A Day In The Life: How A Full-Time Working Mom Finds Time To Side Hustle Her Way Out Of Debt

Our own daily routine is something that seems mundane and of little importance, but apparently it’s much more fascinating from the outside. There’s something intriguing about comparing our day-to-day life with others, by reading the intimate details of their day.  Also, working moms are always searching for that illusive, perfect work-life balance. I liked reading recent “Day in the Life” posts from Mrs. Frugalwoods and The Frugal Millionaire, so this is my own super-exciting, typical day for your enjoyment (or at least the closest approximation I can provide to a typical day).

A good morning starts the night before. I don’t go as far as to plan out the kids’ outfits for the week. I do take a shower at night after a run, and throw my hair up into a bun. It is still wet enough to be styled in the morning, so that’s one less thing to worry about in the morning. We usually wake up between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. (definitely not early birds). Mr. Smith is sweet enough to make my lunch for me. Most of my focus is on getting the kids fed, dressed, and ready for the day. I don’t eat breakfast until I’m in the car, my standard oatmeal cupcake and a hard-boiled egg. And coffee of course . . . a big cup of strong, home brewed coffee. I apply a minimal amount of makeup while waiting at stoplights. It usually takes us about an hour for us to get out of the house.

I drop off Tornado and Trey at daycare. Mr. Smith takes care of Goofball. He gets on the bus around 9:00 a.m. during the school year. Over the summer, he’s been spending time at Grandpa’s house or has gone to work with Mr. Smith a few times. It takes a good ten minutes or so to provide all requested hugs and kisses at daycare drop-off, then I can continue on to my commute into the office. I listen to audio books on the drive that takes approximately 40 minutes. I will usually greet the four beige walls of my office between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m.  Of course, I do get to work from home on occasion.

Finally, we reached the best part of the day: work, work, work. Blah! I try to get as much done as possible while confined to sitting at my desk. I take short breaks to stretch my legs and walk around the office. I stay at my desk during lunch and eat my standard, frugal fare. The routine bagged lunch consists of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with homemade bread and apply jelly, carrots, a cheese stick, a granola bar (purchased with Amazon credits earned through Swagbucks), and some type of fruit. I swear that my body has become accustomed to expecting this fuel at lunchtime. I still go “out for lunch” with friends once in a while, but will insist on going places where I can bring my lunch.

My workday used to include quite a few breaks that were spent skimming through Facebook posts or wandering aimlessly on the Internet. Now, I try to be more purposeful with my breaks. I will work on a blog post or my eBook or comment on other blogs during breaks. Yes, I still travel the internet, but instead of just consuming, I’m contributing and with a purpose. I do still end up on my personal Facebook from time to time, because nobody’s perfect, right? I usually try to leave the office just before 5:00 p.m. to beat some of the rush-hour traffic. I head back to daycare for the little ones and finally get home around 6:00 p.m.

Please don’t hate me when it comes to this next part. My father-in-law and brother-in-law live three houses down from us. They often cook us dinner (right now it’s usually Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and some Wednesdays). We are very lucky to have this help. The food is usually pretty basic, but it’s one less thing we have to worry about. We buy some groceries for them in order to share on the cost. When we do make dinner, it’s usually something like frozen ravioli with homemade tomato sauce or Cabin Chicken. We hardly ever go out to eat or even pick up fast food anymore (one of the big ways we’ve been saving money and paying off debt).

We like to use the hours between dinner and bedtime as family time. We play outside, read books, go swimming, ride our bikes, play board games, or watch a movie. If the kids are all occupied, I might try to do a little work or some chores. Mr. Smith will often use some of this time to do yard work or weed the garden. Everyone is supposed to be in bed by 9:00 p.m. (but any parent will tell you that a set bedtime is as much a myth as work-life balance).

My “second shift” starts when the kids are finally in bed. I go for a run around the block and take a shower every other night. The rest of this time is spent putting in some extra hours for my job, blogging, or working on side hustles. There are chores to be done like laundry, loading up the dishwasher, cleaning the litter box, or picking up the miscellaneous clutter that collects around the house. At some point, I will run out of steam. Then, Mr. Smith and I spend some time together and maybe watch a little television while I crochet. The goal is to be in bed by midnight.

My schedule is busy right now, with work and side hustles dominating pretty much every day. However, there is time for family and fun too. The key to my time-management success is making sure not to lose any time. It’s one thing to decide to relax for a while, but sitting in front of the television for hours at time is completely different. I’m always trying to do something productive with my time, even if it’s just crocheting something during a car ride. One of my Rockstar Finance posts was about saving money “like a soldier.”  My premise behind that post was to treat a period of intense saving like a deployment. It’s only temporary, and there will be great rewards. I’m more than willing to trade some nightly zoning out in front of the television for the freedom that will come from being debt free and having the ability to semi-retire at the age of 40. My biggest issue is balancing enjoyment of the present, with working towards our awesome future.

Now, who wants to post their own typical day next?