I have been running this blog since January of 2010, over 14 years by the time of updating this page. There are over 4000 posts which translate into I don’t even know how many hours. I write this blog because I love to share and feel I have what to give to the world, to teach people, help people, inspire people, and sometimes just to connect. I’ve blogged regularly even before I made any money from my blog, it took a few years before I saw more than maybe 100 dollars in a year. I do it because I love it, (and I don’t know how to shut up). Fortunately, over the years, I’ve managed to make some money via this blog. It’s not enough to make me rich, not by a long shot; it doesn’t even amount to a full time minimum wage salary locally. But it’s something. And it helps me survive financially as a single disabled mom of 4 children who doesn’t get child support.

Over time who I’d take as advertisers has evolved, as my view on spending and money has changed from “see how little you can spend, period” to mindfully spending your money on things that align with your values. For this reason, the few direct advertisements about companies have to be ones that align with my values. But most of the ways I make money on my blog are not with direct advertisements. 

Having a site as long as I do, with regular posts, my domain authority, or how seriously google and other search engines take my site as compared to other sites, has increased. To build your own domain authority, having links that lead to your site from a website that has a good domain authority helps. And, so, people reach out to me asking for posts on my site so they can have links to theirs.

I have rules about what type of content I allow. I have posts be frugal or parenting or mental health or divorce related, so that the topic is relevant to my blog, and in turn they can have a link or two to their website. There are some types of sites I will not allow to be linked, for things that I find immoral or extremely problematic ethically, like multilevel marketing, ABA (abusive autism “therapy”), etc. 

The content for these posts, while relevant to my site, tend to be less with the unique twist than posts that I write, so I keep the comments off, for the most part, for those. (The italicized introduction by me is a giveaway that it is a sponsored post.)

Additionally, I have some affiliate marketing – I earn commissions through programs like Amazon and iHerb when readers make purchases through my links, but honestly, I make only pennies with these.

While some people feel having advertising on websites make people a sellout, I think that is ridiculous. I provide a service to the world when I write, not to mention entertainment, etc… and people who provide services are allowed to get paid. I don’t ask anything from my readers, so people who want to complain are just entitled.

At the end of the day, I run this blog because I love it—sharing, teaching, and connecting with people. If I can also earn something from it without compromising my values, that allows me to keep Penniless Parenting sustainable. I’m intentional about the advertising and sponsorships I accept, ensuring they align with my principles and the focus of my blog. Providing valuable content for free doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be compensated for my time and effort, and the ads and sponsored posts I allow help me continue creating the content my readers enjoy while staying true to my mission.