I'm gonna be honest with you, mom life is literally insane. But you know what's even crazier? Attempting to secure the bag while handling kids, laundry, and approximately 47 snack requests per day.
I started my side hustle journey about several years ago when I discovered that my retail therapy sessions were becoming problematic. I had to find funds I didn't have to justify spending.
The Virtual Assistant Life
So, my initial venture was becoming a virtual assistant. And honestly? It was ideal. It let me get stuff done when the house was finally peaceful, and all I needed was a computer and internet.
Initially I was doing basic stuff like email management, scheduling social media posts, and entering data. Super simple stuff. My rate was about $20/hour, which seemed low 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 like I had my life together from the shoulders up—blazer, makeup, the works—while rocking my rattiest leggings. Peak mom life.
My Etsy Journey
Once I got comfortable, I thought I'd test out the Etsy world. Every mom I knew seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I thought "why not get in on this?"
I created crafting PDF planners and digital art prints. Here's why printables are amazing? Design it once, and it can make money while you sleep. Literally, I've earned money at 3am while I was sleeping.
The first time someone bought something? I actually yelled. My husband thought something was wrong. Nope—I was just, cheering about my glorious $4.99. I'm not embarrassed.
Content Creator Life
Then I discovered blogging and content creation. This one is a marathon not a sprint, real talk.
I began a blog about motherhood where I documented the chaos of parenting—all of it, no filter. No Instagram-perfect nonsense. Simply the actual truth about the time my kid decorated the walls with Nutella.
Building up views was like watching paint dry. At the beginning, I was essentially talking to myself. But I persisted, and over time, things gained momentum.
At this point? I generate revenue through affiliate links, working with brands, and advertisements on my site. Recently I brought in over $2,000 from my blog income. Crazy, right?
SMM Side Hustle
After I learned social media for my own stuff, other businesses started reaching out if I could run their social media.
Truth bomb? Many companies suck at social media. They realize they have to be on it, but they don't have time.
This is my moment. I currently run social media for three local businesses—a bakery, a boutique, and a fitness studio. I make posts, queue up posts, handle community management, and monitor performance.
I charge between five hundred to fifteen hundred monthly per client, depending on what they need. The best thing? I can do most of it from my phone during soccer practice.
Freelance Writing Life
If you can write, freelance writing is a goldmine. This isn't writing the next Great American Novel—this is commercial writing.
Websites and businesses constantly need fresh content. I've created content about everything from subjects I knew nothing about before Googling. You just need to research, you just need to be good at research.
On average make $0.10-0.50 per word, depending on the topic and length. Certain months I'll crank out ten to fifteen pieces and bring in one to two thousand extra.
The funny thing is: Back in school I hated writing papers. These days I'm earning a living writing. Talk about character development.
Tutoring Online
When COVID hit, everyone needed online help. With my teaching background, so this was an obvious choice.
I joined several tutoring platforms. It's super flexible, which is crucial when you have kids with unpredictable schedules.
I mostly tutor elementary reading and math. Income ranges from fifteen to twenty-five hourly depending on the company.
The awkward part? There are times when my children will burst into the room mid-session. I once had to teach fractions while my toddler screamed about the wrong color cup. The parents on the other end are incredibly understanding because they get it.
The Reselling Game
Here me out, this side gig wasn't planned. I was decluttering my kids' things and put some things on Facebook Marketplace.
Things sold within hours. I had an epiphany: one person's trash is another's treasure.
Now I hit up secondhand stores and sales, on the hunt for name brands. I purchase something for cheap and resell at a markup.
It's labor-intensive? Yes. I'm photographing items, writing descriptions, shipping packages. But I find it rewarding about finding a gem at Goodwill and earning from it.
Also: the kids think it's neat when I find unique items. Just last week I discovered a vintage toy that my son absolutely loved. Sold it for $45. Mom win.
The Honest Reality
Truth bomb incoming: this stuff requires effort. The word 'hustle' is there for a reason.
