Let me tell you, mom life is literally insane. But here's the thing? Working to make some extra cash while handling children who have boundless energy while I'm running on fumes.
This whole thing started for me about several years ago when I had the epiphany that my random shopping trips were way too frequent. I was desperate for funds I didn't have to justify spending.
Virtual Assistant Hustle
Here's what happened, I started out was jumping into virtual assistance. And real talk? It was chef's kiss. I was able to get stuff done when the house was finally peaceful, and the only requirement was my laptop and decent wifi.
I started with easy things like email management, doing social media scheduling, and entering data. Pretty straightforward. I started at about $20/hour, which felt cheap but when you're just starting, you gotta build up your portfolio.
Honestly the most hilarious thing? I'd be on a client call looking completely put together from the shoulders up—blazer, makeup, the works—while wearing pajama bottoms. Peak mom life.
The Etsy Shop Adventure
About twelve months in, I ventured into the Etsy world. Every mom I knew seemed to be on Etsy, so I figured "why not join the party?"
I started crafting PDF planners and digital art prints. The thing about selling digital stuff? Design it once, and it can generate passive income forever. For real, I've made sales at 3am while I was sleeping.
When I got my first order? I actually yelled. My husband thought there was an emergency. Not even close—I was just, cheering about my glorious $4.99. Don't judge me.
Blogging and Creating
Then I started blogging and content creation. This venture is not for instant gratification seekers, trust me on this.
I launched a parenting blog where I shared the chaos of parenting—everything unfiltered. None of that Pinterest-perfect life. Simply the actual truth about surviving tantrums in Target.
Growing an audience was a test of patience. Initially, it was basically creating content for crickets. But I didn't give up, and over time, things gained momentum.
These days? I make money through affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, and display ads. This past month I made over $2K from my blog alone. Crazy, right?
The Social Media Management Game
After I learned managing my blog's social media, brands started inquiring if I could manage their accounts.
And honestly? Tons of businesses don't understand social media. They understand they should be posting, but they're too busy.
I swoop in. I handle social media for several small companies—different types of businesses. I make posts, queue up posts, handle community management, and analyze the metrics.
They pay me between $500-1500 per month per client, depending on what they need. What I love? I manage everything from my phone during soccer practice.
Writing for Money
If writing is your thing, writing gigs is where it's at. Not like becoming Shakespeare—I mean content writing for businesses.
Brands and websites constantly need fresh content. I've written articles about everything from literally everything under the sun. Google is your best friend, you just need to know how to find information.
On average charge $50-150 an in-depth guide per article, depending on the topic and length. Some months I'll crank out 10-15 articles and make $1-2K.
Here's what's wild: Back in school I thought writing was torture. These days I'm getting paid for it. Talk about character development.
Tutoring Online
After lockdown started, virtual tutoring became huge. As a former educator, so this was an obvious choice.
I started working with VIPKid and Tutor.com. The scheduling is flexible, which is crucial when you have tiny humans who throw curveballs daily.
My sessions are usually elementary school stuff. You can make from fifteen to twenty-five hourly depending on which site you use.
What's hilarious? Every now and then my own kids will burst into the room mid-session. I've literally had to educate someone's child while mine had a meltdown. The families I work with are usually super understanding because they're living the same life.
Reselling and Flipping
Alright, this hustle I stumbled into. While organizing my kids' closet and put some things on Mercari.
They sold so fast. Lightbulb moment: one person's trash is another's treasure.
Now I frequent anywhere with deals, hunting for good brands. I'll find something for $3 and sell it for $30.
It's definitely work? For sure. I'm photographing items, writing descriptions, shipping packages. But it's oddly satisfying about spotting valuable items at the thrift store and turning a profit.
Additionally: my kids think I'm cool when I discover weird treasures. Recently I found a rare action figure that my son freaked out about. Flipped it for forty-five bucks. Mom win.
The Honest Reality
Let me keep it real: these aren't get-rich-quick schemes. The word 'hustle' is there for a reason.
