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Irfan S
Irfan S

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How I Launched a Side Project for Under $30 With Hosting, SSL, and a Domain Name

As a developer, I’ve launched several side projects over the years—some for learning, others for passive income. But hosting costs can be a barrier, especially when you're just testing an idea.

Recently, I needed to deploy a basic WordPress site with a blog and a pricing page for a small SaaS tool I’m building. I didn’t want to spin up a VPS, mess with Docker, or overpay for features I wouldn’t use. Shared hosting was enough. I just wanted it to be cheap, reliable, and fast to set up.

That led me to Bluehost—one of the most popular shared hosting providers still officially recommended by WordPress. But here’s the thing: almost every “Bluehost coupon” I found online was either expired or misleading. Most so-called discount links redirected to the standard pricing page.

After a bit of digging (and a helpful tip from ChatGPT), I came across a Reddit discussion where users were sharing verified discounts that actually worked. I tested one of them myself and got:

  • 75% off on the Basic Plan

  • Free domain name for 1 year

  • Free SSL certificate

  • No hidden upsells or coupon code required

If you’re curious, this Reddit thread explains the method and provides full review with discount that still works as of July 2025.

It took less than 10 minutes to get set up, and the cost was just around $28 for the first year.

🧠 Why This Matters for Developers
Not every dev project needs cloud-native infrastructure or a CI/CD pipeline on day one. For MVPs, client demos, affiliate blogs, or even documentation sites, cheap shared hosting still works great. The key is finding a deal that doesn’t waste your time or money.

If you're like me and want to launch fast with minimal overhead, this route might be worth exploring.

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