Over the years, I have tried many side hustles to make some extra money. In my blog, I’m documenting all I’ve been working on. For myself, and also to share with whoever is interested in what I do and what my experiences are. I have earned an extra income consistently since my first side hustle, and I hope to inspire many people around the world to also start a side hustle. I hope to inspire you, too!
If you’re new to this blog, you may be wondering how I make money online from home, what this blog income is about, and why I publish this report. I initially made and sold clothing, and then I transitioned to digital products. As a digital side hustler, I started with $0 in income and made my first $97 sale in a few months.
Some side hustles were more profitable than others, but all were fun, and I’ve learned so much over the years. In this article, I’ll show you what I’ve accomplished so far as a beginner side hustler who just wouldn’t give up. So, here is the extra income I’m earning from my side jobs. I included all of the income I made in the last months, except for what I made at my day job.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This is not financial advice. Please read my disclaimer for more info.
Why I share this private information
If you’re new to this blog, you may be wondering how I make money online from home, and why I would share this private information with the public. That is what this blog is about, and why I publish this report. When I stumbled upon blog posts like these in the past, I was skeptical about the idea of making money online and thought it sounded too good to be true. But I kept an open mind and tried it out myself, which I’m very glad I did!
I was debating whether or not I should share this blog income report because I was afraid of coming off as bragging or lying, or even both! I don’t want to come off as either because my sincere hope is to help others who want to earn extra money.
As you can see, I’m definitely not making a lot compared to others who are pulling in over $1,000 every month. But despite how little or much I make, I believe that everyone can learn from each other. Again, I’m not making thousands of dollars like other side hustlers, but I am learning a ton from them!
Making money with side hustles
In this article, I will show you my income from the last few months, and talk about what I did in the past years. You’ll know that I’m not lying or exaggerating when you read through my blogging archive. I’m a very emotional and highly sensitive person, so I wrote things that truly reflect how I felt and what I did as a beginner.
I would love to say “I made 6-figures,” but that’s simply not the truth. Not yet anyway 😉 The truth is, I’m nowhere near that amount of money. This is the real, raw, and sometimes a bit embarrassing truth. I’m not the best, or an expert, I’m just a mom trying to make a little extra money from home. It’s real and honest. I think every beginner wants to make a million dollars, but don’t forget we all start at the bottom, with no customers and no sales. You just need to start.
How I made my first money online
You need to know I still consider myself at the beginning of my journey, even now. Always trying new things when something doesn’t work for me, I keep going. I’m always positive and enthusiastic, and I will find a way to try something new and see how that goes. Have I made mistakes? Yes! Have I managed to make money? Yes!! Always remember: when you don’t quit, you can’t lose!
Not everyone is able to make a lot of money, and some people make NO money at all. The unicorns become millionaires, but for most of us, that will always be a dream. This article is a true reflection of the journey and progress of a brand new side hustler, me, who started with no experience. I think it’s important to stay realistic and not aim for 10K months as a beginner. When you’re just starting, every $10 or $100 you earn feels amazing.
So let’s see what’s truly possible as a beginner. I’ll show you how I sold different types of products, how I made them, and how I sold them, including screenshots of the sales.
What to sell?
When you sell physical items, you need to store them somewhere (in your house), just like the shipping material (boxes, wrappings, little gifts), pack it nicely, and write a personal Thank You card. You need to physically bring it to the post office to ship it to your customer. Then hope it arrives in good shape, and hope they like it and don’t send it back. Otherwise, you will have to process the returns and have additional administrative work.
I started out by selling physical items. There is a lot of work to be done, and there is always some risk because things can go wrong. And during vacations, you might have to close your shop, or you have to ask someone else to take over your business. That made me think, what can I sell that makes everything a bit easier?
Anyway, let’s take a look at my first income report, and I’ll show you how I made money online as a beginner!
Digital Marketing
That’s when I discovered I needed something digital that people can download, so there is no stock or shipping involved. I bought an eBook, and thought that would be great for me too! But, where to start? What eBook would I make? Can I even do this? I could see myself selling my products 24/7, while I’m sleeping, or while I’m on vacation. Digital products would make my business a lot easier!
That’s when I started to look for opportunities in the digital world and found out about digital marketing. It was booming a year ago, and it looked like a way to make good money. I had to give it a try! So, I started by buying an online course, and another one, and another one. Going through them and learning from the courses felt so good. I loved doing all the lessons and watching the videos! One course would have been enough, but I wanted to learn from them all.
