AD | Blogging sometimes doesn’t come cheap. Expenses, products, equipment and hosting can soon add up then one day you find yourself staring at your bank account like a codfish (“close your mouth please Michael, we are not a codfish”) wondering where it all went. We’re always looking for money saving tips for around our home but what about for our blogs?
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed talking about money more this year and I wrote about how we can start getting money savvy in 2019 a little while ago too, which you should definitely check out if you’re interested in talking about money more with me!
But here are some of my favorite simple but effective money saving tips for bloggers!
Re-use and recycle blog props (or head to Poundland!)
We know that photography is a big part of blogging and we all want our photos to look as nice as possible but those props for flatlays or those numerous outfits can cost a bomb.
This is one I’m actually relatively good at, I re-use a lot of old props and I also keep things in a prop box ‘just in case’ they could come in useful in a photo one day. Which I’ve found on many occasion, they have! Anything that could be considered an element of a photo; ribbons, confetti, magazines, fake plants, notebooks, ornaments or various products.
Or if you’re looking for new props or items to wear for your blog photos, head to your local Poundland or charity shop to pick up some budget friendly items.
Shop around, like you would for your home amenities
There’s a comparison website for everything and comparing prices for things is a main contributor in a lot of money saving tips posts if you’re looking for advice for around your home. But actually, this could be applied to your blog too.
Whatever you’re looking for, whether it’s a blog course you’d like to try, a host for your blog or a new theme, get out of the habit of making hasty decisions and shop around, write notes and compare prices until you find something you’re 100% happy with both quality and price-wise.
Be sensible
You can read all the money saving tips you could possibly want but nobody else but you can be sensible with your money. I think we all know when we’ve crossed that line from sensible to a bit erratic with our money habits and it’s important to recognize that before it gets too out of hand.
But, if you do find you’re struggling, don’t panic and if it’s really needed, you can always request help from family, friends or even take out a small loan and iLoans matches their customers with the most suitable loans for them and are 100% online which, as a blogger, is really helpful.
Make use of free resources
Resources from bloggers can be a great source of help, information and guidance for other bloggers, especially those who are just starting out. I created my Beginners Guide to Blogging eBook for this reason, although I’m aware mine isn’t free.
Sometimes, we simply can’t afford to pay out for a blogging coach, eBooks or any other resource when we’re trying to save money. And that’s okay as there are lots of amazing free resources you can use and learn from which may help in the meantime.
Some of my favourites at the moment are:
- Dana Nicole Designs FREE Media Kit Template
- Dana Nicole Designs FREE Blogger’s Blueprint to Pitching to Brands
Take care of your equipment
I bet you didn’t expect to see ‘common sense’ on a money saving tips blog post but here we are.
I know this may seem like the most obvious thing in the world but I’ve definitely been a sucker to this before where I’ve not taken enough care over an old laptop and had to pay out for a new one when I really, really, really didn’t have the money to do it.
Bloggers have a lot of potentially very expensive equipment and products. Cameras, phones, laptops, lights, even gaming consoles for gaming bloggers. Take good care of it, don’t neglect it and don’t sacrifice not using it properly for the sake of 5 minutes.
Create a separate bank account / PayPal account for blog related payments
I know this won’t be an option for everyone but it can be very useful in terms of keeping money used for your blog separate from everything else.
I have a PayPal account, like most people, which is where all my blog payments go in. I tend to keep a chunk of money in my PayPal account for blog-purposes only. So if I need to frantically pay someone for something (like the other day where I had to hire someone to fix my broken links, whoops!), I have that “disposable” money available for me.
You could also set yourself a limit on these accounts, weekly, monthly or even yearly and allocate a specific amount to what you’re allowing yourself to spend on your blog.
Read and learnt from other money making blogs
There are an incredible amount of UK money saving blogs, who provide us with usually free and useful information on how to make and save money online. I recently discovered a brand new way to make some extra money from one of these blogs which I’d never even considered before! If you spend a lot of time online anyway, these sort of blogs could be really helpful for you and help you make a bit extra on the side.
Challenge yourself
And finally, just because you’re a blogger doesn’t mean you have to give it to the whole “bloggers made me buy it” malarkey! It’s amazing that bloggers have so much influence over products and the things people buy but if you’re really looking for money saving tips, take it from me, just don’t buy anything unnecessary.
It’s these little bits and bobs which can really add up; the odd skincare product here, the odd lipstick there and before long, we’re laying under a mountain of unused products, with no money just because Sophie from that blog over there told you to buy it.
Set yourself a monthly no-buy challenge and see how you get on!
These are some of the easiest money saving tips to put into practice but once you get a good grasp of them, can be extremely effective! Do you have any other tips on how bloggers can save money to add? Tell us in the comments below!
* This is a sponsored post