One of my most popular posts, Why I Don’t Comment On Blogger Blogs, talks about a couple of reasons why people persist with Blogger blogs and the main reason has to be that it’s free. Although there may be a few bloggers using this platform who are doing quite well with it, I put to you that they could be doing so much better if they hosted their own blog with their very own domain.
To all those people out there who are sitting on the fence wondering if they should take the leap to hosting their own blog but are being held back because of the cost factor I would like to list my top ten ways of saving money. If you were to follow these tips you could easily invest the money saved into starting your very own self hosted blog.
So, how much do you have to save? Well, for a measly $6.95 per month you could use BlueHost, which is the host I use for this blog. I’ve used several hosts and I’ve found them to be the best and their CPU Throttling feature is an added bonus, not to mention that you also get a free domain for life as part of your membership and your own domain is a great way to build your brand.
OK, enough of that, here’s the top 10 ways for saving money.
- Give up smoking: Honestly, health risks aside giving up smoking could save you a fortune. If you smoked a pack of cigarettes a day at a cost of $11.50 a pack you would have spent $4,197.50 in a year. When you consider your hosting package for the same year would have cost you $83.40 you would have $4114.10 up your sleeve.
- Electricity Costs: Changing your normal light bulbs for the newer fluorescent lamps could save you up to $10-$50 per year.
- Heating / Cooling costs: Setting your thermostat a few degrees lower in winter and a few degree higher in summer can also save you a fair bit of money. Having your home insulated,closing curtains and plugging up leaks will also add to your savings.
- Water Costs: Having shorter showers, installing water saving shower heads and reducing the thermostat on your water heater will also save you a nice wad of money.
- Eating Out: Cutting back on the amount of times you eat out can save you heaps. If you’re in the habit of buying your lunch consider taking a home made lunch and watch your savings grow. Not only that but you will probably eat a lot healthier.
- Consolidate Your Loans: If you have more than one loan then I suggest you consolidate them all into one loan with the cheapest rate you can find. This includes your credit card debts which normally have a very high interest rate. If you find it difficult to control your credit card expenditure then I suggest cutting them up and relying only on cash.
- Minimize Car Usage: Try walking to the local shops instead of using your car, not only will you save money but your health and fitness will improve. When you do use your car drive economically to minimize the amount of fuel you would use.
- Buy only what you can consume: I know some people go crazy when they see certain items on special and so they buy up not realizing that they’ve bought more than they can consume meaning they have to throw the excess away. This is a dreadful waste so make sure you check expiry dates and don’t buy more than you need. You don’t need to worry about things like toilet paper and stuff so you can buy up on these items.
- Shop around: I save heaps of money by just shopping around for the best deal and this is so much easier now that we have the Internet.
- Always use a shopping list: This can be used in conjunction with #9 and is important because you will save heaps by not buying impulse lines and things you don’t need if you stick to a shopping list.
- Take coffee from home: Coffee is a huge industry and rightfully so as there is a huge markup on a cup of coffee and every time you buy a cup you’re lining someone’s pocket. Taking coffee from home can be a huge money saver, and if you’re a big coffee drinker bring a thermos full to work.
Yeah, I know I said I would only give 10 ways to save money but seeing as how not everyone smokes I thought I would stick in an extra one. :cheese1_ee: As you can see, buy following these simple steps you can easily afford to use BlueHost to host your own blog, and if you consistently provide good content and use services such as adsense you will soon find that your blog will earn enough to pay it’s own way and usually enough for a little extra and so you can use all the extra money that you’ve saved to help paying off your loans thereby saving even more money.
OK, that was enough stressful reading for one day. You may want to read something a little more lighthearted like my post on Taking Off Your Clothes For The Greater Good where I show you how going naked can solve all the world’s problems. There were a few comments about being too cold and I wonder if there are any thermal paints that could be used which could give body art a whole new meaning. Just to put you in the mood here is a photo of a pretty gal wearing nothing but body paint, yep she is totally naked and the remarkable artist is Mark Reid.