The courses taught me how to start selling (anything you want) online, find the best products, or how to create them, set up the shop and systems, and automate and scale your business. All these women who make so much money, and they are sharing their skills with me! I joined multiple communities with (mostly) women who are just as enthusiastic as me. We are truly supportive of each other because we are all here with the same goal: to build and grow an online business. I found my “new thing”!
My first steps in digital marketing
I was a complete rookie; I had no experience online at all. But I immediately liked it, this is perfect for me. You know, I’m an extremely introverted and quiet person. I prefer being in the background, so creating things from the comfort of my home feels safe. You could say that I’m desperate enough to save as much money as I can and look for different ways to earn a full-time income online. I know that I want to work on my own terms.
Just like you, I was looking for ways to earn extra cash so I could increase my savings and hopefully quit my job one day. I just thought of giving it a shot to see if I could earn an extra $100 a month. I was already working on other side hustles to distract me from going nuts at work. That’s why I started with digital marketing.
Digital marketing for beginners
I learned all I needed to know from the courses I bought. The step-by-step videos helped me to set up my shop, what shop I needed, and what to sell. I learned how to create my own digital product, but also how to buy and resell digital products that are already made. These done-for-you digital products come with Master Resell Rights (MRR). You can resell them as your own, and keep 100% of the profits. So that’s what I started with. The easy way 😉
I started with a course on how to start from scratch, and after that, a course on how to build my brand. I did not grow up with social media, so that was something I also had to learn. Instagram is not just for fun; you are able to monetize it! Pinterest is not just collecting beautiful images, but also a real money maker. And I discovered how you can monetize your social media or a blog with affiliate marketing. OMG, I should have known this information years ago! That’s why I like it so much, learning new things. This blog is my way to have fun testing, experimenting, and sharing live with you on what worked and what didn’t work.
My digital marketing income
The first thing I did, was starting a link-in-bio shop, to selling digital items like online courses, a masterclass, and guides with resell rights. It was a lot of work, it was all new to me, but I was so hopeful and worked many hours. Knowing it might take a while before I made my first sale, because I knew that some people never made a sale, some in their first week. So I was over the moon that I had my first sale after three months! To be honest, it was three long months, but I did it!
The first digital product I sold was a money mindset masterclass. I learned how to launch a new product in my shop. I followed the steps from the course, and it worked! Believe me when I say that the first sale you make gives you wings! Can you imagine how I felt after earning my first $97 in May?!
I sold my first digital products!
Soon after, I sold my first course, and again and again, and eBooks and guides. These resellable digital products were lifesavers. They made it possible for me to have a good and proven product in my store, without having to create it myself. The best part is, after you have some experience, you can start creating your own course, eBook, masterclass, and templates. Now you know how it works and what your community is looking for, so you will have customers who actually want to buy your product.
It’s okay to start the easy way, like I did, because it is overwhelming enough when you start an online business when you have absolutely NO experience whatsoever. There is a lot you need to learn. In the beginning, it is a lot of work, but it gets easier later on when you get the hang of it and relax a little.
Here is a screenshot of my Stan Store, my link-in-bio shop, for the first half year. As you can see, nothing happens in the first 3 months, and then boom! The first sale! I made $1,515 after that in the next 3 months. I am so happy with that result!
Beacons shop
I started with a Stan Store, and although Stan Store is very good, it’s also expensive for beginners. I like this kind of link-in-bio shop; it’s easy to add the link to your social media account (in your bio). People see a clear and well-organized shop. So I searched for a cheaper one.
I just found another great link-in-bio shop: Beacons.ai. This one is forever for free; they only take a little of your sales, just like Etsy does. Meaning, if you don’t sell a lot, you also don’t pay anything. Perfect for beginners! This way, I never have to worry if I make enough sales, and it works just as well as the Stan Store. For me, the costs are decisive in choosing Beacons. This means I will stop with Stan soon and go fully to Beacons.
Here’s a screenshot where you can see my first sales via my Beacons link-in-bio shop. I only just started with this shop a month ago, and already sold 3x a mini course that is on sale right now. This shop has made me $118 so far, in a short period of time (a few weeks).
Digital products
Like I mentioned, I started reselling the same courses I learned from. This is how it works: you buy a course, learn from it, and then start selling your own product (which you learn to make in the course) or resell the course itself. That is possible with Master Resell Rights (MRR), where you get to keep 100% of the profits every time you sell the course, or with affiliate courses. With affiliate courses, you earn 85% (or another percentage, depending on the course) every time you sell the course. Both offer a great way to earn money on something you don’t have to create yourself.
