How to Start a Blog Today
Learning how to start a blog was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. In less than a year, I was able to quit my full time job and make a full time living from my blog.
First, do these three things (all are free!):
Click here to sign up now to learn how to start a blog and then follow the instructions below.
Grab this free cheat sheet on over 120+ blog post ideas.
Blogging has also allowed me so many opportunities. With this tutorial, you will:
- Different blog idea topics that you can blog about
- Learn how to start a blog with step-by-steps instructions
- Hosting plans and options
- Get a FREE domain name with your hosting plan
- Bonus tips on what to do after you start a blog
- How to make money blogging
When I started out as a new blogger, I made over $13,000 blogging in 6 months. This was all in my spare time, too!
Today, I make over $10,000 online each month. In my first year of blogging full time, I made around $90,000. You can read all my blog income reports here.
If I can learn how to start a blog and make it successful, you can too!
Grab these free workbooks and guides
All of these are essential blogging tools to help you get started. I like to print them out and save them on my computer for reference.
There are so many reasons why you should start a blog.
For me, I wanted to share my experience trying to make extra money. I also wanted to start a blog to have a creative outlet, interact with other people and document my journey.
If you are really passionate about something and want to share your passion with others, blogging is definitely for you!
Blogging ideas so you can learn how to start a blog today
Are you looking for some ideas on what to blog about? You have come to the right place.
- Recipes
- Mama / family life
- #Adulting
- Paleo / Keto / Low sugar eating
- Vegan
- Saving money
- Making money
- Building a home
- Remodeling
- Starting a business
- Your profession / career
- Crafts / DIY / How-to steps
- Book clubs and reviews
- Healthy living and/or weight loss
- Lifestyle
- Tutorials
- Homeschool
- Fashion
- Personal Finance
- Makeup and hair
- Photography
- Art
- Journaling
- Teacher / education
- Faith / religion / inspiration
- Reviews/ direct sales – LuLaRoe, Scentsy, Essential Oils, R+F, Mary Kay
- Vintage finds / picking
- Product Sample Reviews
- Pets – accessories, bakery, etc.
- Shopping hauls
- Wedding / wedding planning / event planning
- Shopping
- Service based, such as accounting, bookkeeping, real estate
- Brick and mortar shops
- Self care
- Garden / homestead
- Coupons / save money on groceries
- Car / woodworking / building / ‘shop’ hobbies
- Student / college / Greek life
- Home decor
- Everyday lifestyle
- Mental well being / self help / depression / chronic illness
- Travel / vacation
- RV
- Disney
- Camping / hiking
You can also start a blog so you can share your experiences in multiple ways.
Don’t think that you have to be a professional writer or expert either. Some of the best blogs write from the heart and are not perfect!
How to start a blog Today in just 15 minutes
When I first learned how to start a blog, I had a full time job.
Mornings are my most productive time of the day. I wake up early and do a little bit for my blog each day.
Everyone works differently, so figure out a time that works best for you. You might be better working in the afternoons or evenings!
Before I knew it, I started making a small amount of income.
After four months of blogging, I received my first paycheck for $60. This was so exciting!
A few months later, my hard work and persistence blogging started to pay off.
In a six month period, each month my income would increase.
When I added up how much money I made, I realized that in six months I had made around $13,000.
What I like best about blogging is that I can make money without having to have a part time job. I have made more money blogging compared to having a part time job.
When I was working full time and had a part time job, I was exhausted and had no time for myself. I was also spending extra money on gas and was never home.
Once I started earning money from my blog, everything changed. Now I get to work my own hours at a time that’s convenient for me. This allows me more time for my family and friends.
How to start a blog today tutorial
Today I want to share how easy it is to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost. Starting a blog with Bluehost is really cheap and only costs a few dollars a month.
After a lot of research, Bluehost was the perfect choice for my blog’s hosting! This is the web hosting company I used to start my blog and I recommend them.
I am going to walk you through the entire process step by step. You can leave this blog post tab open while you set up your blog so you know exactly what to do. This will take around ten to fifteen minutes total!
I also want to let you know if you purchase a web hosting package through my referral link, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Because this blog post receives so much traffic, Bluehost has even offered a discount to my readers so you can get a low special price that you cannot even get if you were to go straight to their website. Yippee!
I am also going to show you how to get a FREE domain name for an entire year when you purchase a 12 month Bluehost plan. This is a great deal and will save you an additional $15!
Click here to get started
Pick your plan
I would start with the basic plan. You can always upgrade later if you want, but I have never found that to be necessary.
Below are the options you need to select. You can choose from a twelve to thirty six month plan. You also do not need all the extra options. I would select domain privacy protection because it keeps your personal information private. I do not have any of the other options!
Select your domain name
Picking the name of your domain (AKA your blog, online shop or website) is important, so put some thought into your name.
