1. Food & Cooking Blog Income Reports

Average Joes – Always Use Butter $3,183 for Sep 2022

The Always Use Butter blog is a well-known site that covers blog posts about food and cooking in general. September 2022 saw the blogger focus on being more strategic in their approach to their business while comparing their performance against the past year.

• Revenue: $3,183
• Expenses: $716
• Monetization: Display advertising (with AdThrive since Jan ’22)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 154,000 pageviews. Organic search accounted for 78% of the blog’s traffic, with more than three-quarters originating in the USA and the UK
• Notes: The blogger plans to continue increasing pageviews and publishing more recipe content while updating existing posts.

6-Figure Club – Get on My Plate $24,785 for Q3 2022

Another successful food blog, Get On My Plate, operates within the six-figure range, posting content targeting the profitable moms niche and women in general. 

• Revenue: $24,785
• Expenses: $6,321
• Monetization: Display advertising (with Mediavine @ 87%), affiliates (2%), sponsorships (3%), and the Pinterest Creator Program (8%)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 868,265 pageviews (290k monthly pageviews on average), 68% from organic sources & 12% out of social media
• Notes: The blogger recently joined Mediavine and is anticipating improved RPMs in the coming quarter. However, they’re also keen to begin diversifying their blogging income, adding new streams to their revenue mix (like publishing a cookbook) while maintaining good pageview metrics. 

Top Earners – Midwest Foodie $67,472 for Q2 2022

The ever-popular Midwest Foodie blog is run as a full-time business by its blogger. The site has grown tremendously over the past five years and is well on its way to becoming a million-dollar business.

• Revenue: $67,472
• Expenses: $7,989
• Monetization: Display advertising (via AdThrive @ 84%) with eBooks ($2,057), Amazon Associates ($848), Affiliates ($5,672) & Sponsorships ($1,800) making up the balance
• Pageviews/Traffic: 1,985,265 (661k monthly pageviews on average)
• Notes: The blogger notes that expenses and taxes (though necessary) are unavoidable but key to their success as they continue to experiment with different paid resources. They also offer valuable insights into their work-life balance and the path ahead. 

2. Lifestyle Blog Income Reports

Average Joes – Reinis Fischer $398.52 during November 2022 

Fin-tech lifestyle blogger Reinis Fischer has been blogging for some time, discussing myriad topics and subjects related to his own experiences. His blog is varied and covers tech reviews, travel and finance elements. 

• Revenue: $398.52
• Expenses: $60
• Monetization: Amazon Associates and Google Adsense
• Pageviews/Traffic: 32,429 pageviews (with an impressively low 62.29% bounce rate)
• Notes: The blogger states that traffic is down from Nov 2021 (by over 38%), owing to – in his opinion – issues in moving from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9. He aims to reach 50,000 monthly users again by adding AMP usability to his site and re-enabling comments to boost engagement. 

6 Figure Club – By Leah Claire $7,569 over August 2022

Leah Claire’s blogs are perfect examples of a lifestyle blog portfolio that performs well and engages with audiences. The blogger shares her performance metrics regularly, sharing insights into her techniques and success. This report covers three blogs, including her ByLeahClaire site. 

• Revenue: $7,569.45
• Expenses: Not provided – the blogger set’s aside 30% of their revenue from the preceding month (July’s blogs earned $7,780.66), in this case, around $2,300
• Monetization: Affiliates ($3,692.03) and display ads (with Esozoic and Mediavine, totalling $3,877.42)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 186,210 (varying from 5,413 for her Leah Claire Blog to 143,624 for her other top-performing blog)
• Notes: Interestingly, the blogger has found a way to balance display ad income and affiliate earnings almost equally. Additionally, the blogger included the number of blog posts per website, with the numbers indicating that the published post frequency is almost directly related to pageview counts. 

