Today is the 7 year anniversary of my divorce. 7 years ago I closed the chapter on my life as I knew it and began writing a new one. I’m not gonna lie, those early days of single motherhood were downright scary. I cried all the time. I felt like a failure. I wanted to give up on everything and I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to provide for my two children.
I was a marketing consultant at the time, with 3 clients. 3! Needless to say, money was a concern for me. I didn’t want my children to go without anything. I started to look for ways to save money and use a budget. I decided to try couponing. As luck would have it, I became really good at it. Shortly after I started couponing, I decided to start a blog to show other moms how to save money. I wanted them to feel this good about their finances and make them feel like they were contributing to the family financial situation.
Shortly after I started that blog, TLC the TV network contacted me and asked if I would be interested in appearing on Extreme Couponing. They had found my blog and thought I would be a good fit. Since then I went on to appear in two episodes of the series, I’ve been featured in People, Us Weekly, In Touch, Rachel Ray Magazine, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Yahoo & MSN…..all because I started a blog.
If you had told me 6 years ago that all of those things would’ve happened to me…I would have told you, you were out of your god damn mind. But they did happen…because I made the decision to start a blog. Crazy right?
Reasons why blogging is the best job for divorced & single moms:
Now that I’ve shared my personal story with you, I want to share with you all the reasons that I thinking blogging is the best job in the world for single moms…and I’ve brought some back up too (just in case you don’t believe me). I asked several of my divorced and single mom blogger friends to chime in with their testimonials of how blogging has helped their post-divorce life and you can read those below.
Allows you to be home with your children
One of the jobs that I was consulting for wanted me to take a day trip to New Jersey to do a pitch to a new client…..on Halloween. I’m sorry, say what? I can’t jump on a plane to go pitch a new client when I have two children at home who need to go trick-or-treating. (#momlife) That actually was the final straw for this client. I knew I had to do something on my own that would allow me to set my own schedule.
The ability to pick your kids up from the bus and attend school plays in the middle of the day is what being a mother is about. Blogging allows you the freedom to set your own schedule. Yes, you will likely work early mornings, during nap times and late evening hours but you will be working towards something that is your own and on your own time. Which means if you need to take a 2-hour break to take your son to his dentist appt, there’s no one you need to ask for permission besides yourself. It’s really a wonderful feeling to have that kind of freedom.
Ashley from Frugal Coupon Living offers, “I found myself in the unexpected situation of being a single mother when my girls were in preschool. What a blessing my blog, Frugal Coupon Living, was at the time! I was able to drop the girls off at school daily from 9 to 2 and spend the afternoon with them while catching up again on work in the evening. Many of my work weeks were WELL OVER 40 hours but having the flexibility of my own schedule and being my own boss made that time with just my two girls incredibly special.
Low Start Up Cost
There are very few businesses out there that you can start for under $100…but that’s exactly what it costs to start up a blog aimed towards monetization. A domain name is $10, Hosting is around $50-$75 a year and that’s it. The rest is your time and your energy. The best part about it is that you can start a blog while you are still working at a full-time job.
It took me exactly one year to turn my side hustle couponing blog into a full-time career. YES…I worked more in that first year than I ever did in my life, but I was able to still have the income from my marketing consulting job to help fund my pursuit of becoming a full-time blogger.
Write about your passion
I’m guessing there’s a good chance that whatever your current job is…is NOT your passion. I’d be willing to bet the majority of the workforce isn’t working in a field that they are excited about. But that’s what blogging provides for you. Blogging allows you to create an income in a field that you choose..that you are passionate about…and that you want to spread the word about.
Malissa from Makingmalissa.com reveals, “I am a divorced single mom who’s been blogging for 8 months! Blogging helped me rediscover myself post-divorce and gives me a true sense of purpose like never before. There’s nothing more rewarding than doing something I’m absolutely passionate about AND getting paid to do it! It may seem overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it…the sense of pride in all that you’ve accomplished and all the people who are positively impacted is worth all the countless hours put into it. I’ve never felt so happy in my life!”
