Can You Make Money Blogging About Your Life? 6 Ways To Monetize Your Personal Stories

You can make money blogging about your life if you choose the right niche, monetization method, target audience, and content type. Beginner bloggers earn $200 to $2,000 per month. Experienced writers make $5,000 to over $10,000 monthly. According to a Semrush study, bloggers earn $8,000 monthly on average.

Personal bloggers venturing into food and finance make an average of $9,100 to $9,169 monthly (RankIQ). Moreover, travel and lifestyle blogs generate $5,000 to $5,174 per month.

Sophia Lee scaled her income to $100,000 monthly by blogging about her personal experiences and passion for interior design. She earned $600 from her first-ever blog post in August 2017. In 2018, she made $788 with ads from Pinterest. A year later, Sophia generated $12,379 from affiliate marketing. Now, she makes money from brand deals, digital product sales, sponsorships, and online courses.

This Redditor earns $1,800 monthly by posting blogs about his web development journey. He recommends creating relevant, valuable content to scale your blogging income continuously. Maintaining a regular publishing schedule is also important for attracting loyal readers.

A personal life blog is a good way to generate passive income since 80% of internet users read blogs regularly (Impact). However, blogging requires consistency in content creation, quality, and publishing. Productive Blogging reveals that bloggers with 50-99 posts earned 78.8% less in 2025. I’ve been in this industry since 2014, so I know how competitive it is now compared to previous years. You can easily lose a high-value audience if you focus on producing low-quality content.

This article dives into the different methods of monetizing a personal blog, such as affiliate marketing. We explore the most profitable blogging platforms, like WordPress and Substack. We also feature Michelle Schroeder-Gardner’s success story as a 6-figure blogger in the personal finance niche.

1. Running Ads on Your Personal Blog ($2 to $39 RPM)

Selling ad space generates an average of $2 to $6 RPM (revenue per 1,000 page views). It is the fastest way to make money blogging if you have a solid audience base. Established blogs like Fat Stacks make $14 to $39 RPM. If you drive 1K page views daily, your potential income ranges from $60 to $1,170 monthly. However, your RPM rate depends on your advertiser’s budget.

Ad monetization involves selling ad space on your personal blog to brands offering relevant products. You can do this through direct client deals or ad networks like Google AdSense, PropellerAds, and Mediavine. Web banners and banner ads are the most common advertising formats for blogs.

One Redditor earned $5,000 RPM for 4 million page views. Another Reddit user in the “mom blog” niche makes $3,000 monthly ad revenue for 85,000 site sessions. You can generate a good RPM through proper keyword research using Ahrefs or Semrush.

2. Promoting Affiliate Marketing Links on Your Blog Posts ($149 RPM or $2,500 to $4,166 Monthly)

Bloggers make around $2,500 to $4,166 monthly promoting affiliate marketing products and services (Ahrefs). Authority Hacker’s study also reveals that the average affiliate website RPM is $149.76. Affiliate marketing is the best way to monetize a blog that features multiple home and personal products.

This monetization method entails partnering with companies and promoting their affiliate products. You can also use affiliate networks like Amazon Associates or Awin to find relevant products faster. Then, you embed affiliate links into your blog posts. For example, you can feature common household items like baking or kitchen utensils while discussing how you prepare everyday meals. You earn around 1% to 10% in affiliate commission on average.

This Redditor earns $500 to $1,000 monthly by promoting affiliate links of digital products. You can succeed in affiliate marketing monetization by posting consistently.

3. Creating Sponsored Posts ($50 to $1,000 per Post)

Sponsored content on personal life blogs drives $50 to $1,000 per post. This depends on your page traffic, audience engagement, and content format. According to Ryan Robinson, low-traffic blogs start with $50 per sponsored post. Sites with over 100K monthly traffic earn $500+ per post.

Sponsored posts are brand-paid content that bloggers create to promote products and services. Businesses often provide a content brief on the post’s tone, flow, and marketing style. You receive a fixed fee per post or a commission percentage per product sale. Bloggers can join sponsored post networks such as Adsy or Blog Meets Brand.

This Redditor recommends collaborating with businesses that are relevant to your blog niche. You can start by mentioning popular brands in your listicles. This way, you attract potential brand sponsors when they see backlinks and mentions.

