If you’ve ever wondered how much a part-time content creator can actually make while working a full-time job, I wanted to pull back the curtain and share my real numbers.
In July, I made $4,258.11 from content creation while still working my full-time 9-to-5. None of this happened overnight, and it definitely didn’t come from one viral video or one big brand deal. Instead, it came from multiple income streams that I’ve been building over time, including affiliate marketing, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, digital products, blogging, and more.
One thing I always want to be transparent about is that I share these income reports to show what’s possible. My goal isn’t to brag about the numbers. It’s to encourage someone else who’s sitting on the fence to finally start creating content. If I can build additional income around a full-time job, family, and everyday life, you can too.
In this post, I’m breaking down exactly where every dollar came from, what’s working in my business right now, what didn’t perform as well as I hoped, and what I’m changing moving forward. If you’re looking for realistic ways to make money online as a content creator, I hope this gives you a few ideas you can apply to your own journey.
Where my content creator income came from in July
One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is that content creators only make money from YouTube ads or sponsored posts. While those can absolutely be great income streams, they’re only a small piece of the puzzle.
The reason I was able to make $4,258.11 as a part-time content creator is because I don’t rely on just one platform or one paycheck. Instead, I’ve built multiple income streams that work together. Some months one platform performs better than another, and that’s okay because the others help make up the difference.
Here’s exactly where my income came from in July:
| Income stream | Amount |
|---|---|
| LTK affiliate marketing | $3,322.43 |
| YouTube AdSense | $487.19 |
| TikTok | $457.00 |
| Facebook monetization | $178.17 |
| $124.00 | |
| Digital products | $98.31 |
| Walmart Creator | $58.62 |
| Research studies | $50.00 |
| High-yield savings interest | $25.47 |
| Amazon Influencer | $16.37 |
| Yahoo blogging | $4.94 |
Total: $4,258.11
One thing I love about looking at my income this way is that it reminds me every dollar counts. Not every platform is making thousands of dollars, but together they add up to a meaningful amount of income each month. That’s why I always encourage new creators to diversify instead of putting all their energy into one app.
LTK continues to be my biggest income stream
If you’ve followed me for a while, this probably won’t surprise you.
LTK was my highest-paying platform again this month, bringing in $3,322.43 through affiliate marketing. Every time someone shops through one of my links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to them.
What I think surprises people is that I’m not constantly telling people to “buy this” or flooding my content with affiliate links.
Instead, I focus on creating content I’d already be making anyway. Outfit ideas, styling videos, YouTube videos, blog posts, Pinterest pins, Facebook posts, Instagram stories, then I simply make it easy for people to find the products if they want them.
That’s one of the biggest mindset shifts that’s helped me grow my affiliate income. Instead of thinking, How can I sell this? I think, How can I help someone who already wants this find it?
Shop my LTK here.
What I’m focusing on next
One thing I realized this month is that I need to do a better job reminding people where they can find my links.
Instead of constantly saying, “Comment LINK,” I want to train my audience to know that if they see me wearing something, styling something, or recommending something, it’s already waiting for them on my LTK.
That creates a better experience for my audience and makes it easier for me to keep creating content instead of manually sending links all day.
YouTube paid me $487.19
YouTube continues to be one of my favorite platforms because it allows me to build a deeper connection with my audience. While short-form content is great for getting discovered, long-form videos give me the opportunity to really explain what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.
In July, YouTube paid me $487.19 through AdSense. While that’s not my biggest income stream, it’s one that I’m intentionally growing because these videos continue working long after I hit publish.
One thing I did have to be honest with myself about this month was shutting down my YouTube membership. As much as I loved the idea, I realized I simply don’t have the time to give it the attention it deserves while working a full-time job and building everything else.
Sometimes growing means saying no to good ideas so you can focus on the great ones.
Right now, my focus is creating valuable YouTube videos, growing this blog, building my digital products, and creating content that can continue earning income over time.
TikTok surprised me this month
If I’m being completely honest, TikTok hasn’t been a huge focus for me lately.
I hadn’t been posting consistently, so I wasn’t expecting much. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to see $4.57 come in from TikTok.