Earn a full-time income
In 2012, two years after I had started my blog, I built a brand new house on my own using the money I made from blogging. I had saved up enough money from my blog revenue and coupon classes that I was able to put down a nice sized down payment and build a home that I customized from top to bottom. Not only was I making more money than I did as a marketing consultant but I was doing it on my own schedule.
There is a lot of money to be made in blogging, but it definitely takes time and dedication. I do not want to give you the impression that you will be making a full-time income overnight..as that is far from the case. BUT all of the tools you need to succeed are available to you online through Facebook groups, blog tutorials, and YouTube! I even have a FREE course on how to start a blog that you are welcome to join!
One divorced blogger revealed, “I went from being a stay at home married mother to a single mom, in a situation of being supported by my husband to actually paying HIM child support for having less than 30% custody of the two children we shared. Blogging gave me the opportunity to put food on the table as well as put money in savings. “
Gives you something to feel proud about
After a failed marriage or relationship, it can be pretty hard to feel proud of your situation. I found myself feeling guilty for what I had done to the children, embarrassed around my friends that my relationship had not worked out and insecure about my abilities to provide for my family. However, I can honestly say that blogging gave me all of those things back.
Building a successful blog and being recognized for the work I was doing was the exact thing I needed to get me out of my funk and to make me feel proud of myself again. It’s funny how a few thousand words on the internet can open up your whole world.
Cathy from A Boy & his mom says, “Blogging as a single/divorced Mom is a great job as it can sometimes almost be therapeutic. You can write posts about how you are feeling and get any of those unwanted thoughts and feelings off your chest. You also end up connecting with other Moms and seeing that even though there are days you feel like you are totally getting it wrong as a Mom, they have bad days too. So really, you are getting it right in the end.”
Free Perks
Who doesn’t love free stuff, right? The last reason I love blogging is the free perks. Want to go on a vacation? Call up the hotel and ask if they’ll give you a free room in exchange for a blog review? Love those baby onesies you see on Instagram? Direct Message the seller and see if she’ll do a collaboration with you. As a blogger, there are several things that you can get for free in exchange for your reviews, mentions or blog posts. I recommend fully taking advantage of these opportunities….because at the end of the day…momma’s gotta keep that money in her pocket!
Here are a few more testimonials from badass single mom bloggers:
“As a single momma, I love blogging. It gives me a creative outlet that I can do with my daughter. Instead of getting a second job away from my daughter I have a second job that includes my daughter. I find we spend more time together and do things I wouldn’t have been able to do if we were not blogging together.” – Shanna from Peytonsmomma.com
“Blogging is an excellent career choice for single moms because working from home means two important things: spending more time with your littles while generating income and decreasing the necessity for childcare costs.” – Tara from Tboslerwriting.com
“Being a single parent is tough. Being a WAHM and SAHM is even tougher. Blogging keeps me responsible for teaching my toddler all about everything even when my work life is absolutely hectic. Plus, it’s been a great way for me to find peace and support in other women! If you’re on the fence about blogging, just dive in and do it. It’s been very time-consuming but oh so rewarding!” – Abi from DIY & Dinosaurs
“I tried Surveys, Fiverr, side jobs, and nothing panned out. Blogging makes money while I sleep and is an unlimited stream where I can help others while supporting my four kids, who all have various medical diagnoses and specialized needs. This fits me best: on my time frame, when it fits, where I can basically “work” anywhere, at any location blogging.” – Jen from PositiveParentingSpecialized
“When you are a blogger, your office is anywhere with WIFI! As a mom who is co-parenting a child due to divorce, this allows us great flexibility in our visitation arrangements. With three other parents in the pot (a step mom, step dad, and her father) it can be hard to arrange pick up times, vacations, when she is home sick, etc. But having the flexibility in my schedule helps ease some of that stress so our daughter can get the care she needs while her parents tend to their work responsibilities. I adore this time with her and I am glad I can provide it.” – Katie from the Homespun Hydrangea
This post was originally published on Living For Naptime.