I'm gonna be honest with you, mom life is not for the weak. But here's the thing? Working to make some extra cash while juggling kids, laundry, and approximately 47 snack requests per day.
I entered the side gig world about several years ago when I realized that my retail therapy sessions were way too frequent. I needed funds I didn't have to justify spending.
Virtual Assistant Hustle
Here's what happened, I kicked things off was doing VA work. And honestly? It was ideal. It let me hustle while the kids slept, and the only requirement was a computer and internet.
I started with easy things like handling emails, posting on social media, and entering data. Super simple stuff. I started at about fifteen to twenty bucks hourly, which seemed low but when you don't know what you're doing yet, you gotta begin at the bottom.
What cracked me up? There I was on a client call looking completely put together from the waist up—looking corporate—while sporting pajama bottoms. Main character energy.
Selling on Etsy
After a year, I ventured into the Etsy world. Every mom I knew seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I figured "why not me?"
My shop focused on crafting digital planners and home decor prints. What's great about digital products? Make it one time, and it can keep selling indefinitely. Genuinely, I've gotten orders at midnight when I'm unconscious.
My first sale? I actually yelled. My husband thought there the source here was an emergency. Not even close—just me, celebrating my five dollar sale. Judge me if you want.
Blogging and Creating
Then I got into the whole influencer thing. This particular side gig is playing the long game, let me tell you.
I created a blog about motherhood where I wrote about my parenting journey—the good, the bad, and the ugly. None of that Pinterest-perfect life. Just honest stories about surviving tantrums in Target.
Growing an audience was slow. Initially, I was basically my only readers were my mom and two bots. But I persisted, and over time, things took off.
At this point? I generate revenue through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and ad revenue. Just last month I brought in over two grand from my website. Mind-blowing, right?
The Social Media Management Game
When I became good with social media for my own stuff, brands started asking if I could manage their accounts.
Here's the thing? Most small businesses suck at social media. They know they have to be on it, but they can't keep up.
Enter: me. I handle social media for several small companies—a bakery, a boutique, and a fitness studio. I create content, plan their posting schedule, handle community management, and check their stats.
My rate is between $500-$1500/month per client, depending on the scope of work. Here's what's great? I do this work from my iPhone.
The Freelance Writing Hustle
If writing is your thing, writing gigs is where it's at. I'm not talking literary fiction—I'm talking about content writing for businesses.
Companies are desperate for content. I've created content about everything from literally everything under the sun. Google is your best friend, you just need to be good at research.
Usually earn $0.10-0.50 per word, depending on length and complexity. On good months I'll create a dozen articles and bring in $1-2K.
The funny thing is: I was that student who struggled with essays. Currently I'm making money from copyright. Talk about character development.
The Online Tutoring Thing
After lockdown started, tutoring went digital. I used to be a teacher, so this was kind of a natural fit.
I started working with several tutoring platforms. You make your own schedule, which is non-negotiable when you have kids with unpredictable schedules.
I focus on basic subjects. The pay ranges from $15-25 per hour depending on where you work.
The awkward part? There are times when my kids will interrupt mid-session. I've had to be professional while chaos erupted behind me. The parents on the other end are very sympathetic because they're parents too.
The Reselling Game
Alright, this particular venture started by accident. I was decluttering my kids' room and put some things on Mercari.
They sold within hours. Lightbulb moment: one person's trash is another's treasure.
At this point I visit secondhand stores and sales, searching for good brands. I grab something for a few dollars and make serious profit.
Is it a lot of work? For sure. You're constantly listing and shipping. But I find it rewarding about spotting valuable items at a yard sale and earning from it.
Additionally: the kids think it's neat when I find unique items. Just last week I scored a vintage toy that my son lost his mind over. Made $45 on it. Mom for the win.
The Honest Reality
Let me keep it real: this stuff requires effort. It's called hustling because you're hustling.
Certain days when I'm completely drained, questioning my life choices. I'm working before sunrise working before my kids wake up, then being a full-time parent, then working again after the kids are asleep.
But this is what's real? This income is mine. I can spend it guilt-free to splurge on something nice. I'm adding to my family's finances. My kids are learning that women can hustle.
Tips if You're Starting Out
If you want to start a mom hustle, here's my advice:
Don't go all in immediately. Avoid trying to do everything at once. Pick one thing and nail it down before expanding.
Be realistic about time. If you only have evenings, that's fine. Two hours of focused work is a great beginning.
Stop comparing to the highlight reels. The successful ones you see? She probably started years ago and has support. Do your thing.
Invest in yourself, but smartly. There are tons of free resources. Be careful about spending huge money on programs until you've validated your idea.
Do similar tasks together. This is crucial. Block off time blocks for different things. Make Monday creation day. Wednesday could be admin and emails.
Let's Talk Mom Guilt
Real talk—mom guilt is a thing. Sometimes when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I feel terrible.
But then I think about that I'm demonstrating to them that hard work matters. I'm teaching my kids that moms can have businesses.
Also? Having my own income has helped me feel more like myself. I'm more fulfilled, which makes me a better parent.