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Tagged with: blog host • bluehost • make money blogging • Web host
Filed under: Blogging Tips • Making Money
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Very interesting post, Sire.
Advice please: Can you remove a hard drive from one com[puter and put it in another? The computer I’m using is always running out of space.I need another. Being heavy handed I ruined the old computer.
Regards,
peter
Twitter: AussieSire
Hi Peter, not that it has anything to do with this post, but yes it can be done although it’s a lot easier to buy and external drive and connect it to your computer via the USB.
Sire recently posted…Sharing Something Unique About Where You Live
What a strange comment from Peter here.. Oh well..
Interesting read. I try to save money on several of those, I even stopped smoking! Several times, mind you, but now I`m done for good. It`s been about 3 months since my last sigarette, and before that it was more than a year! Man, I`m kinda proud of myself.
Another thing I should do is write a shopping list. I usually go to the mall when I`m hungry, and that`s a terrible thing to do. I always end up bying twice as much as I planned. I wish I had a sence of self discipline. But no. Haha. Good post, a couple I hadn`t even thought of myself.
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Glad you liked it Roger. It’s good that you stopped smoking, that alone will save you heaps, not to mention it’s also good for your health.
Hi sire,
but i believe if they can minimize their smoking habit that will save a lot of money.
Thanks for sharing these top 10 tips to save money start your own domain. I believe so many people will benefit from it but hey, No 1 tip will be hard for some people
Thanks for sharing.
Twitter: AussieSire
It sure would be hard but it can be done and it would be worth it for them, especially for their health.
Sire recently posted…The Validity Of Old Sayings As Per Email
I spend a great deal of money at Tim Hortons on coffee. Just think of all the money I would save it I drank coffee at home.
I don’t like Bluehost, but that’s ok that you do. lol
That body art is pretty cool.
Twitter: AussieSire
I know and it would make sex so much easier, you don’t have to take anything off
Sire recently posted…Sharing Something Unique About Where You Live
Don’t complain about your economy if you smoke. You are shooting your self in the foot, its bad economy and bad health.
Also another way for saving money is to not change the car so often, but take more care of the one you have and it going to live longer and save money for you.
Twitter: AussieSire
yep, taking care of the one you have will sure save a lot of cash. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Sire recently posted…Reviewing MyLikes As An Advertiser
Yes thats right if you are not earning enough money from your blog then you have to save your daily pocket money for host your blog.
If you are doing job somewhere then no problem.
Btw, if you’re serious about blogging, go at least for a VPS which you get virtual dedicated space and with a dedicated IP :). Shared hosting like Bluehost might give lots of problems to your blog :D VPS would start a price of $50/month but I guess the figure should be quite affordable for most people ?
Twitter: AussieSire
I am serious and to date BlueHost hasn’t presented any problems, if it did I would have moved the blog by now. BTW, I have moved this blog from a previous Host which had presented me with some problems.
As to paying $50/month, the only way I would do that is if the blog was making $100/month.
Ic, btw If you’re getting a minimum 4-5K unique visitors a day, then you’ll find some problems with the MySQL, eventhough you’re running a wp supercache :) With 4-5K unique a day, you should be making much much more than enough to pay the $50 per month :)
Twitter: AussieSire
I reckon 4-5K unique visits a day would be something to look forward to, and if it ever got that busy around here I think I would have to upgrade to a dedicated hosting package.
Btw by looking at ur Alexa ranking of 65K, you should be getting at least 2-4K unique a day :) ? Although alexa isn’t that accurate :D
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Hey Sire…
I think Alexa measurement still follows the old days, widely depends on users with Alexa toolbar
Btw it seems like your blog’s Search engine traffic is pretty low. You’ll need SE traffic if you want more traffic, the traffic that will convert better :) I wonder why you have the meta tag <META name="robots" content="noindex…" for each of your blog posts? Are you telling search engines not to index your blog posts? This will probably prevent your blog from getting SE traffic growth :)
Twitter: AussieSire
Yep, in this case it is very inaccurate.
