Are you interested in finding ways to start blogging on a budget? This entire post is devoted to helping you find the best ways to start blogging on a budget and keep startup costs as low as possible. Keep on reading for a bunch of helpful tips and tricks to get your blog up and running without spending an absolute fortune.
If you’ve found this post there’s a pretty good chance that you’re considering starting a blog but are holding back because of money. Starting a blog can seem intimidating in so many different ways and financial concerns are often at the very top of the list.
There’s the technical fears that leave many folks with zero experience wondering if they can handle the learning curve required to understand all the computer stuff needed to start and manage a blog long term.
Then, there’s the fear of start up costs which might push some people to shy away from starting up a blog of their own. But, the good news is that you can get top notch reliable quality blog hosting for your blog for under $3 per month with Bluehost which is my absolute favorite blog hosting provider.
If you’re looking to start blogging on a budget here are some super helpful tips to get you up and running for the least amount of money possible.
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7 Best Ways To Start Blogging On A Budget
#1 Start Blogging On A Budget By Hosting Your Blog With Bluehost
I’ve trusted all my hosting needs to Bluehost since the day my blog was created back in 2017. Their consistent up-time, awesome customer support and very affordable prices are what make them the BEST hosting company around.
Plus, they offer a super easy to understand control panel and one click installs for things like WordPress which allows you to get a blog up an running in under 30 minutes.
And, as my blog has grown to hundreds of thousands of monthly page views Bluehost still provides me with the same great up-time and page speeds at a fraction of the cost of competing hosting companies. At $2.95 per month for reliable hosting there really isn’t any better alternative.
If you’re looking for an affordable and reliable host I highly suggest you head over to the Bluehost sign up page by clicking here. You’ll be given a special rate of $2.95 per month with a bonus FREE domain name because you are a This Tiny Blue House reader.
If the tech part of it intimidates you then you should check out my step-by-step tutorial about the sign up process. I’ve created a very detailed startup tutorial that will easily walk you through the process from start to finish. Click here to be taken to my blog startup tutorial designed to help you create your own blog with Bluehost. It’s really easy to understand and follow, I promise!
#2 Use WordPress To Manage Your Content
When it comes to content creation WordPress is 100% the way to go because it’s the best content management system out there and it is completely free.
If you do start your blog with Bluehost you can easily get WordPress up and running with their one-click install system in less than 30 minutes. WordPress offers a great content management system to house your posts, it allows you to upload awesome themes and allows you to use great plugins that can make your blog efficient and easy to manage.
#3 Start Blogging On A Budget By Using A Free Theme
When it comes to the look and feel of your blog you have access to thousands of free themes that you can easily install.
There are so many themes available that you can easily find a theme that fits your unique style and blog personality without spending any money at all.
Here are 3 great places to get free WordPress themes for bloggers. There are thousands of themes to choose from and with a little digging you can find one that is a perfect fit for your blog.
- 20 Gorgeous and FREE themes for your new blog
- WordPress Theme Directory : 7500+ Free Themes
- Just Free Themes: 1000+ Free Themes For Your WordPress Blog
#4 Start Blogging On A Budget By Using Free Stock Photos
Stock photos are such an important part of the content creation process for most bloggers I know.
I regularly use stock photos in posts, for social media campaigns, email marketing and for creating pin images for Pinterest. So, having access to high quality stock photos is a must for any new blogger. And, the great news is that stock photos don’t have to cost a fortune and in many cases you can easily find some great options that are 100% free to use.
Here are a handful of stock photo sites that allow you to download high quality images for free:
- Pexels: The Best Free Stock Photos Shared By Talented Photographers
- Unsplash: Beautiful Free Photos Gifted By The World’s Most Generous Community Of Photographers
- Pixabay: Over 1.6 Million Royalty Free Stock Photos
Although I started my blog with free stock photos I eventually decided to sign up with Deposit Photos. The caveat with free stock photos is that they tend to be used often by many bloggers. So, to have access to fresh and unique stock photos I use Deposit Photos.
Deposit Photos is a stock photo site that offers a huge database of gorgeous high quality images. I always take advantage of their 100 photos for $100 deal every time they have one so that I always have a bank of images I can download. Click here to be taken to the Deposit Photos landing page to see what awesome deals they are offering right now if that’s something that interests you.
#5 Manage Social Media With Free Services
All successful blogs have some form of social media presence whether it be on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Managing your accounts and automating the process doesn’t have to cost you anything at all at first. Here are a few free options to get you started:
#6 Use Free Email Marketing Services For List Building
List building is an essential step in the process of building any successful online business or blog. When starting out you can easily start building your list with free list building providers like these listed below:
#7 Start Blogging On A Budget By Using Free Online Design Tools
Creating and designing images for social media and blog posts is an important part of blogging and social media marketing. Here are two of my favorite free options for designing and creating images to use for your blog and social media accounts.
These design tools are free and help create high quality images that you can share across your blog and various media networks.
Final Thoughts About Ways To Start Blogging On A Budget
- Starting a successful blog does not need to be a huge investment. By using free services you can keep your start up costs as low as possible.
- Quality hosting at a great price is the most important factor to consider! If you haven’t already signed up with Bluehost you should. They offer the best quality hosting for beginner bloggers and offer the most competitive rates around. Click here to be taken to Bluehost directly where you can take advantage of a special $2.95 per month rate for This Tiny Blue House readers. If you want more information about the technical steps involved in setting up your blog you should check out my step-by-step tutorial which will walk you through the process.
- Finding images, design tools and even social media management tools doesn’t have to cost you any money at all. Turn to free options at first to keep costs as close to zero as possible.
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Check Our These Posts For Even More Blogging & Side Hustling Ideas
- Make blogging an ultimate money making side hustle. I grew my blog into a 6-figure business in just over 2 years. Now, I work from home and make thousands every month. Here is a blog tutorial that will walk you through the process if you are interested in starting a blog of your own.
- Check out these awesome blog freebies that are designed to grow your blog quickly!
- Make your blog way more efficient with these 18 must try WordPress plugins.
- If you’re looking for clever work from home jobs have a look at these 5 easy ways to supplement your income from home. These are all legitimate work from home opportunities that can earn you up to 22$ per hour.
- Earn up to $22 per hour by teaching English online with VIPKid. VIPKid is the #1 platform for online English teaching and they are looking to hire people with a bachelors degree and experience with kids who are looking to work flexible hours from home.
- Get rewarded for your online activities with Swagbucks. Earn points for your online shopping, video watching and searching the web. Then, redeem those points for gift cards that you can use at major retailers.
Thanks a lot for this post, I’ve been blogging in & out for about 4years now & got some great ideas from your post that I will try to implement on mine too.
Thanks for reading! Glad you found it helpful!
Thank you for sharing. I am a blogger and I have learned a lot from this post. First, I am happy to learn about free design tool like Canva. How to use free theme, sharing on social media platforms, and building email list. Great information. Cheers!
Glad you found it helpful 🙂