Let me tell you, being a mom is literally insane. But what's really wild? Working to make some extra cash while juggling tiny humans who think sleep is optional.
I started my side hustle journey about three years ago when I figured out that my random shopping trips were getting out of hand. It was time to get cash that was actually mine.
Virtual Assistant Hustle
So, I kicked things off was doing VA work. And not gonna lie? It was exactly what I needed. It let me work during naptime, and the only requirement was a computer and internet.
My first tasks were basic stuff like email sorting, posting on social media, and data entry. Pretty straightforward. I started at about fifteen to twenty bucks hourly, which wasn't much but for someone with zero experience, you gotta start somewhere.
What cracked me up? I'd be on a video meeting looking like I had my life together from the chest up—blazer, makeup, the works—while wearing pants I'd owned since 2015. Peak mom life.
The Etsy Shop Adventure
Once I got comfortable, I wanted to explore the whole Etsy thing. Literally everyone seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I thought "why not get in on this?"
I began designing downloadable organizers and home decor prints. What's great about digital products? Design it once, and it can make money while you sleep. Actually, I've gotten orders at ungodly hours.
My first sale? I lost my mind. He came running thinking the house was on fire. Negative—just me, doing a happy dance for my five dollar sale. Judge me if you want.
The Content Creation Grind
Next I ventured into writing and making content. This one is not for instant gratification seekers, trust me on this.
I began a family lifestyle blog where I wrote about what motherhood actually looks like—all of it, no filter. Not the highlight reel. Just real talk about the time my kid decorated the walls with Nutella.
Building traffic was slow. For months, I was basically writing for myself and like three people. But I persisted, and after a while, things gained momentum.
Currently? I make money through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and ad revenue. Recently I generated over two grand from my website. Mind-blowing, right?
SMM Side Hustle
As I mastered running my own socials, local businesses started inquiring if I could help them.
Here's the thing? A lot of local businesses don't understand social media. They understand they should be posting, but they're clueless about the algorithm.
Enter: me. I currently run social media for a handful of clients—a bakery, a boutique, and a fitness studio. I develop content, plan their posting schedule, handle community management, and analyze the metrics.
I bill between five hundred to fifteen hundred monthly per business, depending on how much work is involved. The best thing? I can do most of it from my phone during soccer practice.
Freelance Writing Life
If writing is your thing, content writing is where it's at. Not like literary fiction—I'm talking about content writing for businesses.
Websites and businesses are desperate for content. I've written everything from literally everything under the sun. You just need to research, you just need to be able to learn quickly.
Usually charge fifty to one hundred fifty bucks per piece, depending on what's involved. When I'm hustling hard I'll write fifteen articles and bring in an extra $1,000-2,000.
The funny thing is: I was that student who struggled with essays. And now I'm earning a living writing. Talk about character development.
Tutoring Online
After lockdown started, virtual tutoring became huge. With my teaching background, so this was an obvious choice.
I joined several tutoring platforms. You make your own schedule, which is essential when you have tiny humans who throw curveballs daily.
I mostly tutor K-5 subjects. Income ranges from $15-25 per hour depending on where you work.
Here's what's weird? Sometimes my kids will interrupt mid-session. There was a time I teach fractions while my toddler screamed about the wrong color cup. The parents on the other end are very sympathetic because they're parents too.
Reselling and Flipping
Here me out, this hustle happened accidentally. I was decluttering my kids' things and posted some items on Facebook Marketplace.
Items moved within hours. I had an epiphany: one person's trash is another's treasure.
Now I frequent anywhere with deals, searching for name brands. I'll find something for a few dollars and make serious profit.
It's definitely work? Not gonna lie. It's a whole process. But there's something satisfying about spotting valuable items at Goodwill and making profit.
Bonus: my kids think I'm cool when I score cool vintage stuff. Just last week I scored a collectible item that my son absolutely loved. Sold it for $45. Mom for the win.
The Truth About Side Hustles
Let me keep it real: these aren't get-rich-quick schemes. It's called hustling because you're hustling.
There are days when I'm running on empty, questioning my life choices. I'm grinding at dawn being productive before the madness begins, then doing all the mom stuff, then working again after bedtime.
But here's the thing? I earned this money. No permission needed to treat myself. I'm helping with my family's finances. My kids are learning that you can be both.
Tips if You're Starting Out
If you want to start a side gig, here's my advice:
Start with one thing. Don't attempt to do everything at once. Pick one thing and master it before starting something else.
Work with your schedule. Your available hours, that's totally valid. Two hours of focused work is better than nothing.
Comparison is the thief of joy to other moms. Those people with massive success? She's been grinding forever and has support. Do your thing.
Learn and grow, but smartly. There are tons of free resources. Be careful about spending $5,000 on a coaching program until you've validated your idea.
Batch your work. This changed everything. Block off specific days for specific tasks. Use Monday for writing day. Wednesday might be administrative work.
The Mom Guilt is Real
I'm not gonna lie—guilt is part of this. Certain moments when I'm on my laptop and they want to play, and I struggle with it.
But then I consider that I'm showing them that hard work matters. I'm showing my daughter that you can be both.
And honestly? Financial independence has been good for me. I'm more satisfied, which helps me be better.
Let's Talk Money
How much do I earn? Most months, between all my hustles, I pull in $3K-5K. Certain months are higher, some are slower.
Is it life-changing money? Not really. But it's paid for vacations, home improvements, and that emergency vet bill that would've stressed us out. It's creating opportunities and expertise that could turn into something bigger.
In Conclusion
Here's the bottom line, doing this mom hustle thing isn't easy. It's not a magic formula. Many days I'm winging it, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and crossing my fingers.
But I'm glad I'm doing this. Every single penny made is evidence of my capability. It's evidence that I'm a multifaceted person.
For anyone contemplating diving into this? Do it. Start messy. Your future self will appreciate it.
Don't forget: You're not merely making it through—you're growing something incredible. Despite the fact that there's probably mysterious crumbs stuck to your laptop.
Seriously. This mom hustle life is incredible, despite the chaos.
My Content Creator Journey: My Journey as a Single Mom
Real talk—single motherhood was never the plan. Nor was becoming a content creator. But here we are, three years later, supporting my family by posting videos while parenting alone. And I'll be real? It's been the best worst decision of my life.
The Starting Point: When Everything Fell Apart
It was a few years ago when my divorce happened. I remember sitting in my bare apartment (I kept the kids' stuff, he took everything else), unable to sleep at 2am while my kids slept. I had less than a thousand dollars in my bank account, two kids to support, and a job that barely covered rent. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I was scrolling social media to escape reality—because that's what we do? when we're drowning, right?—when I saw this woman sharing how she changed her life through making videos. I remember thinking, "That can't be real."
But rock bottom gives you courage. Or stupid. Probably both.
I got the TikTok studio app the next morning. My first video? No filter, no makeup, pure chaos, talking about how I'd just put my last twelve dollars on a dinosaur nuggets and snacks for my kids' lunches. I hit post and panicked. Who wants to watch this disaster?
Apparently, thousands of people.
That video got forty-seven thousand views. 47,000 people watched me breakdown over frozen nuggets. The comments section was this incredible community—other single moms, people living the same reality, all saying "same." That was my aha moment. People didn't want filtered content. They wanted raw.
Building My Platform: The Unfiltered Mom Content
The truth is about content creation: you need a niche. And my niche? I stumbled into it. I became the real one.
I started posting about the stuff nobody talks about. Like how I lived in one outfit because washing clothes was too much. Or when I let them eat Lucky Charms for dinner multiple nights and called it "creative meal planning." Or that moment when my daughter asked why daddy doesn't live here anymore, and I had to have big conversations to a kid who believes in magic.
