Let me tell you, motherhood is literally insane. But you know what's even crazier? Attempting to make some extra cash while handling toddlers and their chaos.
This whole thing started for me about several years ago when I had the epiphany that my random shopping trips were becoming problematic. It was time to get my own money.
Being a VA
Here's what happened, I started out was jumping into virtual assistance. And not gonna lie? It was ideal. I was able to grind during those precious quiet hours, and all I needed was my trusty MacBook and a prayer.
My first tasks were easy things like organizing inboxes, posting on social media, and basic admin work. Not rocket science. My rate was about $15-20 per hour, which seemed low but as a total beginner, you gotta prove yourself first.
Honestly the most hilarious thing? I'd be on a Zoom call looking like a real businesswoman from the shoulders up—blazer, makeup, the works—while rocking pajama bottoms. That's the dream honestly.
The Etsy Shop Adventure
About twelve months in, I ventured into the handmade marketplace scene. All my mom friends seemed to be on Etsy, so I was like "why not join the party?"
I started making digital planners and home decor prints. The thing about selling digital stuff? One and done creation, and it can sell forever. Actually, I've earned money at midnight when I'm unconscious.
When I got my first order? I freaked out completely. My husband thought I'd injured myself. But no—I was just, doing a happy dance for my glorious $4.99. Don't judge me.
The Content Creation Grind
After that I got into writing and making content. This hustle is a marathon not a sprint, trust me on this.
I launched a blog about motherhood where I shared my parenting journey—all of it, no filter. Keeping it real. Just authentic experiences about how I once found a chicken nugget in my bra.
Getting readers was slow. At the beginning, I was essentially talking to myself. But I persisted, and slowly but surely, things began working.
Now? I earn income through affiliate links, sponsored posts, and ad revenue. This past month I made over $2K from my website. Insane, right?
SMM Side Hustle
When I became good with social media for my own stuff, brands started reaching out if I could run their social media.
Here's the thing? Most small businesses suck at social media. They understand they have to be on it, but they're too busy.
That's where I come in. I oversee social media for three local businesses—different types of businesses. I create content, plan their posting schedule, engage with followers, and track analytics.
I charge between five hundred to fifteen hundred monthly per business, depending on the complexity. Best part? I can do most of it from my phone.
The Freelance Writing Hustle
For those who can string sentences together, content writing is seriously profitable. Not like becoming Shakespeare—this is content writing for businesses.
Brands and websites are desperate for content. I've created content about everything from the most random topics. Being an expert isn't required, you just need to be good at research.
On average earn fifty to one hundred fifty bucks per piece, depending on the topic and length. On good months I'll create 10-15 articles and pull in $1-2K.
Here's what's wild: Back in school I struggled with essays. And now I'm a professional writer. Life is weird.
The Online Tutoring Thing
During the pandemic, virtual tutoring became huge. As a former educator, so this was perfect for me.
I signed up with several tutoring platforms. It's super flexible, which is non-negotiable when you have kids with unpredictable schedules.
I mostly tutor elementary school stuff. You can make from fifteen to twenty-five hourly depending on where you work.
The funny thing? There are times when my kids will interrupt mid-session. I've had to teach fractions while my toddler screamed about the wrong color cup. Other parents are incredibly understanding because they're parents too.
The Reselling Game
Here me out, this particular venture I stumbled into. I was decluttering my kids' room and put some things on various apps.
Stuff sold out immediately. I suddenly understood: you can sell literally anything.
Currently I shop at estate sales and thrift shops, looking for name brands. I purchase something for $3 and sell it for $30.
This takes effort? Absolutely. You're constantly listing and shipping. But it's strangely fulfilling about spotting valuable items at a yard sale and turning a profit.
Additionally: my children are fascinated when I find unique items. Just last week I scored a retro toy that my son absolutely loved. Flipped it for forty-five bucks. Mom win.
The Truth About Side Hustles
Here's the thing nobody tells you: side hustles take work. It's called hustling because you're hustling.
There are moments when I'm surviving on caffeine and spite, questioning my life choices. I'm up at 5am hustling before the chaos starts, then being a full-time parent, then back at it after the kids are asleep.
But this is what's real? That money is MINE. I don't have to ask permission to buy the fancy coffee. I'm supporting the family budget. I'm showing my kids that you can have it all—sort of.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're thinking about a side gig, here are my tips:
Don't go all in immediately. Avoid trying to start five businesses. Focus on one and become proficient before adding more.
Work with your schedule. Your available hours, that's okay. A couple of productive hours is valuable.
Comparison is the thief of joy to the highlight reels. Everyone you're comparing yourself to? She's been grinding forever and has help. Do your thing.
Invest in yourself, but carefully. You don't need expensive courses. Be careful about spending $5,000 on a coaching program until you've tried things out.
Batch your work. This is crucial. Set aside time blocks for different things. Use Monday for content creation day. Use Wednesday for handling business stuff.
The Mom Guilt is Real
I have to be real with you—guilt is part of this. Sometimes when I'm focused on work while my kids need me, and I hate it.
But then I remind myself that I'm modeling for them that hard work matters. I'm showing my daughter that you can be both.
