Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

by Hope

My side hustle has begun to pick up again. I guess the first of the school year honeymoon period is over and teachers are ready for occasional breaks, have sick kids or have conferences to attend. This year I limited myself to just subbing for the high school. I did this for two reasons:

1. I much prefer this age group. The middle school is okay, but I know I don’t have the temperament for elementary school.
2. The block schedule (longer classes) is much more conducive to me being able to get some of my own work done versus changing classes every 45 minutes to an hour.

I’m continuing with the same plan for this money as I did last spring…just letting it build up in a savings account. I am paid once a month and have it direct deposited into its own account. So I truly never see it unless I go looking for it.

In fact, when I was paid this past week, I was surprised. (My first paycheck from teaching since last May.) It’s not a lot, well, depending on how often I get called. But an extra $69 a day is a decent wage for just sitting and monitoring kids doing work. It really is a great side gig. And I enjoy “teaching” the kids. I miss that aspect of homeschooling and the classes I taught at our co op.

At this point, I do not and have no plans to include this income in my budget. First it is too variable. And second, I have no plans to use it for the time being, just letting it grow.

I also set up a account on Rover.com to pet site or walk dogs a few weeks ago, but no hits on that. I’m not surprised seeing as we live in a tiny little town. But I will keep it active just in case. Do you have a seasonal side gig that you enjoy?

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.