The short answer
You can start an affiliate site for $0 as practice, or for about $119.52 paid today if you want your own domain and hosting. That buys four years of Hostinger Premium, a free domain for the first year and a free email plan. The number that catches beginners is not the starting price: it is the renewal, and the urge to buy tools before a single reader has used the site. This worksheet fixes both. You set a spending cap first, price the real bills, and check every product you might recommend before you link to it. It takes about 20 minutes, with no sign-up and no purchase.
Step 1: set your cap before you look at prices
Write down two numbers: the most cash you will pay up front, and the most you will pay each month. Base them on what you can afford to lose, not on what the site might earn. A new site can take months to earn its first commission, and some never do, so the cap has to make sense even if income stays at zero.
- Up-front cash cap: $______
- Monthly cap: $______
- Review date: ______ (one month from today)
If the lean budget below is over your up-front cap, start with the $0 practice route: write your first three helpful pages in a document or on a free subdomain after reading its terms, and buy hosting only when the pages exist.
Step 2: price the real bills, not the headline
Copy this table and fill one row per bill from the provider’s own checkout page. Write the date you checked, because prices change. Keep money you set aside separate from money you spend.
| Item | Provider and quote date | Cash due today | Monthly equivalent | Renews at / when | Cancel or refund terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domain | $ | $ | |||
| Hosting | $ | $ | |||
| Email tool | $ | $ | |||
| Other tools | $ | $ | |||
| Reserve (not spent) | $ | $ |
Worked example: a lean first site
These are real prices from our Hostinger review and AWeber review, checked October 29 to 31, 2026, before tax. Confirm them at checkout before you pay.
| Item | What we priced | Cash due today | Monthly equivalent | Later bill to plan for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Hostinger Premium, 48-month term | $119.52 | $2.49 | $10.99/mo after month 48 |
| Domain | Free for one year with a yearly or longer Hostinger plan | $0 | $0 in year one | Domain renewal from year two: check the price at checkout |
| Email tool | AWeber Free plan: up to 500 subscribers, 3,000 sends a month | $0 | $0 | Lite is $15/month or $150/year at 500 subscribers, only if you need what Free lacks |
| Reserve | Money set aside, not spent | Your choice | - | Stays in your account until a real need |
| Total | $119.52 plus tax | $2.49 |
The arithmetic: $119.52 divided by 48 months is $2.49 a month, but you pay all of it today. After month 48 the rate becomes $10.99 a month, so the next 48 months would cost $527.52 at that rate. Put the renewal date in your calendar now, so you decide on purpose rather than by default.
If these two fit your cap, here are the plans we priced. We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no cost to you.
See Hostinger’s current plans Start AWeber’s free plan
Comparing hosts? Bluehost vs Hostinger puts both renewal prices side by side.
Step 3: check a product before you recommend it
Before any affiliate link goes on your site, answer these nine questions for that product. Mark each Yes, No or Unknown, and paste the link you checked.
| Question | Yes / No / Unknown | Evidence (link and date) |
|---|---|---|
| The reader still has a specific need after my free help | ||
| This product meets that need better than a free or manual option | ||
| Its claims and features have evidence I can link | ||
| I can say who should not buy it | ||
| I know the full price, the renewal price and how to cancel | ||
| I have read the refund terms and the affiliate program rules | ||
| I can recommend it honestly without claiming I tested it | ||
| My disclosure and rel="sponsored" links are planned | ||
| The link works and I know how the sale is tracked |
The rule: do not promote while any important answer is Unknown. A high commission never turns a No into a Yes.
Step 4: write the decision down
- No product needed: the free help fully solves the problem. Publish it as it is; that page still builds trust.
- Research further: at least one answer is Unknown. Write the one question to answer next and the date.
- Suitable to test: every important answer is Yes. Add the link with a plain disclosure, such as “We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. The free checklist above works without buying anything.”
For a worked comparison of two real products, use the Honest Affiliate Comparison Workbook.
Step 5: a five-minute monthly review
- Did any bill arrive that is not in the table? Add it, with its renewal date.
- Is the total still under your cap? If not, cancel the newest optional tool first.
- Record clicks and approved commissions from the network’s own report, not estimates.
- Only raise the cap when real readers are using the pages, not when you hope they will.
Questions beginners ask about the budget
How much does it cost to start an affiliate marketing website?
From $0 as practice, to about $119.52 today for four years of Hostinger Premium with a free first-year domain and a free AWeber plan. Plan for the renewal ($10.99 a month after four years) and the domain from year two.
Do I need paid tools to start?
No. Free plans and a plain document cover the first pages. Buy a tool when a task you repeat every week takes longer than it should, and write that task down first.
Should I pick the product with the highest commission?
No. Pick the product that solves the reader’s remaining problem, with evidence. Commission is the last question, not the first.
Can I launch without any affiliate products?
Yes. A useful page with no product is still a page readers trust, and it makes a later honest recommendation more believable.
Your next step
Fill in Step 1 now, before you open a single pricing page. Then price your own two bills in the table.
Check Hostinger’s price today Email me the free Starter Kit
The free Starter Kit adds fill-in worksheets, a niche quick check, a program terms card and a 14-day starter plan. We email it after you reply VERIFY to our first message.
Prices from our Hostinger and AWeber reviews, checked October 29 to 31, 2026, before tax. This page contains affiliate links to Hostinger and AWeber; see our affiliate disclosure and earnings disclaimer. No income is predicted or implied. Disclosure guidance: FTC Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking.