How To Start a Finance Blog and Make Money

Do you want to learn? How to Start a Personal Finance Blog?

Starting a personal finance blog changed my life. When I started Making Sense of Cents (the blog you’re reading right now!), I never imagined that sharing money tips would lead to financial freedom and the ability to work from anywhere.

What started as a hobby has become a full-time job that allows me to help others manage their finances while earning a great income.

Whether you want to help people save money, pay off debt, or learn how to invest, blogging gives you the platform to make a real impact — plus, the chance to earn some side income or even turn it into a full-time job.

If you’ve ever wanted to share your money journey and help others improve their financial lives, now is the perfect time to get started. In this “How to Start a Financial Blog” guide, I’ll walk you through how to create a successful personal finance blog, just like I did.

A quick note: I have a free course on how to start a blog. Click here to join. Want to see how I built a $5 million blog? In this free course, I’ll show you how to create a blog from the technical aspects to earning your first income and attracting readers.

My blog history

Over 10 years ago, I started my blog, “Making Sense of Cents,” on a whim. I was reading articles about personal finance and thought it would be fun to share my experiences. At first, blogging was just a hobby.

I had no idea that you could make money blogging, but about 6 months in, a blogger friend introduced me to an advertiser, I made my first $100 and was hooked!

Since then, the blog has grown far more than I ever imagined and I have made over $5 million through blogging over the years. Blogging has given me financial freedom and the ability to work from anywhere and has changed my life.

Now I want to help you start your own successful blog.

What is a personal finance blog?

A personal finance blog is a website that shares money tips and advice to help others understand how to save, budget, invest and spend wisely.

Examples of topics covered on personal finance blogs include:

• Budgeting
• Save for a big purchase
• Get out of debt
• Investing in stocks and real estate
• Retirement planning
• Side job
• Financial Independence and Early Retirement
• Student Loans
• Buying a Home
• Money and mental health

And there’s so much more.

You may choose to focus on one or more of these topics.

Recommended reading: What is a blog, how to make money from blogging, and more

Why should you start a personal finance blog?

I think there are many benefits to starting a personal finance blog.

By sharing money tips and advice on saving, budgeting and investing, you can help others improve their financial situations. Over the years, I have received countless emails from readers thanking me for helping them change their lives and it is always great to read these emails.

Blogging also helps me learn more about personal finance through research and improves my money skills. I am constantly reading about personal finance and am active in the personal finance community, so I have learned a lot about personal finance.

Plus, you can earn additional income through affiliate marketing, ads, and sponsored posts, helping you reach your own financial goals. As I mentioned above, I’ve made over $5 million from blogging over the years and I absolutely love running this online business, so it’s been a success in every way for me.

For me, I love having a personal finance blog and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.

How to Start a Personal Finance Blog

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to start a personal finance blog.

1. Choose a blog topic

Choosing a finance niche is the first step to starting a personal finance blog. A niche is a specific area of ​​focus that will help your blog stand out.

When deciding, we encourage you to think about what you’re passionate about: budgeting, saving money, investing? Picking a topic you love will make writing and sharing your knowledge fun.

You should also think about your expertise and experience. What are you familiar with? If you have experience paying off debt or improving credit scores, that may be your specialty.

Narrowing your niche can help you become an expert in that field. For example, instead of writing about all things financial, you could focus only on home budgeting tips.

A niche can also help you make money. Advertisers and sponsors are usually looking for a specific topic to advertise on. If you have an investment blog, you might attract ads from financial services.

Don’t worry if it seems too narrow – lots of people are interested in a particular topic, and being specific will help you connect better with your readers.

2. Start a self-hosted WordPress blog

To start a personal finance blog, we always recommend signing up for a self-hosted WordPress site, which means that unlike free blogging platforms, you own the blog and its content.

WordPress is where bloggers write their blog posts. It’s like a home base for your blog. You can log in to create new blog posts, format them (add images, headlines, links, etc.), and publish them to your readers. WordPress makes it easy to manage everything from the writing to the look of your blog. It’s the platform that does all the behind-the-scenes work to keep your blog running.

WordPress is a tool that allows you to build and manage a blog or website without any coding knowledge. It’s incredibly popular because it’s easy to use and has lots of features that allow you to customize your site.

This website (Making Sense of Cents) also uses WordPress.

In short, WordPress is a tool for building a blog, and self-hosting gives you the freedom to control and scale your blog however you want.

Here are the steps to starting a self-hosted WordPress blog:

1. Get a web hosting service. A popular choice for new bloggers is Bluehost.
2. Install WordPress. Most web hosts allow for a one-click install after you sign up, making the installation quick and easy.

You can find my full tutorial on this here: How to Start a WordPress Blog with Bluehost , which has step-by-step instructions if you want to learn more and see screenshots of exactly what to click on.

