The Traveling Family Adventure has begun

 

 I have been working on a traveling blog for a while now, and it is doing great so far. I do a lot of things to earn extra money, but this is one that is beginning a real business for me and my family. It is the beginning of an adventure for us all. The blog is The traveling family adventures.

On The Traveling Family Adventures blog is sharing our family trips or simple road trips to place in Colorado and many other areas when we can. Our family enjoys back roads, trails, and going off of the beaten path. The views and adventures that we find is so enjoyable to share with everyone. My family includes myself, my mom, my kids  nieces and nephew, Desiree (21),  Danielle (20), Devon (17), Torrie (9) and Delila (2). We are not always together, but each trip includes a few of us on an amazing adventure. 

We are hoping very soon that this will be a full time experience. With road schooling and  sharing all of the teaching and learning experiences from all of us.

Mom investing money

A few years ago I started looking into investing money, but as a single mom I could not afford all of the fees and things that went along with it. Especially the minimum that most brokers wanted at the time. A few years ago I started hearing about sites like Acorn. I never gave it a try because I just did not know, and as a mom we have to have some how of knowing that we will see our money grow. I always had to watch every penny I had, so I put it off. Well about a year ago one of the sites I work on, I think it was Inboxdollars, posted to pay me a few dollars to try this site STASH. I was skeptical but I gave it a try. I am so glad I did.

For those who think it is too difficult, do not let it scare you. Stash has a lot of great helpful articles and will guide you through the entire process. It is $5 to start and believe me they will make the process easier than you can imagine.

Start investing for you and your kids as early as you can. I am almost 40 and really wish I would have started much earlier. I am hoping I have learned enough with STASH and other savings I have to start paying for college in 10 years. It will be here before I know it.


Look at my blog post about STASH on my finance blog

October was a good start rebooting to my online income

Since I had surgery October 8th I have been going through so many things mentally and I miss working from home. I know it will take some time to build back up to what I was earning, a couple of thousand a month, but it is worth the work.

October has only had a few small things going towards my online income, but every little step makes a difference. Here is a few things I did in October:

Blog Posts:

Live on less Money than what you Earn

As a single mom I tend to be looking everywhere for financial advice, money saving tips, and other money saving advice. I have learned that one of the biggest mistakes that people make with their personal finances is spending more than you earn. Even before I was a single mom, I did the same thing. I have learned that one of the biggest mistakes that people make with their finances is spending more money than they earn. Some people are trying to keep up with their friends and others just think that they can't stop spending. I have even noticed some parents spending more than they earn because they do not want to let their children down, believe me the kids will understand when they are put in the same situation.

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Financial Ebooks

I have been writing small articles and financial tips for about 10 years now. I also went to school for business and received my degree in 2015. As a single mom I have found numerous ways of saving and making money in about every aspect of my life. I have decided to share my experiences in more detail through books. So far I only have 4 simple Ebooks about finances, but I do plan on having many more in the near future. If you would like to take a look, please do. These are just the beginning, and I am learning more about writing Ebooks with every one I publish. I have set the prices below $3 on the first few books until I can write the finance books in more elaboration.

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How to Feed a large Family on a Budget

Feeding a large family can be a task in itself, but it is even harder when you have to feed a large family on a budget. There are a lot of ways for you to cut your grocery bill, and save money. Here are a few things that you can do to feed a large family on a budget.

Begin by clipping coupons, or take advantage of online sites that offer coupons. You can use these coupons to receive merchandise for a big savings, or even at times free. You can save even more if you shop at grocery stores that offer to double or triple your coupons. Coupons have been a very big part to help feed my family on a budget.

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Saving Money on Groceries

Saving money is a big thing for most families in today’s economy. Groceries tend to be one of our biggest expenses, and saving money on groceries can make a big difference in our family’s budget. There are some very simple things that anyone can do to save money when grocery shopping.

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Hubpages

I have not submitted much on Hubpages, I have just been going through and updating articles. I have included backlinks to some of my blog posts which has been great. On one post I had close to a thousand views in a day. I have not seen that in a long time on anything I have submitted or posted. I am sure it is because I have not put in the effort though. 

Here are a my top three hubs for October:

Direct Sales tax Deductions

Preparing Dinner for Later 

Financial Planning Steps for a Single Mom


The month of October did not really see an income, but I see what is coming and what I am setting my mind to. The success is in my hands, and I am the one responsible for making a real online income.



 

I am Back Focusing on my Home Business

It has been a long time since i have really focused on my home business. I have to say its because I work about 60+ hours a week and I now have a 14 month old and my son that is 8. It has been a struggle to really push my home business in addition to everything else. I have had a realization that I cannot keep pushing so much at my current job. I love my job, but I love my kids more.

