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5 Blogging Tools that are Worth the Investment

March 7, 2018
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College and full bank accounts are most definitely mutually exclusive.  There have been times when I’ve had to send all my Venmo balance to my bank account to pay bills.  I even had a friend who ate her entire meal at a restaurant, and as the waitress came to the table, my friend opened the bill and proceeded to tell the waitress that she needed to check her account to make sure she had enough money!  (She did but barely—ha!)

Whether you’re in college or not, you probably like money, especially when you have a lot of it.  But here’s the kicker: we usually don’t have a lot of it.  If you’re looking to build a blog, there’s ample opportunity to spend money on things—gadgets, gizmos, software, advertising, you name it—that may or may not work.

After blogging for over three years, I’ve learned from both successes and mistakes.  While I can’t speak for every blogger, I wanted to share some of the best investments in my blog:

This post includes affiliate links, which means I learn a small commission from items purchased through included links.  All opinions are my own.5 Blogging Tools that are worth the investment round trip travel

1. Website Domain

My blog is hosted on WordPress, and for the first year or so of my blog, I kept the wordpress.com domain.  I wanted to make sure I was committed to my blog and eventually wanted to take my blog to the next step.  Now that I have it, I’m not looking back.  Buying your own domain shows professionalism and commitment, and when reaching out to advertisers and other bloggers, I believe it gives you an upper hand over those with WordPress and BloggerSpot urls.  Get $25 off your WordPress plan here.Palisades Park Ocean Mountains Santa Monica California

2. DSLR

Every day I’m becoming more and more impressed with my iPhone camera.  iPhones take incredible photos, and I definitely recommend you utilize your smartphone for blogging purposes.  At the same time, there’s something to say for a “big girl” camera.  You have more control of the features, and if you know a thing or two about photography, you can do so much more with a DSLR than a smartphone.  Shop Nikon cameras here.

Brit + Co Intro to DSLR Photography Online Class

3. Advertising

I don’t have extensive experience in the blog advertising realm, but Facebook offered me a coupon to try out their advertising.  I did and was very pleased with the intense metrics and results.  I’m currently not in the financial position to spend money on advertising but will definitely look into it again, especially if I’m promoting my product.54e3c8a7-df1a-4ef7-9c8b-e1a4f2eaf9c3

4. GorillaPod

Calling all vloggers—this flexible tripod can fit in your bag and fits right onto your phone.  I haven’t had much chance to use my Gorilla Pod but absolutely love this idea.  Video is such a vital part of travel documentation, and shaky video is exceedingly distracting.  Cut the shake, and make your content more professional.

5. Spotify Premium

Although not directly related to your blog, Spotify Premium has been some of the best investments for me.  Even as I write this, I’m listening to Spotify, and bypassing the commercials and having access without WiFi makes drafting smoother.  It helps me focus and gets my creative juices flowing.

Even if it’s not raining dollar bills, you can invest your money wisely to make a killer blog.  Do what makes sense for you and your blog’s vision.

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Comments

  1. Bri Ollre says

    March 7, 2018 at 7:40 pm

    Yes yes yes to Spotify premium. It’s one of the more luxurious things I pay for each month. So worth it when you’re traveling or tend to suck up data.

    Reply
    • roundtriptravel says

      March 7, 2018 at 11:27 pm

      Yes, Bri! I love using the download feature so I can listen to a smorgasbord of music when I travel and change it for the next trip!

      Reply
      • Bri Ollre says

        March 8, 2018 at 8:09 am

        It’s just so much easier than Pandora, or trying to buy it all.

  2. thelongingwanderer says

    March 8, 2018 at 6:48 am

    I was just wondering how you use affiliate links? I was wanting to give it a go and not sure how to get into it 💕 love this post, I defo agree that you should have a DSLR camera, I live mine and feel so professional 💕

    Reply
    • roundtriptravel says

      March 8, 2018 at 7:25 pm

      Hi there!! I like using shareasale.com and target and amazon affiliate programs! Heleneinbetween.com has some incredible resources on monetizing your blog. Thanks for sharing☺️

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to Make Money Through Your Blog – round trip says:
    January 23, 2019 at 9:42 am

    […] Be sure to check out these 5 blog tools that are worth the investment. […]

    Reply
  2. 100+ Blog Post Ideas for Any Blogger – round trip says:
    September 11, 2019 at 9:03 am

    […] are some of my favorite blogging tools that are worth the […]

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  3. How to Make Money Blogging - round trip says:
    August 1, 2020 at 10:19 pm

    […] Be sure to check out these 5 blog tools that are worth the investment. […]

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Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
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Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
learn more about my story

Want free access to my 30-minute travel budgeting course?

Why is being present so hard?!🙈Double tap if yo Why is being present so hard?!🙈Double tap if you agree!

It's so easy for me to get stuck in the past or focused on the future — so much so that I made this quote my lock screen for a looooong time. It's funny how forgetful we are as humans: We long for the future, but once we're there, we crave the past.

🌍I love how travel reminds me to be present. When you've saved up, planned and dreamed about a trip for so long, OF COURSE you want to savor each moment. But it's a great lesson for our everyday life, too.

❓How do you keep yourself in the present? I like keeping a gratitude journal. Tell me in the comments!

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Not to be dramatic or anything, but those nine day Not to be dramatic or anything, but those nine days truly changed my life😍 About 7 years ago, I was taking AP European History and heard about a summer trip to Europe with my high school. London, Paris, Florence and Rome.

Yep, we were that group of students walking around Europe with our lanyards and headsets. I got those jitters when I saw Europe in its glory for the first time. And I still do.

If you would’ve told me then that I’d move to France during a global pandemic, I’d tell you you’re complètement fou.