Also? Earning independently has improved my mental health. I'm happier, which translates to better parenting.
Income Reality Check
So what do I actually make? Generally, between all my hustles, I pull in $3K-5K. It varies, others are slower.
Will this make you wealthy? No. But I've used it for family trips and unexpected expenses that would've been impossible otherwise. And it's creating opportunities and knowledge that could turn into something bigger.
Final Thoughts
Here's the bottom line, doing this mom hustle thing isn't easy. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. A lot of days I'm flying by the seat of my pants, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and praying it all works out.
But I don't regret it. Each dollar earned is a testament to my hustle. It demonstrates that I'm more than just mom.
If you're on the fence about starting a side hustle? Do it. Start messy. Future you will be so glad you did.
Don't forget: You're not just getting by—you're creating something amazing. Even if there's probably old cheerios in your workspace.
Not even kidding. This mom hustle life is the life, despite the chaos.
From Rock Bottom to Creator Success: My Journey as a Single Mom
I'm gonna be honest—being a single parent wasn't part of my five-year plan. Neither was making money from my phone. But yet here I am, years into this crazy ride, supporting my family by creating content while doing this mom thing solo. And honestly? It's been the best worst decision of my life.
Rock Bottom: When Everything Came Crashing Down
It was three years ago when my marriage ended. I will never forget sitting in my half-empty apartment (he took the couch, I got the kids' art projects), wide awake at 2am while my kids slept. I had barely $850 in my account, two kids to support, and a salary that was a joke. The fear was overwhelming, y'all.
I'd been scrolling TikTok to distract myself from the anxiety—because that's the move? when we're drowning, right?—when I saw this divorced mom sharing how she changed her life through posting online. I remember thinking, "That's either a scam or she's incredibly lucky."
But being broke makes you bold. Or both. Often 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 blown my final $12 on a cheap food for my kids' lunches. I posted it and immediately regretted it. Who gives a damn about my broke reality?
Apparently, thousands of people.
That video got 47,000 views. 47,000 people watched me breakdown over $12 worth of food. The comments section became this validation fest—people who got it, people living the same reality, all saying "I feel this." That was my aha moment. People didn't want perfection. They wanted authentic.
Building My Platform: The Hot Mess Single Mom Brand
Here's the secret about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? It chose me. I became the real one.
I started filming the stuff people hide. Like how I wore the same leggings all week because executive dysfunction is real. Or the time I let them eat Lucky Charms for dinner multiple nights and called it "creative meal planning." Or that moment when my daughter asked where daddy went, and I had to discuss divorce to a kid who believes in magic.
My content was rough. My lighting was awful. I filmed on a ancient iPhone. But it was unfiltered, and apparently, that's what resonated.
In just two months, I hit ten thousand followers. Three months later, 50K. By month six, I'd crossed a hundred thousand. Each milestone blew my mind. These were real people who wanted to listen to me. Plain old me—a financially unstable single mom who had to figure this out from zero recently.
The Daily Grind: Managing It All
Let me paint you a picture 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 sounds. I do absolutely not want to wake up, but this is my sacred content creation time. I make coffee that I'll forget about, and I start filming. Sometimes it's a get-ready-with-me talking about financial reality. Sometimes it's me cooking while sharing co-parenting struggles. The lighting is whatever I can get.
7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation stops. Now I'm in survival mode—pouring cereal, the shoe hunt (why is it always one shoe), prepping food, mediating arguments. The chaos is next level.
8:30am: School drop-off. I'm that mom creating content in traffic when stopped. I know, I know, but bills don't care.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my hustle time. Kids are at school. I'm editing content, engaging with followers, planning content, reaching out to brands, checking analytics. Everyone assumes content creation is just making TikToks. Nope. It's a real job.
I usually film in batches on Mondays and Wednesdays. That means shooting multiple videos in a few hours. I'll change shirts between videos so it seems like separate days. Pro tip: Keep multiple tops nearby for quick changes. My neighbors probably think I'm unhinged, talking to my camera in the yard.
3:00pm: Picking them up. Transition back to mom mode. But this is where it's complicated—often my viral videos come from the chaos. Last week, my daughter had a epic meltdown in Target because I refused to get a expensive toy. I recorded in the parking lot after about dealing with meltdowns as a lone parent. It got millions of views.
Evening: The evening routine. I'm usually too exhausted to make videos, but I'll queue up posts, check DMs, or strategize. Often, after the kids are asleep, I'll edit videos until midnight because a deadline is coming.
The truth? No such thing as balance. It's just managed chaos with moments of success.
Let's Talk Income: How I Really Earn Money
Look, let's discuss money because this is what everyone wants to know. Can you legitimately profit as a influencer? Yes. Is it simple? Absolutely not.
My first month, I made nothing. Month two? Zero. Month three, I got my first collaboration—$150 to feature a meal box. I broke down. That hundred fifty dollars fed us.
Fast forward, three years later, here's how I monetize:
Sponsored Content: This is my biggest income source. I work with brands that my followers need—budget-friendly products, helpful services, children's products. I ask for anywhere from five hundred to five thousand dollars per campaign, depending on what's required. This past month, I did four collabs and made eight thousand dollars.