There are days when I'm completely drained, doubting everything. I'm grinding at dawn working before my kids wake up, then doing all the mom stuff, then back at it after bedtime.
But here's what matters? I earned this money. I don't have to ask permission to buy the fancy coffee. I'm contributing to our financial goals. I'm showing my kids that you can have it all—sort of.
Tips if You're Starting Out
If you're thinking about a side hustle, here are my tips:
Start small. Don't try to start five businesses. Choose one hustle and master it before adding more.
Honor your limits. Whatever time you have, that's fine. Two hours of focused work is more than enough to start.
Stop comparing to Instagram moms. The successful ones you see? They put in years of work and has support. Run your own race.
Spend money on education, but strategically. There are tons of free resources. Don't waste massive amounts on training until you've validated your idea.
Work in batches. This changed everything. Set aside days for specific hustles. Make Monday creation day. Make Wednesday administrative work.
Dealing with Mom Guilt
Real talk—I struggle with guilt. There are times when I'm on my laptop and they want to play, and I feel guilty.
However I consider that I'm showing them work ethic. I'm teaching my kids that women can be mothers and entrepreneurs.
Plus? Having my own income has made me a better mom. I'm happier, which makes me more patient.
Income Reality Check
How much do I earn? On average, total from all sources, I pull in $3K-5K. It varies, some are slower.
Will this make you wealthy? Nope. But it's paid for vacations, home improvements, and that emergency vet bill that would've stressed us out. It's creating opportunities and knowledge that could turn into something bigger.
In Conclusion
Here's the bottom line, doing this mom hustle thing takes work. You won't find a perfect balance. Most days I'm improvising everything, powered by caffeine, and hoping for the best.
But I don't regret it. Every single dollar earned is proof that I can do hard things. It demonstrates that I'm more than just mom.
If you're thinking about launching a mom business? Start now. Start messy. Your future self will be so glad you did.
Don't forget: You're not merely getting by—you're hustling. Even when there's probably snack crumbs stuck to your laptop.
Seriously. This is where it's at, despite the chaos.
From Survival Mode to Content Creator: My Journey as a Single Mom
Real talk—becoming a single mom wasn't part of my five-year plan. I also didn't plan on becoming a content creator. But yet here I am, years into this crazy ride, making a living by posting videos while parenting alone. And not gonna lie? It's been the most terrifying, empowering, and unexpected blessing of my life.
How It Started: When Everything Fell Apart
It was a few years ago when my relationship fell apart. I remember sitting in my new apartment (I kept the kids' stuff, he took everything else), staring at my phone at 2am while my kids were passed out. I had less than a thousand dollars in my bank account, two mouths to feed, and a paycheck that wasn't enough. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I was scrolling social media to escape reality—because that's how we cope? when everything is chaos, right?—when I stumbled on this solo parent discussing how she made six figures through posting online. I remember thinking, "That can't be real."
But rock bottom gives you courage. Maybe both. Probably both.
I grabbed the TikTok creator app the next morning. My first video? Completely unpolished, talking about how I'd just blown my final $12 on a dinosaur nuggets and snacks for my kids' lunches. I hit post and panicked. Who gives a damn about this disaster?
Turns out, thousands of people.
That video got forty-seven thousand views. Nearly fifty thousand people watched me get emotional over chicken nuggets. The comments section became this unexpected source of support—other single moms, people living the same reality, all saying "same." That was my lightbulb moment. People didn't want perfect. They wanted honest.
Discovering My Voice: The Real Mom Life Brand
Here's what they don't say about content creation: finding your niche is everything. And my niche? It happened organically. I became the single mom who keeps it brutally honest.
I started sharing the stuff people hide. Like how I once wore the same yoga pants for four days straight because executive dysfunction is real. Or when I fed my kids cereal for dinner several days straight and called it "creative meal planning." Or that moment when my daughter asked why daddy doesn't live here anymore, and I had to discuss divorce to a kid who still believes in Santa.