When I decided to start my blog, I made a list of possible names for my website.
I wanted the name to relate to saving money, getting out of debt and budgeting, so Believe In A Budget made sense and was the winner.
It’s also easy to remember and has a good ring to it!
Over time, I also decided that I wanted to purchase a domain using my personal name, Kristin Larsen.
So I purchased the domain name KristinLarsen.com and now own that as well.
Many readers email and ask what should they name their website – their personal name or a brand name?
I think it really depends on what is best for you and your situation. If you need help, reach out to me at info @believeinabudget.com to help deciding!
One advantage to using your name for your website is because you have the flexibility to create and write about anything.
When selecting a fictional name like Believe In A Budget, this is a more specific niche. It wouldn’t make sense to write about a ton of other hobbies outside of personal finance.
If you are having trouble deciding what to name your blog, here’s a list of things to remember:
- You can always change the name of your blog or website down the road and it’s really easy to do!
- If you feel comfortable using your own name, this can really help you create a brand around YOU! It’s great to own your name online!
- If you want to build a brand but don’t want to be center stage, pick a phrase to use as a blog name. This is where I felt most comfortable as I’m fairly private 😉
- When selecting your own name, you have free range to do anything with your website.
- When selecting a phrase for your blog, website, shop, etc., you need to select a title that will align with your vision!
This is a really good value, so make sure you take advantage of it. 
Choose your plan
To get the best price, select the 36 month plan. This is the plan I selected when I started my blog. It was the most cost efficient as well.
This will save you money and you don’t have to renew your blog every year. I have heard horror stories from other bloggers that forgot to renew and their blog expired. Don’t make this mistake!
If you aren’t sure if you want 36 months, at least select the 12 month plan.
This way you can test the waters, so to speak, and still get the FREE domain name.
Once you pay for your website, you will get to this screen.
Don’t forget to check your email. Bluehost will send you a welcome email confirming account and FTP information.
Create your password.
Make sure to review the requirements for creating the password.
If you need help you can always click the “Suggest Password” option.
Regardless, I recommend writing down this information just to be safe. You’ll end up needing it later on to log in!
Let’s connect WordPress and Bluehost together for free!
Thanks to Bluehost, after your hosting account has been created, WordPress will automatically install.
Bluehost makes it super easy to create a WordPress blog. They do most of the work for you! This is great, especially if you are not tech savvy.
Start off by picking a theme. Bluehost offers some free themes from WordPress.org. Note, you can always update your theme later, which I will discuss later on in this blog post.
For now, it’s easy to pick a free theme so you can get started. Changing your theme on your blog only takes a few minutes!
Everything will then be installed for you. How easy is that?
Now that you’ve picked your theme, let’s jump into WordPress and get you even closer to constructing that first blog post.
Click on the Start Building button.
Decide whether this site will be for business or personal use. It doesn’t really matter which option you pick.
I would personally select business, especially if your goal is to make money blogging!
On this step, you’ll see an overview of Bluehost+WordPress integration.
You can manage WordPress plugins and blog posts/pages here.
Decide on a site title and description here. You can fill it in or leave it blank.
For example, my site is Believe In A Budget.
My site description currently says ‘Learn how to start a blog, side hustle and work online!’
If you find yourself spending too much time thinking about this, just skip it for now.
It’s easy to add once you are ready and only takes a few seconds to update on WordPress.
Here’s what the dashboard of the Bluehost control panel looks like.
This is where you access your account information as well as some more of the tech-related things.
Once WordPress and Bluehost are done connecting everything, just click the button that says Log in to WordPress.
That’s it! You’ve officially set up your blog!
Keep reading below so you know what to do after you start a blog for more tips and next steps!
after you start a blog today, what’s next?
Pick a theme
If you do not want to use one of the free themes mentioned above, you can pick out your own theme.
- I used a free theme called Sugar & Spice when I first started this blog.
- This blog previously used the Delightful Pro theme and the Darling theme (both from Restored 316 Designs).
- If you like feminine themes, check out Restored 316 Designs.
- I also recommend Code + Coconut for modern and feminine themes.
All of themes I mentioned have a wide variety of theme styles, which are perfect for all types of blogging niches.
Blog income posts
Here are some of of my online income reports from blogging. As you can see, I did not get rich overnight.
In the early days, blogging was my side hustle.
As time went on, I was able to spend more and more time online. This is reflected in my income reports below.
The more time I was able to learn about blogging, the more income I made.
I have been writing income report for over three years! In each monthly report, I share how I made money online:
- June online income report $66.10
- July online income report $515
- September online income report $1530.94
- October online income report $3634.28
- December online income report $4238.99
My income has increased year by year and comes from a variety of sources.
For example, ad income, affiliate income, freelancing and offering products and courses are all different ways I earn income online..