You have to adapt to the market, and I think that’s why a few digital marketing courses made the switch from MRR to affiliate. With MRR, you get to keep 100% of the profits with every sale you make, over and over again. With an affiliate product, you get to keep, for example, 85% of the profits every time you resell it. MRR is perfect for eBooks, guides, and templates. But for the ‘big’ courses with an active community, daily communication, regular updates in modules and videos, and live Q&A’s it’s not sustainable. So they all switched to affiliate, to keep their course top quality and up to date.
Well, I still wanted to create my own eBook, so I made my first guide, and done-for-you (DFY) templates people can use and resell. I started an Etsy shop for digital products, because I found out that was the perfect way to sell affordable items worldwide. Not just my little shop on Instagram, but a platform with over 400 million monthly visitors, looking to buy something. I would be able to find customers there!
Selling digital products on Etsy
I had my first sale in just a few days! Only $5, but it felt great! I soon started to sell every day, multiple times a day. It feels so good when you start making sales daily. I could sell the same guide in my own shop for 4x the price, but it would be more work and fewer sales. That’s why I started to appreciate Etsy. No matter what side hustle you start, Etsy is a great place to start.
I sell my own created eBooks and MRR products. Digital products are always changing. What’s hot and popular now will be old news next year or next month. Etsy is not in the digital courses, because it’s a place where it’s hard to stand out from the competition. You can make a lot of money when you have your own website and shop, so you can one day quit your 9-5 job.
I tried Etsy, and made enough money to pay for my vacation! I bought a ticket to Thailand, and my Etsy shop paid for it! Here is a screenshot of my Etsy income. As you can see, I made 1,211.87 Euro, which is equal to $1,423. That’s over a period of about 6 months.
Selling Sustainable Clothing For Women
The first side hustle that made me real money was my own clothing brand: “New Angels”. I always wanted to do that! Design clothing for women, made from sustainable fabrics like hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton. These soft fabrics are better for the planet, better for you, and it’s just who I am: I love natural and organic living.
Sustainable clothes were my niche, and I started designing and manufacturing the first collection for the summer and the second collection for the winter. I also started a blog to attract customers to my website, and a second blog to talk more about ethical fashion. My launch in 2020 was great, but after 2 years, the fun was over. With a lack of sales, not really knowing how to build my brand, too scared to pay for advertisement, no more ideas, I decided enough was enough. My sales covered the costs I had made, but there was hardly any profit.
I wasn’t worth it anymore
Also, after my divorce, I had been happily single for 8 years, with all the time in the world. And around this time, I was in a loving relationship again, and I wanted to spend more time with my love. So, I didn’t have much time for my two blogs and my fashion brand anymore.
At that time, I wanted to take a break from my side hustle. Posting on Instagram and Facebook every day was exhausting, and I felt it took all my time to maintain these accounts. When I looked at my business costs I realized it just wasn’t worth it anymore. I no longer wanted to work on my brand every day, with just very few sales, and not enough time for fun things.
So, I decided to stop with social media, take down my website and both blogs, and sell the remaining stock items on Etsy.com. No more pressure! I felt so free!
Restarting my clothing brand and fashion blog
One year after I had stopped, I realized that I had made a huge mistake! You see, I liked having a fashion brand, as small as it was. It was mine and people used to ask me about it a lot, even after years. I heard things like “I love the hemp shirts you make!” and that made me feel good. Yes, those are my designs, my very own fashion brand, I did that!
Also, my website and blog were growing like crazy at the end. But because I wanted to stop, I pulled the plug anyway… This was at the peak of my pageviews, around 1000 pageviews a month. It skyrocketed after about 2 years, even then, when I had no idea how to grow a blog. Google was good to me, and Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest were also helpful, but more for fun and connection with “my” people.
I threw it all away because I was not making enough money, or better said: not KNOWING how to make money, how to use social media, how to monetize a blog, and not using social media and Pinterest the right way. Knowing what I know NOW, I never should have quit! I was SO close to making more money! But unfortunately, I didn’t know that at that time.
Now, after taking multiple courses, I know about digital marketing, growing a social media account, the goldmine Pinterest can be, and how to monetize a blog. So I decided to give it another try. Start from scratch. Again. With a new domain name (that still hurts a little, my old domain name was gone!), one blog, using only my Etsy shop, and starting with social media in a different way. Using all the new skills I learned.
