Guest post from Sarah of The Frugal Millionaire
As I'm sure you gathered from the title of this post, I work a full-time job, I'm a freelance writer, a blogger and, most importantly, I am a wife and mom to my two precious toddler daughters. Life is busy and full, but I love it!
One of the most common questions I get asked is, "How do you do it all?"
First off, let me preface this by saying that it is truly impossible to "do it all". Instead, I like to say I "do my best."
My home is not always clean, I fall behind on both work and laundry, and meals are oftentimes thrown together last minute. But, I'm doing my best and I love my daughters fiercely. My time with them is the most important thing to me.
Another question I often receive is, "Why do you work full-time, freelance, and blog?"
The answer to that is simple: I'm looking to increase my freelancing and blogging income to the point where I can quit my full-time job, and then eventually my husband can quit his job if he so chooses. I'm sacrificing my time now so I can have more of it in the future. Plus, I absolutely love writing and blogging.
Now that I've given some background on what I do, here is a peek into my current schedule. As a side note, my family and I recently relocated from sunny Arizona to beautiful North Carolina. We purchased our first house out here a few months ago and are really just soaking in all that the state has to offer.
We spend our evenings and weekends exploring different parks, going on walks, and playing outside. Monday through Friday is for working, and here is a typical day for me!
A Day in My Life
5:00 AM
Wake up time! Thanks to Crystal's Make Over Your Mornings course, I am now an early-riser! I accomplish so much more each day when I can start the morning by myself - whether that's working or just enjoying a cup of coffee in silence.
Prior to her course, I started my mornings frazzled. My kids woke me up, and it seemed to go downhill from there. Now, I'm happy to see them each morning, knowing that I've had some alone time.
My girls are up by 6:00 (on a good day), so I never do anything too strenuous in the morning. I typically have a cup of coffee, plan out my day, do a few sets of exercises and get ready for the day ahead. I also get started with work on my full-time job by checking emails and doing my daily tasks.
9:00 AM
My daughters are in daycare part-time during the week. I drop them off at 9:00 and then head to my office. My full-time job is 40+ hours per week, but I am able to work from home, which is an added perk. I do go into the office three half-days per week, though.
1:00 PM
Right after lunch, I pick up my daughters from daycare and we head home for naps.
The reason I'm able to work from home is because I was blessed with two amazing nappers. They aren't the best night-time sleepers and they do wake up extremely early, but I almost always get a three-hour nap out of them each afternoon!
From now until about 4:30, I'm able to work on my full-time job, answer personal emails, and brainstorm freelance writing and blogging topics if I have time.
4:30 PM
My girls are up from their naps and my husband is just getting home from work. This is when I start making dinner, assuming I've planned ahead. If not, we head to the store and decide on something as a family.
My husband is a rockstar in the kitchen and loves both grocery shopping and cooking. If it weren't for him, we'd be eating chicken nuggets and spaghetti most nights!
Other than cooking and eating dinner, we reserve our evenings for family time. We'll go to the neighborhood park, pick up some cookies from our favorite bakery, go on a "deer drive," or stay in and play. Unless something urgent is on my calendar, I never open my laptop during this time.
7:30 PM
The girls are almost always in bed by 7:30pm (I am a strong believer in an early bedtime). If they're not tired, I let them read quietly in their rooms for 30 minutes prior to lights-out.
Once they're asleep, I get to working on my side jobs - freelancing and blogging. I average about $1,500 per month on both of these combined and work roughly 10 hours per week.
Honestly, this is a part of my day that I really look forward to, and I can't wait until my income is enough to replace my day job so I can focus more on the things that I love.
9:30 PM
Can't forget about the hubby! My husband and I stay connected throughout the day by calling and texting each other. He is also up early with me most days so we can chat and have some time to ourselves.
In addition, we make sure to always go to bed at the same time. We head to our room around 9:30 and talk or watch TV before falling asleep. This is another favorite part of my day - quiet, relaxing time with my favorite guy.
You may be wondering when I have time to clean the house. Well, I clean every morning before leaving for daycare/work and every evening before going to bed. Spending 30 minutes each morning and another 15 in the evening keeps my house in order.
On the weekends, I'll spend another 30 minutes or so cleaning bathrooms, washing sheets and doing other lengthier chores. I also freelance and blog when the girls are napping on Saturdays, but reserve Sundays as a day of rest.
If you're interested in making more money, I cannot recommend freelancing and blogging enough. Not only have I been able to make a decent amount of money from my couch, but I've met some wonderful ladies who I feel honored to call my best friends.
I started freelancing prior to blogging, but my blog is what launched me into my niche - personal finance. So, if you're wondering where to start, I highly suggest starting with a blog.
Yes, my schedule is busy, but we're all busy!
As I've gotten older, I've realized that people prioritize things that are important to them. For me, I want more time and more freedom, and that is why I'm working so hard now!
Sarah Brooks is a full-time employee, freelance writer and blogger, but most importantly she is a mom to two little girls, Cami and Maisie. She has a passion for helping moms follow their dreams and create a life that they love. Sarah and her family recently relocated from Arizona to North Carolina and they love exploring their new town. When she's not working or playing with her babies, you can find her baking cookies, relaxing outside with a good book or binge-watching Netflix with her husband.