Brynn Burger made $1,300 from sponsored posts in her first two months of blogging about motherhood. She sent out 54 articles as sample proposals, with 22 articles approved as sponsored content. Brynn also grew her page views to over 15,000 per month.

4. Offering Subscriptions for Exclusive Blog Content ($100 to $10,000 Monthly)

You can generate around $100 to over $10,000 monthly by offering exclusive blog content through subscriptions. Gillian Perkins made $9,900 within 6 months of launching her membership site. She secured 300 subscribers who are paying $33 monthly for business-related content based on her experience. Bloggers with a bigger audience base can generate over $10,000 per month.

Monetizing blogs through subscriptions entails creating exclusive content for audiences willing to pay monthly. You can provide private access to blog posts, information sheets, in-depth reviews, and more. Some popular subscription platforms bloggers use are Patreon, Medium, and Substack. Say you’re running a blog on your daily life as a floral designer. You can offer basic to advanced flower arrangement guides.

One Redditor mentioned that writing on Medium generates $5,000 to over $10,000 monthly. These bloggers secure more subscribers because they have 50K to 100K followers. You can make more on the platform by posting multiple times daily or increasing your follower count.

5. Selling Digital Products ($365.94 RPM or $100 to $2,000 Monthly)

Bloggers selling digital products make $100 to $2,000 monthly. This depends on the product type, distribution channel, and target audience. According to Productive Blogging, the average RPM for selling digital products is $365.94. This has the highest RPM among all blog monetization methods. Some best-selling digital products include online courses, ebooks, and digital templates.

Digital product sales involve creating digital goods and marketing them online. You don’t need high traffic, but this method requires a loyal audience base. Most bloggers use online marketplaces like Etsy, Gumroad, and Shopify because of their built-in traffic. If you’re a creative professional who writes “a day in a life” type of blogs, you can easily promote digital products like fonts and icons.

Erin Mooney makes $5,000 to $8,000 monthly with ebooks about selling handmade items. She used her blog (Made Urban) to attract relevant audiences. Now, Erin has sold around 5,000 copies of her digital books.

6. Providing Coaching Services on Your Expertise ($2,500 to $8,300 Monthly)

Many bloggers offer life coaching services that drive $2,500 to $8,300 monthly on average (Universal Coach Institute). Well-known bloggers like Joe Wicks make over $41,000 per month. You can scale your potential monthly income by creating advanced coaching classes, tiered programs, or mentoring bundles. Most online coaches use Teachable, Kajabi, and Thinkific.

Providing coaching services entails developing curricula and lesson plans for readers who are deeply interested in your blog topic. Bloggers show their expertise and attract clients by making “How-To” posts, checklists, or step-by-step guides. For example, you can create a mentorship program about making and selling itineraries or travel guides if your content hovers around travel blogging.

Milena Nguyen earns $8,000 monthly teaching aspiring mentors how to set up their online coaching business. She spent 3 months blogging before launching her coaching service. Milena used her blog to write highly engaging posts that improved her brand presence and revenue to 6 figures.

Top Reviews From People Earning Through Blogging About Their Daily Life

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner runs a personal finance blog called Making Sense of Cents. She makes over $125,000 monthly through affiliate marketing, advertising, and product sponsorships. Michelle also started offering online courses in July 2016.

Abby Lawson of Just a Girl and Her Blog earns over $41,000 monthly. In her blog, she discusses decorating, organizing, and productivity habits. Abby generates her income from sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and selling ebooks and planners.

Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom drive over $95,000 in blog revenue from ads, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, and digital product sales. Their blog, Pinch of Yum, dives into food stories, recipes, and their personal journey together.

What Profitable Platforms Can You Use To Blog About Your Life?

• WordPress - This blogging platform generates $50 to $200 monthly on average for every 1K to 15K pageviews. This depends on your content quality, niche, and monetization method. Kevin Shan drives only $60.46 for 19K pageviews using Ezoic. However, some bloggers make more with ad networks and site optimization. One Redditor earns $100 monthly for 10K pageviews using Aditto. A Quora user makes $2,000 to $20,000 monthly with good SEO.