The Numbers
The real numbers? On average, combining everything, I earn $3,000-5,000 per month. Some months are better, it fluctuates.
Is this getting-rich money? Not exactly. But we've used it to pay for so many things we needed that would've been really hard. It's building my skills and skills that could become a full-time thing.
Final Thoughts
Here's the bottom line, hustling as a mom isn't easy. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. Many days I'm flying by the seat of my pants, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and praying it all works out.
But I'm proud of this journey. Every dollar earned is evidence of my capability. It demonstrates that I'm a multifaceted person.
For anyone contemplating launching a mom business? Take the leap. Start messy. Your future self will appreciate it.
Keep in mind: You're more than getting by—you're building something. Even though you probably have old cheerios stuck to your laptop.
For real. It's where it's at, mess included.
My Content Creator Journey: My Journey as a Single Mom
Let me be real with you—being a single parent wasn't part of my five-year plan. Neither was making money from my phone. But here we are, years into this crazy ride, earning income by posting videos while parenting alone. And not gonna lie? It's been life-changing in every way of my life.
The Beginning: When Everything Changed
It was a few years ago when my divorce happened. I can still picture sitting in my half-empty apartment (he got the furniture, I got the memories), wide awake at 2am while my kids slept. I had $847 in my bank account, two humans depending on me, and a income that didn't cut it. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I'd been scrolling TikTok to escape reality—because that's the move? when our lives are falling apart, right?—when I found this woman sharing how she paid off $30,000 in debt through content creation. I remember thinking, "That can't be real."
But rock bottom gives you courage. Maybe both. Usually both.
I grabbed the TikTok studio app the next morning. My first video? Completely unpolished, sharing how I'd just put my last twelve dollars on a cheap food for my kids' lunch boxes. I hit post and panicked. Why would anyone care about someone's train wreck of a life?
Turns out, way more people than I expected.
That video got forty-seven thousand views. Nearly fifty thousand people watched me breakdown over processed meat. The comments section became this incredible community—women in similar situations, other people struggling, all saying "me too." That was my epiphany. People didn't want filtered content. They wanted raw.
Finding My Niche: The Unfiltered Mom Content
Here's the secret about content creation: finding your niche is everything. And my niche? It happened organically. I became the real one.
I started posting about the stuff everyone keeps private. Like how I once wore the same yoga pants for four days straight because washing clothes was too much. 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 discuss divorce to a kid who is six years old.
My content wasn't pretty. My lighting was trash. I filmed on a cracked iPhone 8. But it was authentic, and evidently, that's what worked.
Within two months, I hit ten thousand followers. Three months later, fifty thousand. By month six, I'd crossed a hundred thousand. Each milestone blew my mind. These were real people who wanted to know my story. Plain old me—a struggling single mom who had to figure this out from zero months before.
My Daily Reality: Balancing Content and Chaos
Let me paint you a picture of my typical day, because being a single mom creator is the opposite of those pretty "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm screams. I do NOT want to get up, but this is my precious quiet time. I make coffee that I'll reheat three times, and I start filming. Sometimes it's a morning routine talking about financial reality. Sometimes it's me making food while discussing custody stuff. The lighting is whatever natural light comes through my kitchen window.
7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation ends. Now I'm in mommy mode—making breakfast, the shoe hunt (seriously, always ONE), prepping food, referee duties. The chaos is intense.
8:30am: Drop off time. I'm that mom making videos while driving at red lights. Not proud of this, but bills don't care.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. House is quiet. I'm editing videos, replying to DMs, planning content, sending emails, analyzing metrics. Folks imagine content creation is just posting videos. Absolutely not. It's a entire operation.
I usually film in batches on certain days. That means creating 10-15 pieces in a few hours. I'll swap tops so it looks like different days. Advice: Keep wardrobe options close for easy transitions. My neighbors probably think I'm unhinged, filming myself talking to my phone in the backyard.
3:00pm: Getting the kids. Transition back to mom mode. But this is where it's complicated—frequently my best content ideas come from the chaos. Last week, my daughter had a full tantrum in Target because I wouldn't buy a forty dollar toy. I created a video in the car later about managing big emotions as a solo parent. It got 2.3 million views.
Evening: The evening routine. I'm typically drained to create anything, but I'll plan posts, reply to messages, or outline content. Certain nights, after bedtime, I'll edit for hours because a brand deadline is looming.
The truth? There's no balance. It's just controlled chaos with moments of success.
The Money Talk: How I Support My Family
Look, let's discuss money because this is what people ask about. Can you really earn income as a creator? For sure. Is it simple? Absolutely not.
My first month, I made zero dollars. Second month? $0. Month three, I got my first collaboration—a hundred and fifty bucks to promote a meal box. I actually cried. That one-fifty bought groceries for two weeks.
Now, three years later, here's how I generate revenue:
Brand Deals: This is my main revenue. I work with brands that fit my niche—things that help, single-parent resources, children's products. I ask for anywhere from five hundred to several thousand per collaboration, depending on the scope. Just last month, I did four collabs and made $8,000.
