I have to admit, I’m not the most organised person in the world. I started monetizing blogs nearly six years ago and up until last year, I never kept a proper record of my affiliate income.
Don’t get me wrong – I did the maths and filed my tax returns in April every year. But otherwise, I was useless. For example, if you had asked me how much I’d earned in November 2015 compared to November 2014? I’d have no clue. That had to change!
So, I created this income tracking spreadsheet:
I’ve used it every single day since January 2016. I can quite honestly say it has transformed my entire business and my earnings have consistently improved since using it.
Would you like a copy of the spreadsheet?
I’m giving it away for free! Details below!
Here’s how the spreadsheet can help you:
- Compare your monthly earnings year-on-year to see growth
- Fill in last year’s earnings to spot seasonal trends
- This allows you to plan ahead (I’ve found this SO helpful)
- Spot your best performing networks
- Track other blog income too, like sponsored posts and Adsense revenue
- Set a target you’d like to reach (I suggest aiming high)
- The spreadsheet will work out how much you need to earn per day to meet the target
- The spreadsheet will tell you how much you’re CURRENTLY earning per day
- In all, the spreadsheet will help keep you motivated on a daily basis. (I fill out the spreadsheet at 9am every morning with a cup of tea.)
DOWNLOAD FOR FREE
The download is stored in my free content library. Unlock access (and sign up to my weekly newsletter) by entering your email address below:
How to use the blog income tracker:
I’m going to walk you through each tab and explain how to make full use of the spreadsheet.
TAB 1: AFFIL 2017
This is where you’ll record your income for 2017. I check my affiliate networks and other income streams every morning and record them in this section.
NOTE: The currency is currently set to USD (United States Dollars) but it’s easy to switch into your local currency. Simply select all of the cells in the table and click FORMAT > CELLS > CURRENCY
NETWORKS: Rename the teal/green boxes on the left to suit your own needs. You can list as many or as few networks as you like. Record income from affiliate networks, advertising networks, sponsored posts, freelance gigs, etc.
TARGET EARNINGS: Amend this to suit your own goals. This is to keep you motivated throughout the month. It will encourage you to think of new ways to meet the target.
CURRENTLY EARNING PER DAY: This is how much you’re currently making per day for the given month. You’ll need to update the formula manually on the first of every month. But it’s just one small change: Change the cell number to correspond with the month. It’s set to February by default (E14) so in March, you will need to change this to F14 and so on.
NEED PER DAY: This is how much you NEED to be making per day in order to hit your target.
The total bars will automatically change colour throughout the year. Your highest earning months will be highlighted green and your lowest earning months will be coloured red.
TAB 2: AFFIL 2016
This is where you’ll record your income for 2016. This will give you an accurate benchmark for setting targets. Plus, you can compare this year’s income with last year’s. It also allowed me to spot patterns in my earnings. I realised that I had some low earning months and some more lucrative months due to seasonal factors. This enabled me to plan ahead and come up with different strategies. It will take some time to fill in this section, but I promise it’ll be worth it!
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