I love blogging.  Some of my friends may even tell you that I’ve become a bit obsessed with blogging over the past couple of years.  After all, what other hobby do you actually get paid for?  And, what other hobby can turn into a business?

When I began blogging, though, I did not have much money to spend.  There were many fantastic resources out there–interesting courses, beautiful themes, and all sorts of products designed to make blogging easier.  But, these resources just weren’t in my budget.  Instead, I learned to blog on a shoestring.

Today I thought I would share some of the best free or inexpensive resources out there–as a way to help new bloggers who are in the same position that I was.

10 Amazing (Free or Inexpensive!) Blogging Resources

1. Building a Framework ($25)

If you are looking for a comprehensive blogging guide for beginning bloggers, this is it! Abby Lawson of Just a Girl and Her Blog wrote this book with the original subtitle of “Everything I Learned My First Year Blogging.” In it she shares, step by step, how to set up a blog, build traffic, and earn money. You can get a more expensive version of the book if you want, but this basic package is filled with good stuff!

2. The Blog Structure Blueprint (FREE)

This fantastic resource will help you learn how to structure and organize your blog. It literally gives you a blueprint for setting up a clean, attractive, and organized blog.

3. How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul ($15)

This was the first book I ever read about blogging. In it Ruth Soukup (of the Living Well and Spending Less blog and creator of Elite Blog Academy) clearly teaches you how to build traffic and income. Very easy to read and understand, with practical action steps to take.

4. 2017 Ultimate Pinterest Planner (FREE)

I love this planner! Kate from Simple Pin Media has a free printable planner to help you utilize Pinterest to the fullest. For each month she has specific tasks, seasons pins that will trend, and more!

5. PicMonkey (FREE)

PicMonkey is a user-friendly, easy-to-use site that helps you design professional looking graphics for your blog. I use PicMonkey to design all of the featured images with titles for my posts.

6. Pixabay (FREE)

A site that has free stock photos you can use on your blog. I am not a photographer (plus, my niche isn’t really very image-heavy), so I get all of my images from Pixabay. You just search for the type of image you want–for example: “Flowers in vase.” Then you choose and download the picture that you want. That’s it!

7. Mad Mimi (FREE)

Mad Mimi is the e-mail service provider that I used when I was first blogging. You can create beautiful custom newsletters, send out e-mails to your list, make automated drip campaigns, and more. If you are just starting out, I highly recommend their FREE plan. On this plan you can have up to 100 e-mail subscribers and send out an unlimited amount of e-mails. They also have excellent customer service.

8. 2017 Focused Blog Business Planner ($17)

I purchased this beautiful printable planner a few weeks ago and absolutely love it! Leslie from Chaotically Creative has created a cute planner that will help organize your business and blogging life. So good!

9. Hosting with Bluehost (as little as $3.95 a month)

Bluehost is one of the best (and most affordable) hosting services out there. If you haven’t started your blog yet, be sure to sign up here for Bluehost. I have been impressed with their customer service and reliability.

10. Blogelina.com (FREE)

When I first began blogging I spent a lot of time reading Blogelina.com. The website is super helpful with tons of great articles on blogging, running a business, writing, and more. They also offer many services (such as blog set ups, designs, transfers, and more) that are reasonably priced.

There you have it! I hope that you will find these resources helpful to you as your start or grow your blog this year.

What are your favorite free or inexpensive blogging resources?

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