• Wix - Blogging on Wix drives $500 to over $5,000 monthly. According to Kendall Breitman, you must get Wix Premium to earn money. Topics like marketing, business & finance, and health generate $500 to $2,000 monthly. Ricky Kesler’s Income School blogs make $1,500 to $8,600 monthly with ad revenue, affiliate commissions, and info product sales. Sponsored content yields around $50 to $5,000 monthly (Truehost).
• Medium - Top bloggers on this platform earn $1,000 to $1,500 monthly (Aram Donyaee). However, some individuals like Fildy Bejaoui only make $10 to $98 per 1K pageviews. One Redditor drove $5,000 in total income from blogging on Medium for 2-3 years. Another individual revealed making $10 to $20 per 100 reads, maxing out at $1,000 monthly. It’s best to use multiple blogging platforms since Medium offers inconsistent revenue nowadays because of high competition.

Is It Hard To Make a Living Blogging About Your Life?

Yes, it’s hard to make a living blogging about your life because you’re competing against 31.6% of blogs online (Web Tribunal). According to CNBC’s report, the national median income for living comfortably in the U.S. is $89,461 yearly or $7,455 monthly. It’s achievable for 25% of experienced bloggers earning over $8,300 monthly (Semrush). However, it’s challenging for beginners making $200 to $2,000 per month.

TechJury reveals that 33% of bloggers don’t generate revenue with their blogs. Earning a decent amount monthly requires posting multiple times a week. Publishing at least 16x monthly increases your web traffic by 2x. But, posting over 20x monthly generates 5x more traffic. You also need SEO and monetization skills to boost pageviews and earn a higher income.

What Personal Life Blog Topics Do People Pay for?

• Personal finance - This talks about budgeting, investment, and banking. According to RankIQ, this niche generates $9,100 monthly on average. Some personal finance blogs like DollarSprout and Millennial Money Man earn over $83,000 monthly.
• Food - This topic drives an average of $9,169 monthly (Telugu Munch). Well-known bloggers such as Jennifer and Trevor Debth and Tiffy Chen make over $45,000 monthly. This niche covers food experiments, personal recipes, and popular food stops.
• Lifestyle, parenting, and motherhood - These are some of the best blog topics for making money online, with bloggers making $5,100 to $5,200 monthly on average. Blogs like What Moms Love and Just a Girl and Her Blog with a huge readership generate $30,000+ per month.
• Traveling - This niche covers top destinations, personal travel stories, and travel hacks. It generates an average of $5,000 monthly. Popular travel blogs such as Two Wandering Soles and Goats on the Road earn over $25,000 per month.

Do People Still Read Blogs About Someone’s Life?

Yes, people still read blogs about someone’s life, especially the most relatable ones. In fact, 83% of online users read blogs regularly (Master Blogging). A HubSpot study also found that 62.2% of readers visit life blogs to learn about other people’s experiences with daily struggles, hobbies, and passions. Many individuals prefer life blogs over commercial ones because of their authenticity and unique perspectives.

Why Local Lead Gen Blogs Drive Better Traffic and Income Than Life Blogs

Local lead generation websites drive better traffic and revenue than personal life blogs because they:

• target ready-to-buy audiences. These sites attract high-intent customers needing local services. Alternatively, blogs need robust marketing initiatives like paid ads to establish an online presence and capture their target market.
• offer better business value. Local business owners will spend money on advertising that secures more conversions. Startup blogs don’t generate high pageviews because of low traffic.
• have higher monetization potential. Beginner bloggers make $200 to $2,000 monthly. With local lead gen, you earn $500 to $2,000 per site. You can scale this to over $50,000 monthly like I’ve been doing since 2014. You only spend around 4 to 8 hours on making a single website.

Blogging about your life can be profitable for individuals with a massive following. You can easily drive traffic to your site by posting on social media. If you’re just starting a blog, you need considerable time and effort to create high-quality, relevant content. With local lead generation, attracting the right market is effortless since you focus on in-demand local services. All you need is to determine profitable, long-term niches and create a site for each one. Then, use SEO to organically rank your websites on search engines like Google. You’ll start generating high-value leads once you rank high on the SERPs.

You can make over $52,000 per month in passive income by using local lead gen to start your blogging journey.