Top Earners – Living the Dream $9,750 in November 2022

The Living the Dream blog is a top-earning travel blog publication whose owners also run a blog called Discover the Burgh, which is heavily trafficked and well-monetized. The bloggers publish blogs about traveling and working remotely and post content from all over the world, engaging with their audiences along the way.  

• Revenue: $9,750 (15% from one blog & 85% from the other)
• Expenses: Total not given, but $799 attributed to direct blog costs
• Monetization: Display advertising (71%), sponsored posts (5%), affiliates (8%) and indirect blog revenue sources (16%)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 27,900 pageviews for their travel blog with 207,300 for the local blog
• Notes: The bloggers mention impressive gains since COVID-19 and talk about how seasonality can greatly affect blog performance and earnings

3. Business & Finance Blog Income Reports

Average Joes – Let’s Reach Success $2,592, Oct 2022

Let’s Reach Success blogs about business, finance and money detailing growth strategies and tactics to help people grow their wealth. The blog is almost 10 years old and has tremendous potential. 

• Revenue: $2,592
• Expenses: Accounting fees €199,65 ($212.75, paid quarterly) and $48 in transaction fees. There are many other expenses, though they were not payable in the month under review
• Monetization: Sponsored content posts ($1,945), Display Advertising (Mediavine, $528), affiliate Marketing ($42), online sales ($77)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 29,239
• Notes: The blogger indicated that October 2022 is a low-income month by her standards, providing some good insight into a blog month that isn’t in line with the others. They also intend to conduct more regular content and site audits and to keep growing their email lists and additional revenue streams. 

6 Figure Club – Making a Millennial Millionaire $7,842.04 in August and September 2022

The wealth accumulation and finance blog is geared towards millennials looking to grow their wealth. The blogger has been blogging for some time, experimenting with different tactics and strategies, and appears to have found a winning recipe. 

• Revenue: $7,842.04
• Expenses: $1,915.95 (on Facebook paid advertising)
• Monetization: Display advertising (AdSense, $7,702.38), Medium ($104.66) and affiliates ($35)
• Pageviews/Traffic: Not given
• Notes: This blog looks to have recently graduated to the 6 Figure Club, with its $5,926.09 profit in Aug and Sep 2022 accounting for the vast majority of its cumulative 2022 earnings to date ($7,600). The blogger cites adding guest writers, re-purposing old content and boosting blog marketing as key drivers for improved revenue. 

Top Earners – Passive Income Unlocked $46,446.49, Nov 2022

This passive income niche blog is a top performer that has found a way to access various sub-niches by making use of optimized niche blog websites. The blog uses different monetization techniques with a focus on creating ‘create-and-forget’ passive revenue streams. 

• Revenue: $46,446.49
• Expenses: $9,404.87 (with 62% attributed to outsourcing their content writing)
• Monetization: Display ads ($44,441.40 with Mediavine) and far smaller amounts from Amazon Associates ($2,005.09) and print-on-demand services ($90.46)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 1,039,177 pageviews (across all their blog sites)
• Notes: The report indicates healthy revenue growth over the preceding two months while keeping their post frequency stable and cutting back slightly on post word counts. The bloggers also mention the heavy impact that Google’s updates can have on performance while considering adding extra streams like email lists to their portfolios. 

4. Moms and Parenting

Average Joes – Another Mommy Blogger $4617.90 in December 2020

The Another Mommy Blogger blog is a mom’s information central, covering myriad topics, including parenting, home tips, and beauty. Blogger Sierrah has been running her successful blog since 2018, sharing childcare and motherhood tips with her loyal followers. Her blog is very child-centric and is a great example of a site that produces consistently varied content.

• Revenue: $4,617.90
• Expenses: $124.90, including a $50 Amazon gift card used as a giveaway prize and a Canva Pro subscription
• Monetization: Display advertising with Mediavine netted most of her revenue ($4,157.64) with affiliate marketing, including Amazon Associates ($183.20) and Awin ($277.06)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 285,788 pageviews – up by 55k from November 2020, with the overwhelming majority of it coming from Pinterest.
• Notes: The blogger increased their earnings by almost $800 from the previous month – impressive, considering December is usually seen as the time of year when things slow down. With an RPM of around $16 and increases in followers, the blogger is doing something right, especially considering the effect that COVID had on everything.