Over the last few years I have put more emphasis on my career than I have anything else. I know that is not the best thing to do as a mom, but that job has done a lot for my family. It has helped me purchase two vehicles over the last few years and a home. I am hoping soon I will be able to purchase another home and use one as a vacation rental since I have a front door view of Pikes Peak.

My plan of action is to stop working a full time job within the next three years. I want to be able to work from home and spend more time with the kids. I feel like I have missed out on so much of my sons life because of my working so much, and I do not want to do that to my daughter too. Now I cannot say I have the entire plan put together, but I hope I will soon. Up until now I have not told anyone what I am thinking, but it is time for me to do something else with my life.

Finally Graduating! (Hopefully)

For those that have been following me on here, as well as the other numerous sites that I work on, you know how crazy my life has been the last few years. Since I started school in August of 2012 I have been going non stop. Working full time at a convenience store (with the exception of a couple of months I took off do to injury) going to school full time (on average 15 credit hours each semester with the exception of 1 that I took 12 credit hours), and being a single mom of my amazing little boy.
In April my boyfriend died to carbon monoxide poisoning, and then last month my sister passed away from numerous health conditions. My sister left my mom and I to raise her 3 amazing kids.

With all of this going on, I am up for graduation next month. I only need this one class to get my Associates of Applied Science with an emphasis in management, and I am pretty sure I will pass. With the tremendous stress I have been under, I have had some difficulties. I am to the point of passing the class will be good enough for me. The class is statics, and it is very difficult. I held a 3.3 GPA throughout the last couple of years, this class will drop that GPA. Especially since it is the second time I have taken it, but that is ok. I have come a long way, and I am proud of this accomplishment.

This is one thing I have worked harder than I could have ever imagined to achieve, and I am seeing it through. I did not quit, and I can show other single moms that it can be done. If it is important to you, you can do anything.

Helping a Family in Need

If you have time I ask that you please read my recent hub. Helping a family in Need. It is a very personal story about recent things happening, including the loss of my sister.

When can I work from home Exclusively?

There are hundreds of people trying to make a full time income from home, but we are all faced with the question, "When can I work at home exclusively?" If you are one of those people asking this question then you know you have a lot to consider before you can take that step. No matter if you are do freelance work, have a direct sales business, or have started another business from your home, you will have to consider the same things before quitting your full time job. There are things that you can do so that you know when you and your family are ready for you to work from home exclusively.

How much do I need to make before working from home exclusively?
Each person will need to earn a different amount of money each month to work at home exclusively, so you will need to determine how much you need. This amount is not necessarily what you are earning from your full time job, but what you need to make it work financially so that you can. There are three simple steps that will help you determine this amount.
First, make a budget for your home and business expenses. You want to combine both of them because you are trying to ensure your ability to pay both your business and home expenses.
Then, determine what your necessary expenses are for your home and business. We all have expenses in our homes that we do not necessarily have to have. If you are serious about wanting to work at home exclusively you will want to consider giving up some things. So decide on what expenses you have to pay.
Finally, calculate exactly what you need to make so that you can work from home exclusively. In some situations you can break this amount down into sales, projects, or daily earnings. That way you can keep track.

These steps will give you the amount you want to earn each month from home, but you can also find ways to offset your home and business expenses so that you can work at home exclusively.

How can I offset my expenses so that I can work from home exclusively?
There are a few things that you can do to offset your expenses in your home and your business. Offsetting your expenses is simply determining ways to save money or reduce your expenses, so that you do not have to earn as much when you first begin to work from home exclusively. I am going to give you a few things that can help you, but you can determine other ways as well.
Begin by looking around your house for things you no longer need. I believe that everyone has some things that they do not need, we just avoid getting rid of these items for one reason or another. Well, instead of allowing these items to sit around your home use them to help offset your expenses. You can have a yard sale or sell them online.
Now look into recycling in your area. There are places that will pay a good price for scrap metals, aluminum, cardboard, paper, and more. Different states have different recycling guidelines, so find out what you can sell in your area. At one time, in my former state of residence, I was making about $20 to $30 a month on recycling. That amount can make a huge difference for you when you are trying to work from home exclusively.
Expand your home earning potential. This does not necessarily mean trying to earn a full time income in another area, but try to discover more ways to earn money from your home. There are a lot of areas that you may want to consider if you do not already earn in these areas; freelance, direct sales, online surveys, eBay as a business, crafts, childcare, house or pet sitting, etc. You do not have to try and earn a large income in these areas; just earn enough to offset your expenses so that you can work from home exclusively.

How will I know when I can work from home exclusively?
After you have determined how much you will need to earn from home, and found ways to offset your expenses, you will be able to set a goal on when you will start working from home exclusively. The final decision will be up to you and the needs of your family. Each person will have a different goal, but knowing the goal will allow you to determine when you can work from home exclusively.


Helpful Articles:

 How to Make Extra Money for Maternity Leave
How to Make Home Business Goals