When I started Duffelbagspouse, I didn’t think about making money. I wanted to write honestly about travel, family life, and what it meant to move often. I didn’t have a business plan. But over time, I began finding ways to turn what I loved into something that could sustain itself. If you’re a blogger, content creator, or simply curious about how people make money from blogging, this post will walk you through what works for me, what doesn’t pay the bills (yet), and how these income streams help support the content I create and the life I lead.
Table of Contents
- How to Make Money Blogging
- Affiliate Marketing
- Display Ads with Mediavine
- Freelance Writing for Travel Brands
- Private English Lessons While Traveling
- Wanderful Affiliate and Longtime Member
- Brand Partnerships, Sponsored Posts, and Tourism Boards
- Guest Posts and Community Collaboration
- Digital Downloads
- Paid Speaking Engagements
- Newsletters
- Podcast and YouTube
- Final Thoughts
Affiliate Marketing
I make money blogging by sharing affiliate links to products I personally use and trust. Affiliate marketing has been part of my income strategy for years. But I approach it with care. I only promote products and services I use myself. I wouldn’t recommend it if I hadn’t spent my own money on it. That’s non-negotiable.
One of my most consistent programs is Amazon Affiliates. I link to travel essentials I actually pack—anti-theft bags, portable chargers, natural skincare, packing cubes, and organizers that help me stay light and prepared.
I also work with Travelpayouts, a platform that connects creators to trusted travel booking services. This is where I earn the most affiliate income. I use it for:
- Booking.com for accommodations around the world
- Get Your Guide for tours, day trips, and activities I’ve personally experienced
- Klook for reliable transportation and attraction passes, especially in Asia where their service is excellent
When someone clicks one of my affiliate links and makes a purchase or booking, I earn a small commission—at no extra cost to them. These commissions help me continue sharing honest travel stories and resources while keeping the blog accessible and ad-free where possible.
Display Ads with Mediavine
Joining Mediavine changed the game. It took me a few years to get approved to make money blogging through this passive income stream. Using affiliate links created by Mediavine takes less effort than managing the ones I create myself. However, once I met the traffic requirement—10,000 new engagements per month—I started earning money just from people reading my blog. Four months later, that number is approaching 20,000. That may seem small compared to the bigger blogs out there, but it’s a huge jump from the 3,000 to 5,000 visits I averaged for years. For me, that shift marked a real turning point. It meant my words had value, even if no one bought a thing. It also brought a sense of stability I hadn’t felt before.
Display ads don’t pay a lot unless your traffic is steady, but they add up. They now cover the recurring costs of running the blog—subscriptions, plugins, and technical support.
Freelance Writing for Travel Brands
Freelance writing gives me another way to make money blogging by lending my voice to other brands. I freelance for companies that work in travel but don’t have time—or the right voice—for their blog. That includes travel agencies, insurance providers, and tourism services. They send me a topic, and I turn it into something real. Something that sounds human, not corporate. This work brings in regular income and lets me build relationships with people doing meaningful work in the industry.
I have also worked on a popular platform called Fiverr.com. I will offer my blog writing/ editing skills there from time to time.
Private English Lessons While Traveling
When I travel for longer periods, I offer private English lessons to help cover blog expenses—charging as much as $50 per hour. This side income doesn’t always come through the blog, but it supports the lifestyle that fuels my content.
I’ve worked one-on-one with students who want to improve their conversation skills, build travel-related vocabulary, or feel more confident speaking English in a business setting. Each lesson is different, and that’s what I enjoy most—tailoring what I know to what someone else needs.
The work is flexible. I can do it from a cafe, a guesthouse, or someone’s living room. It keeps me grounded in purpose while giving me the freedom to explore. It reminds me that my skills travel with me, even when the paycheck doesn’t.
Wanderful Affiliate and Longtime Member
I’ve been a Wanderful member for six years. I’ve made real connections there—travelers, writers, and women who support one another. Because I know the platform well, I share it on my blog and in conversations. When someone joins through my paid links, I earn a commission. It’s a slow earner, but one I’m proud of because I believe in what it offers.
Wanderful offers three levels of membership: Traveler Membership, Creator Membership, and Small Business Membership. If you’re curious about what’s included, I recommend watching our membership webinar, which includes all the benefits. You can also join us on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 12pm ET for our quarterly membership information session to learn why Wanderful is the go-to community for women travelers—and how you can be part of it.
Brand Partnerships, Sponsored Posts, and Tourism Boards
Sponsored content helps me make money blogging when the partnership aligns with my values and audience. So far, I’ve only worked with one tourism board and a few brands on sponsored posts. I don’t accept every offer that comes my way. I need to believe in the product or the place. That matters more than a check. The right partnership should feel like an extension of what I already do—sharing places, services, or stories that help my audience travel better.
Lately, I’ve started reaching out to local tourism boards, including Visit the Quad Cities. They promised to send me a content creator package, but I haven’t received it yet. I’ll probably need to stop by the office again and follow up in person.
