The Absolute Cheapest Way to Start a Blog
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Have you ever thought it would be kind of cool to start a blog?
For me, having an online space to share life as a newly married was a creative outlet for me. I’ve always had a passion for writing, but blogging was the thing that stirred up the deepest parts of my soul. And I love it.
So much so, in fact, that I get overly excited when friends tell me they’ve been thinking about starting a blog, too—especially when they mention they’d also like to turn one of their creative hobbies into a profitable business. Their only hesitations are usually how much money it will cost and the overwhelm of setting up a brand-new blog.
I get it—all the bits and pieces that go into starting a blog can be really overwhelming. But if you want to contribute to something a lot bigger than yourself, blogging is one of the best hobbies you can start. I truly believe that!
Plus, if you stick with it long enough, you can even turn your blog into a healthy full-time income like I did.
Still interested?
Here’s my step-by-step guide to get your own blog up and running so you finally have an online space to call your own. No more excuses. It’s time to start a blog…and for super cheap!
Start with a Self-Hosted Site
A lot of bloggers skip this part and start their site on a free platform like Blogger or WordPress.com {which is different than the self-hosted version and severely limited.} And hey…that’s totally fine if you want to have a hobby blog and don’t ever see yourself earning income from it.
But if you have bigger plans for your blog, you need to go self-hosted.
With a self-hosted WordPress blog:
- You have a lot more customization options and tools to play with—a.k.a. you get a prettier and more functional site!
- You can monetize more successfully. With free platforms, you can’t use banner ads, which help bring in passive income.
- And possibly the biggest benefit of all, you own your own site. If Blogger goes away in the next few years, guess what? Your website is G-O-N-E. I really don’t want all your hard work slip away like that.
That’s why I hands-down recommend you start your blog via Bluehost.
The Awesome Benefits of Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the most budget-friendly hosting services I’ve ever seen, and is extremely reliable. I’ve tried many budget hosting sites in the past, and they’ve always caused more problems then they are worth!
But with Bluehost, you get:
- Step-by-step instructions on how to set up your own self-hosted site on WordPress.
- FREE technical support.
- A FREE domain name {which you normally have to buy separately}.
- Complete customization of your own website.
The process truly couldn’t be any easier, and when you use my personal discount link, it starts at just $3.95 a month. You really can’t get a better deal anywhere else, and best of all, it takes less than 15 minutes to set up.
Once you start gaining a lot of traction {I would say at the 80,000-100,000 page view mark}, then I would upgrade your host to BigScoots which is what I use. But if you’re just starting out, Bluehost has more than enough capacity to help you grow until you’re able to pay for a dedicated host.
How to Set Up Your Blog with Bluehost
There’s quite a few steps to get your blog setup, but thankfully, Bluehost makes this part super easy. Allow me to walk you through everything and if you have any questions at all, please leave them in the comments. I’m here to help!
Step 1. Sign up with Bluehost and choose the most Basic Package {this is all you’re going to need anyway, so might as well save the money.}
Step 2. Type in the domain name that you want. Try to think of something creative, but clear.
If you’re unsure what name to pick, I recommend you at least get your own name registered. Then if you come up with a better name for your website later, you can just do a simple redirect.
Step 3. Enter your account information and payment information. FYI: One thing that sets Bluehost apart is their simple, no-questions-asked, refund policy. If you decide blogging isn’t for you and cancel within the first 30 days you will get a full refund!
Step 4. Choose your package. The lowest price per month will be at the 36 month plan {due upfront in full}. But if you are unsure about blogging, I would sign up for the 12 month plan. You are still getting a great deal! Simply use the dropdown box at the top to select your plan and then check any of the extras you want (You don’t HAVE to have any of them).
Step 5. Create your password. Create a secure password, and RIGHT NOW before you forget, save that password somewhere you will remember! There’s nothing worse than going having to go through the whole process of retrieving a password online, am I right?
Step 6. Log In! Next, Bluehost is going to prompt you to log in to your new account. You’re almost there now! In the next few steps, they are actually going to walk you through naming your website and setting up WordPress.
Step 7. Name your website and select your website type. Following the prompts, name your website and pick what “type” of website this will be. Don’t worry, these things CAN be changed latter so you’re not locking yourself in to anything.
Step 8. Pick your theme The website layouts you see all over the internet are called “Themes.” There are ones you can pay for, and there are lots of free ones. Again, this is something that you can change in the future as well, so for now, pick one of the free options that, as Bluehost says, “Inspires you.”
Step 9. Install WordPress This part used to be complicated, but Bluehost makes it E-A-S-Y. As soon as you select your theme, Bluehost will automatically install WordPress and your theme! It’s like magic.
Step 10. Start building! Now is the moment you’ve been waiting for! Log into your website. You can simply click on the “Start Building” button or you will also find your site dashboard at http://yoursite.com/wp-admin, and can get in by entering the username and password you chose above. Now you can create and publish your first post!
Psst…here’s a comprehensive guide {and video} that show you how to add a New Post and what all those buttons in the post editor mean.
Woohoo!! You did it!
Now comes the fun part—designing your new site and writing content that WOWS. I’ve addressed both topics in How to Start a Money Making Blog the Right Way. This is where I share my best tips to get your blog off the ground and earning money within the next six months!
Ready to take the leap? Sign up with Bluehost HERE.
What is your new blog about? Tell me in the comments!
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.
Your insightful guide on starting a blog economically is a lifesaver! Practical tips and clear steps make it accessible for anyone aspiring to begin their blogging journey. Thanks!
Hey Kalyn. I just love reading books. So i just wanted to start a bookstagram. Like a little review posts just to share my opinion. So if u have a few tips for someone who is starting like me. I’ll be really helpful. Thank u.