Twitter: AussieSire
I think that has something to do with Platinum SEO. I know my posts get indexed as they come up when I search a particular term. Also if they weren’t I don’t think I would have a PR4?
First, love the body art.
Second, I’m NOT giving up my eating out!
As for the other ideas, yup, it’s relatively easy to find hosting money, no matter who you use, and the opportunity to make money on the back end should be more than enough incentive to go that route.
Mitch recently posted…New Site Vs Cleaning Up A Site
Twitter: AussieSire
Yep, and as you know hosting your own blog is definitely the way to go.
As to eating out, I do it occasionally but my wife is such a good cook I rather eat in. That plus I’ve seen the state of some of the kitchens in some of those places and it has turned me off from frequenting them.
Sire recently posted…Why Does Sex In Advertising Sell
My wife is a good cook as well; heck, I’m a good cook! But having someone else cook for me so I don’t have to clean is a plus in my life.
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Twitter: AussieSire
Not a problem for me, my wife does all the cleanup. Maybe that’s why I ain’t getting all the luvin I deserve
Could be; weren’t you the guy who wrote about helping your wife around the house? :dunce_tb:
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Actually I do offer but she always knocks me back. Maybe there is a method to her madness?
Nice practical tips. I smoke for a very short period if time, quickly gave that up for health reasons and to not have another “bill” every month hah.
Hosting these days is dirt cheap, i payed 5-10 USD a month for the longest time and i was able to host several active sites. I’ve outgrown that and have sense gone to a semi-dedicated server package but it’s still pretty cheap.
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Have you done a post on that package at all Josiah? I’d be interested in reading it if you have and if you haven’t perhaps you should. :grin1_ee:
Sire recently posted…Taking Off Your Clothes For The Greater Good
It’s definitely worth it to save up and get shared or even better, dedicated hosting with a unique IP address. Search engines tend to like fast blogs and quick loading times and that is a good way to improve it.
If you don’t have the money, then of course choose blogReaction (way better than blogger, but I’m slightly biased)
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Twitter: AussieSire
I’ve looked at dedicated blogging but so far I can’t justify the expense, especially when shared hosting is more than adequately doing the job.
Sweet. I should have started to read this post from bottom – top :) Anyway, while this may sound an analogy (well writen), I believe that this is in fact one way to go should cost factor comes in to your way for getting an own domain and self-hosting. I was one of those that insisted on blogger for a long time and I would still recommend it if there is no other option (first read your list). If all that does not provide you with the money, then by all means use blogger. Once I moved, I have to admit that I will never go back. Now I have a problem with #1. Can’t seem to find the will to just let it go completely. Maybe I need another blog, haha
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Nope, all you need is to convince yourself that you are in control and that the smokes do not control you, that you are the master and not the slave!
Sire recently posted…Why Does Sex In Advertising Sell
I was about to say something then I got to the bottom of your post and noticed the picture. What was your post about again?
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It was all bout sex and how to get more of it.
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Isn’t it the truth eh? So many little things to think about and you really need to decide if building an blog, or online business is truly important to you. Even if you’re not doing blogging to make some money, the freedom and ease of other platforms really outshine something like Blogger Blogs.
It probably shouldn’t be this way, but I get the feeling that it’s not at that stage that it is 150% important to them. They haven’t fully committed to the desire or idea and are still playing with it to see if everything is worth their while. I don’t believe it’s turned into that passion yet. Because of this, I end up leaving the blog and end up somewhere that it gives the vibe that they are committed.
I find this happens as people are still working their full time job and have not committed to their true dreams. Some people will not consider you for work because they still see it as if you’re not serious yet and still just a hobby.
Twitter: AussieSire
That’s the problem entirely. Many people view those who use Blogger Blogs as not being serious and there is no reason to believe that they will continue blogging for any length of time. Perhaps that’s why advertisers rarely use them to promote their products.
And to think that they could change all that just for a few lousy dollars.
Sire recently posted…Blog Save The Akismet- Long Live The Akismet
Well yes there are many ways to save money so that we can maintain our blog. I really feel pity to the people who still insist on using Bloger.com blogs
Twitter: AussieSire
Many don’t realize the benefits of moving to a self hosted blog, but once they try it they will never regret the move.