I’ll be honest—I haven’t always been consistent with outreach. Rejection is hard for me. Always has been. And that fear has kept me from asking for the kinds of opportunities I know I’m ready for. But I also know that if I want to grow, I have to be more intentional about putting myself out there.
This part of the business—pitching, following up, and getting clear on the value I bring—is still a work in progress. But I’m learning that confidence grows with each step I take, even the uncomfortable ones.
Guest Posts and Community Collaboration
I also write guest posts for other travel and lifestyle blogs. Most of these are one-for-one exchanges—I write for them, and they write for me. It’s a simple trade, but it carries real value.
These guest posts don’t bring in direct income, but they do important behind-the-scenes work. Each one creates a strong backlink to my site, which helps my blog show up higher in search results. That means more visibility, more readers, and more opportunities.
Beyond the technical benefits, guest posting helps me grow a supportive, like-minded community. It introduces my voice to new audiences and brings new voices to mine. Most of all, it connects me with other women who love to travel and write—women who understand the push and pull between sharing our stories and building something sustainable.
Digital Downloads
I create a lot of downloadable resources using Canva and share many of them on Pinterest. I plan to make even more—tools that add real value and make travel feel less overwhelming.
These digital products are designed to help travelers feel more prepared and confident before they even leave home. They include:
- Printable travel planners and customizable itineraries
- Packing guides for different seasons, destinations, and travel styles
- E-books and guides, like How to Travel as a Military Spouse and Over 40 and Traveling Smart
They’re affordable and practical. I focus on tools that solve real problems—like how to stay organized, pack smarter, or plan a trip that actually fits your lifestyle. I know how it feels to want structure but not find the right resources. So I started creating my own.
Every product began with something I needed but couldn’t find. I didn’t want fluff or filler—just clear, useful tools that helped me enjoy the journey, not stress over the details. Now, I share them with readers who want the same thing: to travel with confidence and clarity. Each one reflects something I’ve needed and couldn’t find—so I made it myself.
Paid Speaking Engagements
I never set out to become a speaker. I didn’t think my story was something people would pay to hear. But over time, sharing what I’ve learned felt like a natural extension of my writing. Now, I get paid to talk about blogging, travel, and building a personal brand after 40.
I don’t show up with all the answers. I show up with experience, hard lessons, and a deep respect for the journey—mine and theirs. I talk about what worked, what didn’t, and what I’m still figuring out. I speak the same way I write—with honesty, curiosity, and a voice that reflects who I am.
If you’d like to connect or invite me to speak, reach out here: https://duffelbagspouse.com/subscribe-to-our-email-list/.
Newsletters
I missed an opportunity to write newsletters for a corporation. It would have been easy money, but I missed the deadline. That’s happened before. Even with all the reminders and tools available, I still fall short sometimes.
Right now, I have one newsletter. It’s automated and sent out weekly by Mediavine. It shares recent blog posts, but it doesn’t reflect my voice. That’s why I’m working on a second, more personal newsletter—something written by me, not a platform.
This new version will include travel resources, tips, giveaways, and digital downloads I’ve created to make travel easier. I hope to grow it into a community and a small source of income through affiliate links, sponsored mentions, or premium content.
I don’t own the platform my blog is housed on. If that ever changes—or disappears—a personal newsletter ensures I can stay in touch. It’s my direct line to the people who follow my journey, no matter where I land next.
Podcast and YouTube
I’ve started showing up in new ways to tell my story—one of them is through podcasts. Most recently, I was a guest on The Age Has No Limit Podcast. Looking back, it’s hard to watch. I kept sliding off-screen. I made awkward faces. I didn’t wear enough makeup. And I forgot to shut the closet door behind me. I honestly wish I could do a do-over.
But I showed up. I told my story. And I’m proud of that. These platforms open new ways to make money blogging by connecting with readers through video and voice.
I’ve also started creating long-form video content on YouTube. Some stories don’t quite fit into a blog post. These videos give me space to speak directly to the people reading my words—and now, watching them too. I share destinations through my eyes and offer a more personal view of my life as a writer, traveler, and woman over 50 figuring things out in real time.
I’m not live yet. I want to compile at least 5 to 10 videos before I officially launch. So check back soon. And if there’s something you’d like to see or hear more about, let me know here: https://duffelbagspouse.com/subscribe-to-our-email-list/.
Final Thoughts
There’s no single way to make money blogging, but every income stream brings me closer to sustainability. However, earning money from a travel blog takes time. It’s not passive, and it’s far from automatic. The income streams I use—whether separate or combined—don’t pay the bills. But they do cover my blog’s essentials: domain, hosting, tools, and email service.
Recently, the blog has gone a bit further. It’s paid for a few extras, and that progress matters. It gives me something to build on. I plan to add new income streams at my own pace, staying true to what matters most to me.
This blog was never only about income. It’s about voice, freedom, and connection. If I can keep writing and make it sustainable too, that’s the kind of success I want.
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