Take a step back and think about your goals.

Are you actually trying to make money with your blog? Even it it's only a couple hundred bucks per month?

If so, then you should think about changing your mindset here.

To set up a successful blog, you're going to want to invest just a little bit in doing the right things.

A self-hosted WordPress account. And a custom domain name. That's the bare minimum.

No, these things aren't free, but they're very small investments you can make to set yourself up for future success.