It’s always fun to start a personal blog. But it’s HARD to make it profitable.  There are a few bloggers who learned the art of making a full-time income from their personal blogs. This post is going to show you those popular personal blogs (across various niches) so you can get better ideas and inspiration. In this post, we’ll talk about;

What is a personal blog? Benefits of starting a personal blog A handpicked list of personal blogs (along with their monetization model) How to start a personal blog and much more

So are you ready to discover those blogs? Let’s get started! We get a commission when you buy a product via our affiliate link at no additional cost.

What is a personal blog?

A personal blog is a blog that’s run by an individual author, and they add a “personal touch” to their content by sharing their experiences, writing in a conversational tone, and so on. Personal blogs are NOT those blogs with a ton of guest contributors. You will NEVER find a “corporate tone of voice” on personal blogs as the author loves to share their ideas and thoughts with their audience in a “friendly writing tone”. Many personal bloggers are blogging full-time by combining their passion such as fitness or travel and using passive income sources like affiliate marketing to make a living from blogging.

Top 5 Reasons to Start a Personal Blog

So what are the benefits of personal blogs? Why should you even consider creating personal blogs? Here are some of the MAJOR reasons to start a personal blog in 2023.

  1. Share your thoughts  One of the biggest reasons to start a personal blog is to share your thoughts and ideas. Just make sure to define your target audience (who your ideal audience is) so you can create content accordingly.
  2. Networking with others One more reason people start personal blogs is to build and grow their online connections. When you start a new blog on any topic, you’ll find and engage with hundreds of people within a year. 
  3. Create and grow your personal brand Personal branding is something you can’t ignore. The best way to build and grow your personal brand is to create a blog, share your views, engage with influencers, and try to make a difference.
  4. Do it for fun Or you can start a personal blog just to have fun. You can keep your blog posts private if you want so you can use them as an online diary. Or you can write whatever comes to your mind and improve your writing skills. 
  5. Make money online Blogging helps you make money online. You can sell your products or start offering services such as freelance writing, design, or whatever you’re good at to make money. You can also use your blog to monetize with affiliate marketing, display ads, and more.  Let’s now find out the 12 handpicked personal blogs along with their income sources.

1. James Clear

JamesClear.com is one of the most popular personal blogs that attracts millions of visitors each month. If you want to build better habits, improve your decision-making, and continuous improvement in work and life – this blog is a must-read for you. Who Runs the Blog? This amazing personal blog is run by James Clear who is a life coach, entrepreneur, photographer, and the author of NYT’s best-selling book “Atomic Habits.” He also got featured in some of the biggest publications such as the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning. What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? James Clear mostly writes about the following topics on his blog;

How to build good habits (and break the bad ones) How to make great decisions in life and work How to get more things done in less time  How to achieve goals in life and many more 

What is the main source of income? Here are some of the ways James monetizes his blog;

Speaking gigs Affiliate product selling Selling his own products such as books and tools like the “Habit Journal” 

2. Zen Habits

If you’re looking for the best personal blogs about life and minimalism, Zen Habits is a must-read for you. If you want to learn how to simplify your life, be more mindful, and be productive, you’ll love this blog.  Who Runs the Blog? Leo Babauta is the creator of Zen Habits, which was launched in 2007. Currently, his blog has over 2 million readers worldwide. The best part? His entire blog, and all his ebooks, are uncopyrighted (since January 2008). What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here are the main topics you’ll discover on this blog;

Minimalism  Productivity Life advice How to master your life and many more

What is their main source of income? Here’s how Zen Habits makes money;

Affiliate marketing Leo sells his online training programs such as Fearless training, Fearless Mastery, and Sea Change to make money from his blog He also sells multiple books such as Essential Zen Habits, The Habit Guide Ebook, and more

3. Riskology

Riskology is one of the best personal blogs that offer advice on leadership for introverts. If you want to improve your productivity to get more in less time, reduce stress, and improve your health – you should definitely follow this personal blog. Who Runs the Blog? Tyler Tervooren is the founder of Riskology where he mostly writes introverts to lead a great life. He’s also a TEDx speaker and ran a marathon on every continent including Antarctica. What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here’s what you’ll discover on this blog;

Leadership skills for introverts  Risk management How to make smarter decisions

What is their main source of income? Here’s how Riskology makes money;

Affiliate marketing Training courses including The Systems Course (that helps you with reducing stress, and improving your health) and Connect + Lead (that helps you with building relationships and becoming a leader) Speaking gigs