It also reminded me that brands are paying close attention to short-form content.
Moving forward, I plan to be much more intentional with TikTok by sharing more lifestyle content, outfit videos, and UGC-style content that naturally fits the platform.
Facebook continues to be underrated
If there’s one platform I think more creators should pay attention to, it’s Facebook.
Facebook made me $178.17 this month through its content monetization program, but that’s honestly only part of the story.
I also use Facebook to drive traffic to my affiliate links, blog posts, YouTube videos, and digital products because it’s incredibly easy for people to click a link and go exactly where I want them to go.
I know Facebook isn’t the “cool” platform anymore, but from a business standpoint, it’s been one of the easiest places for me to make money.
Affiliate marketing is still my favorite way to make money online
When people ask me what income stream I’d recommend focusing on first, my answer is almost always affiliate marketing.
The reason is simple: you don’t have to create your own products, deal with customer service, or carry inventory. You simply recommend products you already use, and when someone purchases through your link, you earn a commission.
That’s exactly how I earn money through LTK, Amazon, Walmart Creator, TikTok Shop, and several other affiliate programs.
If you’re brand new to affiliate marketing, I put together an Affiliate Marketing Guide that walks through exactly how I got started, the networks I use, and how I turn everyday content into income.
If you’re not part of LTK yet and you’re serious about sharing fashion, home, beauty, or lifestyle content, I also recommend signing up. It’s been my biggest income-producing platform by far, and it’s where I keep all of my outfit links in one place.
Become an LTK Creator here.
Not quite ready to invest in a guide? I also have a free list of affiliate marketing networks you can download to start exploring different programs today.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that affiliate marketing isn’t about convincing people to buy things. It’s about helping someone find a product they’re already looking for while earning a commission for making the recommendation.
My smaller income streams still matter
When people see a number like $4,258.11, they usually focus on the biggest income source. But honestly, what excites me just as much are the smaller income streams.
Some months they’ll only make a few dollars. Other months they might surprise me. The goal isn’t for every platform to make thousands of dollars. The goal is to build enough income streams that they start stacking on top of each other.
That’s exactly what happened this month.
Digital products: $98.31
Digital products brought in $98.31 this month.
One thing I’ve realized is that I haven’t been promoting my digital products nearly as much as I should. Most of the sales come directly from YouTube because that’s where people spend enough time with me to understand what I offer.
Right now, my digital products include:
- My Budget Spreadsheet
- My Complete Budget Bundle
- My Affiliate Marketing Guide
- My 5-Step Content System
Each one was created to solve a problem I’ve personally experienced, whether that’s managing money, getting started with affiliate marketing, or learning how to turn one product into multiple pieces of income-producing content.
Amazon Influencer: $16.37
Amazon only brought in $16.37 this month, but that’s because I haven’t really been intentional about posting there.
Lately I’ve been wearing my New York Yankees hats almost every day, and they all came from Amazon.
Instead of letting those opportunities pass me by, I’m going to start uploading the same lifestyle photos and videos I already create to my Amazon storefront. If I’m already creating the content, I might as well let it work a little harder for me.
That’s become my mindset with content.
I’m always asking myself:
“Where else can this piece of content live?”
Walmart Creator: $58.62
Another platform I know has room to grow is Walmart Creator.
I earned $58.62 this month, mostly from products I’ve already shared on my blog and social media.
Since I already recommend affordable Walmart fashion so often, I know there’s a lot more potential here.
If you’ve read any of my outfit posts, you’ve probably noticed how often I wear Walmart jeans, sneakers, and basics.
Blogging: It’s a long-term investment
Blogging isn’t making me a lot of money yet, and honestly, that’s okay.
My Yahoo blog earned $4.94, while my own WordPress blog is still growing and working toward consistent ad revenue.
I look at blogging the same way I look at investing.
The work I do today may not pay me much this month, but every blog post becomes another asset that can bring in readers from Google, Pinterest, and social media months, or even years, from now.
That’s one of the reasons I’ve committed to turning every YouTube video into a blog post.
One video doesn’t just become one piece of content anymore.
