I never expected blogging to impact my family’s life the way it has. What started as a small side hobby quickly turned into something much bigger – something that would change our lives forever.

Before I started Making Sense of Cents, I worked a normal 8-to-5 job, feeling stuck in the routine of commuting, sitting in an office all day, and barely having time to enjoy life. I was also not happy with my student loan debt, and I was living paycheck to paycheck for years.

But then I started blogging.

At first, it was just a hobby – a way to keep track of paying off my debt and learning about personal finance. I had no idea that my blog would eventually allow me to quit my job, achieve financial independence, and build a life filled with freedom, flexibility, and opportunities that I never thought possible.

Today, I want to share the biggest ways blogging has changed my life and my family’s life, in hopes that it might inspire you to create a new path for yourself, too (it could be blogging, yes, or maybe some other career path that you’ve been thinking about trying out – here are 30+ Small Business Ideas to look into if you’re interested).

Also, you can learn how to start a blog in my free How To Start A Blog Course. In this free course, I show you how to create a blog, from the technical side to earning your first income and attracting readers. Over 80,000 people have taken it!

How Blogging Changed My Life (And My Family’s Future) Forever

Here is how blogging has changed everything for me.

1. Blogging gave me financial freedom

One of the biggest ways blogging has changed our lives is through the financial freedom it has given us.

We no longer have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck, and we are able to plan our future on our own terms.

When I started my blog, I had no intention of making money from it. It was simply a place where I could share my thoughts and experiences. But after about six months, I received my first paid opportunity – $100 for a sponsored post. That was when I realized that blogging could be more than just a hobby.

From that point on, I worked hard to grow my blog into a business. I started learning about affiliate marketing and different ways to make money online. Within two years, my blog was bringing in enough income for me to quit my full-time job and work for myself (I also freelanced a lot, such as by being a freelance writer and virtual assistant).

Fast forward to today, and I’ve made over $5,000,000 from blogging (you can read more about this at How To Monetize A Blog: How I Grew A $5 Million Blog). What once felt like something that would never happen to me – working for myself, setting my own schedule, and making money while I sleep – became a reality.

Recommended reading: How I Made My Side Hustle My Full-Time Dream Job

2. It allowed me to pay off debt and be financially stable

One of my biggest financial struggles before blogging was my student loan debt.

I owed around $40,000 in student loans, and it felt like it would take years to pay off. Yes, I know that many people have a lot more student loan debt (especially these days due to the increasing cost of college), but it was an amount that I simply did not want to have hanging over my head along with all the other bills that I had to pay for.

But as my blog income grew, I was able to pay off all my student loans in just seven months.

Beyond that, blogging has allowed us to build a strong financial foundation. We’ve been able to:

• Save for retirement and invest in our future.
• Eliminate financial stress and not live paycheck to paycheck.
• Make choices based on passion, not just financial need and having to pay the bills.

Recommended reading: How I Paid Off My $40,000 Student Loan Debt In Less Than One Year

3. The ability to plan for the future

Before blogging, I thought I would work a traditional job for decades before retiring. The idea of early retirement or having complete control over my time felt like something that only happened to other people – not to me. Retirement seemed so far away, and I assumed that financial stress would always be a part of life.

But because of the financial freedom blogging has given us, my husband and I now have control over our future. Instead of feeling stuck in a job I didn’t love, I’ve been able to build a business that supports our family and allows us to make choices based on what’s best for us, not just what’s necessary to pay the bills.

We’ve been able to make big decisions, like spending years traveling full-time and later buying a home in a location we love. Unlike before, when I worried about making rent or stretching every paycheck, we now have the ability to plan for the long term, knowing that our income is stable and flexible (and that we’ve also been able to save a good chunk of money over the years!).

Another huge benefit is that we can prepare for unexpected events. Life is unpredictable, and before blogging, a financial emergency – like a medical bill or a car repair – could have completely thrown off my budget. Now, we have an emergency fund and investments for the future. Having this security brings peace of mind, which is something I will never take for granted.

This financial stability also means we have more freedom to dream about what comes next. We’re not tied to a traditional retirement timeline. If we ever decide to slow down or shift our focus, we can do so on our own terms.

4. It allows me to have a work schedule that fits family life

Before blogging, I worked long hours in an office. My time was set by someone else’s schedule, and I felt like I wasn’t in control of my own life.

I know this is “normal” life and so many people told me to just accept it when I was younger, but I’m glad I followed my gut and pursued the side business that I had built.

Thanks to blogging and working from home with a flexible schedule, I can spend more time with my family.

Because I set my own hours, I can be fully present for my family. I can spend time with my daughter without worrying about asking for time off, and I never have to miss important moments. The flexibility of blogging has given me something money can’t buy – time with the people I love.

So, instead of planning my life around work, I now plan my work around my life.

I feel extremely lucky to have the most amazing schedule ever while raising a child.

I typically work just 10-20 hours per week (some weeks I work much more, and some weeks I work much less), which allows me to spend more time doing the things that matter to me – whether that’s traveling, being with family, or simply enjoying everyday life.

Before blogging, I thought that a successful career meant working over 40 hours a week at a traditional job. But now, I know that success is about building a life you love – and for me, that means working on my own schedule.

Note: That said, I want to be clear that I know this isn’t the reality for every parent, and I’m not judging anyone who works a traditional job or has a different situation. Every family is different, and I know that every parent is doing their best. I feel incredibly lucky that blogging has allowed me to design a schedule that works for us, and I know that many parents would love this kind of flexibility if it were available to them. My goal in sharing my story is to show my story – not to say that one path is better than another.

5. It gave me the flexibility to travel and explore

One of the biggest reasons I started working for myself was to have the freedom to travel. Once my blog income became consistent, my husband and I decided to take full advantage of it.