4. Minimalist Baker

If you’re looking for simple yet delicious cooking ideas, the Minimalist Baker blog is exclusively for you. Minimalist Baker is one of the popular personal blogs about cooking which has over 2 million followers on Instagram.  Who Runs the Blog? Dana Shultz is the founder of this popular personal blog “the Minimalist Baker” which was founded in 2012. She is also a food stylist and the author of the book” Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking”. The best part about her blog is that she shares recipes that require 10 ingredients or less, 1 bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare. What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here’s what you’ll discover on this blog;

Simple yet yummy recipes Vegan recipes Gluten-free recipes Oil-free recipes and many more

What is their main source of income? Here’s how Dana makes money from her blog;

Selling books Affiliate marketing Selling her own products including kitchen essentials

5. Mr. Money Mustache

Mr. Money Mustache is one of the best personal blogs about personal finance. Are you looking to retire early? Then, you should read this blog and follow the advice on finance. Who Runs the Blog? Peter Adeney is the founder of Mr. Money Mustache who retired from his job as a software engineer in 2005 at age 30. In 2011, he launched this blog to share advice on how others can do the same (i.e retire early). What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here’s what you’ll discover on this blog;

Getting rich Retire early Life advice and more

What is their main source of income?

Affiliate marketing Paid partnerships  Other financial products he recommends through his blog

6. My Wife Quit Her Job

Want to be your own boss and build a money-making business online? Then, you should definitely check out “My Wife Quit Her Job” as it’s one of the widely popular personal blogs which has over 275,000 monthly readers.  Who Runs the Blog? Steve Chou is the founder of the “My Wife Quit Her Job” blog. He also runs a podcast with the same name. Both his blog and podcast teach people how to sell profitable products online. What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here’s what you’ll discover;

How to make money online How to sell products Interviews with experts on building an empire Entrepreneurship 

What is their main source of income? Here’s how this blog makes money;

Affiliate marketing Sponsorships  Selling his own products

7. Chris Guillebeau

In 2008, Chris Guillebeau founded the blog called “The Art of Non-Conformity” where he covered topics such as entrepreneurship, self-employment, and travel. It quickly became a popular personal blog which is now turned into ChrisGuillebeau.com  Who Runs the Blog? Chris Guillebeau is the founder of this blog who’s also an NYT best-selling author, entrepreneur, and speaker. Chris visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. He published some of the New York Times bestsellers including The $100 Startup, The Art of Non-Conformity, and more. What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here are the main topics you’ll discover on this blog;

How to travel around the world How to use the $100 Startup model for creating personal freedom Entrepreneurship  

What is their main source of income? Here’s how Chris monetizes the blog;

Selling his own books Affiliate marketing Events and speaking gigs

Are you looking for a personal blog that covers fresh vegetarian recipes? Cookie and Kate blog is just for you where you can find a ton of food recipes.  Who Runs the Blog? “Cookie and Kate” blog is run by Kathryne Taylor and she named the blog after her dog Cookie. This blog is a popular destination for vegetarian recipes. She also published her best-selling first cookbook, Love Real Food in 2017. What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here are some of the topics you’ll discover on this blog;

Recipes and food Desserts Cocktails and much more

What is their main source of income? Here’s how Kathryne monetizes her blog;

Affiliate marketing Selling her own products Sponsorships 

9. The Book Smugglers

The Book Smugglers is a popular book review blog that has mostly covered fiction and pop geek for all ages since 2008. Who Runs the Blog? Thea James is the founder of this blog and also received the “Hugo Award for Best Fanzine” and she launched this blog in 2008. What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here’s what you’ll discover on this blog;

Book reviews Comics Fiction and more

What is their main source of income? Here’s how this blog makes money;

Advertisements on the blog Affiliate marketing Paid reviews and sponsored posts

10. Gala Darling

Gala Darling is one of the popular personal blogs that’s read by over 1 million women a month to live without fear and improve their lifestyle. Who Runs the Blog? Gala Darling is the founder of this blog. She’s also a bestselling author of Radical Self-Love and a speaker. She has been featured in The New York Times, Girlboss, New Zealand Herald, Teen Vogue, New York Post, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Time Out New York, and many more What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here’s what you’ll discover on this blog;

Travel Self-help Beauty Style and more

What is their main source of income? Here’s how Gala makes money from her blog;

Affiliate marketing Sponsorships and collaborations Selling ebooks She also sells courses such as “Radical Rituals: Abundance” and more