Hi there! I haven’t been very consistent on my own bookstagram, so I might not be much help, but I love that idea (and it’s much less time intensive than starting a website!). What I know from Instagram growth in general is to create a good mix of photo carousels and reels. You’ll also find that the bookstagram community loves chatting with each other, so the best way to find new followers is to follow other people who use that hashtag and engage with them in the comments. Have fun with it!
I would love to start a blog all about my 2 passions in life! Books I’ve read and coffee!
Those are two great topics to write about! You should totally do it.
Kalyn, I want to create a basic database where people can simply by means of an online form, report e-crime & fraudsters. Across all the various ecommerce platforms. So the main content will just be self-generated content from a the searchable database and a few articles. I want to keep it simple. Would I be better of, with a blog or website, for this?
Hi Joe,
A blog is kind of website, so either way you’re going to be doing a website. However, a blog is more article focused so I guess it would depend on how you are looking to post your content. You could do it with simple pages that you update – or you could do it in blog posts.
There’s not really a wrong answer here.
Kalyn, like you, I have always had a desire to write but never really felt I had a book in me. So a Blog seems ideal. So far I have set things up with Bluehost, paid them and downloaded a receipt. Then it took me to a screen where it said for me to open my account but it would not take my domain name so I left the name that was already there (it contained Bluehost name) and the next screen showed a list of everybody I have been in contact with. I did not know what to do from that point so I just exited out. When I finish these comments I will just go to bed.
I am 78 years old and I think I have a lot to share on just about any subject. I see so many young women, married with one baby and sometimes two babies. If I can make it fun and interesting (and I think I can) perhaps it will make life a little easier for them.
Hi Carolyn,
I’m going to reach out to you via email! I’m sure you have so much to share and I want to make sure you get set up and ready to go.
I’d like to eventually start a blog about my hobby. But for now, I’d like just to have a “journal” type blog to learn the ropes. I’m already sold on WordPress with a BlueHost. How can I start pretty cheaply? I already staarted on WP and choose the WP.com option but didn’t finish. Can you help me?
If you are starting as a hobby, and want it to be as inexpensive as possible – you could go with something other than self-hosted – something like wordpress.com where they host it for you and use their free options. But just know that if you ever decide you would like to monetize it you are most likely going to have to switch platforms and go from there.
Another way of thinking about this though is that it is OK to invest in a hobby. If you think about it, almost everyone invests in their hobbies. So if you do get Bluehost and a domain you’re investing in your hobby and preparing for when you make a switch to pursuing it as an income, should you ever decide to do that.
May I see your blog?
You’re on it! 🙂 https://kalynbrooke.com
HI, thanks for this, I’m starting off blogging but I’m a bit confused. I’ve watched a number of videos and read articles and so far I have purchased my domain name from Namecheap, which cost me £9 ($7).
I then have got stuck with the hosting part. Through namecheap I can get WordPress for $8.88 per year (renew price is $48!), which is an awful price hike. I assume this is the hosting? But I don’t want to do this as the price hike for the second year is so high.
If I went with bluehost would I get WordPress free as I would have paid for the hosting?
But I have already paid for the domain so that makes me think I should have waited?
Thanks a lot if you can help me sift through the choices.
Rose
Hi Rose,
So the two must recurring expenses are:
– Domain Name (small yearly cost)
– Hosting (Monthly or yearly depending on the plan)
An optional expense is purchasing a premium theme – but that should be a one time expense.
WordPress itself should not cost you a penny extra! If they are charging you extra, then yes, you should look for a new host.
I would verify with their customer service if possible what exactly you are paying for in your monthly fees. But $48 a month is way too expensive unless you have tens of thousands of pageviews each month.
As far as transferring over, yes you can get things transferred over – but sometimes there are hick-ups along the way so it could be smart to hire someone to do that for you.
If you do end up going with Bluehost, they have a one click install of WordPress that is completely free! If you have any other questions feel free to email me at admin at kalynbrooke dot com.
How can the discount on the Bluehost subscription be reached? Or is it expired now?
Bluehost is actually going to be running a GREAT deal on June 26th and June 27th. Just follow the links in this post on one of those days, and you’ll be able to get their basic hosting plan for $2.95 a month for 36 months! Usually the low rates only last a year – so having that rate locked in for 3 years is fantastic!
When does the price go up? So $3.45 but at what put does the price go up to the top $7.99
For Bluehost your first year is at the lower price point.
Hi Kalyn,
I already have a free wordpress blog, that I want to upgrade and see if I can have some profit of it,
So I’m looking for the best / cheaper solution, 🙂
Can I use the Bluehost, without losing all the content and followers that I already have, or do you recommend to upgrade the blog though wordpress instead ? (they ask for 7.08 to subscribe the premium or 20.83 for business )
thanks so much for your help
Ana xx
Hi Ana,
I always recommend self-hosted {going through a hosting service like Bluehost} over WordPress.com. It allows you much more flexibility and if something ever happens to WordPress.com you aren’t left out in the cold.
You can export all your content from you existing WordPress site {https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/tips-tricks/import-export-wordpress-website} and you can also export the email addresses you’ve collected from the sign up bar on the bottom of your page over to an email service like MailChimp. {https://premium.wpmudev.org/blog/export-email-addresses-wordpress/}
It takes some work, but if you plan on growing your blog more and more, it’s the route I would take.
I use Bluehost with WordPress installed as well. No real technical issues and a growing customer base over the last 10 years. WordPress is easy to learn and use.
Bluehost is great!
I use Bluehost as my hosting site. I would recommend Bluehost to anyone just starting out.
It’s really is the best bang for your buck to get you going.