Sire recently posted…Important Link Love That You Should All Read
Those are great ways to save money and how it can help you in starting your own domain and businesses. There’s a TV show that I like to watch called Until Debt Do Us Part, and it really shows how much some people will actually spend on things like eating out, buying unnecessary “entertainment” items (ie. Sound systems, computers, etc.). I’m wondering why my family is paying over $60/month for television when the majority of my family likes to watch their shows on the computer. And as a side note, that body art is very… intriguing.
Twitter: AussieSire
The body art is cool isn’t it,
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Hi Sire,
Following your 11 points one could get almost rich, he, he.
But seriously, I agree that having your own domain is the way to go for people who are serious. Those who aren’t sure if they want to blog long term may want to stick with the free platform for a while.
I keep hearing good things about Blue Host so I may give it a try when I decide to build more sites.
Vance
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Twitter: AussieSire
Yep, there’s a whole lot of money to be saved if one only tries. As to Bluehost, so far I can say without a doubt that it’s the best host I’ve tried so far.
Eating Out
My vote for #1! When ya have 5 kids, eating out becomes VERY expensive Sire!
Colleen recently posted…45th Annual Columbia Cup Hydroplane Races on the Columbia River
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Shit Colleen, just taking the family to the pictures costs you an arm and a leg these days, but you need to treat yourself every now and again, the idea is not to abuse it.
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O.K. I was totally ready to agree with you about saving money by drinking your own coffee and changing the light bulbs but then you ended the post by saying that the lady in the picture is TOTALLY NAKED! Get out of here! WOW! That is what I call a talent that you can take straight to the bank!
Twitter: AussieSire
The artist has actually painted quite a few jeans on these naked ladies. Heck, that’s one job I wouldn’t mind having, although I have to admit my hand may shake a bit when coming close to certain parts of the ladies anatomy
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I know I also keep hearing about this Blue Host company are they really that good? Is there anyone that can tell me anything about Blue Host or there experience with them?
Twitter: AussieSire
What do you want to know about them James? Did you follow the link to read about one of their special features?
Sire recently posted…Why Does Sex In Advertising Sell
I still can’t believe that’s only body paint. I wonder if it costs less than actual clothing, because if it is, then you could probably add in ‘Use body paint instead of actual clothes’ as a 12th option for saving money.
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Twitter: AussieSire
Now that would depend on whether it’s a woman buying the clothes or a man.
Sire recently posted…The Validity Of Old Sayings As Per Email
I had to look pretty hard at that pic to see if you were being legit about it being body art. Strangely, it’s so good I didn’t feel like I was checking out a naked chick at all!
I agree with Bluehost (I use and recommend it) and also with hosting your own “real” blog but I have to say that I’ve had great experiences with using blogger, wordpress, and livejournal blogs for back linking/supplemental content purposes.
Cheers,
Tia
Twitter: AussieSire
Yeah, I had to look pretty hard at it too Tia. I was actually hoping my eyes could peel some of that paint off but it wasn’t to be. Oh well, at least I still have BlueHost :cheese1_ee:
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I did not notice until you mentioned that she was naked. :P
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I reckon most men would agree that it would make the perfect honeymoon outfit. Imagine the surprise when the exited husband gets to cuddle his new wife. Nothing to take off and nothing to get in the way. :cheese1_ee:
Sire recently posted…Sharing Something Unique About Where You Live
I know you’re right Sire about switching (also about smoking:) I just can’t seem to bring myself to make the move. I will one day and when I do, I will pop right over to let you know.
Happy Lamington Cake Day!!!
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Hello,
You had me thinking about the ideas that you shared. I believe those will really help a lot of us in saving money.Usually, people tend to have what they really don’t need and in the end, they spent all their money on things that aren’t even close to necessity. Those ideas listed above are realistic means of saving money. I will grab some of those. Thanks.
