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Awhile back I shared the story of how I became a WAHM. Many of you have since reached out and let me know how inspiring that was to you, which makes me so glad! But you have also had a lot of questions. You want to know my general tips for becoming a work at home mom because not everyone’s story looks exactly the same.
So today I share with you my eight tips for becoming a work at home mom.
1. Put some thought into your timeline.
When are you wanting to have kids? What side business or businesses can you start now so that they have a little time to grow? If I hadn’t had my online teaching store for three years prior to having our son, I don’t think I would have the income to be able to stay home right away – or I would have had to put a lot more hours into my businesses from the beginning. That being said, things happen. We were planning on waiting at least another year before starting our family. Sometimes things don’t go according to the timeline you anticipate.
2. Think about the skills you already have.
Becoming a virtual assistant made sense to me because I already knew the ins and outs of Pinterest, Facebook, blogging, and more. Look at the skills you currently have and what you enjoy doing. Then make a business out of that! A friend of mine makes some good money selling cupcakes. Find your passion and see if you can make some extra money off of it. Here is a blog post I wrote with over 65 ways to make extra money.
3. Consider joining a MLM company.
Yes, I literally just heard you roll your eyes, but hear me out! Multi-level marketing companies really are great! The key is to find a great team that will help you develop the skills you need to be successful, and you need to find a company you believe in 110%. For me that’s Young Living essential oils, but for you it might be Jamberry, Mary Kay, or something else. And keep it mind that it takes the average person 2-5 years – yes, years – to get their MLM business really rolling. You can’t just try it for six months and then give up, which is why it’s so important to find a company you personally love and want to stick with. That small investment today can totally be worth it a few years from now.
4. Start now!
Once you are a mom there are simply not enough hours in the day. Yes, I know you already think that even if you don’t have kids – but your life gets busier. When you had a deadline to meet, it will not fail that a kid will get sick or your internet will be down. Already have kids? You can still start today! It may take longer than you’d like to be able to earn enough income to stay home, but it is still possible. Still don’t believe me? Find out how Sarah starting making over $20,000 per month by checking out her blog.
5. Pay off debt.
Find ways to get out of debt now. The sooner you are debt free, the sooner you don’t have to have “the man” write your paycheck. Plus life is just a lot less stressful without worrying about money all the time. 
6. Cut back on expenses.
Whether you need to take small steps like these or you’re ready to save over $300 each month, there are many ways you can cut back your spending habits. Take a good, hard, and honest look at your budget. If you’re married – talk to your spouse about what are needs and wants. Decide where you can cut back.
7. Let others know what you’re doing.
Share what you’re doing on Facebook with family and friends. Let them know you started an MLM business or that you are doing VA work. Give them the link to your new blog. But please – please – do not bombard and overwhelm them. If you take a look at my Facebook newsfeed, you’ll see that less than 20% of my posts are about any of my businesses. Most of them are just about life in general. That’s what people want to see online – life! They do NOT want to see a constant ad, and they’ll soon unfollow you and see nothing.
8. Prioritize.
Folks, this is seriously something I still struggle with to this day. I’ve always been a bit of a workaholic. Working from home, I feel like I’ve gotten even worse in some ways. I honestly struggle to put the phone down and simply be present with my family and friends. However, I am slowly getting better and some days are better than others. So just realize how much time you can realistically give up to work on becoming a work at home mom. Maybe you’ll get up an hour earlier, maybe you’ll stay up an hour later, or maybe you’ll give up those two hours of TV you usually watch each night. Know what you are going to be able to do, and then stick with it. I’ll probably have to cut back if we add another baby to our family, and that’s ok. The whole point of me being able to stay home is to spend time with our children – not let the TV be their entertainment while mommy works.
There are my eight tips for becoming a work at home mom. These, coupled with my WAHM story, I hope will help you start down the path to having the freedom and flexibility of being a work at home mom. Good luck with your journey!
Did you enjoy this post? Then you may also like my Pinterest board dedicated to stay at home AND work at home moms! Or click here to follow all of my Pinterest boards!