Busy Mommy Media » Work at Home Mom

How to Create a Twitter Account

Rachel — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:25:51 +0000

Twitter is an exciting social media tool that can help you connect with businesses, new friends, and your local community. Many people are intimidated by Twitter though and hesitate to learn how to use it. Fortunately, once you understand a few basic things, Twitter is fairly simple to use and it can be a great resource.

Twitter ID’s are quickly being claimed so if you have a specific ID that you’d like to use, I’d suggest signing up for an account right away even if you don’t have time to learn how to use Twitter immediately. We’ll walk you through the basics of setting up a Twitter account so you can get started.

Twitter for Business Use

If you run a home based business or work for an organization, I’d highly recommend claiming as many forms of your company name as possible to be sure that someone doesn’t use a similar name (or claim the one that you want).

Twitter will only allow one account to be created for every email address so if you need to create multiple accounts you’ll have to link each account to a separate email address. If you don’t have multiple email addresses to use, you can always sign up for a free email address through yahoo.com, gmail.com, or hotmail.com.

How to Create a Twitter Account

To sign up for a Twitter account, go to http://www.twitter.com and click on the yellow button that says “Sign Up”.

This is the same page you will come to when you need to login to your account once it is created. To do that, you will click the “Sign in” button in the top right corner.

You will be directed to a page where you can enter in your information. If your chosen Username is available a green check mark and the words “ok” will appear next to your username.

If you’d prefer to keep your Twitter account more private, be sure and uncheck the box that says “Let others find me by my email address”. When you have filled in all the field, click the button at the bottom that says, “Create my Account”.

Your Twitter account information will be sent to you by email. Your Twitter ID is now protected and ready for you to use when you need it.

The next step you will need to take will be creating your Twitter profile to add some personality to your Twitter account. Our next tutorial will walk you through how to set up your Twitter profile.

Summer Care Options for Kids

Kelly — Sat, 22 May 2010 18:09:20 +0000

The kids are out of school but you are still in work. Just when we start to think we have everything, or almost everything, under control we hit a speed bump in the road called “summer break”. It took several months but I felt like I was handling the juggling of carpools, activities, play dates and work but then the school calendar came to an end.

It would be great to be able to say, “I’ll take my summer break too,” but in reality that is not an option for most of us. Gone are the days of working for fun or doing what you love, for most us now work is a necessity that we can not take a summer break from.

Is there a guide somewhere to help us cope with finding an affordable and interesting place for our children to go while school is out for summer? All I can say is plan ahead. Start formulating a plan and begin with a budget when you start thinking about this. Here are some options that my family has thought of to prepare for this summer daycare options.

Family

Think about family members that might already be staying home with kids or who have time off during the summer. It never hurts to ask and although many of us are too proud to do so there are relatives out there that would love to spend time with your children that they might not normally get to. Think of your children’s grandparents or aunts and uncles that might be options or even older cousins.

Neighbors or Friends

Think about your children’s friends or possible neighbors that can help during the summer. You could trade off by watching their kids for a weekend away or date nights as needed.

Day Camp

Go to your local parenting magazine or park and recreational group. There are many programs out there that are traditional summer camp themes or more specific like martial arts, soccer or drama camps. These can be very popular so early registration is definitely recommended.

Daycare

If you have one child currently in daycare and one that is getting out of school, enrolling the older child in daycare might be a good option for you. Many daycares are trying to offer summer programs for school age children to accommodate families. Ask your daycare about summer field trips or activities and enrichment programs.

Combined Options

Selecting a few of each of the above could sound like a headache but you child would have different experiences and can also be a cost effective plan by mixing it up.

I have asked other moms during previous summer breaks how is it going and the common response is, “I can’t wait for school to start up again.” Whatever option you decide, take a deep breath and know that summer will end as it also began and then school will start again. Once fall arrives, the daily grind will start all over again with juggling school and work instead of summer break and work.

Tips to Avoid Over Scheduling

Becky — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:41:30 +0000

Do you find yourself spending more time hustling your children out the front door than you spend enjoying your time together at home? You are not alone. In today’s world, there are so many worthy causes pressing for our time that it becomes very easy to over-commit ourselves with responsibilities and activities. However, when we over schedule ourselves and our children we are not teaching them how to recognize their own limits and prioritize their time.

The Benefits of Scheduling Less

You will have more time to spend one-on-one time with your children.
You can spend more time providing your family with a fresh, homemade dinner. You can eat it while sitting down at the table together rather than grabbing a quick sandwich as you load up the car.
You will have more time to perform better at the responsibilities you choose to keep.
Downtime. A popular buzz word today, but it is true. We all need time to sit down, relax and enjoy some time doing something that lifts our spirits and rejuvenates our souls.