Platform Payments: TikTok's creator fund pays very little—two to four hundred per month for huge view counts. AdSense is actually decent. I make about $1.5K monthly from YouTube, but that required years.
Affiliate Marketing: I post links to products I actually use—ranging from my beloved coffee maker to the beds my kids use. If someone purchases through my link, I get a cut. This brings in about eight hundred to twelve hundred.
Downloadables: I created a single mom budget planner and a meal prep guide. They're $15 each, and I sell fifty to a hundred per month. That's another $1,000-1,500.
Teaching Others: Other aspiring creators pay me to show them how. I offer 1:1 sessions for two hundred dollars. I do about 5-10 a month.
Combined monthly revenue: Generally, I'm making between ten and fifteen grand per month now. Certain months are better, some are less. It's variable, which is terrifying when you're solo. But it's 3x what I made at my previous job, and I'm home when my kids need me.
The Dark Side Nobody Talks About
Content creation sounds glamorous until you're having a breakdown because a video didn't perform, or managing hate comments from internet trolls.
The haters are brutal. I've been accused of being a bad mother, told I'm using my children, told I'm fake about being a solo parent. Someone once commented, "Maybe that's why he left." That one hurt so bad.
The algorithm is unpredictable. Sometimes you're getting viral hits. Next month, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income varies wildly. You're always creating, never resting, worried that if you take a break, you'll be forgotten.
The guilt is crushing to the extreme. Every upload, I wonder: Am I sharing too much? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they resent this when they're adults? I have clear boundaries—limited face shots, nothing too personal, nothing that could embarrass them. But the line is hard to see.
The burnout hits hard. There are weeks when I can't create. When I'm done, over it, 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 given me things I never dreamed of.
Financial stability for the first time in my life. I'm not loaded, but I cleared $18K. I have an safety net. We took a family trip last summer—Disney World, which I never thought possible not long ago. I don't stress about my account anymore.
Flexibility that's priceless. When my son got sick last month, I didn't have to ask permission or worry about money. I worked anywhere. When there's a school event, I'm there. I'm available in ways I couldn't manage with a traditional 9-5.
Connection that saved me. The fellow creators I've met, especially solo parents, have become my people. We connect, share strategies, have each other's backs. My followers have become this beautiful community. They celebrate my wins, lift me up, and make me feel seen.
Identity beyond "mom". Finally, I have my own thing. I'm not just an ex or only a parent. I'm a entrepreneur. A businesswoman. Someone who made it happen.
Tips for Single Moms Wanting to Start
If you're a single mom thinking about this, here's my advice:
Begin now. Your first videos will be awful. Mine did. It's fine. You get better, not by waiting.
Authenticity wins. People can spot fake. Share your real life—the mess. That's what connects.
Prioritize their privacy. Establish boundaries. Be intentional. Their privacy is sacred. I keep names private, protect their faces, and respect their dignity.
Multiple revenue sources. Diversify or one revenue source. The algorithm is unstable. More streams = less stress.
Batch your content. When you have quiet time, record several. Tomorrow you will thank present you when you're too exhausted to create.
Interact. Answer comments. Respond to DMs. Create connections. Your community is crucial.
Track your time and ROI. Be strategic. If something requires tons of time and tanks while a different post takes minutes and gets 200,000 views, change tactics.
Prioritize yourself. Self-care isn't selfish. Take breaks. Protect your peace. Your health matters more than views.
Be patient. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me ages to make any real money. The first year, I made fifteen thousand. Year two, $80K. Year three, I'm on track for six figures. It's a long game.
Stay connected to your purpose. On bad days—and there are many—recall your purpose. For me, it's independence, being present, and demonstrating that I'm capable of more than I thought possible.
The Honest Truth
Look, I'm being honest. Content creation as a single mom is challenging. So damn hard. You're basically running a business while being the lone caretaker of demanding little people.
Many days I second-guess this. Days when the hate comments sting. Days when I'm drained and asking myself if I should go back to corporate with insurance.
But but then my daughter tells me she loves that I'm home. Or I check my balance and see money. Or I read a message from a follower saying my content gave her courage. And I know it's worth it.
My Future Plans
Years ago, I was broke, scared, and had no idea what to do. Today, I'm a professional creator making more than I imagined in my old job, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals for the future? Reach 500K by year-end. Launch a podcast for solo parents. Consider writing a book. Continue building this business that supports my family.
This path gave me a path forward when I needed it most. It gave me a way to support my kids, be available, and build something real. It's not what I planned, but it's meant to be.
To every single mom out there on the fence: Yes you can. It will be challenging. You'll struggle. But you're already doing the toughest gig—doing this alone. You're more capable than you know.
Jump in messy. Keep showing up. Prioritize yourself. And know this, you're more than just surviving—you're changing your life.
BRB, I need to go record a video about another last-minute project and I just learned about it. Because that's how it goes—content from the mess, one post at a time.
No cap. This path? It's the best decision. Even though there's probably crushed cheerios stuck to my laptop right now. Dream life, imperfectly perfect.