My content was rough. My lighting was trash. I filmed on a ancient iPhone. But it was unfiltered, and evidently, that's what resonated.
After sixty days, I hit 10,000 followers. 90 days in, 50K. By month six, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone seemed fake. Actual humans who wanted to hear what I had to say. Me—a barely surviving single mom who had to learn everything from scratch recently.
My Daily Reality: Managing It All
Let me paint you a picture of my typical day, because creating content solo is nothing like those pretty "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm sounds. I do absolutely not want to wake up, but this is my hustle hours. I make coffee that I'll forget about, and I begin creating. Sometimes it's a get-ready-with-me discussing money struggles. Sometimes it's me prepping lunches while sharing parenting coordination. The lighting is not great.
7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation stops. Now I'm in parent mode—cooking eggs, finding the missing shoe (where do they go), throwing food in bags, mediating arguments. The chaos is real.
8:30am: Carpool line. I'm that mom filming at red lights at stop signs. Not proud of this, but bills don't care.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. Kids are at school. I'm in editing mode, engaging with followers, ideating, doing outreach, checking analytics. They believe content creation is only filming. It's not. It's a entire operation.
I usually create multiple videos on Monday and Wednesday. That means filming 10-15 videos in one go. I'll switch outfits so it appears to be different times. Hot tip: Keep different outfits accessible for outfit changes. My neighbors must think I'm insane, recording myself alone in the driveway.
3:00pm: Pickup time. Mom mode activated. But here's the thing—often my best content ideas come from these after-school moments. Recently, my daughter had a massive breakdown in Target because I wouldn't buy a $40 toy. I recorded in the parking lot later about managing big emotions as a single mom. It got 2.3M views.
Evening: Dinner, homework, bath time, bedtime routines. I'm generally wiped out to create anything, but I'll schedule content, respond to DMs, or strategize. Some nights, after the kids are asleep, I'll work late because a brand deadline is looming.
The truth? There's no balance. It's just controlled chaos with random wins.
Let's Talk Income: How I Really Earn Money
Alright, let's get into the finances because this is what you're wondering. Can you really earn income as a content creator? 100%. Is it simple? Not even close.
My first month, I made zilch. Second month? Still nothing. Third month, I got my first sponsored post—one hundred fifty dollars to feature a meal box. I literally cried. That one-fifty bought groceries for two weeks.
Today, three years later, here's how I earn income:
Collaborations: This is my primary income. I work with brands that align with my audience—practical items, helpful services, family items. I charge anywhere from $500-5K per deal, depending on what's required. Last month, I did four partnerships and made $8,000.
Creator Fund/Ad Revenue: The TikTok fund pays not much—two to four hundred per month for tons of views. YouTube revenue is way better. I make about $1,500 monthly from YouTube, but that was a long process.
Affiliate Links: I post links to items I love—anything from my beloved coffee maker to the bunk beds in their room. If someone purchases through my link, I get a commission. This brings in about $1K monthly.
Info Products: I created a single mom budget planner and a food prep planner. $15 apiece, and I sell dozens per month. That's another $1,000-1,500.
Coaching/Consulting: People wanting to start pay me to show them how. I offer 1:1 sessions for $200/hour. I do about 5-10 each month.
Combined monthly revenue: Typically, I'm making between ten and fifteen grand per month at this point. Some months are higher, some are tougher. It's variable, which is nerve-wracking when you're the only income source. But it's triple what I made at my old job, and I'm available for my kids.
What They Don't Show Nobody Posts About
Content creation sounds glamorous until you're losing it because a post tanked, or managing cruel messages from keyboard warriors.
The negativity is intense. I've been accused of being a bad mother, told I'm using my children, accused of lying about being a solo parent. A commenter wrote, "No wonder he left." That one destroyed me.
The algorithm is unpredictable. Sometimes you're getting millions of views. Then suddenly, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income fluctuates. You're constantly creating, 24/7, afraid to pause, you'll lose relevance.