Think of other benefits unique to your family and write them down so you’ll remember just why you need to say no to one more activity.

Reduce Your Outside Commitments

While it is important to complete the task or responsibility you committed to doing, you can excuse yourself. Any respectable organization will admire and respect your decision to put your family first. Recognize your limitations, decide what you can still do and excuse yourself from the responsibilities that you can not fit into your new schedule. You do not have to explain further than “My family needs more of my time.” You may provide a more in depth explanation if you want, but do not feel obligated to do so. If your schedule later opens up and you want to return, you can do that, too.

Involve Your Children

Involve your children as you learn to schedule less. Talk to them about your reasons for excusing yourself from various activities. Role play with them to help all of you to grow more comfortable with saying no to new responsibilities and activities when they do not fit in your schedules. When your child comes to you with another activity she wants to do, walk her through the steps of determining what will have to go if she takes on a new activity. Also, take a look at what it will require from you to help him keep his commitment.

Send the Right Message

Each time you put your family ahead of outside obligations, you are telling your children that they are very important people in your life. That knowledge will go a long way in helping them to feel confident and secure in your love and create a bond between you that will help you all through the rough times that do come from time to time in parenting. As you help your children to learn how to recognize they abilities & limitations, problem solve, prioritize their time and put family first, you are helping them to become a healthy and successful adults.

Photo credit: ppdigital @ morgueFile

Great Freebies from the National Consumer Panel

Rachel — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:11:53 +0000

Everyone is looking for ways to earn some extra money these days. Fortunately, there really are a quite a few options for stay at home moms to earn money from home. The National Consumer Panel is now accepting applications. They provide you with a handheld scanner that you use to scan the barcodes on every purchase you make and then send the information in to them weekly. In exchange for this, you will receive points that you can use for some great brand name prizes. This is a great opportunity to save money by getting some of the things you would normally buy for free so don’t miss your chance to sign up.

Is the NY Times Jealous of Mommy Bloggers?

Rachel — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:47:17 +0000

The mommy blogging community is up in arms over an article that was published in the NY Times titled “Honey, Don’t Bother Mommy. I’m Too Busy Building my Brand” that labels mommy bloggers as the “minivan set”. The article had a tone that sounded like it was written in the 50’s and mocking women for thinking they are smart enough to keep up with men when it comes to social media, SEO, and brand awareness. Traditional media is a dying business. Readers today are increasingly looking to blogs rather than newspapers for information.

Is the Term “Mommy Blogger” Derogatory?

Personally, I hate the term “mommy blogger”. It makes it sound as if we’re a bunch of young girls playing house and writing about it. I think people tend to forget that mommy bloggers are adults and we have more parenting experience than the marketing professionals that are paid big bucks to sell products geared towards kids (and therefore their mothers). What happened to people respecting motherhood rather than talking down to it and treating it as a cute little way for someone not smart enough to make it in the real world to spend their days.

I attended Toy Fair 2010 in New York City and found it to be an interesting experience. I’ve worked with companies, large and small, over the years running marketing campaigns that get their products in front of a targeted audience, moms (who have more consumer buying power than nearly any other group), and I was excited to meet people in person that I’d had an online working relationship with. While Toy Fair was overall a positive experience, I was shocked by the reactions of some companies who obviously have no understanding of the way social media and viral marketing is changing their industry. I was physically blocked from entering one booth. Another acted as though I was running around looking for swag . They were shocked to hear that we have a waiting list for companies interested in having their product reviewed on Busy Mommy Media and that we don’t accept anyone willing to hand over free stuff. I was not shocked that I had never heard of those companies – a frustrating point for them considering that as a mom with 3 young children, I am their target audience.

Working Mothers vs. Mommy Bloggers

I’ve often wondered why it’s acceptable (and even encouraged) for a mother to return to work almost immediately after having a baby, but any attempt that a mom makes to earn an income from home is mocked as a hobby. Family and friends who consider blogging my “little hobby” are often shocked to hear that my hourly rate is more than they earn working full time outside of the home. While mommy bloggers are often criticized for taking time away from their families, working mothers are not. With a background in education and an English degree, I’ve had opportunities to work outside the home, but blogging has allowed me to use my skills without leaving my children. My children have never been to daycare and since I generally write about educational activities, my blogging has required me to do more with my children, not less.

