Busy parent extra income ideas this year : made simple that helps moms make extra income

Let me spill, being a mom is a whole vibe. But here's the thing? Attempting to earn extra income while dealing with kids, laundry, and approximately 47 snack requests per day.

I started my side hustle journey about several years ago when I figured out that my impulse buys were becoming problematic. I was desperate for some independent income.

Being a VA

Here's what happened, my initial venture was jumping into virtual assistance. And real talk? It was perfect. I could work during naptime, and the only requirement was my trusty MacBook and a prayer.

I started with basic stuff like handling emails, managing social content, and entering data. Super simple stuff. My rate was about $20/hour, which felt cheap but as a total beginner, you gotta begin at the bottom.

The funniest part? There I was on a video meeting looking all professional from the waist up—full professional mode—while rocking my rattiest leggings. That's the dream honestly.

Selling on Etsy

Once I got comfortable, I decided to try the whole Etsy thing. Every mom I knew seemed to be on Etsy, so I was like "why not get in on this?"

I created designing digital planners and wall art. Here's why printables are amazing? Make it one time, and it can make money while you sleep. For real, I've gotten orders at 3am while I was sleeping.

That initial sale? I actually yelled. My husband thought something was wrong. Not even close—I was just, cheering about my $4.99 sale. I'm not embarrassed.

Blogging and Creating

Eventually I got into creating content online. This hustle is playing the long game, trust me on this.

I started a mom blog where I documented my parenting journey—all of it, no filter. No Instagram-perfect nonsense. Only the actual truth about the time my kid decorated the walls with Nutella.

Building traffic was slow. the complete guide At the beginning, I was basically writing for myself and like three people. But I stayed consistent, and over time, things gained momentum.

These days? I earn income through affiliate links, working with brands, and display ads. Just last month I made over two grand from my website. Wild, right?

SMM Side Hustle

After I learned running my own socials, small companies started asking if I could help them.

And honestly? Many companies suck at social media. They understand they need to be there, but they don't have time.

This is my moment. I handle social media for a handful of clients—various small businesses. I make posts, plan their posting schedule, respond to comments, and monitor performance.

I charge between $500-$1500/month per account, depending on what they need. What I love? I handle this from my iPhone.

The Freelance Writing Hustle

If writing is your thing, freelance writing is incredibly lucrative. I'm not talking becoming Shakespeare—I'm talking about blog posts, articles, website copy, product descriptions.

Companies need content constantly. I've written articles about everything from dental hygiene to copyright. You just need to research, you just need to know how to Google effectively.

Usually bill $50-150 per article, depending on the topic and length. On good months I'll write a dozen articles and earn one to two thousand extra.

Plot twist: I'm the same person who struggled with essays. These days I'm earning a living writing. Life's funny like that.

Tutoring Online

When COVID hit, tutoring went digital. I was a teacher before kids, so this was perfect for me.

I signed up with VIPKid and Tutor.com. You choose when you work, which is absolutely necessary when you have children who keep you guessing.

I mostly tutor basic subjects. Income ranges from fifteen to twenty-five hourly depending on the platform.

Here's what's weird? Sometimes my children will burst into the room mid-session. I once had to educate someone's child while mine had a meltdown. My clients are usually super understanding because they get it.

Flipping Items for Profit

Here me out, this one wasn't planned. I was decluttering my kids' closet and put some things on copyright.

Items moved immediately. I suddenly understood: there's a market for everything.

These days I shop at thrift stores, garage sales, and clearance sections, looking for things that will sell. I purchase something for $3 and sell it for $30.

Is it a lot of work? Not gonna lie. There's photographing, listing, and shipping. But I find it rewarding about finding hidden treasures at Goodwill and earning from it.

Also: my kids are impressed when I score cool vintage stuff. Last week I grabbed a rare action figure that my son freaked out about. Flipped it for forty-five bucks. Victory for mom.

The Truth About Side Hustles

Truth bomb incoming: these aren't get-rich-quick schemes. The word 'hustle' is there for a reason.