Platform Payments: Creator fund pays not much—a few hundred dollars per month for tons of views. YouTube revenue is more lucrative. I make about $1,500/month from YouTube, but that was a long process.
Affiliate Income: I share links to stuff I really use—everything from my beloved coffee maker to the bunk beds in their room. If someone clicks and buys, I get a percentage. This brings in about $1K monthly.
Online Products: I created a single mom budget planner and a food prep planner. $15 apiece, and I sell 50-100 per month. That's another $1-1.5K.
Consulting Services: New creators pay me to show them how. I offer private coaching for $200/hour. I do about five to ten per month.
Total monthly income: Generally, I'm making ten to fifteen thousand per month currently. Certain months are better, some are lower. It's unpredictable, which is stressful when there's no backup. But it's 3x what I made at my 9-5, and I'm available for my kids.
The Hard Parts Nobody Shows You
From the outside it's great until you're crying in your car because a video flopped, or managing hate comments from random people.
The trolls are vicious. I've been mom-shamed, told I'm problematic, told I'm fake about being a single mom. A commenter wrote, "Maybe that's why he left." That one hurt so bad.
The algorithm changes constantly. One month you're getting viral hits. The following week, you're lucky to break 1,000. Your income varies wildly. You're constantly creating, 24/7, nervous about slowing down, you'll fall behind.
The mom guilt is amplified exponentially. Every upload, I wonder: Am I sharing too much? Is this okay? Will they be angry about this when they're older? I have clear boundaries—limited face shots, keeping their stories private, protecting their dignity. But the line is hard to see.
The exhaustion is real. Certain periods when I have nothing. 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 listen—even with the struggles, this journey has blessed me with things I never imagined.
Economic stability for the first time ever. I'm not loaded, but I became debt-free. I have an cushion. We took a real vacation last summer—Disney, which seemed impossible a couple years back. I don't dread checking my balance anymore.
Schedule freedom that's priceless. When my kid was ill last month, I didn't have to call in to work or lose income. I handled business at urgent care. When there's a school event, I'm there. I'm in their lives in ways I wasn't able to be with a regular job.
Community that saved me. The other creators I've befriended, especially other single parents, have become actual friends. We vent, collaborate, have each other's backs. My followers have become this amazing support system. They celebrate my wins, support me, and show me I'm not alone.
My own identity. For the first time since having kids, I have my own thing. I'm not just an ex or somebody's mother. I'm a content creator. An influencer. Someone who built something from nothing.
My Best Tips
If you're a solo parent thinking about this, here's what I wish someone had told me:
Just start. Your first videos will be trash. Mine did. It's fine. You learn by doing, not by overthinking.
Be authentic, not perfect. People can tell when you're fake. Share your actual life—the unfiltered truth. That's what works.
Guard their privacy. Set limits. Have standards. Their privacy is the priority. I never share their names, a related article rarely show their faces, and keep private things private.
Don't rely on one thing. Don't put all eggs in one basket or a single source. The algorithm is unpredictable. More streams = less stress.
Batch create content. When you have free time, make a bunch. Next week you will appreciate it when you're drained.
Engage with your audience. Respond to comments. Reply to messages. Be real with them. Your community is everything.
Monitor what works. Not all content is worth creating. If something takes forever and gets nothing while something else takes 20 minutes and goes viral, pivot.
Don't forget yourself. You matter too. Unplug. Protect your peace. Your health matters more than anything.
Stay patient. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me months to make real income. The first year, I made fifteen thousand. Year 2, eighty thousand. Year 3, I'm projected for $100K+. It's a journey.
Don't forget your why. On tough days—and there will be many—remember why you're doing this. For me, it's financial freedom, time with my children, and validating that I'm stronger than I knew.
Being Real With You
Real talk, I'm being honest. This life is hard. Like, really freaking hard. You're running a whole business while being the sole caretaker of demanding little people.
There are days I wonder what I'm doing. Days when the negativity affect me. Days when I'm exhausted and stressed and questioning if I should quit this with stability.
But then my daughter mentions she's happy I'm here. Or I check my balance and see money. Or I receive a comment from a follower saying my content inspired her. And I remember why I do this.
Where I'm Going From Here
Three years ago, I was scared and struggling what to do. Today, I'm a content creator making more money than I ever did in corporate America, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals for the future? Hit 500,000 followers by year-end. Create a podcast for single moms. Write a book eventually. Keep growing this business that supports my family.
Content creation gave me a way out when I needed it most. It gave me a way to provide for my family, be present in their lives, and create something meaningful. It's not the path I expected, but it's exactly where I needed to be.
To any single parent thinking about starting: You absolutely can. It will be hard. You'll want to quit some days. But you're currently doing the toughest gig—doing this alone. You're more capable than you know.
Jump in messy. Be consistent. Guard your peace. And don't forget, you're doing more than surviving—you're changing your life.
Time to go, I need to go make a video about another last-minute project and surprise!. Because that's the reality—making content from chaos, one post at a time.
No cap. This path? It's worth it. Even when I'm sure there's crumbs in my keyboard. Dream life, chaos and all.