There are moments when I'm running on empty, questioning my life choices. I'm up at 5am hustling before the chaos starts, then handling mom duties, then working again after the kids are asleep.
But here's what matters? I earned this money. I can spend it guilt-free to get the good coffee. I'm helping with my family's finances. My kids are learning that moms can do anything.
Advice for New Mom Hustlers
If you're considering a side gig, this is what I've learned:
Begin with something manageable. You can't do everything at once. Focus on one and get good at it before expanding.
Work with your schedule. Your available hours, that's totally valid. Two hours of focused work is more than enough to start.
Stop comparing to Instagram moms. That mom with the six-figure side hustle? They've been at it for years and has resources you don't see. Focus on your own journey.
Learn and grow, but wisely. Free information exists. Be careful about spending thousands on courses until you've tested the waters.
Batch your work. This saved my sanity. Dedicate certain times for certain work. Make Monday content creation day. Make Wednesday administrative work.
The Mom Guilt is Real
Real talk—mom guilt is a thing. Sometimes when I'm on my laptop and they want to play, and I struggle with it.
However I think about that I'm showing them work ethic. I'm teaching my kids that motherhood doesn't mean giving up your identity.
Plus? Financial independence has helped me feel more like myself. I'm more content, which translates to better parenting.
The Numbers
So what do I actually make? Most months, total from all sources, I bring in $3,000-5,000 per month. Some months are lower, others are slower.
Is this getting-rich money? Not really. But we've used it to pay for vacations, home improvements, and that emergency vet bill that would've caused financial strain. It's giving me confidence and experience that could evolve into something huge.
Wrapping This Up
Here's the bottom line, doing this mom hustle thing isn't easy. It's not a perfect balance. A lot of days I'm improvising everything, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and hoping for the best.
But I don't regret it. Every bit of income is validation of my effort. It demonstrates that I'm a multifaceted person.
If you're on the fence about starting a side hustle? Take the leap. Don't wait for perfect. You in six months will appreciate it.
And remember: You're more than surviving—you're growing something incredible. Even though there's probably snack crumbs in your workspace.
Seriously. This mom hustle life is pretty amazing, complete with all the chaos.
From Survival Mode to Content Creator: My Journey as a Single Mom
Here's the truth—being a single parent wasn't the dream. Nor was building a creator business. But fast forward to now, years into this crazy ride, earning income by being vulnerable on the internet while doing this mom thing solo. And honestly? It's been the best worst decision of my life.
The Beginning: When Everything Fell Apart
It was three years ago when my relationship fell apart. I remember sitting in my mostly empty place (he took the couch, I got the kids' art projects), staring at my phone at 2am while my kids were asleep. I had less than a thousand dollars in my bank account, two mouths to feed, and a salary that was a joke. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I'd been mindlessly scrolling to distract myself from the anxiety—because that's self-care at 2am, right? when everything is chaos, right?—when I came across this single mom discussing how she became debt-free through posting online. I remember thinking, "No way that's legit."
But rock bottom gives you courage. Maybe both. Sometimes both.
I installed the TikTok app the next morning. My first video? Completely unpolished, sharing how I'd just used my last twelve bucks on a frozen nuggets and juice boxes for my kids' lunches. I shared it and felt sick. Why would anyone care about my broke reality?
Turns out, way more people than I expected.
That video got forty-seven thousand views. Nearly fifty thousand people watched me get emotional over $12 worth of food. The comments section turned into this incredible community—fellow solo parents, other people struggling, all saying "I feel this." That was my turning point. People didn't want the highlight reel. They wanted honest.
Building My Platform: The Real Mom Life Brand
The truth is about content creation: niche is crucial. And my niche? It found me. I became the mom who tells the truth.
I started posting about the stuff everyone keeps private. Like how I didn't change pants for days because laundry felt impossible. Or the time I gave them breakfast for dinner multiple nights and called it "creative meal planning." Or that moment when my six-year-old asked why daddy doesn't live here anymore, and I had to have big conversations to a kid who still believes in Santa.
