Real talk, motherhood is absolutely wild. But you know what's even crazier? Trying to make some extra cash while handling children who have boundless energy while I'm running on fumes.
I entered the side gig world about several years ago when I realized that my random shopping trips were way too frequent. I was desperate for some independent income.
Virtual Assistant Hustle
Right so, my first gig was becoming a virtual assistant. And honestly? It was chef's kiss. I could hustle while the kids slept, and literally all it took was my laptop and decent wifi.
My first tasks were easy things like organizing inboxes, scheduling social media posts, and data entry. Nothing fancy. I started at about $15-20 per hour, which seemed low but for someone with zero experience, you gotta start somewhere.
Here's what was wild? I'd be on a video meeting looking like I had my life together from the waist up—full professional mode—while rocking pants I'd owned since 2015. That's the dream honestly.
The Etsy Shop Adventure
Once I got comfortable, I wanted to explore the handmade marketplace scene. All my mom friends seemed to be on Etsy, so I was like "why not get in on this?"
I created designing downloadable organizers and digital art prints. Here's why printables are amazing? One and done creation, and it can sell forever. For real, I've earned money at 3am while I was sleeping.
That initial sale? I lost my mind. My partner was like something was wrong. Negative—it was just me, cheering about my five dollar sale. I'm not embarrassed.
Content Creator Life
After that I discovered the whole influencer thing. This hustle is a marathon not a sprint, let me tell you.
I started a family lifestyle blog where I posted about real mom life—everything unfiltered. No Instagram-perfect nonsense. Simply authentic experiences about how I once found a chicken nugget in my bra.
Building traffic was like watching paint dry. At the beginning, I was basically writing for myself and like three people. But I didn't give up, and eventually, things gained momentum.
Now? I make money through promoting products, collaborations, and advertisements on my site. Recently I made over $2,000 from my blog income. Crazy, right?
The Social Media Management Game
After I learned managing my blog's social media, local businesses started inquiring if I could run their social media.
Truth bomb? Tons of businesses struggle with social media. They understand they have to be on it, but they don't know how.
I swoop in. I currently run social media for a handful of clients—various small businesses. I make posts, plan their posting schedule, respond to comments, and monitor performance.
They pay me between five hundred to a thousand dollars per month per account, depending on what they need. What I love? I do this work from my phone during soccer practice.
Writing for Money
For those who can string sentences together, content writing is seriously profitable. I'm not talking writing the next Great American Novel—this is blog posts, articles, website copy, product descriptions.
Businesses everywhere need content constantly. My assignments have included everything from literally everything under the sun. You just need to research, you just need to know how to Google effectively.
On average earn between fifty and two hundred per article, depending on how complex it is. Certain months I'll write fifteen articles and earn a couple thousand dollars.
The funny thing is: I was that student who hated writing papers. And now I'm a professional writer. Talk about character development.
The Online Tutoring Thing
During the pandemic, virtual tutoring became huge. As a former educator, so this was an obvious choice.
I signed up with several tutoring platforms. You choose when you work, which is absolutely necessary when you have unpredictable little ones.
I mostly tutor K-5 subjects. Income ranges from $15-25 per hour depending on the platform.
The funny thing? Every now and an explainer then my kids will burst into the room mid-session. I once had to teach fractions while my toddler screamed about the wrong color cup. The families I work with are very sympathetic because they get it.
Flipping Items for Profit
Here me out, this particular venture happened accidentally. While organizing my kids' stuff and put some things on Mercari.
They sold instantly. Lightbulb moment: people will buy anything.
Currently I visit anywhere with deals, hunting for good brands. I'll buy something for cheap and resell at a markup.
It's labor-intensive? For sure. There's photographing, listing, and shipping. But I find it rewarding about finding a gem at a garage sale and making money.
Plus: my children are fascinated when I find unique items. Recently I found a retro toy that my son absolutely loved. Made $45 on it. Victory for mom.