Certain days when I'm exhausted, doubting everything. I wake up early getting stuff done while it's quiet, then all day mom-ing, then back to work after bedtime.

But this is what's real? That money is MINE. I don't have to ask permission to get the good coffee. I'm helping with our household income. I'm teaching my children that you can have it all—sort of.

What I Wish I Knew

If you're thinking about a mom hustle, here's what I'd tell you:

Don't go all in immediately. Avoid trying to launch everything simultaneously. Focus on one and become proficient before expanding.

Be realistic about time. Your available hours, that's perfectly acceptable. Whatever time you can dedicate is better than nothing.

Stop comparing to the highlight reels. That mom with the six-figure side hustle? She probably started years ago and has support. Run your own race.

Learn and grow, but wisely. Start with free stuff first. Be careful about spending massive amounts on training until you've validated your idea.

Work in batches. This changed everything. Use days for specific hustles. Monday might be making stuff day. Use Wednesday for handling business stuff.

The Mom Guilt is Real

Real talk—I struggle with guilt. There are days when I'm working and my kid wants attention, and I feel guilty.

However I remember that I'm teaching them how to hustle. I'm teaching my kids that motherhood doesn't mean giving up your identity.

Also? Earning independently has made me a better mom. I'm more content, which helps me be better.

Let's Talk Money

The real numbers? Most months, between all my hustles, I bring in between three and five grand. Some months are lower, some are slower.

Is this millionaire money? Not really. But it's paid for stuff that matters to us that would've stressed us out. It's developing my career and skills that could grow into more.

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, combining motherhood and entrepreneurship is hard. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. Most days I'm winging it, running on coffee and determination, and hoping for the best.

But I'm glad I'm doing this. Every single penny made is proof that I can do hard things. It shows that I'm more than just mom.

If you're on the fence about beginning your hustle journey? Start now. Start messy. Your tomorrow self will be grateful.

And remember: You're not just surviving—you're creating something amazing. Despite the fact that there's probably snack crumbs stuck to your laptop.

Not even kidding. This is incredible, mess included.

My Content Creator Journey: My Journey as a Single Mom

I'm gonna be honest—becoming a single mom wasn't on my vision board. Neither was making money from my phone. But yet here I am, three years later, earning income by creating content while raising two kids basically solo. And honestly? It's been life-changing in every way of my life.

The Starting Point: When Everything Fell Apart

It was three years ago when my divorce happened. I remember sitting in my new apartment (he got the furniture, I got the memories), unable to sleep at 2am while my kids were passed out. I had less than a thousand dollars in my checking account, little people counting on me, and a job that barely covered rent. The stress was unbearable, y'all.

I was on TikTok to escape reality—because that's what we do? in crisis mode, right?—when I stumbled on this single mom sharing how she became debt-free through content creation. I remember thinking, "That can't be real."

But being broke makes you bold. Maybe both. Often both.

I downloaded the TikTok creator app the next morning. My first video? No filter, no makeup, pure chaos, venting about how I'd just spent my last $12 on a cheap food for my kids' lunch boxes. I shared it and felt sick. Why would anyone care about someone's train wreck of a life?

Apparently, way more people than I expected.

That video got 47,000 views. Nearly fifty thousand people watched me nearly cry over chicken nuggets. The comments section was this safe space—people who got it, other people struggling, all saying "same." That was my aha moment. People didn't want perfect. They wanted raw.

Finding My Niche: The Honest Single Parent Platform

Here's the secret about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? I stumbled into it. I became the single mom who keeps it brutally honest.

I started creating content about the stuff everyone keeps private. Like how I lived in one outfit because laundry felt impossible. Or the time I gave them breakfast for dinner all week and called it "survival mode." Or that moment when my six-year-old asked why we don't live with dad, and I had to explain adult stuff to a kid who thinks the tooth fairy is real.

