as through affiliate marketing.

With affiliate marketing, I can promote products that I already use and love, while earning a living from it even when sleeping.

I recommend checking out my online course for bloggers, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. I share my exact strategy and tips in this very informative online course. If you’re a blogger, then you NEED this course.

 

Blogging is a great platform for freelancers.

Should I start a blog if I have another business already?

If you are a freelancer, blogging can also help you land freelance gigs, such as speaking, virtual assisting, staff writing positions, book deals, and more.

By having a blog, people can find you easily, they can see a sample of your work, learn about you, and more. Without a blog, people may never find out about the services you offer.

 

There’s a ton of valuable free resources.

One of the great things about starting a blog is that there are a ton of FREE blogging resources out there that can help you get started. So, if you are wondering should I start a blog if I’m on a low budget, you don’t have to spend much money at all to get started.

In fact, I didn’t spend any money in the beginning in order to learn how to blog – instead, I signed up for a ton of free webinars, free email courses, and more.

The resources below will help you create your blog, come up with blog post ideas, grow your blog income, design your website, learn how to share your website in order to grow your page views, and more.

  1. First, if you don’t have a blog, then I recommend starting off with my free blogging course How To Start A Blog FREE Course.
  2. Affiliate Marketing Cheat Sheet – With this time-saving cheat sheet, you’ll learn how to make affiliate income from your blog. These tips will help you to rapidly improve your results and increase your blogging income in no time.
  3. 8 Easy Tips To Make Money From Sponsored Posts On Your Blog – Sponsorships on your blog are a great way of earning a living online. Learn how I made my first blogging income, and how I’m now making $10,000-$20,000 a month with sponsored partnerships! This is a free cheatsheet.
  4. The SEO Starter Pack (FREE Video Training)– Level up your SEO knowledge in just 60 minutes with this FREE 6-day video training.

 

Should I start a blog?

Is it a good idea to start a blog?

This is a great time to start a blog.

Trust me, people were saying the same thing when I first started Making Sense of Cents – that people who started in 2011 were starting too late and that no one would earn money blogging if they started when I did.

However, that wasn’t the case then or now.

The online world is still so new, and each year there are new ways to monetize and grow your blog.

For example, it wasn’t until the past couple of years that companies and advertisers started realizing the value of online influencers, such as bloggers, and that means even more opportunities to earn money blogging.

Before that, it was mainly celebrities that companies advertised with, but now, it is actually shifting to bloggers and other online influencers (such as Youtubers and Instagrammers!).

The online world is a huge place, and it is just going to keep growing. Every blogger earns a living in slightly different ways, and everyone has a different message and story. Plus, there are so many different ways to earn money blogging, and I expect that the options will continue to grow.

Of course, because the blogging world keeps changing, there will constantly be new things for you to learn, but that will probably always be the case for managing any kind of business.

 

If blogging is so great, then why doesn’t everyone do it?

I hear this pretty often. I also get a lot of people asking me: If it’s so easy, why don’t you just start multiple blogs and make even more money?

Blogging is not printing money.

It’s not a scam, and it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme.

Learning how to earn money blogging is work, and just like with all jobs – not everyone wants what you want.

And, for every successful blog out there, there are probably hundreds of bloggers who will never earn money blogging. While you can earn money blogging, not all bloggers will.

It would be like saying that 100% of people who start a business will see success. That is just never going to happen – businesses fail, business owners have a change of heart, and others just don’t find it enjoyable.

I know I am always talking about the positives of blogging, but I also like to mention how it’s not the easiest.

After all, if blogging was easy, then everyone would do it and everyone would make thousands of dollars a month.

But as you know, that’s not the case.

Not everyone is going to earn money blogging because it is WORK! Most new bloggers quit just a few months in. A few months is not enough time to see if your blog will be successful. It took me six months before I started to earn money blogging, and I only earned $100. 

It’s funny and weird to think about what life would be like if I would have quit back then.

I’m constantly learning something new when it comes to blogging, and that is why I enjoy it so much.

