Let me spill, mom life is no joke. But plot twist? Trying to make some extra cash while handling toddlers and their chaos.
My hustle life began about three years ago when I discovered that my impulse buys were way too frequent. It was time to get cash that was actually mine.
Virtual Assistant Hustle
Okay so, my first gig was doing VA work. And real talk? It was chef's kiss. I could get stuff done when the house was finally peaceful, and literally all it took was a computer and internet.
Initially I was doing simple tasks like organizing inboxes, doing social media scheduling, and entering data. Nothing fancy. I charged about $15-20 per hour, which wasn't much but for someone with zero experience, you gotta begin at the bottom.
Honestly the most hilarious thing? There I was on a client call looking like I had my life together from the waist up—blazer, makeup, the works—while sporting sweatpants. Peak mom life.
The Etsy Shop Adventure
Once I got comfortable, I wanted to explore the handmade marketplace scene. Everyone and their mother seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I thought "why not start one too?"
I began creating PDF planners and wall art. What's great about digital products? You create it once, and it can generate passive income forever. Literally, I've made sales at midnight when I'm unconscious.
The first time someone bought something? I freaked out completely. My partner was like I'd injured myself. But no—it was just me, cheering about my first five bucks. No shame in my game.
Content Creator Life
After that I started creating content online. This hustle is not for instant gratification seekers, trust me on this.
I began a blog about motherhood where I posted about the chaos of parenting—all of it, no filter. Keeping it real. Just real talk about how I once found a chicken nugget in my bra.
Building traffic was slow. At the beginning, it was basically creating content for crickets. But I didn't give up, and over time, things gained momentum.
Currently? I generate revenue through promoting products, collaborations, and advertisements on my site. Just last month I generated over two grand from my blog alone. Mind-blowing, right?
Managing Social Media
Once I got decent at managing my blog's social media, local businesses started inquiring if I could do the same for them.
And honestly? A lot of local businesses struggle with social media. They recognize they should be posting, but they don't know how.
Enter: me. I currently run social media for three local businesses—various small businesses. I make posts, queue up posts, interact with their audience, and analyze the metrics.
They pay me between five hundred to fifteen hundred monthly per business, depending on what they need. The best thing? I can do most of it from my phone while sitting in the carpool line.
Freelance Writing Life
If you can write, freelance writing is incredibly lucrative. I'm not talking literary fiction—I mean commercial writing.
Businesses everywhere need content constantly. I've created content about everything from literally everything under the sun. You don't need to be an expert, you just need to know how to Google effectively.
Usually make $50-150 per article, depending on what's involved. Some months I'll crank out fifteen articles and earn a couple thousand dollars.
What's hilarious: I was that student who hated writing papers. These days I'm getting paid for it. Talk about character development.
Tutoring Online
When COVID hit, tutoring went digital. I was a teacher before kids, 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 children who keep you guessing.
My sessions are usually K-5 subjects. The pay ranges from $15-25 per hour depending on the platform.
The funny thing? Occasionally my own kids will interrupt mid-session. I've literally had to teach fractions while my toddler screamed about the wrong color cup. Other parents are totally cool about it because they're parents too.
Reselling and Flipping
Here me out, this one I stumbled into. During a massive cleanout my kids' things and listed some clothes on copyright.
They sold so fast. I suddenly understood: there's a market for everything.
Now I hit up thrift stores, garage sales, and clearance sections, hunting for name brands. I'll find something for three bucks and flip it for thirty.
Is it a lot of work? Not gonna lie. It's a whole process. But it's oddly satisfying about finding a gem at the thrift store and turning a profit.
Plus: my children are fascinated when I score cool vintage stuff. Recently I found a collectible item that my son freaked out about. Made $45 on it. Victory for mom.
The Honest Reality
Let me keep it real: this stuff requires effort. They're called hustles for a reason.
There are moments when I'm surviving on caffeine and spite, wondering why I'm doing this. I wake up early being productive before the madness begins, then being a full-time parent, then more hustle time after everyone's in bed.
But this is what's real? These are my earnings. I can spend it guilt-free to get the good coffee. I'm contributing to my family's finances. My kids are learning that you can have it all—sort of.
Tips if You're Starting Out
If you're considering a mom hustle, here's my advice:
Start small. Don't attempt to juggle ten things. Focus on one and get good at it before starting something else.
Honor your limits. If you only have evenings, that's perfectly acceptable. Even one focused hour is better than nothing.
Comparison is the thief of joy to Instagram moms. That mom with the six-figure side hustle? They've been at it for years and doesn't do it alone. Run your own race.
Learn and grow, but wisely. Start with free stuff first. Don't waste thousands on courses until you've proven the concept.
Batch your work. I learned this the hard way. Set aside time blocks for different things. Make Monday content creation day. Wednesday might be admin and emails.
Let's Talk Mom Guilt
Let me be honest—the mom guilt is real. There are times when I'm on my laptop and they want to play, and I feel guilty.
But I consider that I'm teaching them that hard work matters. I'm demonstrating to my children that motherhood doesn't mean giving up your identity.
And honestly? Having my own income has been good for me. I'm more fulfilled, which makes me a better parent.
