“I turned my passion for cooking into a full-time salary!”
“More than 10 years ago, my husband and I started to experience financial difficulties. I was a homeschooling mom of six and a freelance writer, but I needed another way to earn cash. Since I was passionate about food and savvy about ways to save money in the kitchen, I decided to share what I knew by starting a blog, Good Cheap Eats (GoodCheapEats.com).
“I joined some online forums and attended a blogging conference where I met others who were making money blogging and told me how I could too. I came up with blog post ideas and started to develop recipes. Most of the time, I would multitask by making dinner for my family with the recipe I created and then take photos of the meals before they ate them! I now also write about family meal planning and money-saving grocery shopping strategies. Every year, I run a monthlong pantry challenge for people to learn how to use what they have instead of buying more. This year, I showed readers how I shaved $600 off my grocery bill.
“As a result of the blog, I got a book deal and have written four cookbooks. I monetize the blog with ads, affiliate marketing through Amazon and my own products, from cookbooks to a membership program, which includes a meal plan subscription and monthly master classes. I make money doing what I love, I can be available for my kids and they get to be a part of the business by testing recipes and helping with video and photo shoots. I work about 20 hours a week and make a full-time income which pays my kids’ college tuition, goes toward trips to Europe and gets saved for retirement!”