My content was rough. My lighting was trash. I filmed on a phone with a broken screen. But it was unfiltered, and evidently, that's what hit.
Within two months, I hit 10K. 90 days in, fifty thousand. By half a year, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone felt impossible. Actual humans who wanted to know my story. Plain old me—a barely surviving single mom who had to ask Google what this meant months before.
A Day in the Life: Juggling Everything
Here's what it actually looks like of my typical day, because content creation as a single mom is not at all like those aesthetic "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm screams. I do want to throw my phone, but this is my precious quiet time. I make coffee that will get cold, and I get to work. Sometimes it's a morning routine discussing financial reality. Sometimes it's me meal prepping while talking about custody stuff. The lighting is natural and terrible.
7:00am: Kids emerge. Content creation goes on hold. Now I'm in mommy mode—pouring cereal, finding the missing shoe (seriously, always ONE), packing lunches, stopping fights. The chaos is next level.
8:30am: Drop off time. I'm that mom in the carpool line filming TikToks when stopped. Don't judge me, but I gotta post.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my work block. I'm alone finally. I'm cutting clips, engaging with followers, planning content, doing outreach, analyzing metrics. They believe content creation is just making TikToks. It's not. It's a real job.
I usually create multiple videos on Mondays and Wednesdays. That means creating 10-15 pieces in a few hours. I'll swap tops so it appears to be different times. Advice: Keep several shirts ready for easy transitions. My neighbors think I've lost it, filming myself talking to my phone in the backyard.
3:00pm: School pickup. Back to parenting. But this is where it's complicated—sometimes my biggest hits come from these after-school moments. Last week, my daughter had a massive breakdown in Target because I couldn't afford a forty dollar toy. I recorded in the parking lot once we left about handling public tantrums as a solo parent. It got over 2 million views.
Evening: Dinner through bedtime. I'm completely exhausted to film, but I'll queue up posts, check DMs, or outline content. Many nights, after bedtime, I'll edit videos until midnight because a client needs content.
The truth? Balance is a myth. It's just chaos with a plan with some victories.
The Money Talk: How I Really Earn Money
Alright, let's talk numbers because this is what everyone wants to know. Can you make a living as a content creator? Absolutely. Is it simple? Not even close.
My first month, I made $0. Second month? Zero. Third month, I got my first collaboration—$150 to post about a meal box. I actually cried. That $150 bought groceries for two weeks.
Fast forward, three years in, here's how I monetize:
Collaborations: This is my largest income stream. I work with brands that my followers need—practical items, single-parent resources, kid essentials. I ask for anywhere from five hundred to several thousand per partnership, depending on the scope. This past month, I did four brand deals and made $8K.
Platform Payments: Creator fund pays pennies—a few hundred dollars per month for tons of views. YouTube money is more lucrative. I make about $1,500/month from YouTube, but that took two years to build up.
Affiliate Links: I post links to items I love—anything from my go-to coffee machine to the beds my kids use. If someone purchases through my link, I get a kickback. This brings in about $800-1,200 monthly.
Downloadables: I created a financial planner and a meal prep guide. Each costs $15, and I sell maybe 50-100 per month. That's another $1,000-1,500.
One-on-One Coaching: Aspiring influencers pay me to show them how. I offer one-on-one coaching sessions for two hundred dollars. I do about several each month.
Combined monthly revenue: Most months, I'm making $10-15K per month currently. Some months are higher, some are tougher. It's variable, which is terrifying when you're it. But it's 3x what I made at my 9-5, and I'm available for my kids.
The Struggles Nobody Mentions
This sounds easy until you're losing it because a post tanked, or reading vicious comments from internet trolls.
The hate comments are real. I've been called a bad mom, told I'm a bad influence, questioned about being a single mom. One person said, "No wonder he left." That one stuck with me.
The platform changes. One week you're getting insane views. The next, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income is unstable. You're always creating, 24/7, afraid to pause, you'll lose momentum.