My content wasn't pretty. My lighting was non-existent. I filmed on a cracked iPhone 8. But it was unfiltered, and turns out, that's what hit.

After sixty days, I hit 10,000 followers. Three months later, fifty thousand. By month six, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone felt surreal. These were real people who wanted to hear what I had to say. Plain old me—a broke single mom who had to figure this out from zero months before.

A Day in the Life: Juggling Everything

Here's what it actually looks like of my typical day, because this life is not at all like those perfect "day in the life" videos you see.

5:30am: My alarm goes off. I do NOT want to get up, but this is my sacred content creation time. I make coffee that I'll reheat three times, and I start filming. Sometimes it's a getting ready video talking about budgeting. Sometimes it's me making food while sharing parenting coordination. The lighting is not great.

7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation pauses. Now I'm in parent mode—feeding humans, the shoe hunt (where do they go), packing lunches, breaking up sibling fights. The chaos is next level.

8:30am: Carpool line. I'm that mom filming at red lights in the car. I know, I know, but content waits for no one.

9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. Peace and quiet. I'm cutting clips, responding to comments, ideating, doing outreach, reviewing performance. Folks imagine content creation is simple. Absolutely not. It's a whole business.

I usually create multiple videos on Monday and Wednesday. That means making a dozen videos in one go. I'll switch outfits so it looks varied. Pro tip: Keep different outfits accessible for quick changes. My neighbors must think I'm insane, filming myself talking to my phone in the parking lot.

3:00pm: Picking them up. Transition back to mom mode. But plot twist—many times my best content ideas come from these after-school moments. Last week, my daughter had a full tantrum in Target because I refused to get a expensive toy. I recorded in the parking lot afterward about surviving tantrums as a lone parent. It got over 2 million views.

Evening: The evening routine. I'm completely exhausted to create content, but I'll schedule content, respond to DMs, or plan tomorrow's content. Many nights, after bedtime, I'll stay up editing because a brand deadline is looming.

The truth? No such thing as balance. It's just controlled chaos with occasional wins.

Income Breakdown: How I Actually Make a Living

Look, let's talk numbers because this is what everyone wants to know. Can you really earn income as a influencer? Absolutely. Is it effortless? Hell no.

My first month, I made zero dollars. Second month? $0. Month three, I got my first collaboration—$150 to feature a meal delivery. I broke down. That one-fifty paid for groceries.

Fast forward, three years in, here's how I monetize:

Collaborations: This is my main revenue. I work with brands that make sense—budget-friendly products, parenting tools, kids' stuff. I get paid anywhere from $500-5K per deal, depending on what's required. This past month, I did four partnerships and made eight thousand dollars.

Creator Fund/Ad Revenue: TikTok's creator fund pays very little—$200-$400 per month for massive numbers. YouTube money is way better. I make about fifteen hundred a month from YouTube, but that took two years to build up.

Affiliate Marketing: I promote products to stuff I really use—anything from my beloved coffee maker to the beds my kids use. If anyone buys, I get a kickback. This brings in about $800-$1200/month.

Downloadables: I created a budget template and a meal prep guide. They're $15 each, and I sell fifty to a hundred per month. That's another $1-1.5K.

Coaching/Consulting: People wanting to start pay me to mentor them. I offer 1:1 sessions for $200 hourly. I do about several per month.

Overall monthly earnings: Typically, I'm making $10,000-15,000 per month currently. Some months are higher, some are tougher. It's unpredictable, which is terrifying when there's no backup. But it's three times what I made at my old job, and I'm available for my kids.

The Hard Parts Nobody Mentions

This sounds easy until you're sobbing alone because a video didn't perform, or handling nasty DMs from internet trolls.

The haters are brutal. I've been mom-shamed, told I'm problematic, called a liar about being a single mom. One person said, "Maybe your husband left because you're annoying." That one stuck with me.

The algorithm is unpredictable. One month you're getting insane views. Next month, you're getting nothing. Your income fluctuates. You're never off, always working, afraid to pause, you'll fall behind.