Mommy Blogs are Big Business

Many mommy blogs, which were patronized so effectively in the NY Times article, receive the kind of traffic that many businesses can only dream about. Mommy blogs have a targeted audience of educated consumers that corporate marketing departments spend enormous amounts of resources trying to reach. I love what Kelby Carr, an influential mom blogger says on the subject, “We are women who are, perhaps for one of the first times, far better at something than men in many cases and far better in an industry that is making a major impact”

Despite the fact that the article clearly was aware that most of the topics discussed during a blog conference range from SEO to Creating an Effective Media Kit (topics that most businesses spend thousands of dollars on and still aren’t nearly as effective as most mommy bloggers), it was still described as “real-time girly bonding”. The article states, “Heed the speaker’s advice, and you, too, might get 28,549 views of your tutu-making tutorial!”

I’ve been spending far too much time learning about web development and brand recognition apparently. I’ve been slacking in my tutu-making. I’ll get right on that.

Real Work at Home Jobs for Moms – Freelance Writing

Rachel — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:42:44 +0000

Freelance writing is a wonderful way for moms to earn a full time income from home and keep flexible hours so they can be there when their kids need them. I meet many moms who would like to work as a freelance writer but they think that it is out of their reach because they do not have an English Degree. While having an English Degree does open some doors, it is very rarely required for freelance writing. If you have a passion for something, are knowledgeable about a topic, or know how to research, you are qualified to be a freelance writer and work from home.

Places to Get First Freelance Writing Clips

Most freelance writing jobs require some sort of previous writing clips. Some moms may have this from life B.C. (before children) but others may need to start from scratch. There are many places that moms can get some entry level freelance writing experience. Many of these don’t pay much but they will get you the experience you need to find hire paying freelance writing jobs.

Associated Content will give you some basic writing clips for some pay but depending on which direction you take your freelance writing, some companies look down on AC writing clips.

Bella Online is a great resource for women. They often take writers with no previous experience or with experience from Associated Content, however they do not pay. Writers can sometimes earn money on affiliate links as they build up traffic but some topics have hire affiliate earning potential than others.

Type-A Mom is a great website owned by Kelby Carr that allows moms to share their experience with other moms in exchange for a share of the advertising revenue. The site has a wonderful collection of mom writers with all types of experience.

Busy Mommy Media – Don’t forget that Busy Mommy Media has open writing positions for moms who have experience in one of our open topics. Training is provided for moms who don’t have previous writing experience. While the only payment currently offered is revenue share, affiliate commission, and free promotional products to review, there are plans for regular payments to writers in the future.

Content Writing for Moms

Content writing is fairly easy to get into if you have experience in a particular subject matter. While the above sites are content sites, they are possible to do without previous writing experience. Once you have a few writing clips under your belt, these content writing sites offer more money and more prestige.

About.com is one of the few content writing sites that offers guaranteed income to writers. They now have guide positions and contributing writer positions. If you find a topic that you have experience in (and About.com does require extensive experience in the topic and previous writing experience) you can start going through the application process. You will need a relevant writing sample to submit with your application. If your application is chosen, you go through About.com’s prep process with several other writers and one writer will be chosen for the topic at the end of the prep period.

Suite101.com is a Canadian site but has writers from all over the world. They offer feature writer and contributing writer positions for a share of the revenue. I spent several years working as the Infants and Toddlers feature writer and even though I am no longer writing for the site, I still earn a fairly stable income from my articles posted there. Writers retain copyright to their work and are able to repost articles elsewhere on the web after a period of 1 year.

Examiner.com is similar to Suite101.com. Writers choose a topic, including topics specific to your local area, and write in exchange for a portion of the ad revenue. While I have never written for Examiner.com, I have heard good things from people who enjoy it. Examiner.com does not require as much previous writing experience as some of the other content sites so it may be a good option for moms trying to break into freelance writing.

Demand Studios.com – Demand Studios is a great place for moms who have a few previous writing clips to earn a stable income. Most articles pay between $15-20 an article but if you are a fast writer and knowledgeable about the subject matter you can easily write 2-3 articles an hour for an average of $30-$45 an hour. Demand Studios works with several websites to provide content so there are a variety of topics to write on. I rarely have a problem claiming as many articles as I want (except for a few weeks before Christmas when everyone wants to earn some extra money) and Demand Studios pays weekly via Pay Pal. For regular writers, Demand Studios now offers opportunities for health insurance and grant money for other projects.

Professional Blogging

Professional blogging is a field that has grown dramatically in the past few years and requires a post of its own. Mom’s who are interested in working as a freelance writer can start their own blog to develop freelance writing clips, just be sure that each post is your best work if you plan to use your blog as a professional reference. Many sites hire professional bloggers. I will touch on this subject more in a future post.