It becomes:
- A YouTube video
- A blog post
- Pinterest pins
- Facebook posts
- Instagram content
- Threads
- Email newsletter content
The more places my content lives, the more opportunities it has to earn income.
If you’re trying to grow as a creator, that’s one of the biggest mindset shifts I can encourage you to make.
Don’t create once.
Repurpose intentionally.
In fact, that’s exactly why I created my 5 Step Content System. It walks you through the process I use to turn one product or one piece of content into multiple opportunities to earn affiliate income instead of posting it once and moving on.
What worked really well this month
Looking back at July, a few things stood out.
First, affiliate marketing continues to outperform everything else. Instead of chasing brand deals, I’ve been focusing on consistently sharing products I genuinely use and love.
Second, YouTube continues to build trust. People who spend 10 or 15 minutes watching a video are much more likely to check out a blog post, subscribe to my newsletter, or purchase one of my digital products.
And finally, creating content across multiple platforms instead of relying on just one continues to pay off.
No single platform carried my business this month.
They all contributed.
What I’m changing next month
Every month I look back at my income report and ask myself one question:
“If I were starting over today, what would I do differently?”
Here’s what I’m focusing on moving forward.
1. Posting more consistently on TikTok
I haven’t given TikTok the attention it deserves.
Even with very little effort, it still generated $4.57 this month. That tells me there’s plenty of room to grow if I show up consistently and create content with intention.
My plan is to post more outfit videos, walking videos, lifestyle content, and UGC-style content that brands are already looking for.
2. Promoting my digital products more often
This month reminded me that people can’t buy something they don’t know exists.
I’ve spent a lot of time creating products that genuinely help creators and people working toward financial freedom, but I haven’t done the best job talking about them.
Moving forward, you’ll hear me mention them more, not because I want to sell to you every five minutes, but because I know they can save you time.
If you’ve been trying to figure out affiliate marketing, budgeting, or how to get more life out of the content you’re already creating, I built these resources with you in mind.
3. Publishing more blog posts
This blog is becoming a bigger part of my business.
One thing I’ve committed to doing is turning every YouTube video into a blog post like this one.
That means if you prefer reading instead of watching videos, you’ll still be able to find all of my content right here.
It also helps me create evergreen content that can continue bringing in traffic from Google and Pinterest long after a social media post disappears from someone’s feed.
4. Staying focused
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned this year, it’s that trying to do everything at once usually means nothing gets my full attention.
There are always new platforms to join, new ideas to try, and new opportunities popping up.
But instead of chasing every shiny object, I’m focusing on doing a few things really well.
For me, those priorities are:
- Growing YouTube
- Growing this blog
- Creating valuable digital products
- Affiliate marketing
- Building long-term wealth
Everything else can come later.
You don’t need millions of followers to make money online
One of the biggest myths about content creation is that you need a huge audience before you can start earning money.
I don’t believe that’s true.
What matters more is creating helpful content, showing up consistently, and building trust with the people who choose to follow you.
Most of the income I shared in this report didn’t come from going viral.
It came from consistently posting content, recommending products I actually use, repurposing that content across multiple platforms, and giving those pieces of content time to work.
If you’re waiting until you have the “perfect” camera, the perfect niche, or thousands of followers before you start, let this be your sign to begin now.
You never know which video, blog post, or affiliate link will become the one that changes everything.
Want to start building your own creator income?
If this income report inspired you to start taking content creation more seriously, here are a few resources that I think will help:
New to affiliate marketing?
Start with my Affiliate Marketing Guide, where I walk you through how I earn commissions from the products I already use and love.
Want to see the products I recommend?
Follow me on LTK to shop my outfits, home finds, and favorite products. If you’re a creator who’s thinking about joining LTK, you can also sign up using my referral link.
Need help managing your money?
Check out my Budget Spreadsheet or Budget Bundle to help you tell your money where to go each month.
Thanks so much for reading! I genuinely appreciate you spending a few minutes with me. My hope is that these monthly income reports show you what’s possible with consistency, not perfection. I’m still learning, still growing, and still figuring things out as I go, and I’m excited to share the journey with you.
If you’re building your own income streams, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and tell me: What’s one income stream you’re working on right now?