The guilt is crushing to the extreme. Every upload, I wonder: Am I sharing too much? Am I doing right by them? Will they be angry about this when they're older? I have non-negotiables—protected identities, no discussing their personal struggles, protecting their dignity. But the line is not always clear.

The exhaustion is real. Some weeks when I can't create. When I'm depleted, talked out, and completely finished. But the mortgage is due. So I do it anyway.

The Wins

But listen—despite the hard parts, this journey has blessed me with things I never imagined.

Financial stability for once in my life. I'm not rich, but I cleared $18K. I have an safety net. We took a real vacation last summer—Disney World, which felt impossible two years ago. I don't stress about my account anymore.

Schedule freedom that's priceless. When my kid was ill last month, I didn't have to use PTO or worry about money. I worked from the pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a school event, I can go. I'm present in my kids' lives in ways I couldn't manage with a normal job.

My people that saved me. The other influencers I've connected with, especially other single parents, have become real friends. We support each other, share strategies, lift each other up. My followers have become this incredible cheerleading squad. They cheer for me, lift me up, and make me feel seen.

Something that's mine. After years, I have my own thing. I'm not just someone's ex-wife or only a parent. I'm a content creator. A creator. Someone who made it happen.

What I Wish I Knew

If you're a single parent curious about this, here's my advice:

Start before you're ready. Your first videos will be terrible. Mine did. Everyone starts there. You improve over time, not by waiting until everything is perfect.

Be authentic, not perfect. People can smell fake from a mile away. Share your true life—the unfiltered truth. That's what connects.

Protect your kids. Establish boundaries. Decide what you will and won't share. Their privacy is the priority. I don't use their names, protect their faces, and protect their stories.

Multiple revenue sources. Diversify or a single source. The algorithm is unpredictable. Diversification = security.

Batch create content. When you have time alone, film multiple videos. Future you will be grateful when you're too exhausted to create.

Build community. Engage. Answer DMs. Create connections. Your community is what matters.

Analyze performance. Not all content is worth creating. If something takes forever and gets nothing while something else takes very little time and goes viral, change tactics.

Take care of yourself. You need to fill your cup. Unplug. Protect your peace. Your health matters more than views.

Give it time. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me eight months to make real income. Year one, I made maybe $15,000 total. Year two, $80,000. Year 3, I'm hitting six figures. It's a long game.

Remember why you started. On bad days—and there will be many—think about your why. For me, it's financial freedom, time with my children, and validating that I'm capable of anything.

The Honest Truth

Here's the deal, I'm keeping it 100. This journey is difficult. Like, really freaking hard. You're operating a business while being the only parent of children who require constant attention.

Some days I wonder what I'm doing. Days when the nasty comments sting. Days when I'm burnt out and questioning if I should quit this with stability.

But but then my daughter says she's happy I'm here. Or I look at my savings. Or I read a message from a follower saying my content helped her leave an unhealthy relationship. And I know it's worth it.

What's Next

A few years back, I was broke, scared, and had no idea how to make it work. Today, I'm a professional creator making way more than I made in traditional work, and I'm present for everything.

My goals now? Hit 500K by December. Begin podcasting for single parents. Maybe write a book. Continue building this business that changed my life.

Being a creator gave me a second chance when I was desperate. It gave me a way to take care of my children, be there, and build something I'm genuinely proud of. It's not what I planned, but it's exactly where I needed to be.

To any single parent thinking about starting: You can. It isn't simple. You'll want to quit some days. But you're handling the hardest job in the world—parenting solo. You're powerful.

Jump in messy. Stay the course. Protect your peace. And always remember, you're more than just surviving—you're changing your life.

Gotta go now, I need to go film a TikTok about why my kid's school project is due tomorrow and I'm just now hearing about it. Because that's this life—making content from chaos, video by video.

No cap. This life? It's worth it. Even if I'm sure there's crumbs all over my desk. That's the dream, one messy video at a time.