11. Pinch of Yum

Pinch of Yum is an award-winning food blog that shares simple yet delicious recipes and is read by millions of people every month. Who Runs the Blog? Lindsay is the founder of this amazing personal blog which currently has over 1 million followers on both Pinterest and Instagram. What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here’s what you’ll discover on this blog;

Healthy recipes Instant pot recipes Vegetarian recipes and more

What is their main source of income? Here’s how Lindsay monetizes her blog;

Selling her own courses and membership sites like Food Blogger Pro Affiliate marketing Sponsorships 

12. David Lebovitz

If you’re looking for a MASSIVE collection of delicious recipes from a professional cook and baker, you must follow David Lebovitz’s blog. In fact, David Lebovitz is a household name in the culinary world.  Who Runs the Blog?  David Lebovitz is the founder of this blog who’s a professional cook and baker. He launched davidlebovitz.com blog in 1999.  Yes, that’s over two decades ago, and sharing his original food recipes since then. In 2019, David was honored by Saveur magazine with their first-ever Blog of the Decade award. What Topics Does This Personal Blog Cover? Here’s what you’ll discover on this blog;

Recipes of all kinds ranging from cakes to sandwiches to desserts Chef & Photographer Interviews Travel tips and more

What is their main source of income? Here’s how David Lebovitz makes money from his blog;

He makes money by selling books as he has written nine books so far (including The Perfect Scoop, Ready for Desserts, and more) Selling affiliate products Through events Sponsorships and brand collaborations 

A Quick Guide to Starting a Personal Blog In 2023

Are you curious to start a personal blog? Here’s a simple tutorial on how to create a personal blog using WordPress. Quick note: We HIGHLY recommend a reliable web host like Bluehost as it’s not only used by over 2 million websites but it is also the official recommended web host by WordPress itself. Click on this SPECIAL link to visit the Bluehost website where you’ll find an exclusive discount page from BloggersPassion which looks like this; As you can see above, with our unique link, you can grab Bluehost hosting starting at just $2.95 per month (instead of $8.99/month). Side note: We’re an affiliate for Bluehost and we earn a small commission whenever someone purchases their hosting plans using our affiliate link, at no extra cost to you! Once you click on the Get Started Now button, you’ll be taken to their shared hosting packages which look like this; You can go with any of their hosting plans but we HIGHLY recommend their Choice Plus plan as you get excellent features only at $5.45/mo and the features include;

Unlimited website hosting Unmetered bandwidth $200 marketing credits  Domain privacy and protection CodeGuard backup Unlimited emails, databases, and more

But if you’re on a tight budget, you can choose their Basic plan that costs you only $2.95 per month where you can install 1 website with limited storage.  You can read our Bluehost hosting plans post if you want to know all their shared hosting plans, pricing, etc. Once you’ve chosen your preferred hosting plan from Bluehost, you’ll be asked to pick your domain (it’s free to register a domain from Bluehost). Or you can also set up your domain anytime you want for free. In the final step, you’ll be asked to create an account with Bluehost where you can also use your Google account. Finish the payment process and you’ll get a confirmation welcome email from Bluehost.  Then, you’re ready to install WordPress on Bluehost. If you want more details, you can read our how to start a blog guide where you’ll discover amazing strategies to build a money-making site from day one. What Others are Reading:

Most Profitable Niches List That Really Make Money in 2023 High Paying Affiliate Programs List for 2023 MrBeast Net Worth: How He Gained Over 100 Million Subscribers Future of Blogging: Are Blogs Still Relevant in 2023? Semrush 30 Days Free Trial: Try Pro or Guru Account for Free Now BEST AI Story Generator Tools to Write Better Stories How Much Does a Website Cost in 2023?

Here are some of the frequently asked questions around personal blogs.  Essential FREE Resources for You: – Zen Habits (run by Leo Babauta)– James Clear (self-help blog)– Pinch of Yum (food blog)– Mr. Money Mustache (personal finance blog) – Travel– Finance– Parenting– DIY (Do It Yourself)– Productivity– Life Advice

A Big List of Indian Blogs Run by Popular Bloggers Best Lifestyle Blogs To Follow To Improve Your Lifestyle Most Popular Blogs for Women To Follow Best Food Blogs to Follow for Tasty Recipes Best Blog Examples of 2023 for Your Inspiration Dad Blogging: The Ultimate Guide With 5 Best Dad Blogs

It’s extremely easy to start a personal blog. Also, blogging helps you with online connections, fame, money, and many more. So why not take inspiration from the best personal blogs listed here to create your blog? What are your thoughts on the popular personal blogs shared on this page? Did we miss any of your favorite personal blogs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.