My content was raw. My lighting was trash. I filmed on a ancient iPhone. But it was authentic, and evidently, that's what resonated.
After sixty days, I hit 10K. Month three, fifty thousand. By half a year, I'd crossed a hundred thousand. Each milestone felt surreal. These were real people who wanted to know my story. Little old me—a struggling single mom who had to learn everything from scratch months before.
The Actual Schedule: Content Creation Meets Real Life
Let me show you of my typical day, because content creation as a single mom is nothing like those pretty "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm blares. I do NOT want to get up, but this is my hustle hours. I make coffee that I'll microwave repeatedly, and I start filming. Sometimes it's a morning routine talking about budgeting. Sometimes it's me prepping lunches while venting about dealing with my ex. The lighting is not great.
7:00am: Kids get up. Content creation goes on hold. Now I'm in parent mode—making breakfast, the shoe hunt (seriously, always ONE), prepping food, referee duties. The chaos is intense.
8:30am: Getting them to school. I'm that mom creating content in traffic in the car. Not proud of this, but the grind never stops.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. I'm alone finally. I'm editing content, being social, brainstorming content ideas, doing outreach, looking at stats. People think content creation is just posting videos. It's not. It's a whole business.
I usually film in batches on certain days. That means filming 10-15 videos in one go. I'll switch outfits so it appears to be different times. Life hack: Keep wardrobe options close for outfit changes. My neighbors probably think I'm unhinged, talking to my camera in the backyard.
3:00pm: Getting the kids. Parent time. But here's where it gets tricky—frequently my best content ideas come from real life. Recently, my daughter had a epic meltdown in Target because I refused to get a $40 toy. I created a video in the car after about dealing with meltdowns as a single mom. It got 2.3M views.
Evening: Dinner through bedtime. I'm completely exhausted to film, but I'll schedule uploads, check DMs, or plan tomorrow's content. Many nights, after the kids are asleep, I'll stay up editing because a client needs content.
The truth? There's no balance. It's just managed chaos with occasional wins.
The Financial Reality: How I Generate Income
Look, let's talk dollars because this is what you're wondering. Can you make a living as a online creator? 100%. Is it effortless? Nope.
My first month, I made zero dollars. Second month? Still nothing. Third month, I got my first collaboration—$150 to share a meal delivery. I cried real tears. That hundred fifty dollars bought groceries for two weeks.
Currently, three years in, here's how I generate revenue:
Collaborations: This is my largest income stream. I work with brands that make sense—affordable stuff, single-parent resources, family items. I charge anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per deal, depending on the scope. This past month, I did four collabs and made eight grand.
Platform Payments: The TikTok fund pays basically nothing—two to four hundred per month for massive numbers. YouTube money is better. I make about fifteen hundred a month from YouTube, but that required years.
Link Sharing: I promote products to things I own—anything from my go-to coffee machine to the kids' beds. If anyone buys, I get a cut. This brings in about eight hundred to twelve hundred.
Online Products: I created a money management guide and a food prep planner. Each costs $15, and I sell maybe 50-100 per month. That's another $1,000-1,500.
Consulting Services: New creators pay me to mentor them. I offer one-on-one coaching sessions for $200/hour. I do about 5-10 a month.
My total income: On average, I'm making $10-15K per month these days. Some months are higher, some are lower. It's variable, which is nerve-wracking when you're it. But it's 3x what I made at my old job, and I'm available for my kids.
What They Don't Show Nobody Shows You
It looks perfect online until you're sobbing alone because a post tanked, or dealing with vicious comments from strangers who think they know your life.
The trolls are vicious. I've been accused of being a bad mother, told I'm exploiting my kids, questioned about being a divorced parent. I'll never forget, "Maybe your husband left because you're annoying." That one stung for days.
The algorithm is unpredictable. Sometimes you're getting viral hits. The next, you're struggling for views. Your income varies wildly. You're always on, always "on", worried that if you take a break, you'll fall behind.