Freelance Magazine Writing

Magazine writing, whether online or offline (they are all starting to blur together these days) generally pays more than content writing or professional blogging but takes more prep work and generally does not pay until several months after the magazine issue is published.

Online magazines often come and go so you need to constantly be looking for new places to write.

Print magazines are a bit harder to get into and require extensive previous writing experience or extensive experience on the topic you plan to write about. Many magazines have writers guidelines posted on their website but some require you to write in for them. If you are serious about earning a stable income writing for print magazines (and many online markets) you will need a current issue of Writer’s Market. This book is a wonderful reference for freelance writers and will help you find publications that fit your experience.

Where to Find Freelance Writing Jobs

Searching for freelance writing jobs is a constant chore if you plan to make a regular income out of freelance writing. A little bit of time each day (or each week if you need a part time income) should be spent looking for new jobs. Even if you have a stable freelance contract, companies frequently close on no notice and you never know when a better job will become available.

The Freelance Writing Jobs Network not only provides daily freelance job listings, but it is an excellent source of information for new freelance writers and writers who have been around the block a few times and need to learn some new tricks.

Craigslist.org frequently has postings for freelance writers, although you do want to be careful there to avoid scams and extremely low paying jobs.

Indeed.com searches all the major job search engines and puts all the job listings in one place. Do a search for “writer” or “freelance writer” and see what comes up in your area. Many local web development companies hire freelance writers to write text for websites that they create. Many companies need writers and generally they don’t want to provide office space so they like to hire writers to work from home.

Do you know of any freelance writing markets for writers that I missed?

Are you starting a freelance writing career this year to work from home?

Real Work at Home Jobs for Moms

Rachel — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:22:09 +0000

Many moms dream of working from home after sorting through all the work at home scams they wonder if earning an income from home is realistic. Working from home is possible, whether you are a working mom who needs to replace a full time income or a stay at home mom who wants to earn some extra money to supplement the family budget. Work at home jobs can be found to fit nearly any family situation and many moms find that they can put their talents to use and create a job that they really love. With a little bit of creativity and some good research, you can earn as much money working from home as you want to.

Busy Mommy Media will feature real work at home job opportunities for moms each week, so be sure and check back if you don’t find a job that is a good fit for you.

Reservations Representative

Many airlines hire home based workers to deal with reservations customer service calls. These positions often require a short period of training on location and then allow you to work at home after that. You will be required to have a quiet work space and set specific hours but they generally offer great benefits, including travel benefits that can be a great way to take family trips on a budget. Reservations representatives are hired for the local area so you will need to wait until they have jobs available in your area.

Many hotels, airlines, and other hospitality businesses hire home based reservations representatives so check out businesses in your local area to see who is hiring. Don’t be afraid to ask local hospitality companies if they are currently hiring for work at home jobs.

Start a Home Daycare

I started a home based daycare and preschool in order to stay home after my oldest son was born. I was able to replace a full time teaching income with daycare and it allowed me to not only be home with my son, but get paid to spend quality time with him and my other daycare kids. Most states offer start up grants that cover the cost of daycare licensing and offer grants to pay for supplies and training. Local child care food programs cover the cost of food for not only daycare children but your own children who are home during the day as well. Running a home based daycare is more than just babysitting (although that is a great option for moms who want to make a little bit of extra money) and can allow you to earn a full time income and be there when your kids need you.

Teach a Class

If you have a special skill or talent that you feel like you could share with others, you could teach a class from your home or a local community center. Many continuing education programs or recreation centers hire teachers to teach classes or you could hire yourself out to visit local clubs, youth programs or schools. Think of something that you do that others would be interested in. Classes can be taught on anything from kids crafts, art classes for adults, dancing, photography, cooking, couponing, computer skills, and more. While you would have to be away from home while you teach (unless you teach in your home), all the preparation can be done at home. If you have some technical skills you could always teach a class online and never have to leave home!

Virtual Customer Service

Many companies are starting to see the benefit in having home based workers to deal with customer service calls. While some companies hire customer service reps to respond to emails, most require a quiet work space that allows you to take phone calls without customers hearing screaming children in the backgrounds so these jobs are probably best for moms who have older children in school or babies young enough to take consistent nap times. If you aren’t opposed to night time hours, many companies hire for shifts through the night which allows moms to work while kids are sleeping.

Medical Transcription

Medical transcription jobs and medical coding jobs are great for stay at home Moms. I’ve had several friends who have worked out of a home office doing medical transcription and they’ve been able to earn good money and keep a flexible schedule.

Do you know of a real work at home job opportunity?

How Private is your Blog?