Income from my fashion brand
Now I’m selling the last items on Etsy, and started blogging again. This blog is still very new and needs to grow, but now I will give it all the time it needs! I’m only using Facebook and Pinterest, because that’s where most of the pageviews come from for New Angels. I hope Google will also help me again after a year of blogging. We’ll see. My plan is to also monetize the blog this time by using affiliate links and advertisements.
This is the income I have from my Etsy shop, after my restart. My income from Etsy is a total € 1,117.23, which is equal to $1,312Â
Full disclosure: it’s now almost 6 months after my restart. In the beginning, I did not sell a lot on Etsy. I sold most of my products via my New Angels website. Unfortunately I don’t have a screenshot from those sales because that website no longer exists. In this screenshot, you see sales from the last 2 years.
You could say I made about $1,000 last year on Etsy.
Blogging
I started this blog to take you with me on my journey to making extra money online, and work toward passive income so I can live a life with more freedom. This blog article is the first time I’m showing you my income so far. I want to write income reports more often, so you can see what I did, what worked for me, and how much I made as a beginner.
For now, I don’t have to work 5 days a week to be able to support myself. I live alone with my kids, in a house that I own. Paid for with my part-time day job and extra income from my side hustles. I want to earn more with my side hustles, for more freedom, more vacation, and more money to support my children. Make life a little bit easier for everyone, more fun, more relaxed.
Blogging can make a huge difference. I never should have stopped the first two blogs I had. I didn’t know I could monetize them, and it would be SO much easier with a 2-year-old blog. Now I have to start from scratch again, and it needs time. If I’m lucky, this time I might have an income from my blog after one year of blogging. But it’s best to keep in mind that it could take 2 years, even with the skills I’ve learned.
My blog income
So far, there is no income I can show you from this relatively new blog. I told you it was gonna be real, and this is what it is. Maybe there is income, because people could have bought something on Etsy or in my Beacons shop. That’s hard to trace. What is measurable are affiliate platforms and advertisements. And those aren’t making money right now. I’m still working on this.
My blog should be profitable in the next few months, but it might take a year. I’m patient. And again: I just started. Its okay that I made mistakes, I’m learning as I’m going, and I could have made much more money by now if I had only known how to monetize my blog the first time. I still feel bad for pulling the plug back then, I never should have done that. But here I am, starting over, and not quitting this time. Even if it takes me 1-2 years.
My blog is already growing, with 3,624 views so far, after just 4-5 months. You can see it in the screenshot below. What I’m most proud of is that this blog already has so many views, and that’s about the same number I had on my old blog after 2 years of blogging. Two years! That means this blog is growing way faster. To me, this is proof that I’m on the right track, and my strategy works.
If you’re interested in learning how to start a blog and make money, check out my full guide for beginners here. Now that I know how to make money blogging, I know it will work this time. “Learn from your mistakes”, right? And this way, you don’t have to make the same mistakes I did.
My total income from my side hustles
So here it is. As you can see, I made over $4,368 in the last 12 months, and that’s about $4,056 was earned in the last 3-6 months. For me, that’s a lot of extra money!
My fashion sales from before that time are not included, nor is my income from my day job. I’m very positive about the future! I have all this knowledge now, and I’m building and growing, while doing what I love to do. I love blogging, and I love working on Canva and other creative apps. My partner is very supportive, and we love to travel. Working online is like a dream come true because we can travel around the world and work from anywhere. As long as we have an internet connection, we can work. We don’t have to work at home, we can work from a tropical island too 😉
Earning an extra $4,368 means a lot to me! I’m very happy with it. It makes it possible for me to make my life a little bit easier. If I had done nothing, I wouldn’t have any extra money. If I had been more consistent the first time and had more knowledge from these valuable courses, I know I would have made a lot more money. But again, I’m taking this slowly and won’t be comparing myself to others who are making it big on every platform. I believe you can do it when you stay focused on YOUR own goals.
Start here
You’ve got to start somewhere. And this is my beginning. What would an extra $100 or $1,000 mean for you? Are you willing to start with a side hustle? If you don’t know where to begin, these articles might be an inspiration:
– This Is How You Make Money Blogging
– Blogging Tools to Create a Profitable Blog
– How To Create A Self-Hosted WordPress Blog
– How To Make Money On Pinterest
– How To Start Selling on Etsy
– Best Sites That Pay You To Test Websites
I you’re interested, here are the links to my shops. On Etsy, you can see the sales and read the reviews. Feel free to add my shop to your favorites:
–Â New Angels clothing on Etsy
– Digital eBooks, guides, and templates with MRR resell rights on Etsy
– Digital marketing courses on Beacons
“A winner is just a loser who tried one more time”