Let's Talk Money
So what do I actually make? On average, combining everything, I make three to five thousand monthly. It varies, some are slower.
Is this millionaire money? Not really. But I've used it for stuff that matters to us that would've been really hard. And it's building my skills and experience that could become a full-time thing.
Final Thoughts
Look, doing this mom hustle thing is hard. It's not a magic formula. Many days I'm improvising everything, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and doing my best.
But I wouldn't change it. Each penny made is proof that I can do hard things. It demonstrates that I'm a multifaceted person.
So if you're considering diving into this? Start now. Start messy. Your tomorrow self will be grateful.
Don't forget: You're not just surviving—you're building something. Even when there's probably Goldfish crackers stuck to your laptop.
No cap. This mom hustle life is pretty amazing, chaos and all.
From Survival Mode to Content Creator: My Journey as a Single Mom
Let me be real with you—being a single parent was never the plan. Neither was making money from my phone. But here we are, three years later, paying bills by posting videos while raising two kids basically solo. And I'll be real? It's been the most terrifying, empowering, and unexpected blessing of my life.
How It Started: When Everything Imploded
It was 2022 when my divorce happened. I remember sitting in my bare apartment (he took what he wanted, I kept what mattered), staring at my phone at 2am while my kids slept. I had barely $850 in my account, little people counting on me, and a income that didn't cut it. The stress was unbearable, y'all.
I'd been scrolling TikTok to avoid my thoughts—because that's how we cope? when our lives are falling apart, right?—when I saw this divorced mom talking about how she made six figures through posting online. I remember thinking, "No way that's legit."
But rock bottom gives you courage. Or stupid. Sometimes both.
I downloaded the TikTok app the next morning. My first video? Raw, unfiltered, messy hair, sharing how I'd just spent my last $12 on a dinosaur nuggets and snacks for my kids' lunch boxes. I posted it and immediately regretted it. Who gives a damn about my broke reality?
Apparently, a lot of people.
That video got 47,000 views. 47,000 people watched me almost lose it over processed meat. The comments section turned into this validation fest—people who got it, people living the same reality, all saying "this is my life." That was my lightbulb moment. People didn't want perfect. They wanted authentic.
Finding My Niche: The Unfiltered Mom Content
Here's the secret about content creation: niche is crucial. And my niche? It happened organically. I became the unfiltered single mom.
I started posting about the stuff no one shows. Like how I once wore the same yoga pants for four days straight because washing clothes was too much. Or the time I served cereal as a meal several days straight and called it "survival mode." Or that moment when my six-year-old asked about the divorce, and I had to discuss divorce to a kid who believes in magic.
My content was rough. My lighting was trash. I filmed on a phone with a broken screen. But it was unfiltered, and evidently, that's what connected.
Two months later, I hit 10K. Month three, 50K. By six months, I'd crossed 100,000. Each milestone felt surreal. Real accounts who wanted to know my story. Plain old me—a broke single mom who had to learn everything from scratch not long ago.
The Actual Schedule: Juggling Everything
Here's what it actually looks like of my typical day, because being a single mom creator is totally different from 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 hustle hours. I make coffee that I'll microwave repeatedly, and I get to work. Sometimes it's a getting ready video sharing about single mom finances. Sometimes it's me making food while discussing parenting coordination. The lighting is not great.
7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation pauses. Now I'm in parent mode—cooking eggs, hunting for that one shoe (seriously, always ONE), packing lunches, referee duties. The chaos is real.
8:30am: Getting them to school. I'm that mom creating content in traffic at stop signs. I know, I know, but the grind never stops.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my power window. Peace and quiet. I'm in editing mode, being social, brainstorming content ideas, reaching out to brands, looking at stats. People think content creation is only filming. Wrong. It's a entire operation.
I usually film in batches on certain days. That means filming 10-15 videos in one sitting. I'll change shirts between videos so it looks like different days. Advice: Keep multiple tops nearby for easy transitions. My neighbors definitely think I'm crazy, filming myself talking to my phone in the parking lot.
3:00pm: Pickup time. Mom mode activated. But plot twist—many times my top performing content come from these after-school moments. A few days ago, my daughter had a epic meltdown in Target because I refused to get a $40 toy. I recorded in the Target parking lot once we left about surviving tantrums as a single parent. It got 2.3M views.
Evening: Dinner, homework, bath time, bedtime routines. I'm typically drained to make videos, but I'll plan posts, answer messages, or strategize. Certain nights, after bedtime, I'll stay up editing because a client needs content.
The truth? Balance doesn't exist. It's just controlled chaos with random wins.
The Money Talk: How I Generate Income
Alright, let's talk dollars because this is what everyone wants to know. Can you actually make money as a content creator? 100%. Is it straightforward? Nope.
My first month, I made $0. Second month? $0. Third month, I got my first brand deal—one hundred fifty dollars to share a meal delivery. I actually cried. That hundred fifty dollars bought groceries for two weeks.
Now, three years in, here's how I make money:
Sponsored Content: This is my main revenue. I work with brands that my followers need—things that help, mom products, kids' stuff. I ask for anywhere from five hundred to five thousand dollars per campaign, depending on what they need. Last month, I did four collabs and made eight thousand dollars.
