FAN MAIL FRIDAYS: How To Be A Blogger On A Limited Budget

I get a lot of cool and interesting queries for Fan Mail Fridays; Just got one this week and it's from Dominic. She asks:

Dear Martha,

I want to start a VLOG channel, but I don't know how. Any advice? I'm a mother of two with limited budget for cosmetics, but I love them. :(

Dominic

Hey Dominic!

Your question is pretty valid. Being a Blogger entails a lot of expenses (from time to money) from building your blog, writing posts, to attending events and even more so if you're paying for hosting and domain fees. Blogging, just like any hobby, can be quite costly; this can be quite discouraging if you have dependents, but starting small always works. I started this blog when I was still a student and only relied on my allowance to purchase cosmetics, which wasn't always enough because I had my daily expenses to cover as well; but my situation did not discourage me from blogging; I just knew I wanted to do it and I just found ways do it. :)

Yes, you can beauty blog/vlog even on a limited budget. If you know in your heart that you really want to do it, then you can do it. To help you get started, here are some ways to launch your blog/get your blog going even if you can only afford to purchase cosmetics for blog features every month.


1. Borrow

- This is what I'd always do when I started the blog in 2009. I would borrow the makeup of my mom and friends, and feature them on my blog. I didn't have a savvy camera and laptop then so I'd borrow my mom's digital camera and blog either on the home PC or my mom's laptop. Make use of your resources (and don't forget to return the favor in other ways. ;) ).

2. Make Do With What You Have

- I'm pretty sure you have a couple of cosmetics on hand that you got over the years/months (I hope you have!). Be creative with them: Come up with various looks, explore what else you can do with your products by mixing and matching, or come up with your own set of techniques. 

3. Get Creative With Your Posts

- Create your own special stories. Examples are HOW TOs, Face Of The Day, Wish lists, and the likes. You can even write a commentary on beauty trends or feature personalities/your favorite Bloggers. I suggest writing them down and assigning one special story per day/week so you won't forget about them and so you can think about how to put them into writing beforehand.

4. Entertain Guest Posting

- There are a lot of people who will email you and ask if they can guest post on your blog. Guest Posting is simply defined as: A person offering a free article for publishing on a website with, most of the time, a link to their website/blog/social media accounts. Don't do this often though; guest posts tend to sound very generic and you might end up drowning the voice of your blog.

5. Write About Your Other, Free Interests

- I'm sure you have a lot of interests that don't necessarily have a purchase requirement. Examples are your favorite foods, your family recipes, pets, kids, what you like doing in your free time, your favorite songs, and the likes. Go back to to tip # 3 to help you in this. ;)

I hope I was able to help you out, Dominic. Good luck to you and to all aspiring Bloggers/Vloggers out there! :)

**Got a burning question about makeups, skin care products, beauty, dieting and health tips, relationships or whatever? Just send them to martha.stabarbara@yahoo.com, via my Powr Ask Form, or shoot 'em up at The Beauty Junkee's Facebook Fan Page via the MESSAGE button and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. ;)

Post a Comment

14 Comments

  1. This is great ms m! i started blogging too way back 2009 (now i have personal and private blog because some one is still stalking of everything i am doing so i keep it private) i use resources that i have. I have limited budget too.. and i could remember a blogger says "there's a dupe for everything" (kay ms donna ata yun hihi)

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  2. I am a newbie foodie blogger on and off Ms. Martha and I am thankful that you shared all your ideas about blogging on a limited expenses. I've learned a lot from you. Thanks to Dominic's question too.

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  3. Great tips ms.martha! Truly admiring how you express your way to reach out a help to everybody who really wants to do what they passionate about. This advice would be a big help.Goodluck to all the future bloggers out there.

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  4. Napa throwback ako sa post na 'to. Hehe.

    When I started blogging, I wasn't earning as much as I do now so I really had to make do with what I have. That's when I found my blog calling...Discovering inexpensive local beauty finds. Some people kasi thought that once you've decided to do a beauty blog, you'll automatically get sponsors or free makeup which isn't the case. One should build his/her name first in the industry. It was during my earlier years in blogging that I have developed my creativity more. I have limited resources so I needed to re-use them in a different way.

    This is such a great post for starting and aspiring bloggers. :D


    xoxo,
    Gelleesh.com

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  5. Wow, you've gone a long way, Ms. Martha. What an inspiring post! Thank you for the tips as well. I am considering it again as I have one already, but haven't continued it for personal reasons. I am thinking of a different theme. My earlier blogs were an inspirational blog in Tagalog, and a weddings songs and lyrics blog. Have an awesome day!!!

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  6. There is a wide variety of cosmetics in the market catering to every budget. And there are a lot of women out there looking for reviews of affordable cosmetics, so you may find your niche there.

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  7. Recently, I've been into buying samples instead of full sizes. Though I did haul a freakin lot last august XD I think I'll be buying smaller products for reviews since I usually come up with one in a week or two's try.Both of my hobbies, drawing and makeup, can be expensive but I've also been thinking of posting about my favorite instant ramen because I love that unhealthy junk food. XD

    No one in my family wears as much makeup as I do so I can't borrow from them but I have a friend who also has an extensive collection, what we do is we sometimes trade items like lip pencils, bronzers or foundations. The best thing about that is that I am inclined to Asian cosmetics and she's inclined to western ones so we get to try out different things :D

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  8. Finally starting my own personal makeup blog, after so many years! I love makeup and actually planning to start my own blog but really lazy to write, I just want to post photos and write a little something. Of course you have your IG and twitter, but the thing is, not all of your followers enjoy looking at your makeup obsession posts, hence I created my own "personal" blog. :D
    Anyway, I just want to share, if you really love makeup and want to create a blog, dedmabells na if you don't have a lot/expensive stuff. Just make do with what you have, you'll never know, you just might rekindle your love to your forgotten makeups. And lastly, always keep in mind why you want to start your own blog, not to have sponsors, but to share what you really love online. :)

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  9. The challenge is coming up with non-review posts, especially when you're paying out of pocket! It's also nice to have a blogging buddies to swap products with.

    Worst part of beauty blogging: seeing a new product and justifying that you *need* to get it. In all the shades, because it's "for the followers!" Self-control is a must.

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  10. This is helpful. Someone voiced out my own question!
    I have just started blogging and the major challenges are the budget and time management. Im kinda tamad na to work coz i wanna spend my time blogging. :))

    Thanks for the advice!

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  11. you always have helpful tips ms. m! good luck to those who like to start blogging. enjoy it and have fun. success will also come in your way. :)

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  12. Thank you for sharing! You are such an inspiration to us! More power to your blog Ms. Martha.

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  13. When I started blogging late last year, I had a few items to start with, since I am really into makeup. I would buy affordable makeup products and try them out. You can also try out buying from direct selling like Avon, which you can pay for the items a month after your purchase. They always have sale on cosmetics too. :) I started with local brands and later on purchased other drugstore brands. Blogging isn't really easy. You need to love it so that you can pursue it. Well, it goes with any other passion and/or profession

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  14. Hey girls! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Loved reading all of them! :D

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