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No worries Keith, and when you make your first fortune, don’t forget who put you on the right track
Sire recently posted…Tuesday OZ Lottery Jackpots To 50 Million
Wow, those were hilarious.. avoiding those things that you like just to buy a hosted domain… but it has a sense though..Hosted blog were really good to use. It’s a nice guide though.
Twitter: AussieSire
Strange that you find it hilarious Angelie because I sure wasn’t trying to be funny, if anything this was one of my ‘serious’ posts.
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Yeah, heating and electricity are no brainers, but eating out can sometimes be cheaper than bringing a home made lunch, unless you go to some fancy restaurant every time.
Twitter: AussieSire
I don’t know. The way I look at it the only way it could be cheaper is if you chose to eat junk food like HJ’s or Maccas. A cut lunch from home is the better option as far as I’m concerned.
I don’t know, Sire. I 99 cent sandwich and a small soda costs less than $2.25 out this way; that’s pretty cheap. Oh yeah, for you that would be 2.46 for you. :lol_wp:
Twitter: AussieSire
The soda costs more than that Mitch. Add a sandwich and you could be looking at $10
I forgot to add the name McDonalds to that comment. Over here, they & many other fast food restaurants offer what they call 99 cent meals, and a hamburger is one of those meals.
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I don’t think we have that here, and I don’t think you can call their burgers healthy. :thumbdown_tb:
Your advices were realistic and very practical! Those things could really help a person saves more money in order for his or her blog to get hosted. 10/10 stars for this comprehensive article!
Twitter: AussieSire
Thanks Alfred.
After reading your post I was inspired to save and since I don’t smoke I went with the replacement suggestion of bringing coffee from home. In the week and half since I started doing this I have saved $35 – I never thought it would be so much. I am slowly going to start incorporating the rest of your suggestions into my life. Thank you for taking the time to share this.
Twitter: AussieSire
hey Dwight that’s great mate. It just shows that all you need do is make a start and then things start to fall in place. Keep it up.
Sire recently posted…How A Woman Made Me Change My Evil Ways
AH another interesting post. I have just endeavored to give up smoking– it is really a suffering process. Hereby, I would like to say to those who have never tried smoking, please do not try. I suppose, eating cost is the one which is the hardest to reduce.
Twitter: AussieSire
Robert,it may be hard but it’s definitely worth the effort.
Sire recently posted…Have You Ever Thought “It Should Have Been Me”
The shopping list thing helps a great deal. Once my list is made I can further research the internet for which shops I could get the items @ a cheaper price. This is basically what I do when I vacationing in London and doing my final shopping. It helps save quite a lot of pounds ;-).
Some folks think it’s miserly and time consuming but in these times of the infamous “economic meltdown” every penny saved is TOTALLY worth it.
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Twitter: AussieSire
Udegbunam you’re 100% right, and if it saves you money in the long run it’s definitely worth it.
Sire recently posted…Have You Ever Thought “It Should Have Been Me”
I don’t think anyone mentioned the “h” word, Sire; all we were talking about was cheap food. And you don’t have specials like that; hmmm, too bad.
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Yeah, true, but I think health food is important. Sure you can eat crap every now and again, even I do that, but one shouldn’t make a habit of it.
I have to admit I’m guilty when it comes to eating out. I guess I will try my very best to not eat out this month and see how much I can save. Thanks for sharing. This article is very interesting for me to read, plus I’m amazed at the body paint. I didn’t realize it was paint until I’ve read your last paragraph, LOL!
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Hey Felicia, I’m not saying you should stop eating out altogether. We all need to pamper ourselves once in awhile. Just cut back a little if you’re doing it a lot.
I just said I will try for one month. So far, it’s only been days and I am craving for some of my fave pizza and this discount coupon I’ve been given is talking to me “Use me, use me, your fave pizza is waiting for you..” LOL! I guess I will just cut back on eating out a bit. I do eat out a lot actually, but most of the times I do it because of the convenience.
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Yea and do not forget that you could always pay the hosting month by month. Also look for coupon codes to make the price lower.
Twitter: AussieSire
If I’m happy with the host I normally pay for a year at a time as it’s usually cheaper that way.