TikTok Fund: The TikTok fund pays basically nothing—two to four hundred per month for massive numbers. AdSense is better. I make about $1,500/month from YouTube, but that was a long process.
Affiliate Marketing: I post links to products I actually use—ranging from my go-to coffee machine to the beds my kids use. If anyone buys, I get a percentage. This brings in about eight hundred to twelve hundred.
Info Products: I created a budget template and a food prep planner. $15 apiece, and I sell dozens per month. That's another $1-1.5K.
Consulting Services: Other aspiring creators pay me to mentor them. I offer 1:1 sessions for two hundred per hour. I do about 5-10 per month.
Overall monthly earnings: Typically, I'm making ten to fifteen thousand per month these days. Certain months are better, others are slower. It's unpredictable, which is scary when you're it. But it's triple what I made at my old job, and I'm available for my kids.
The Hard Parts Nobody Talks About
It looks perfect online until you're losing it because a related guide a video flopped, or handling vicious comments from keyboard warriors.
The negativity is intense. I've been told I'm a terrible parent, told I'm using my children, accused of lying about being a single mom. I'll never forget, "I'd leave too." That one destroyed me.
The platform changes. One month you're getting huge numbers. Then suddenly, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income varies wildly. You're constantly creating, 24/7, scared to stop, you'll fall behind.
The mom guilt is intense exponentially. Every video I post, I wonder: Am I oversharing? Am I doing right by them? Will they resent this when they're older? I have strict rules—protected identities, keeping their stories private, nothing humiliating. But the line is fuzzy.
The burnout hits hard. Some weeks when I can't create. When I'm touched out, talked out, and at my limit. But rent doesn't care. So I show up anyway.
The Wins
But listen—despite everything, this journey has given me things I never expected.
Financial stability for the first time in my life. I'm not rich, but I became debt-free. I have an cushion. We took a vacation last summer—Disney World, which seemed impossible a couple years back. I don't panic about money anymore.
Time freedom that's priceless. When my child had a fever last month, I didn't have to call in to work or worry about money. I worked from the doctor's office. When there's a class party, I can go. I'm present in my kids' lives in ways I wasn't able to be with a regular job.
Support that saved me. The other influencers I've befriended, especially other moms, have become actual friends. We talk, share strategies, have each other's backs. My followers have become this incredible cheerleading squad. They support me, support me, and remind me I'm not alone.
My own identity. Finally, I have something that's mine. I'm more than an ex or just a mom. I'm a CEO. A businesswoman. A person who hustled.
Tips for Single Moms Wanting to Start
If you're a single parent wanting to start, listen up:
Just start. Your first videos will be awful. Mine did. That's okay. You learn by doing, not by overthinking.
Be yourself. People can spot fake. Share your real life—the unfiltered truth. That's the magic.
Guard their privacy. Establish boundaries. Have standards. Their privacy is everything. I protect their names, protect their faces, and never discuss anything that could embarrass them.
Multiple revenue sources. Diversify or one revenue source. The algorithm is unreliable. More streams = less stress.
Create in batches. When you have free time, create multiple pieces. Next week you will thank yourself when you're drained.
Engage with your audience. Respond to comments. Reply to messages. Be real with them. Your community is your foundation.
Monitor what works. Some content isn't worth it. If something requires tons of time and gets 200 views while a different post takes very little time and blows up, change tactics.
Don't forget yourself. Self-care isn't selfish. Unplug. Protect your peace. Your sanity matters more than views.
Stay patient. This requires patience. It took me eight months to make real income. The first year, I made barely $15,000. Year two, eighty grand. Year 3, I'm on track for six figures. It's a long game.
Know your why. On tough days—and there are many—remember why you're doing this. For me, it's money, being present, and demonstrating that I'm capable of anything.
The Honest Truth
Here's the deal, I'm being honest. This life is tough. Like, really freaking hard. You're managing a business while being the sole caretaker of tiny humans who need you constantly.
Many days I doubt myself. Days when the trolls sting. Days when I'm drained and wondering if I should quit this with a 401k.
But but then my daughter says she loves that I'm home. Or I look at my savings. Or I get a DM from a follower saying my content inspired her. And I know it's worth it.
What's Next
A few years back, I was scared and struggling how to make it work. Fast forward, I'm a professional creator making way more than I made in my 9-5, and I'm present for everything.
My goals going forward? Get to half a million followers by December. Start a podcast for other single moms. Consider writing a book. Keep building this business that gives me freedom, flexibility, and financial stability.
Content creation gave me a lifeline 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 perfect.
To all the single moms thinking about starting: You absolutely can. It will be hard. You'll consider quitting. But you're handling the toughest gig—doing this alone. You're powerful.
Start imperfect. Stay the course. Guard your peace. And remember, you're beyond survival mode—you're building something incredible.
Time to go, I need to go make a video about the project I just found out about and surprise!. Because that's the content creator single mom life—content from the mess, video by video.
Honestly. Being a single mom creator? It's everything. Even when there's probably old snacks in my keyboard. That's the dream, mess included.