Does anyone blog and make a little $$ off of it?

[twowhat?]

I had an idea for a blog that would really be just fun for me to write. I need a "hobby" as I don't have anything right now. But then I started wondering about whether it would be possible (way in the future, assuming the blog took off and had good readership, etc) whether money could be made off of it. I'm not talking enough to be a career, but enough spare change to maybe fund a dinner out every so often. That kind of thing.

Does anyone here do this? What are my best resources for starting off?

[BDKmom]

My DH has two sports websites that he runs. They aren't exactly blogs, but they are run in a similar format so that he can post news or updated information as needed. He makes money off of advertising throught Google, and also earns commissions through affiliate websites for merchandise and tickets. At first, it basically was enough to cover costs, but after several years and growth in popularity, he makes a good chunk of change.

Google AdSense is the name of Google's program, and it's a per click type of deal. If someone clicks on a google ad off your site, you get paid a set amount, they don't have to buy anything or sign up for anything. Commission Junction is the affiliate program he partners with for merchandise and tickets, and with them, he gets a certain percentage of sales if someone clicks a link from his site and then purchases a product. The percentage varies, but is typically 5-10% of the sale.

DH is always bugging me to come up with something that I could blog about to try and make some cash, but I don't feel I have enough knowledge or opinions about any one subject to be successful. If you have an idea, I say go for it. Definitely takes some time to build popularity, but could be some nice side income in the future.

[candaceb]

I know a couple of people who make money from their blogs, and they both use BlogHer:
http://www.blogher.com/