6-Figure Club – Cassie Scroggins $7,914.73 during November 2020

Cassie Scroggins’ eponymous blog provides an in-depth look into the creator’s experiences as a mom and is highly engaged with its audience. Cassie has gone to great lengths to ensure that her followers are kept informed on the latest motherhood, beauty, and wellness trends, and her free mom planner is a hit among her audiences.

• Revenue: $7,914.73
• Expenses: Not listed
• Monetization: Display advertising ($5,896.58 via YouTube and AdThrive) and affiliate marketing ($1,739.66) with various programs, including Amazon, Bluehost, and Pinterest. The blogger also earned $564.29 from her own product sales
• Pageviews/Traffic: 119,444 pageviews
• Notes: While the blogger notes that revenues are good for this month, the drop in page views and traffic is as a result of her basically having stopped blogging for much of the year. Despite this, blog revenue has remained consistent and even grown!

Top Earners – The Realistic Mama $24,481 over December 2021

The Realistic Mama blog is renowned for providing high-quality parenting tips and advice covering many different topics. This established blog operates at a high level, and, with the blogger claiming to spend less than 20 hours per week blogging, is an example of a successful blog that makes amazing revenues and isn’t going anywhere soon.

• Revenue: $24,481.58
• Expenses: Not included, though the blogger does mention that this is a part-time gig, so no doubt not very high
• Monetization: Display advertising: $1,865; Affiliate Income: $11,290.58 and products sales: $11,326
• Pageviews/Traffic: 158,049 pageviews
• Notes: Based on previous blog income reports, the blog earns consistently and reliably through its well-monetized channels. This blog is thus a great example of a passive income generator that basically takes care of itself. It is interesting to note that direct affiliate sales and product revenues are almost identical, meaning the blogger has found a way to perfectly balance both incomes.

5. Fashion

Average Joes – Bella Style Living Average $1,522.57 a month (5 months in 2022)

Maria Munoz’s lifestyle fashion blog has been going since 2018 and continues to attract a diverse following. This also means that she is able to partner with brands and use her follower numbers to generate revenue through Pinterest.

• Revenue: $ $7,612.86 over 5 months
• Expenses: Not given
• Monetization: Brand partnerships ($3,200 from creating content for brands), and affiliate marketing with the Pinterest Creator fund ($3,102).
• Pageviews/Traffic: Not listed
• Notes: While the blogging income report doesn’t list the expenses accrued in maintaining the blog, revenues are impressive for such a competitive market. The blogger drives much of their traffic through social media and states that they are looking for new ways to diversify their traffic drivers. Brand partnerships are a big earner here, representing almost half of the blog’s revenue, along with earnings from Pinterest’s Creator fund.

6 Figure Club – Thrifts and Tangles $6,796 in December 2021

This blog is a fantastic resource managed by creator/influencer Tyler Chanel. The beautifully-designed site is a hit among audiences looking for tips, updates, and opinions based on current fashion and beauty trends while offering myriad resources and other helpful links. With a focus on sustainability and a social consideration flavor, Thrifts and Tangles is an exciting prospect to keep an eye on.

• Revenue: $6,796
• Expenses: $972 for software ($446, including over $400 in annual subscription fees), Services ($500), and giveaways ($26)
• Monetization: Sponsored posts, at $6,100, make up 90% of revenues, with the rest coming from sales, speaking, ad revenue, and affiliates.
• Pageviews/Traffic: 1,853 pageviews
• Notes: The incredibly high pageviews to revenue ratio (RPM) is due to the vast majority of the top-earning bloggers income coming through paid, sponsored posts. As a part of their report takeaway, they mention that they’re working on only outsourcing the most necessary tasks to save and cut down on expenses.

