I started a blog only a few months ago! I am proud to say I am the creator of Just a Girl Winging Life. I was inspired to become a blogger after reading Abby Lawson's "Building a Framework" Ebook. If you choose to create your own blog I would highly recommend buying her book it will give you the tools you will need to begin this overwhelming journey of blogging. Emphasis on the overwhelming. She breaks everything down SO easily and I was able to start blogging because of her book. Click here to check out her amazing Ebook and start blogging TODAY!
Let's take a step back to talk about why I started to blog. I think this society is messed up. I think that for a lot of reason, but one of the biggest problems is how this nation has turned into a two income society. If you have one income you struggle. My husband got his Bachelors degree in Business Information Systems. He was unable to receive a job with his Bachelors and so he worked at a movie theater while getting his Masters Degree. He received his Masters Degree in Management Information Systems. He finally got a job a month before we got married (9 months after graduating). His salary was $41,000 with a Masters Degree. Here in Oregon...that's not a lot. The second highest cost of living state is Oregon (behind Hawaii). We got pregnant shortly after getting married. I do have my Master's Degree as well, but I always knew I was going to be a stay-at-home mom. My husband received a new job two years later, but it wasn't much higher in salary.
This society sucks. Moms should be able to stay at home with their kids. Dads should be able to provide for their families. No, I don't think that the minimum wage should be increased. If you are working at McDonald's then you shouldn't be making $12 an hour. However, I do think that this nation shouldn't be making things SO expensive that people can't survive on a salary that a man is getting with a legitimate full time career. Even places like Goodwill are getting ridiculous...$14 for a broken candle...no thank you!
My husband and I struggle each month. We don't have "fun." Our fun is doing everything in the world we can possibly think of that is free, or only a couple of dollars. We don't go to concerts or events. We don't get to throw huge parties and we never get to "get away for the weekend." Our budget just won't allow it unless we save up for awhile and usually something happens that discourages us from using that money.
We have several apps on our phones such as Ibotta and the Wal-Mart savings app to help us save several cents at a time. I participate in surveys and studies to get money. I test websites and get paid through User Tester. I do everything that I can to make money while still being at home for my children! It's never enough to contribute to our family. The money I make just goes to crappy gifts that I give my husband for various holidays/special celebrations. I so wish I could give him something amazing. Some wives are buying their husband's awesome and thoughtful gifts. I'm over here like "here's a Twix bar and a homemade card, love you." Of course he is super happy with whatever I get him, but just once I want to give him NBA tickets! Just once.
We struggle. Like most newlywed couples. But my husband works 40 hours a week in a medical clinic as their IT, has a Masters Degree and even is fluent in Russian! How are we doing so poorly? I will tell you! It's because I decided to stay at home with my children. If I was working we would be making almost twice as much (depending on daycare cost). Now, most people would say, well why don't you work? Well...sorry...moms should stay home with their kids (in my opinion). I will do a better job raising my babies than a random person at daycare who doesn't love and care for them as I do.
So how do we have a win-win situation? I will tell you. I stay at home with my children and blog when I have the time! I started blogging so that my husband and I don't have to struggle with money. I started blogging so my children don't have to suffer due to our lack of income. With one more child we will be on food stamps and WIC. We will be officially be in poverty in Oregon. I started blogging because of the endless opportunities.
My goal for blogging is to start making $10,000 a month by next year? You may be thinking. That's not even possible! Oh really? I can start listing names of bloggers who have only been blogging for less than three years who are well over 6 figures. One of which made over $100,000 last month from blogging! That's right! $100,000 in one month! This is year three for her! I don't intend on making that much money, but I do have high goals for this blog! I've heard "you won't be the person who makes that much money blogging?" Who says?! Who says I can't be the one making six figures? I am smart, capable, hard work and motivated!
The goal of my blog is to help people make their house a home. This provides endless possibilities. I will soon be able to start writing for brands. My goal is to write for places like Target, Ikea and Hobby Lobby. They will eventually pay me to write about them and there are even tons of options for them to pay for me to renovate or decorate. Just a Girl and Her Blog got her entire kid's room paid for by Ikea. I could get free paint, free material and supplies by just being a blogger. I get to sell product, consult, do webinars and work with other amazing bloggers. There is no boss, no cap on my income and no annoying coworkers! I do it all on my free time (which isn't much due to being a mother of small children) but it is absolutely amazing and completely doable! I started blogging because I am done having holes in my shoes and having wet socks. I am done having my kids wear the same clothes every other day, or asking for clothes from family for holidays because we can't afford new clothes for them. I am done having to make my own laundry detergent just to save a few bucks. I am done with people thinking of me as "just a stay-at-home mom." One day when I tell people I am "just a stay-at-home mom" and they say something like "oh well that's nice for your" and then I get to say "oh and I also make $100,000 a year blogging."
That is my story of why I started blogging and why you should too. Let's Wing It together!!
By: Nicole Christensen
Just a Girl Winging Life
Check out my website at JustaGirlWingingLife.com
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