Once you realize that blogging is hard, you will be ahead of 99% of everyone else in the game. Don’t assume, like most people do, that blogging is easy or a get-rich-quick scheme.

Starting a blog can be difficult. But, all bloggers start at the same point.

I remember being so lost when I first started my blog. After I asked myself should I start a blog, I had to learn everything the hard way – it sure was difficult at times.

But, I have always really enjoyed blogging. I think that is so important when it comes to this type of business – you either need to have passion in your blog and/or passion in what your blog allows you to do in your free time (such as travel or spending more time with your family).

 

How To Create A Blog FREE Course

If you’ve been asking yourself should I start a blog and have decided to give it a try, I have created an email course for those who are interested, but haven’t made the leap yet.

Best of all, this blogging for beginners course is free!

With this free email course, I will show you exactly how to create a blog, from the technical side (it’s easy – trust me!) all the way to earning your first income and attracting followers. Each day for seven days, you will receive an email in your inbox that will help you from the beginning as you create a successful and profitable blog.

Here’s a quick outline of what you will learn in this free 7-day email course:

  • Day 1: Reasons to start a blog.
  • Day 2: How to determine what to blog about.
  • Day 3: How to create your own blog. This lesson focuses on creating a blog with WordPress. My tutorial makes it very easy to start your blog.
  • Day 4: How to make money blogging.
  • Day 5: My tips for making passive income from blogging.
  • Day 6: How to grow your traffic and followers.
  • Day 7: Miscellaneous blogging tips that will help you reach success.

Please sign up for my How To Start a Blog Free Course by clicking here or signing up below.

Are you interested in learning how to create a blog? Have you asked yourself should I start a blog? What other reasons to create a blog can you think of?

How To Start A Blog Free Email Course

Want to see how I built a $5,000,000 blog?

In this free course, I show you how to create a blog easily, from the technical side all the way to earning your first income and attracting readers. Join now!

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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. Mildred

    I have always wanted to start a blog, but when it comes to starting it It’s like I hit a brick wall don’t know what to write about. And I look at other blogs and the fear is there that mine won’t look like theirs and who would read it.

  2. blogging is so much more than posting content and trying to make money from ads on it. One thing I love about blogging is that it’s a 0% pressure side hustle. Not only is it a 0% pressure side hustle anyone can do in their spare time, but it’s also something done from the heart without looking at how much money a person is or isn’t making in the moment from marketing affiliate programs in the process of blogging. I have to admit creating content is a lot of work and requires 100% dedication. Starting a blog is something everyone should do regardless what type of business they have. Another thing I really love about blogging is it’s today’s new new of staying relevant. A person can achieve side hustle millionaire status through content marketing consistency of posting meaningful content to their blog, and posting Evergreen content at that. This is why I always love creating content because not only can it make me a side hustle millionaire, but it’s also a way to create and sustain meaningful relationships between myself and my target reading audience. Thank you for this thought-provoking blog Michelle 🙂

  3. Thank you for the pointers! Your blog is a great resource for me as I am also building my own in the same niche. I think I’m going to learn a lot from you.

  4. Chrystal Taylor Nelson

    Michelle, I want what you have! More than words can convey, I want freedom, respect, and security! All of which I lack in my current position (which has a very low-hung glass ceiling–so to speak). I actually stumbled upon your blog quite by accident, as I was scouring online content with respect to starting my own small business. Your post caught my eye with “How to Start a Blog,” since this is something I have wondered about, but kept pushing to the back of my mind, for years now. Thank you for being forthcoming with the information you freely share! I want to check out many of your links, your blog posts, and so on before I make the figurative leap; just to be sure that I am on board and ready to make this leap. And then, I will be following your links to get started. Bless you Michelle, and may you have continued success and satisfaction!

  5. Alissa Randazzo

    I took your email course for starting a blog but then I got so stuck navigating bluehost and wordpress. Do you have anymore information you can share on how to navigate setting up our site. or do you have any more advice for starting from scratch with no background in this? I just feel defeated even though I just started because I’m so confused already.