The mom guilt is amplified times a thousand. Each post, I wonder: Is this too much? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they regret this when they're adults? I have clear boundaries—no faces of my kids without permission, no discussing their personal struggles, protecting their dignity. But the line is fuzzy.
The burnout hits hard. Certain periods when I can't create. When I'm exhausted, talked out, and completely finished. But life doesn't stop. So I do it anyway.
What Makes It Worth It
But here's what's real—despite everything, this journey has created things I never anticipated.
Money security for the first damn time. I'm not a millionaire, but I eliminated my debt. I have an savings. We took a actual vacation last summer—Disney World, which I never thought possible not long ago. I don't panic about money anymore.
Time freedom that's priceless. When my boy was sick last month, I didn't have to stress about missing work or stress about losing pay. I worked from the pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a school event, I'm there. I'm there for them in ways I couldn't manage with a corporate job.
Connection that saved me. The fellow creators I've found, especially other moms, have become real friends. We support each other, help each other, lift each other up. My followers have become this family. They hype me up, send love, and show me I'm not alone.
Me beyond motherhood. After years, I have my own thing. I'm not defined by divorce or somebody's mother. I'm a entrepreneur. A content creator. Someone who built something from nothing.
Tips for Single Moms Wanting to Start
If you're a single parent thinking about this, here's what I wish someone had told me:
Begin now. Your first videos will suck. Mine did. Everyone starts there. You learn by doing, not by waiting.
Be authentic, not perfect. People can smell fake from a mile away. Share your honest life—the unfiltered truth. That's what connects.
Protect your kids. Establish boundaries. Have standards. Their privacy is non-negotiable. I protect their names, rarely show their faces, and respect their dignity.
Build multiple income streams. Spread it out or one income stream. The algorithm is fickle. More streams = less stress.
Create in batches. When you have quiet time, record several. Future you will thank present you when you're drained.
Connect with followers. Answer comments. Respond to DMs. Build real relationships. Your community is your foundation.
Track your time and ROI. Some content isn't worth it. If something requires tons of time and flops while another video takes very little time and goes viral, adjust your strategy.
Self-care matters. You matter too. Rest. Create limits. Your sanity matters more than views.
This takes time. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me eight months to make any real money. The first year, I made $15K total. Year two, $80,000. This year, I'm hitting six figures. It's a process.
Remember why you started. On hard days—and they happen—remember why you're doing this. For me, it's supporting my kids, being there, and validating that I'm more than I believed.
The Reality Check
Look, I'm keeping it 100. Being a single mom creator is tough. Incredibly hard. You're operating a business while being the sole caretaker of demanding little people.
Certain days I question everything. Days when the negativity get to me. Days when I'm completely spent and asking myself if I should quit this with benefits and a steady paycheck.
But then my daughter says she loves that I'm home. Or I look at my savings. Or I read a message from a follower saying my content inspired her. And I understand the impact.
Where I'm Going From Here
Three years ago, I was terrified and clueless how to make it work. Now, I'm a content creator making more money than I ever did in traditional work, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals moving forward? Hit 500K by year-end. Launch a podcast for single moms. Possibly write a book. Keep building this business that gives me freedom, flexibility, and financial stability.
Content creation the main resource gave me a path forward when I was desperate. It gave me a way to provide for my family, be present in their lives, and create something meaningful. It's not what I planned, but it's meant to be.
To every solo parent wondering if you can do this: Yes you can. It won't be easy. You'll consider quitting. But you're managing the toughest gig—raising humans alone. You're tougher than you realize.
Start messy. Be consistent. Guard your peace. And remember, you're not just surviving—you're changing your life.
BRB, I need to go create content about homework I forgot about and I just learned about it. Because that's the content creator single mom life—chaos becomes content, video by video.
Seriously. This path? It's worth it. Even though there's definitely old snacks everywhere. Living the dream, one messy video at a time.