Guest post from Erin of The Humbled Homemaker
Being a money-making mom has changed my life and the life of my family. In three years time, I went from being a stay-at-home mom who could barely afford it, to achieving seemingly impossible goals through my at-home business.
If you're on the fence about whether or not to start a business of your own, you might want to consider these 5 reasons to become a money-making mom.
1. To get off government aid.
This one might not apply to you, but many American families have kept afloat financially with the help of government assistance since the 2008 recession. I know because our family was one of them.
I don't condemn the use of government aid, but I also don't condone it as a lifestyle.
Growing up in the upper middle class in suburban America, I never dreamed my family would one day be barely making it and supplementing our meager grocery budget with WIC checks… but for three years, we did just that.
Becoming a money-making mom afforded us with the income needed to support our family without the use of government aid. The day I called the WIC office to cancel our checks was monumental!
2. To pay off debt.
I've witnessed many friends crippled by the weight of massive credit card bills and student loans.
Even families with sizable incomes are often burdened with so much debt that they can barely make ends meet each month.
Becoming a money-making mom can help your family pay off debt faster!
3. To give your family breathing room.
Even if you're not at poverty level and don't have debt, many families are still at the point of not having much breathing room after all the bills are paid.
Perhaps you simply want to increase your grocery budget, so you can eat more quality food.
Or maybe you want enough margin in your budget for little splurges. Having some "mad money" can actually help keep you from overspending.
Being a money-making mom can provide for those extras that your primary income might not afford.
4. To provide for your children's educations.
The number one reason I started my blog in 2011, was because I dreamed of one day sending our then-2-year-old to a university-model school in our town.
Since we were living on a low income at the time, this seemed like an unattainable goal, but, still, it was worth a shot.
Fast forward a few years, and not only were we able to send our little girl to this school for kindergarten (and now for first grade), but we were also to pay the entire year's tuition in cash!
Being a money-making mom can provide for homeschool curriculum, private school tuition, or even help fund college savings accounts!
5. To give more.
This is my absolute favorite perk of being a money-making mom.
In three years' time, we went from barely making it financially to being able to give more than we ever dreamed possible.
Not only that, but this past summer we were also able to take a family mission trip, where we were able to help with some community outreach projects and an Operation Christmas Child distribution.
One of the first charities my business was able to give to was Hope 4 Women, International, a program that helps impoverished widows and single mothers in 3rd-world countries become money-making moms themselves!
Notice that, of the five reasons I listed, I did not include "getting rich" or "becoming famous" as reasons to become a money-making mom.
Money is not evil, but the love of money is the root of all evil. Life is more than money, and to simply make more of it for the sake of getting rich or becoming famous will leave you empty-hearted.
The heartbeat behind Crystal's book, Money-Making Mom, is that women can learn how to earn more money in order to make a difference in the lives of others. That is the essence of becoming a money-making mom.
Erin Odom is the creator of The Humbled Homemaker, a blog about motherhood, healthy living, saving money, and homemaking. After losing her home and surviving on government aid for three years, she is passionate about extending grace to families who are struggling and helping others see there is hope at the end of financial troubles.
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