Top Earners – Chic Pursuit  $11,376 in February 2020

The Chic Pursuit blog is a top-earning blog that is all about luxury fashion. The blog touches on multiple fashion-related topics, discussing travel, beauty, and even décor to go along with its high style appeal. From premier labels to up-and-coming designers, visitors to this blog are treated to thoughtful posts and stories that will leave you starry-eyed.

• Revenue: $11,376
• Expenses: $1,709 – including rent, premium hosting, and paid ads
• Monetization: Display advertising and YouTube ($1,925.31), affiliate marketing ($8,718.41), product sales (412.50), and sponsorships ($320)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 135,301 pageviews. Up by 19% from the previous month
• Notes: The blogger’s affiliate revenue stands out as a lucrative blogging income stream, while pageview counts to ads revenue leave a bit to be desired. Also interesting is that the blogger switched their hosting service to a more expensive option, mentioning that doing so was a good idea. Again, Pinterest played a significant role in the blog’s traffic increase – not surprising, considering how popular the visual platform has become of late.

6. Craft and DIY

Average Joes – Cut n Make Crafts $3,154 during January 2020

This blog income report is an interesting assessment as it was published weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and changed everything forever. The report has combined two blogs, as the blogger wants to include their old blog, which still earns these top-earning bloggers healthy blogging income.

• Revenue: $3,154
• Expenses: None listed
• Monetization: New blog only: Product sales ($2,446), and ad revenue ($33.34); Old blog: Ads ($416.13); Both: Affiliate programs ($259)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 60,814 pageviews (14,975 from the new blog & 45,839 from the old one)
• Notes: The blogger states that their old blog, which, at the time of this report’s publication, hadn’t seen a single new blog post in over a year, was continuing to make around $450 monthly. This is proof that a good blog, even if left to its own devices can still net you good passive income.

6 Figure Club – Crochetpreneur $4,777 for October 2021

Crochet small business coaching blog, Crochetpreneur is a success story that proves even narrow niches are profitable ones. The bloggers spend barely 10 hours a week on this blog, yet are still able to monetize their traffic through a variety of options. This blog is a good example of a business and blog that are closely tied to one another.

• Revenue: $4,777
• Expenses: Total $1,697.86 covering Etsy fees, shipping, tools,
• Monetization: Display advertising (Mediavine ads at $891.42), affiliate marketing (with Amazon and others – $123.22), and – the main earner – product sales (mostly on Etsy: $3,732.38)
• Pageviews/Traffic: 77,422 pageviews
• Notes: The blogger has included the cost of productions and sales in their blog income report, which is unusual as these expenses are often not seen as blogging expenses. With less than 80,000 page views in the month, it’s no wonder that display ad revenue is down. However, sales on their eCommerce platforms seem to be very healthy and look to be sustaining the blog.

Top Earners – Crochet365KnitToo $14,277 in September 2020

The Crochet365KnitToo blog began with a challenge laid down and has grown into a successful blog that nets thousands of dollars each month. As a full-time parent and blogger, the creator took something they love and transformed their passion into a lucrative online business opportunity. From tips and advice on how to crochet, to listing endless product items, this blog represents the very best of what the creator and passion economy have to offer – and it shows.

• Revenue: $14,277
• Expenses: None given
• Monetization: Display advertising on AdThrive network, $8,121, Affiliate marketing at $1,419, digital product sales ($1,343), and eCommerce sales on Etsy and others – $3,394
• Pageviews/Traffic: Not included
• Notes: Crochet businesses tend to do well in September each year, with winter looming for many people, hence the uptick in ad revenues. Aside from the seasonal effect, it is interesting to see how the pandemic was affecting the blogger back in 2020, with volatile ad revenues pushing them to sell more digital products like eBooks and guides, which, as it turned out, helped them get through the worst of the pandemic.