Real Talk Time
Truth bomb incoming: side hustles aren't passive income. It's called hustling because you're hustling.
Some days when I'm completely drained, wondering why I'm doing this. I wake up early getting stuff done while it's quiet, then being a full-time parent, then back at it after the kids are asleep.
But here's the thing? These are my earnings. I'm not asking anyone to treat myself. I'm adding to the family budget. I'm teaching my children that women can hustle.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're considering a hustle of your own, here's what I'd tell you:
Start with one thing. You can't juggle ten things. Focus on one and nail it down before taking on more.
Use the time you have. If naptime is your only free time, that's perfectly acceptable. Whatever time you can dedicate is better than nothing.
Avoid comparing yourself to other moms. The successful ones you see? They put in years of work and doesn't do it alone. Focus on your own journey.
Don't be afraid to invest, but carefully. There are tons of free resources. Avoid dropping huge money on programs until you've tested the waters.
Batch tasks together. This changed everything. Use days for specific hustles. Make Monday content creation day. Make Wednesday administrative work.
Let's Talk Mom Guilt
I'm not gonna lie—mom guilt is a thing. There are days when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I struggle with it.
But then I consider that I'm teaching them what dedication looks like. I'm demonstrating to my children that moms can have businesses.
And honestly? Earning independently has been good for me. I'm more content, which translates to better parenting.
The Numbers
My actual income? Generally, total from all sources, I earn between three and five grand. Some months are better, some are tougher.
Will this make you wealthy? Nope. But we've used it to pay for so many things we needed that would've stressed us out. It's building my skills and knowledge that could grow into more.
Wrapping This Up
At the end of the day, hustling as a mom takes work. It's not a secret sauce. Most days I'm improvising everything, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and hoping for the best.
But I'm proud of this journey. Every bit of income is a testament to my hustle. It shows that I'm not just someone's mother.
So if you're considering beginning your hustle journey? Start now. Begin before you're ready. You in six months will appreciate it.
And remember: You're more than surviving—you're hustling. Despite the fact that you probably have Goldfish crackers on your keyboard.
For real. It's the life, complete with all the chaos.
My Content Creator Journey: My Journey as a Single Mom
Let me be real with you—being a single parent was never the plan. I also didn't plan on turning into an influencer. But here we are, years into this crazy ride, paying bills by being vulnerable on the internet while parenting alone. And not gonna lie? It's been scary AF but incredible of my life.
Rock Bottom: When Everything Fell Apart
It was a few years ago when my marriage ended. I will never forget sitting in my new apartment (he got the furniture, I got the memories), wide awake at 2am while my kids were asleep. I had eight hundred forty-seven dollars in my bank account, two humans depending on me, and a job that barely covered rent. The stress was unbearable, y'all.
I'd been mindlessly scrolling to numb the pain—because that's the move? in crisis mode, right?—when I came across this woman discussing how she made six figures through posting online. I remember thinking, "That's either a scam or she's incredibly lucky."
But being broke makes you bold. Maybe both. Often both.
I grabbed the TikTok studio app the next morning. My first video? No filter, no makeup, pure chaos, sharing how I'd just used my last twelve bucks on a dinosaur nuggets and snacks for my kids' lunch boxes. I shared it and felt sick. Why would anyone care about my mess?
Spoiler alert, tons of people.
That video got 47K views. Forty-seven thousand people watched me breakdown over chicken nuggets. The comments section was this unexpected source of support—people who got it, folks in the trenches, all saying "me too." That was my turning point. People didn't want the highlight reel. They wanted authentic.
Building My Platform: The Hot Mess Single Mom Brand
The truth is about content creation: finding your niche is everything. And my niche? It happened organically. I became the mom who tells the truth.
I started filming the stuff nobody talks about. Like how I lived in one outfit because laundry felt impossible. Or when I served cereal as a meal all week and called it "breakfast for dinner week." Or that moment when my kid asked why daddy doesn't live here anymore, and I had to explain adult stuff to a kid who believes in magic.