For several years, we lived and traveled full-time in an RV, exploring the U.S. at our own pace and popping into random towns all over and exploring until we wanted to move on to the next place.

Later, we moved onto a sailboat, traveling by sea and experiencing new adventures.

And when my daughter had just turned one year old (literally just a few days after her birthday!), we went on an around the world cruise to 25 countries.

The ability to work from anywhere has allowed us to see places we never thought we’d visit, all while earning money from a laptop.

Recommended reading: How To Make Money With A Laptop

6. My blog lets me help others

One of the most rewarding things about blogging is knowing that my blog posts and email newsletters have helped others.

Nearly every day, I hear from readers who have used my advice to improve their finances, travel more, start their dream job, and more. Some have paid off debt they once thought was impossible, while others have built side hustles that completely changed their lives.

When I started Making Sense of Cents, I had no idea it would turn into something that could positively impact so many people. I was simply sharing my personal journey of paying off student loans and learning how to make extra money.

But over the years, my blog has become a place where people can learn how to change their lives, and I’m so happy to have been able to build this.

My Challenges and Lessons Learned

While blogging has given me financial freedom, flexibility, and so many amazing experiences, it hasn’t always been easy. It is still a business after all.

Running a blog as a full-time business comes with its own set of challenges, and over the years, I’ve learned many important lessons.

1. Finding work-life balance

One of the biggest struggles I faced early on (okay, to be honest, I definitely still do!) was learning how to separate work from personal life.

When you work from home, the lines between work time and family time can easily blur. In the beginning, I found myself constantly thinking about my blog – whether I was responding to emails late at night, checking my website at random times, fixing things that may have broken on my site, or brainstorming business ideas instead of being fully present in the moment.

At first, I told myself that this was required to build a successful business. After all, when you’re self-employed, there’s always more work to do. But over time, I realized that if I didn’t create boundaries, I would burn out.

Here’s how I’ve learned to create a better work-life balance:

• Setting a work schedule – I try not to work at random hours. I try to set dedicated time blocks for work, which helps me focus when I’m working and disconnect when I’m done. I am not perfect with this, though. In fact, I am writing this article at 10:10 p.m. on a Monday right now. But, it is something that I actively try to work on.
• Prioritizing time off – I used to feel guilty about taking breaks, but now I understand that stepping away actually makes me more productive and creative.
• When the weather is good, I enjoy it – It’s really as simple as that. If the weather is good, I usually do not work, or at least not for very long. These are the days that I go hiking, spend time on or in the water, or simply get out of the house with my family.

Work-life balance is something I still work on, but setting better boundaries has made a big difference in allowing me to truly enjoy my time with my family.

2. Dealing with uncertainty in online business

Unlike a normal job with a biweekly paycheck, running a business can sometimes have its ups and downs.

For my business, this is because the internet is changing all the time – search engine algorithms update, social media platforms shift, and more.

There have been moments where I saw drops in website traffic due to algorithm updates or changes in how platforms work. Or, maybe one of my income streams drops.

Here’s how I’ve handled uncertainty in blogging:

• Diversifying my income – I don’t rely on just one revenue stream. Instead, I earn money through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, digital products, display ads, and my courses. This way, if one income source slows down, I still have others to rely on.
• I’m always learning – I’ve learned that reaching long-term success means that I’m willing to grow. I regularly update my blog posts, test new strategies, and take courses whenever I can.
• Building an email list – Unlike social media or search engines (which I don’t own), my email list is something I control. Having direct access to my audience helps me stay connected no matter what changes happen online.
• I save as much as I can – Saving as much money as I realistically can over the years has helped me greatly because I know that even if my income were to go down, I have enough money saved.

3. Overcoming fear of failure

One of the most common emails I receive is from readers who are afraid to start a business idea, afraid to pursue their dream job, afraid to travel more, and so on and so on. It is such a common theme in the emails that I receive. You just have to take the leap! Yes, make a plan, but find ways to take the leap so that you can stop wondering.

When I first started blogging, I had no idea what I was doing. I questioned whether anyone would even read my content, and I constantly compared myself to more popular bloggers. I started my blog anonymously for many reasons (because of work and because I was sharing a lot of private money details), but one of the reasons is because I was afraid of failure and I didn’t know what people would think of me – ha!

Even after I started making money, I was still unsure of what I was doing. I worried about whether I could keep making income, whether my site would continue to grow, and whether I was making the right decisions for my business.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

• You don’t have to be an expert to start. Most successful business owners (including me!) started with zero experience. You learn as you go, and everyone has to start somewhere.
• Making mistakes is sometimes better than waiting for perfection. If I had waited until I had “everything figured out,” I never would have started my blog at all.
• Success isn’t about never failing – it’s about learning from your failures. Every mistake has taught me something helpful that has helped me grow (okay, maybe nearly every mistake – some mistakes of course are just bad and annoying).

If you’ve ever hesitated to start something because of fear of failure, I encourage you to push past it. The biggest mistake is never starting at all.

How Blogging Changed My Family’s Life Forever – Summary

I hope you enjoyed my article about how blogging changed my family’s life forever.

I feel extremely lucky for the life that I get to live. Like, very, very lucky.

Blogging has allowed my family to make a great income, travel the world, have a flexible schedule, and live life on our own terms.

Yes, there have been challenges (and there always will be!), but I wouldn’t trade this life for anything. The rewards – both financially and personally – have been life-changing.

You can learn how to start a blog in my free How To Start A Blog Course. In this free course, I show you how to create a blog, from the technical side to earning your first income and attracting readers. Over 80,000 people have taken it!

What is your dream career? Share in the comments below!

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