Plus, if you use my tutorial you’ll get the lowest price and a free domain name.

3. Choose a blog name

Choosing a blog name is a big first step and it may seem difficult to decide on.

Here are some tips for brainstorming names for your personal finance blog:

• Your blog name should immediately tell your readers what your blog is about.
• Make it unique and easy to remember. A good blog name helps attract readers. Avoid long names as they may be difficult to remember. Short and catchy names work best. Also, we recommend “.com” over other names like “.net”.
• Use tools like domain name generators to get ideas. Check if the name is available as a domain. It is important to have the same name for your blog and website address.
• Don’t be afraid to get creative – try mixing and matching different words until you find the perfect fit. Keep the purpose of your blog in mind and make sure the name reflects that.
• Share your ideas with friends and family to get feedback – others may notice things you might have missed.

PS: Don’t forget that when you sign up with Bluehost for your blog, you get a free domain name (also called a blog name). Click here to get your domain name for free.

4. Design your blog layout

Your blog’s layout is very important – it helps your readers find what they need and makes them enjoy reading your blog.

When designing your personal finance blog, you have three main options.

1. Do it yourself
2. Hire a web designer for a custom design
3. Get a pre-made blog layout – This is the method I recommend for new bloggers.

Doing it yourself is usually the cheapest option, but it is quite time consuming, and custom web design can often be expensive.

I love using pre-made designs as is. They are more affordable than custom designs and look really good. The pre-made blog design site I recommend is Restored 316 (my favorite!). If you need to build a custom, professional, and budget-friendly website, this site can help you. You don’t need to code or stress about graphic design. These templates are easy to use.

If you want to take the easy way and get affordable ready-made blog designs (this is my recommended method), click here.

5. Create a main page for your blog

To start a successful personal finance blog, start by setting up your key pages.

These pages are important because they help readers easily navigate your site and find the information they need.

The main page typically contains the following:

• Home page – This is the first impression your blog readers will have of your blog. A clear and organized homepage helps readers quickly understand what your blog is about and encourages them to click further and explore your blog. Your homepage should be friendly and easy to navigate. Make it clear what your blog is about and include links to the main topics of your blog.
• About the page – This is where you can tell your story. Share who you are, why you started the blog, and what your readers can expect. When I find a new blog, I like to go to the “About” page to find out more about the blog and its story. So don’t skip this page.
• Contact page – This page makes it easy for your readers to contact you. You can add a contact form or email address (I usually prefer to only include my email address). This allows your readers, potential partners and advertisers to contact you.
• Privacy Policy Page – This is where you explain how you collect and use data on your site. This is important to build trust and comply with legal requirements. Don’t worry if you don’t know what to write, there are plenty of templates available online that you can use. You can search online for legal templates or buy a ready-made privacy policy here:
• Disclosure Page – If you earn money through affiliate links or sponsored posts, please let your readers know. This helps keep your blog transparent and trustworthy.

There are other pages you may want to add, it just depends on what you want and how detailed you want to be, the above is a great starting point.

Other pages you can add later (but don’t overload yourself with them, especially at the beginning) include a “Work With Me” page (if you offer freelance services), a “FAQ” page (to answer readers’ frequently asked questions), a “Resources” page (to showcase products you use), and a “Press” page (to show readers where you’ve been featured in the press).

6. Start a social media account for your blog

Creating social media accounts will help your blog grow by helping more people find it.

Some social media accounts you can start with include:

• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Twitter
• TikTok

Now, there’s absolutely no need to be active on all of these social media accounts, but I usually try to claim my blog name on each one so that it doesn’t get taken by someone else.

Once you have your social media accounts set up, it’s also a good idea to add links to your blog’s homepage so readers can easily find you on social media.

7. Create a content plan

A content plan is what you’re going to write on your blog.

First, think about who your audience is. Do they want to save money, pay off debt, or invest wisely? Knowing this will help you create content that addresses their needs.

Next, brainstorm suitable topics for your blog. You can start with basic personal finance tips, how to budget, how to save money every month, etc.

Once you have your list, set up an editorial calendar for how often you’ll publish new posts. It could be once a week, twice a week, or even daily. Consistency is key, so I highly recommend writing at least one blog post per week.

Plan ahead by writing down specific ideas for each post – this will help you stay organized and always have something to write about.

A content plan for your blog doesn’t have to be that complicated. It can literally just be a list of blog posts. It all depends on how organized you want to be. For example, you could just make a list of the blog posts you want to write.