My content wasn't polished. My lighting was awful. I filmed on a phone with a broken screen. But it was authentic, and evidently, that's what connected.
After sixty days, I hit 10K. Month three, 50,000. By month six, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone blew my mind. People who wanted to hear what I had to say. Plain old me—a barely surviving single mom who had to ask Google what this meant months before.
My Daily Reality: Managing It All
Let me paint you a picture of my typical day, because content creation as a single mom is totally different from those pretty "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm goes off. I do NOT want to get up, but this is my hustle hours. I make coffee that I'll reheat three times, and I start recording. Sometimes it's a GRWM talking about single mom finances. Sometimes it's me prepping lunches while discussing parenting coordination. The lighting is whatever natural light comes through my kitchen window.
7:00am: Kids get up. Content creation pauses. Now I'm in survival mode—feeding humans, hunting for that one shoe (it's always one shoe), prepping food, mediating arguments. The chaos is overwhelming.
8:30am: Getting them to school. I'm that mom creating content in traffic in the car. Not my proudest moment, but content waits for no one.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. Peace and quiet. I'm editing content, being social, thinking of ideas, doing outreach, looking at stats. People think content creation is simple. Absolutely not. It's a entire operation.
I usually batch content on Mondays and Wednesdays. That means filming 10-15 videos in one session. I'll change clothes so it looks like different days. Pro tip: Keep several shirts ready for outfit changes. My neighbors think I've lost it, making videos in public in the backyard.
3:00pm: Pickup time. Mom mode activated. But this is where it's complicated—many times my best content ideas come from real life. Just last week, my daughter had a complete meltdown in Target because I wouldn't buy a forty dollar toy. I made content in the parking lot afterward about surviving tantrums as a single parent. It got 2.3M views.
Evening: The evening routine. I'm usually too exhausted to make videos, but I'll plan posts, reply to messages, or plan tomorrow's content. Many nights, after they're down, I'll stay up editing because a brand deadline is looming.
The truth? There's no balance. It's just chaos with a plan with moments of success.
Income Breakdown: How I Actually Make a Living
Okay, let's discuss money because this is what everyone wants to know. Can you legitimately profit as a influencer? Absolutely. Is it effortless? Absolutely not.
My first month, I made $0. Month two? Zero. Third month, I got my first paid partnership—a hundred and fifty bucks to post about a meal delivery. I literally cried. That one-fifty paid for groceries.
Today, years later, here's how I earn income:
Brand Partnerships: This is my main revenue. I work with brands that fit my niche—practical items, mom products, kids' stuff. I get paid anywhere from $500-5K per deal, depending on what's required. Last month, I did four collabs and made $8,000.
Platform Payments: Creator fund pays very little—a few hundred dollars per month for massive numbers. YouTube revenue is way better. I make about fifteen hundred a month from YouTube, but that was a long process.
Affiliate Links: I share affiliate links to things I own—anything from my favorite coffee maker to the bunk beds I bought. If someone clicks and buys, I get a commission. This brings in about eight hundred to twelve hundred.
Online Products: I created a budget template and a cooking guide. They're $15 each, and I sell dozens per month. That's another $1,000-1,500.
Consulting Services: Aspiring influencers pay me to mentor them. I offer one-on-one coaching sessions for two hundred per hour. I do about several each month.
Combined monthly revenue: Most months, I'm making between ten and fifteen grand per month at this point. Some months are higher, some are tougher. It's up and down, which is nerve-wracking when you're it. But it's triple what I made at my 9-5, and I'm present.
The Dark Side Nobody Shows You
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, called a liar about being a solo parent. A commenter wrote, "I'd leave too." That one destroyed me.
The platform changes. One week you're getting millions of views. The following week, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income goes up and down. You're never off, never resting, nervous about slowing down, you'll be forgotten.