The mom guilt is intense beyond normal. Every upload, I wonder: Is this appropriate? Am I doing right by them? Will they hate me for this when they're grown? I have clear boundaries—no faces of my kids without permission, no sharing their private stuff, nothing humiliating. But the line is hard to see.
The burnout hits hard. Sometimes when I can't create. When I'm touched out, socially drained, and completely finished. But life doesn't stop. So I push through.
What Makes It Worth It
But the truth is—through it all, this journey has brought me things I never imagined.
Financial freedom for the first time ever. I'm not loaded, but I cleared $18K. I have an cushion. We took a vacation last summer—Disney World, which I never thought possible two years ago. I don't check my bank account with anxiety anymore.
Control that's priceless. When my kid was ill last month, I didn't have to ask permission or stress about losing pay. I worked anywhere. When there's a class party, I attend. I'm there for them in ways I wasn't able to be with a traditional 9-5.
Community that saved me. The fellow creators I've found, especially single moms, have become actual friends. We talk, help each other, lift each other up. My followers have become this incredible cheerleading squad. They hype me up, support me, and remind me I'm not alone.
Identity beyond "mom". Since becoming a mom, I have something that's mine. I'm more than an ex or somebody's mother. I'm a content creator. A creator. Someone who made it happen.
Tips for Single Moms Wanting to Start
If you're a single mom curious about this, here's my advice:
Don't wait. Your first videos will be trash. Mine did. It's fine. You learn by doing, not by waiting.
Keep it real. People can sense inauthenticity. Share your actual life—the mess. That resonates.
Guard their privacy. Set limits. Know your limits. Their privacy is everything. I never share their names, protect their faces, and never discuss anything that could embarrass them.
Don't rely on one thing. Diversify or one revenue source. The algorithm is fickle. More streams = less stress.
Batch create content. When you have quiet time, record several. Tomorrow you will thank yourself when you're unable to film.
Build community. Reply to comments. Respond to DMs. Connect authentically. Your community is crucial.
Track your time and ROI. Some content isn't worth it. If something requires tons of time and gets nothing while a different post takes no time and blows up, adjust your strategy.
Take care of yourself. You need to fill your cup. Unplug. Create limits. Your sanity matters more than anything.
Stay patient. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me months to make meaningful money. The first year, I made barely $15,000. Year two, eighty thousand. Year 3, I'm hitting six figures. It's a journey.
Stay connected to your purpose. On hard days—and trust me, there will be—think about your why. For me, it's supporting my kids, time with my children, and showing myself that I'm more than I believed.
The Honest Truth
Look, I'm keeping it 100. This life is tough. Really hard. You're running a whole business while being the lone caretaker of demanding little people.
Certain days I question everything. Days when the hate comments hurt. Days when I'm exhausted and stressed and asking myself if I should just get a "normal" job with insurance.
But but then my daughter shares she loves that I'm home. Or I see financial progress. Or I receive a comment from a follower saying my content helped her leave an unhealthy relationship. And I remember my purpose.
The Future
Not long ago, I was scared and struggling how to make it work. Currently, I'm a full-time creator making more money than I ever did in my old job, and I'm home when my kids get off the school bus.
My goals for the future? Hit 500K by year-end. Begin podcasting for other single moms. Write a book eventually. Continue building this business that gives me freedom, flexibility, and financial stability.
This journey gave me a lifeline when I was desperate. It gave me a way to take care of my children, be present in their lives, and build something real. It's unexpected, but it's where I belong.
To every single mom out there wondering if you can do this: Hell yes you can. It will be challenging. You'll want to quit some days. But you're handling the hardest job in the world—parenting solo. You're powerful.
Jump in messy. Stay consistent. Keep your boundaries. And know this, you're beyond survival mode—you're creating something amazing.
Time to go, I need to go film a TikTok about why my kid's school project is due tomorrow and surprise!. Because that's this life—making content from chaos, one post at a time.
Seriously. This life? It's the best decision. Even though there's definitely Goldfish crackers stuck to my laptop right now. No regrets, mess included.