• 10 easy ways to save money every month
• How to Create a Budget that Actually Works
• A beginner’s guide to paying off debt faster
• How to save up an emergency fund on a tight budget
• Clever ways to save on your vacation without the stress
• Investing for Beginners: How to Get Started with Just $100
• 5 budgeting mistakes to avoid if you want to save more
• How to save money on groceries with meal planning
• Tips for teaching your kids about money
• How to stop impulse buying and save money
• Side jobs that help pay off debt
• How to improve your credit score in 6 months
• Savings vs. Investing: Which is Best for Your Goals?
• Tips for living frugally without feeling like you’re making sacrifices
• How to use cash envelopes to manage your spending

These ideas will make it easy to fill up your editorial calendar and help you keep your posts organized and consistent.

8. Start writing your blog post

Once you’ve set up your blog, it’s time to start writing your first blog post.

Here are some tips for writing your first personal finance blog post:

• Write in a clear style. Use short sentences and simple language. Remember to write to help your reader, not confuse them.
• Add personal stories and experiences. This will make your blog more relatable and interesting. People love to read about real-life situations.
• Breaking up your text with headings, bullet points, images, etc. makes your post easier to read. Be sure to proofread before publishing.
• Ask your readers a question at the end of your post, which will encourage them to leave comments and interact with your blog.

9. Find ways to make money with Money Blogs

There are several ways you can make money with a personal finance blog.

One way is through affiliate marketing. You can partner with companies that have affiliate programs, such as Amazon. When someone buys a product through your link, you earn a commission. To learn more, check out my free e-book, Affiliate Marketing Tips for Bloggers.

Display advertising is another option. You can place ads on your blog using services like Google AdSense, Mediavine, or Raptive Ads. When visitors see or click on these ads, you earn money.

You could also consider sponsored posts, where you partner with a company and receive compensation for a review, mention, or blog post about their products.

Selling products or services that you create yourself is also a good strategy for making money with your finance blog. You can sell print materials, write e-books, offer consulting services, or teach online courses.

As you can see, there are lots of ways to make money with a personal finance blog, and for me, I like to do a little bit of everything to diversify my income streams from my blog.

10. Grow your personal finance blog

To get readers for your finance blog, you need to promote it.

Here are some ways to grow your personal finance blog:

• First, share your blog post on social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest (I recommend creating a new Pinterest pin for every blog post), and Instagram.
• Guest post on other finance blogs. This can help you reach new readers who may be interested in your content. For example, you could guest post about how you paid off your debt.
• Email marketing is also an effective method. We highly recommend finding a way to get your readers to subscribe to your email newsletter so that you can send them regular updates and share new blog posts. If you’re looking for a way to send newsletters and emails to your readers, we recommend Convertkit.
• Engage with your readers by replying to their comments and emails. Building this relationship will encourage them to share your blog with others. I always try to reply to comments, emails, and messages because I feel it’s a good thing to reply when people take the time to write to you.
• Use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and keyword research, so that your blog appears in search results when people search for the topics you write about.

Promoting a blog takes time and effort. It takes time to grow a new personal finance blog, so don’t be too sad at first if it takes time. It’s totally normal.

FAQ

If you’re thinking about starting a personal finance blog, you might have some common questions. Here’s what you need to know before you get started:

How much do personal finance bloggers make?

The amount of money that personal finance bloggers can make varies. I’ve made over $5 million from blogging over the years and I know many bloggers who make a full-time income from personal finance blogging. Successful bloggers can make thousands of dollars per month through ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, digital products, and more.

Is it too late to start a personal finance blog?

No, it’s never too late to start a personal finance blog. There’s always room for fresh voices and new perspectives in personal finance.

Do I need a finance degree to start a personal finance blog?

You don’t need a degree in finance to start a personal finance blog, and many bloggers share their personal experiences, research, and advice.

How can I make my personal finance blog stand out from the rest?

To make your personal finance blog stand out from the crowd, we recommend focusing on your unique experience with the topic you’re writing about. For example, you could share a personal story or practical advice about what you did to pay off your student loans or start investing.

Do personal finance blogs make money?

Yes, personal finance blogs can be profitable, and over the years I have made over $5 million from my personal finance blog by working from home using the internet.

How to start a finance blog – Summary

I hope you enjoyed my article on how to start a finance blog.

I’ve been running this finance blog you’re reading for quite some time now and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Starting a personal finance blog changed my life, and it can do the same for you. Sharing my money-saving tips has not only helped others, but it has also helped me achieve financial freedom and a career I love.

You can write about a variety of financial niches, from budgeting tips for beginners to financial advice for people who want to retire early. Plus, you don’t have to be an expert to start a personal finance blog. Many people want to hear real experiences and insights from real people, including their personal finance journeys (so they can learn real tips).

Whether you’re looking to make a little side income or make blogging your full-time job, this guide will help you start a successful personal finance blog that will make a real impact.

Reminder: I have a free course on how to start a blog. Click here to join. Over 80,000 people have already taken this course. This free course will teach you how to create a blog, from the technical aspects to earning your first income and attracting readers.

Want to learn how to start a personal finance blog?

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