The mom guilt is intense beyond normal. Each post, I wonder: Am I oversharing? Are my kids safe? Will they hate me for this when they're older? I have clear boundaries—minimal identifying info, no sharing their private stuff, nothing humiliating. But the line is hard to see.
The burnout hits hard. Certain periods when I can't create. When I'm exhausted, socially drained, and totally spent. But the mortgage is due. So I create anyway.
The Wins
But the truth is—despite the hard parts, this journey has brought me things I never imagined.
Money security for once in my life. I'm not a millionaire, but I cleared $18K. I have an safety net. We took a actual vacation last summer—Disney World, which seemed impossible two years ago. I don't dread checking my balance anymore.
Flexibility that's priceless. When my boy was sick last month, I didn't have to use PTO or lose income. I worked anywhere. When there's a class party, I can go. I'm there for them in ways I couldn't manage with a regular job.
Connection that saved me. The fellow creators I've connected with, especially other single parents, have become actual friends. We vent, collaborate, have each other's backs. My followers have become this family. They support me, lift me up, and show me I'm not alone.
Me beyond motherhood. Finally, I have my own thing. I'm not defined by divorce or someone's mom. I'm a business owner. A creator. A person who hustled.
Advice for Aspiring Creators
If you're a single mom wanting to start, listen up:
Just start. Your first videos will be terrible. Mine did. That's okay. You grow through creating, not by procrastinating.
Authenticity wins. People can sense inauthenticity. Share your real life—the chaos. That resonates.
Prioritize their privacy. Set limits. Have standards. Their privacy is everything. I protect their names, limit face shots, and respect their dignity.
Multiple revenue sources. Don't put all eggs in one basket or one revenue source. The algorithm is unpredictable. Multiple streams = safety.
Batch create content. When you have time alone, record several. Future you will thank present you when you're burnt out.
Connect with followers. Respond to comments. Reply to messages. Create connections. Your community is everything.
Track your time and ROI. Some content isn't worth it. If something takes forever and tanks while a different post takes minutes and gets 200,000 views, pivot.
Prioritize yourself. You matter too. Unplug. Create limits. Your wellbeing matters most.
This takes time. This requires patience. It took me eight months to make real income. Year one, I made $15K total. Year two, $80,000. This year, I'm hitting six figures. It's a process.
Remember why you started. On tough days—and trust me, there will be—remember your reason. For me, it's supporting my kids, time with my children, and showing myself that I'm more than I believed.
The Honest Truth
Real talk, I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Content creation as a single mom is difficult. Really hard. You're operating a business while being the only parent of tiny humans who need you constantly.
Certain days I wonder what I'm doing. Days when the hate comments hurt. Days when I'm burnt out and asking myself if I should get a regular job with a 401k.
But but then my daughter tells me she's happy I'm here. Or I see my bank account actually has money in it. Or I receive a comment from a follower saying my content inspired her. And I know it's worth it.
Where I'm Going From Here
A few years back, I was terrified and the cited reference clueless how I'd survive as a single mom. Fast forward, I'm a full-time content creator making way more than I made in my 9-5, and I'm home when my kids get off the school bus.
My goals moving forward? Reach 500K by end of year. Start a podcast for solo parents. Maybe write a book. Continue building this business that makes everything possible.
Content creation gave me a second chance when I was desperate. It gave me a way to feed my babies, be available, and accomplish something incredible. It's not the path I expected, but it's meant to be.
To all the single moms considering this: You absolutely can. It isn't simple. You'll struggle. But you're handling the toughest gig—raising humans alone. You're stronger than you think.
Begin messy. Stay consistent. Prioritize yourself. And know this, you're beyond survival mode—you're creating something amazing.
BRB, I need to go film a TikTok about why my kid's school project is due tomorrow and surprise!. Because that's the content creator single mom life—turning chaos into content, video by video.
No cap. This journey? It's everything. Even though there's definitely crumbs everywhere. Dream life, mess included.