Well, it isn’t easy but it can be done!
As the homeschooling mom of eight kids, and with 18 years of homeschooling under my belt I thought that the remainder of my life would be predictable. Continue to homeschool my youngest children, create a clean and welcoming home, and continue to be the wife to the man I married in 1980.
Life has a way of interrupting our best laid plans. In 2007 my husband became disabled and lost his job and in 2009 I found myself a single mom with six children at home as the disabled husband moved on to greener pastures.
What now? It had been nearly 30 years since I had received a paycheck. My career path was my family and I never thought this would happen to me. Even as I said it I remembered how many times I had heard that very same statement from other women in my situation.
I had started a food blog and was making a little money when I heard about Hubpages. I can’t remember exactly how I found it but I believe was looking for some way to continue homeschooling. With my youngest child being just six years old I really did not want to work outside the home.
Write on the things you love? Make money? Sure, I was in!
For the first several months I tried to write an article every day. It was difficult to do, self discipline is not my strong point and I have adult ADD, but I managed it, sometimes working far into the night after the kids were tucked into bed. I wrote about what I knew best – homesteading, livestock, gardening and homeschooling.
It took several months for me to see my first payout and even I questioned the intelligence of investing time in something that might bring in a little income at some point. After four months I made my first check from Adsense, $144.88.
I felt rich. I was making my own money and all of a sudden I knew it was all going to be o.k. I continued to write and I researched more about Internet writing; things like search engine optimization, key words and other details that they never taught you in 10th grade English class.
I was not the fastest writer in the world but every month I made a little more money. I was able to stay on track with school, although I was glad that I had always been more of a relaxed homeschooler than the Abeka type.
I even picked up a few other freelance writing jobs as a result of people seeing my work on Hubpages. In fact, in September of 2009 I published a cookbook for Adams Media, Everything Cookies and Brownies. My income was steadily growing and the kids were well adjusted and secure, despite the divorce.
At this point in time I have over 700 articles, some of which have been republished in hard copy magazines. I work a couple of hours a day and my income is normally well over $2,500.00 per month.
If you think you are going to start an online writing career you’d better not quit your day job. It takes time, perseverance and constant research with a sprinkling of blessing and luck thrown in for good measure. However, if you like to research, you like to write, and you want a little butter and egg money then writing online articles is a great way to go. You never know when you will need something to fall back on.
Bio:
Marye Audet is an author, freelance writer, and editor. As a work at home mom she has a unique perspective that encompasses the overwhelming deadlines and commitments of the professional woman as well as the constantly changing needs of a homeschooling mom with a large family.
She is the author of one cook book and the creator of Restless Chipotle Media, a network consisting of two food based blogs, a blog for “women of a certain age”, a video site on Youtube, and downloadable eBooks. Her passion is getting great food on everyone’s table.
She has written 700+ articles on Hubpages where she writes about everything from sustainable living to how to restore historic wood floors. She is well respected amongst her peers, and her cookbook, Everything Cookies and Brownies, has been lauded as both user friendly and unique by both food bloggers and consumers.
Marye’s time is consumed with her career, restoration of a 100 year old farmhouse just south of Dallas, Texas, and spending time with her family. She prefers a sustainable lifestyle; growing organic produce and heritage breed chickens on her property. When she has an extra minute or two she enjoys painting, reading, travel and long baths.
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You know, I no longer homeschool, but I blog for money.. I have four kiddos, two are at home.. Blogging helps me help my hubby with a little extra cash here and there so he doesn’t feel so stressed in this economy to work around the clock so that we can have a LIFE.. or buy a tire if one blows.
I have my own blog that does little to nothing (but I’m working on it)…. however, where I make my real money is the blog that I staff write for!
(Probably more off topic than anything!! Sorry!!)
Thanks for posting!
Wow, this is a very inspiring article. I think that as a mom we have so many inner battles and one of them is providing for the family, in both the emotional and supportive home and also worry about the finances.
Very inspiring…Your hard work paid off. I think the “luck” was there because of your hard work…Congratulations – You are an inspiration.
Thanks for sharing. As a new homeschooler, I found this to be quite inspiring.