But here’s the thing: that trip with @EFtours stirred something inside of me, and it has yet to settle. It was a longing to see and experience the world with my own two eyes. And it inspired me to start my travel blog, to continue with my French studies, to study abroad and to move to France.

This ain't sponsored (but I sure wish it were!), and I mean with my whole heart those few days in high school set me onto this path. And for that, I am beyond grateful.

🤔What about you? Can you point to a specific moment or experience that set you on the path you're on today, all these years later? Tell me about it⬇️

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One thing you rarely hear about life abroad: so mu One thing you rarely hear about life abroad: so much dang paperwork and many complicated processes🙈

💰I have several bank accounts in the U.S. and France. I'm paid in euros, but I still have recurring subscriptions on my American credit card. I'm also all about growing my savings and getting those credit card points on my American account.

What👏to👏do?👏

❌I tried sending money directly from my French bank account to my American credit card bill. It worked, but there was bigger fee. And it was only to pay off charges, not grow savings.

✅But then a friend introduced me to @TransferWise and now I am set! I can easily transfer between my different checking accounts for the lowest rates I ever did see. Plus,  I'm still able to grow my savings and investment accounts in America.

❓OK but what is it?! @TransferWise is a third-party site that transfers money between accounts from all over the world. They price compare their rates with other companies. Their site is super easy to use and explains the whole process. And the rates were crazy low and not as high as the transfer I made directly through my banks.

🔗Bop over to link in bio for the link to get a free account and the other 5 things every expat needs.

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Have you ever had one of those “it’s a small w Have you ever had one of those “it’s a small world” moments?🌏

☀️Back in 2017, I spent a summer in Toulouse. One weekend, my friends and I went on a road trip to a slew of villages in southwestern France. They were truly some of the best days of my life: we stayed in my friend’s castle🏰(casual), we swam in the river + sunbathed, we drank wine + played games, we explored idyllic villages.

One of my favorite spots with the sweetest of nostalgic memories was in a small village called Laguépie. Population: ~600. Whenever people asked me my favorite place in France, nobody ever knew where I was talking about. It wasn’t in the magazines or travel blogs. (Ahem, it’s on mine!)

➡️Fast forward to 2020. I’m preparing to leave for France and am keeping a close eye on my teaching program’s Facebook page. An American girl posted in the group about her time in Marseille, and we began messaging. She helped me with a million and one things during my move to France, and we’ve stayed in touch and become good friends.

Earlier this month, I visited Albi to see her along with her French boyfriend, who’s from a small village. He never told me the name, but as we were sipping wine and eating saucissons, he said something about Laguépie.

“WHAT?! Did you say Laguépie? I’ve been there and fell in L O V E!” He said, no, we can’t be talking about the same place, no one ever goes to my hometown😂 But after showing him my photos, including ones the village’s castle @chateau_louvielcastel reposted, it was one and the same.

Can someone queue “Invisible String” because what a small world this is that we’re all connected. Do you have any wild stories like that? Tell me in the comments⬇️

#laguepie #laguépie #viaur #franceprofonde #lafranceprofonde #microinfluencer #tarn #garonne #occitanie #frenchvillage #vivelafrance #stmartinlaguepie #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder1k #bloggersunder10k #itsasmallworld #smallworld #jaimelafrance #patrimoine @occitanietourisme
What do you like searching for on Pinterest?📌 What do you like searching for on Pinterest?📌

✈️I love finding travel destinations + itineraries, easy recipes and decorating ideas. My guess is that you've found some blogs and ideas you love through this site. 

😍I'm even more obsessed with how @pinterest serves to grow my blog and brand.

Currently kicking myself for not getting on the Pinterest for Business train sooner because this site is truly a game changer. I went from a personal account with a wedding board and gluten-free board with recipes I’d never tried to a bustling business board with more than 400,000 monthly visitors. And most of that is not from advertising.

📈I took a free @jennakutcher webinar on how to use Pinterest for Business and saw massive growth. And the best part? You can schedule out content for an entire week in just 30 minutes to an hour. 

⏩Pinterest is my top driver of traffic, and if you want to upgrade your blog like a pro, this is where you need to invest your time, hands down.

Want to learn how you can use Pinterest to grow your blog, brand or biz? Head over to link in bio for my best blogging tips💯

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😍This medieval village is a labyrinth of cobblestone and windy paths, but the steps are worth it. There are shops and restaurants along the way to the top where you get sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea. 

🌵Once you make it to the top, you have to pay to enter the Jardin Exotique d’Èze, and I can't recommend it enough. (Be sure to ask about the combo deal that includes both the garden in Èze and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild nearby.)

🚗🛤️Distance from Nice: 30-minute drive or 15 minute train ride

Craving more photos + day trip ideas from Nice? Head over to link in bio ❤️

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How's your sense of direction?↪️🗺️I am th How's your sense of direction?↪️🗺️I am the queen of getting lost — and not on purpose😂

When I lived in Toulouse in 2017, I took a day trip to a nearby town to visit a friend. Wanting to get the best deal, I booked the 6 a.m. train. Unfortunately, I didn't think it all the way through🙃

I left my apartment on time, but when I got to the metro, it hadn't started running yet. I was nervous about getting to the train station on time, but if I hurried, I could make it.

Alas, I made it to the metro stop where I was supposed to switch metro lines. I had one job, and I failed🙈

⚠️I went the wrong direction, and once I realized it, I quickly got off the next stop and ran up to the street. I was unbelievably lost, and the sun hadn't even come up. Eventually, I made it to the train station but had completely missed the train.

And defeated, I sat down in the bakery, cried and FaceTimed my mom. Some kind French girl saw my tears and approached me to help me book a new train.

Since then, I've gotten lost many more times😆 But it's taught me to not be so hard on myself because getting lost is part of the journey. (And if it's not a good time, it's a good story, eh?😜)

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