I feel like money is one of those taboo things that people would rather sweep under the rug than ever sit down and chat about. But when I first started out as a freelance designer and blogger, I was so SO curious how others like me actually made a living off this gig. I also get asked frequently by curious friends how I earn money. So, I figured I’d share a little peak into where my money comes from, in case it’s at all helpful to anyone thinking of plunging into a lifestyle like mine. I’m also considering sharing the actual breakdowns of how much money I receive from each source, on the off-chance that it would be useful to you. Would that be helpful? Let me know!

Here’s a quick graphic to show you where my income has come from in the past few months.

Some observations:

1. Here’s a numerical breakdown: In April, my graphic design services brought in 88% of my income vs 12% from this blog. In May, it was 86% from graphic design and 14% from this blog. In June, it was 95% from graphic design and 5% from this blog. A big reason I earned less from this blog in June is because I downsized my sponsorship program to focus more on design.
2. I earn hardly anything from affiliate marketing (learn more about affiliate marketing here).
3. That giant pink slab is from my graphic design services, which serves a majority of my income. This is interesting to me since I still spend ample time updating my blog, answering blog emails, promoting it on social media, etc…despite the fact that it doesn’t bring in much money.
4. Contrary to #3, my blog is the BEST marketing tool to promote my graphic design services. Without it, I can’t imagine earning that much money as a freelance graphic designer. Many of my clients find me through my blog.
5. Lastly, I’ll say that there’s potential to earn a LOT more from blogging. I don’t think I put a whole lot of effort into monetizing my blog, mainly because I don’t need to right now, but I’d love to try harder in this respect and make it a more central part of my job. I hope those pie charts don’t scare you future full-time bloggers out of pursuing it as a career! It takes a lot of work, but it’s possible. 🙂

Got any questions or observations? Let me know in the comments!