Sunday 13 September 2015

How I Manage To Blog Without Spending a Penny


Talking about the things that go on behind the scenes when blogging is something many bloggers feel wary of, and I, like many, tend to keep what happens behinds the scenes away from my content - people don't usually want to know how difficult it is, they just want your voice, your thoughts and your words, but there's been something that's been mentioned more within the last 6 months than has ever mentioned before, and that's how much it costs to blog. I however, have a confession.

It costs me nothing to blog than it would to not blog.*

*Not inclusive of giveaways.

This isn't the same for everyone. For starters, I use Blogger, which costs me nothing. It's a free platform that means I get to do what I love without it costing me anything. I also haven't paid for any design work or programs - I do it all myself from skills I've learnt, picked up and watched other people use. I don't have a private domain name which costs me anything annually. Everything I need to help me blog costs me nothing at all. The only real thing I actually have to pay for when it comes to blogging is the books I buy, and even then, I don't really have to buy books, I can use the library and they'll be completely free. I guess what I'm trying to say is:

Blogging doesn't have to cost you anything but time


It's true, time can cost more than anything else when it comes to blogging, and it's the same as anything, no matter how much you enjoy something, sometimes you do want it to be for something other than just joy, but really, blogging is something that was started because people loved doing it, they wanted to share their feelings and their thoughts, their likes and dislikes, and it didn't cost them anything, that's why it became such a common thing to see, and I can completely understand why people would choose to spend money on it, but it's not a vital part of blogging.

You can choose to spend money on your own domain name, but you don't need it, Stacie and I get views from google searches all the time, just because our blog name is easily searchable. You can choose to spend money on a blog design, but you don't need to do it, there's millions upon million of blogs out there that have tutorials, that talk you through how you can create and design your own look, without costing you a penny. You can choose to want your own space, to own that space, that isn't dictated by a company, such as Blogger, but it's not something you have to consider, as long as you follow the terms and conditions, you can be easily blog in a space that isn't owned by you and not have any issues. I guess in the end, it's down to preference and what you would rather, I've seen many bloggers talk about how it costs them to blog and they get very little thanks for it, and I've seen people underestimate bloggers and what it is that we do, but it's a choice you make, not a forgone conclusion.

What are you thoughts on blogging and costs?

Please bare in mind that these opinions are mine and mine alone and not meant to insult.
Please be respectful of other peoples opinions and thoughts in the comments below.

13 comments:

  1. Great post! I like how you've gone about this.

    It honestly really annoys me when people COMPLAIN about how much blogging costs them. As you've demonstrated, blogging can cost as much or as little as you want.

    I think it's perfectly fine to put money towards your hobby ** if that's what you want to do **. The important key here is WANT. Yes, certain things might be easier or better if you pay for them, but they're not NECESSARY to be a blogger.

    As you said, paying for your blog is a choice that's made. It's not a requirement.

    I spend a butt load of money on my blog, but that's because I WANT to do it. I know that it's my choice and I'm happy with that choice.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Ashley! The costs of blogging are, as you say, only as much as you want them to be. If you don't want to spend anything - great, if you do - go for it, it's always a choice, and people too often forget that.

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  2. This is excellent! Blogging is choice and people really shouldn't be complaining about how much time or money it costs. If it's something you want to do, then why complain about it? There's really no reason for it. If it's "costing too much" whether that's time or money for people then they need to change that not complain about it. If spending money on a hobby is something someone chooses to do (and there's nothing wrong with that because I do sometimes), people shouldn't complain and therefor penalize others for it.

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    Replies
    1. Exactly Stephanie, exactly. There's no use complaining about anything that costs money - if a bunch of people are willing to pay to pay a price and you're not, that's your problem to solve, you have to find a solution. Choosing to spend money on a hobby, be it surfing, football or blogging, is a choice, and it's not worth ranting over in the end. Thanks for reading Steph! :)

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  3. Great points Amanda! I'm on self-hosted Wordpress but it's not costing me anything because I'm hosted by Dre of Sporadic Reads.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Angel! It's great that your hosting is paid for - it's gives you that freedom in the end, and it's your choice to be where you are, that's always the end line :)

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  4. I think it's totally personal choice, right?!?! I mean, I think a .com name makes me feel professional...but I think that's all it is really. FEELS. XD haha I don't know that it actually improves anything?? I would probably still be on blogspot with no domain name if I didn't have a web-designing relative. But since I do and he does all the stuff for free (well, I say "free" but I am an EXCELLENT babysitter for his 2 preschoolers) then I'm not saying no. XD

    You definitely can blog successfully and awesomely without paying a cent. Tbh, even with giveaways you can work around it! Whenever I win a amazon giftcard giveaway it goes into doing a giveaway on my own blog. ;) I am sneaky like that.

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    Replies
    1. I'm the same Cait - sometimes I think my .blogspot. almost makes me look unprofessional before people visit my site, and that can be an issue, people judge, but I'm not prepared to spend money I don't have to, or want to. I'm cheap and I love it. I've never considered using prize gift cards to host giveaways, but that's such a great idea! I might have to steal that, wow! ;)

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  5. This is a fascinating discussion, Amanda - personally, I do spend money on hosting + domain name (also, I paid for the theme I'm currently using, but I don't really count that when I tally my blogging expenses since it was just a one-time cost). I feel like having to pay money out of my own pocket in order to maintain my blog sometimes makes me feel a bit more professional and motivates me to continue blogging... but hey, it's totally up to the blogger, and I think that's part of the beauty of this gig! You do you - whether you want to shell out hundreds of dollars or keep it totally free, it all works. xx

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