It’s hard spending your hard-earned money, especially when there isn’t very much of it. Even tougher is when you might be a stay-at-home parent. I won’t deny that working in the home all day is a tough and grossly underpaid job. It certainly contributes to the household but when it doesn’t contribute to the household bank account, it’s even hard to spend money. On yourself, that is.
While moms and dads aren’t the only bloggers out there, many have founded blogs as a way to connect with each other and with brands that might be relevant to their family and their household. So is blogging simply a hobby for them?
This is the age-old question I often ask novice and expert bloggers alike. Is blogging simply a hobby for you? The answer is varied. To some, it is a clearly defined revenue stream. To others, it is supplemental income to the house hold (or fun money as some people put it). Some people are purists. They write simply for the love of writing.
Most of the time, I get one of these answers:
“I’d love to make money on my blog but I don’t know how.”
or
“I’d love to make enough money on my blog to quit my day job but I don’t see that happening.”
Totally valid responses. But what if my next question was:
“How much is it worth to you?”
Have you ever heard the phrase that “sometimes you have to spend money to make money”? I believe in that mantra. However, I am also extremely cheap, or as my husband puts it, “frugal.” I don’t want to spend money unless I’m rolling in it (or there’s a sale on some really great shoes).
In fact, in the over 2 years since I’ve been blogging, I’ve invested very little into my blogging: web hosting, web design (that I did myself), business cards (that I designed myself), and travel to and from events.
Only this year have I truly accepted that I’m willing to make an investment to move my blogging forward. For example:
- I upgraded to a premium membership for Picnik.com (yes, it pains me to make a $25 annual investment)
- I bought a MacBook Pro because I needed a machine that could handle all my programs (design, video, etc.)
- I plan to buy QuickBooks so I can properly track my income and expenses related to blogging
- I’m set to attend three blogging conferences this year
It also helps that my husband has a nice job with a salary and benefits and he’s patient with how much time I’ve invested in the world of social media and blogging. But ultimately, I think there comes a point where it might take some money to get closer to my goals.
Here’s where you come in (no, I’m not trying to sell you anything although after reading this post I realize it comes off a little like a sales pitch).
I know a lot of people with a lot of knowledge that want to reach out to the blogging community (myself included). But so many people aren’t clear on where they are with their blogging and how much of an investment they’re willing to make.
I’d love your feedback on how you might want to spend your blogging dollars to move you closer to your goals. I have a quick (and I mean, quick) 7 question survey. Your anonymous responses will help me shape some programs I have in the works for 2012.
In addition, I’d love for you to leave your general comments below including how much you’d be willing to invest in your blog and where you would get the most bang for your buck. And please share with your blogging friends! The more feedback, the better.
I’ll be sure to share the results in an upcoming post.
