A minimalist YouTube creator shares exactly how much money she makes in a month with 77,000 subscribers - and what she spends
- Kyra Ann is a minimalist who shares her experience and tips on YouTube with her 77,000 subscribers.
- Kyra spoke to Business Insider and she said that she has three main revenue streams: her day job at a nursing home, her YouTube channel, and commission she earns through affiliate links.
- She earns more money a month from her YouTube channel than at her day job and she shared how much money YouTube paid her in February.
- Click here for more BI Prime stories.
As soon as Kyra Ann finishes her day shift at a nursing home, she heads straight to her apartment to work on her YouTube channel.
Kyra started her YouTube channel in 2017 and now she has 77,000 subscribers. She shares tips on minimalism, saving money on a low income, and organization.
Her three main revenue streams are her YouTube channel, her day job at a nursing home, and the commission she earns through affiliate links from the Amazon Associates Program, she told Business Insider.
YouTube creators like Kyra generally make money a number of ways, from ads on videos filtered by Google to promoting brands, selling merchandise, and earning revenue through affiliate marketing.
The amount of money earned off the ads that play within a YouTube video is called AdSense, and creators with 1,000 subscribers and over 4,000 watch hours can apply for YouTube's Partner Program and start earning money. YouTube pays creators a certain rate which varies based on the type of content and the advertisers the video attracts.
As an influencer, Kyra earned $1,817 from YouTube AdSense in February, which is more than what she earns a month at her day job, she said. She also earned $158 from Amazon's affiliate program.
Since Kyra is a minimalist, she doesn't own a TV, and she tries to spend as little as possible each month. She also noted that she works in a kitchen, so most of her meals are free. In total, she spent around $1,399.00 in February.
"I never would have thought that, that was possible," she said. "I was like, wait a minute, I've been working at my job for eight years and now I'm getting paid more from YouTube?"
The rise of sustainable living on YouTube
Throughout 2019, there was a general rise in interest around sustainable living on YouTube. Videos on sustainable living have doubled this year, with some of the top categories being van life/tiny home, minimalism, and zero waste, a YouTube representative told Business Insider.
For instance, the solo van-life traveler Jennelle Eliana Long gained 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube within a month of posting her first video, after YouTube recommended her videos to its users.
Although Kyra's YouTube channel never went viral, her videos tend to attract many viewers because of the subject. She has nine videos with over 100,000 views.
She said the most she's earned from a single YouTube video was around $6,000.
"I didn't keep any of that money," she said. "I actually threw it all to my student loans."
For more on the business of influencers, according to YouTube stars, check out these Business Insider Prime posts:
How do influencers pay taxes? 4 steps to conquer tax season as a self-employed social-media creator: We spoke to social-media influencers on YouTube and Instagram who shared their strategies and tips on staying organized for tax season.
How much money a TikTok creator with 1 million followers can expect to earn from a brand deal, according to an influencer manager: Creators say this number depends on overall engagement, and they shared the rates they charge.
A YouTube creator explains why personal-finance videos can make much more money than many other types: Marko Zlatic runs a YouTube channel with 298,000 subscribers, and he posts videos about personal finance, stocks, and real-estate investing.