The mom guilt is intense beyond normal. Everything I share, I wonder: Is this appropriate? Is this okay? Will they regret this when they're older? I have non-negotiables—no faces of my kids without permission, no discussing their personal struggles, nothing humiliating. But the line is fuzzy.
The burnout is real. Sometimes when I have nothing. When I'm touched out, socially drained, and at my limit. But the mortgage is due. So I do it anyway.
What Makes It Worth It
But here's the thing—despite the hard parts, this journey has created things I never dreamed of.
Economic stability for the first damn time. I'm not wealthy, but I eliminated my debt. I have an savings. We took a actual vacation last summer—Disney, which felt impossible a couple years back. I don't dread checking my balance anymore.
Time freedom that's priceless. When my kid was ill last month, I didn't have to ask permission or lose income. I worked from the pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a field trip, I'm present. I'm there for them in ways I wasn't with a regular job.
Support that saved me. The fellow creators I've found, especially single moms, have become my people. We support each other, exchange tips, support each other. My followers have become this beautiful community. They cheer for me, send love, and remind me I'm not alone.
Me beyond motherhood. Finally, I have my own thing. I'm more than an ex or just a mom. I'm a CEO. A businesswoman. Someone who made it happen.
My Best Tips
If you're a single mom curious about this, here's what I wish someone had told me:
Just start. Your first videos will be terrible. Mine did. Everyone starts there. You improve over time, not by overthinking.
Be authentic, not perfect. People can spot fake. Share your real life—the chaos. That's what connects.
Protect your kids. Set limits. Have standards. Their privacy is the priority. I protect their names, rarely show their faces, and respect their dignity.
Diversify income streams. Don't put all eggs in one basket or one revenue source. The algorithm is unstable. Diversification = security.
Film multiple videos. When you have free time, make a bunch. Future you will appreciate it when you're burnt out.
Connect with followers. Answer comments. Reply to messages. Be real with them. Your community is what matters.
Track your time and ROI. Be strategic. If something takes four hours and gets nothing while something else takes 20 minutes and goes viral, change tactics.
Don't forget yourself. You matter too. Rest. Protect your peace. Your health matters most.
Be patient. This is a marathon. It took me ages to make real income. My first year, I made maybe $15,000 total. Year two, $80K. Year three, I'm hitting six figures. It's a long game.
Don't forget your why. On difficult days—and there are many—recall your purpose. For me, it's financial freedom, time with my children, and showing myself that I'm stronger than I knew.
The Reality Check
Listen, I'm not going to sugarcoat this. This journey is hard. Really hard. You're running a whole business while being the sole caretaker of tiny humans who need you constantly.
Many days I question everything. Days when the nasty comments sting. Days when I'm drained and questioning if I should just get a "normal" job with a 401k.
But and then my daughter mentions she loves that I'm home. Or I see my bank account actually has money in it. Or I read a message from a follower saying my content helped her leave an unhealthy relationship. And I know it's worth it.
My Future Plans
Three years ago, I was lost and broke how to survive. Fast forward, I'm a content creator making way more than I made in my 9-5, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals for the future? Reach 500K by December. Begin podcasting for single moms. Consider writing a book. Expand this business that supports my family.
This journey gave me a way out when I needed it most. It gave me a way to feed my babies, show up, and accomplish something incredible. It's unexpected, but it's exactly where I needed to be.
To any single parent thinking about starting: You can. It will be hard. You'll struggle. But you're handling the hardest job in the world—doing this alone. You're tougher than you realize.
Begin messy. Stay the course. Guard your peace. And remember, you're beyond survival mode—you're building something incredible.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go record a video about another last-minute project and surprise!. Because that's this life—chaos becomes content, one video at a time.
Seriously. Being a single mom creator? It's the best decision. Even when I'm sure there's crushed cheerios all over my desk. Dream life, imperfectly perfect.