Rachel — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:57:08 +0000

I have to admit, the world is changing a bit too fast for me. Social media has changed the way we shop, think, and live our lives, but it brings new challenges in terms of our privacy. My son cannot comprehend that we didn’t get the internet in my home until I was 14. When he asks why, I tell him, it just didn’t exist, and that blows his mind.

As we slowly started using the internet for more and more things, privacy became an issue. I was always told never put any personal information on the internet. None. I thought that was stupid. Then my smart 14 year old self shared our AOL username and password with a chat window that popped up claiming to be from AOL and never thought to wonder about the 4 or 5 new screen names that appeared in our login window until the bill came. And that was the nothing compared to internet sex offenders, child abductors, and identity theft that happens today.

Is Blogging Personal Information Safe?

Then came blogging. How do you blog without sharing any personal information? I’ve tried sharing everything and I’ve tried sharing nothing. Both ways have failed in their own way. The problem with social media and blogging is it requires a certain amount of openness, which by its very nature, leaves you vulnerable to the dark side of the internet. Share no personal information and your blog dies and you are just wasting your time typing away for nobody at all. Share too much personal information and you risk offending family and friends and putting your family’s safety at risk. So where do you draw the line? Where does your right to share your story with your readers start to trespass into the lives of your family and friends?

And that is the part that I haven’t quite figured out yet. It is always going to be impossible to make everyone happy. The only way to come close is to be boring to the point that no one wants to read what you have written. Blogging requires you to become comfortable in your own skin, comfortable enough to share your emotions as life carries you through challenges of all flavors. The trick is to do it without breaking down and deleting your blog if one friend, family member, or anonymous reader is offended. It’s either accept the fact that anyone, and I mean anyone, can read what you have written or pack it up and go home.

It’s human nature to share more things with certain people than others. Everyone has people they talk to about kids, people they talk to about relationship issues, and people they go to when they want to vent. When those people overlap in a weird social soup, such as on a blog or on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, strange things happen. I heard a quote once that said something like, “Social Media is like a high school party. It ends when the parents show up”. I laughed, then I gave an awkward chuckle, then I realized my mom was my friend on facebook and I started limiting my facebook updates to what I ate for breakfast and our general geographic location.

Social media actually forces you to do something that is very emotionally healthy in a way, even if it is rather awkward getting comfortable with – being the same person no matter where you are or who you are talking to. Instead of having a certain image you display for different people, you have to just decide who you are and find a way to be comfortable with yourself.

One of my earliest memories is when one of my relatives met one of our neighbors. I was at an awkward in between stage. I always acted younger around my relative because I still wanted to be the baby but I always acted older around our neighbor because I wanted her to think I was a big kid. They were never in the same place at the same time so I never had a problem making myself into whatever I wanted to be at the time. One day my two sides collided when they met at my house. If I acted like a baby the neighbor would think I was a baby. If I acted like a big kid, the relative would stop babying me. My poor 6 or 7 year old self was so confused I ran and hid in my room.

Social media doesn’t allow you to hide yourself, or even parts of yourself, from selected people in your life. It’s all or nothing, and I have to admit that I’ve still been trying to determine how I feel about that.

What is Safe to Share?

Common sense plays a big part in social media. You have to be yourself, but be aware of things that you say that could hurt or offend other people. Sometimes the truth hurts, but do you want to be the one to share it? I’ve heard many mom bloggers worry that sharing steps in their child’s potty training process will affect their future job prospects. I’ve personally never worried about that. Everyone poops.

You have to use some common sense though and avoid sharing any information that could put your family’s safety at risk. Don’t share your address, the name of your children’s school, or where you are going to be at specific times. I’m torn on the last name issue. As a freelance writer, my last name is everywhere, but it also makes it very easy for people I know in real life to find me online and people who find me online to find me in real life, so I’ve begun to limit how freely I share it. Pen names can be useful as can using nicknames for your kids online. Every mom blogger has to determine what she is comfortable sharing on the internet and unfortunately, often doesn’t realize which practices are safe and which are not until something happens to change her mind.

Sharing Media Online

Sharing photos and videos through blogs and social media sites is a great way to add personality to posts and create reader interest, but is it safe? Pictures should always be resized for web use and include a watermark, even if you think it’s a photo that no one else would want. Family photos have been known to show up in marketing campaigns overseas.

Check each photo for identifying information. Make sure your kids aren’t wearing t-shirts that display their school name, sport team name, or location. Check the background for street signs and house numbers that could lead unwanted visitors to your doorstep. Keep family calendars and schedules out of pictures.

Photos of public places often contain pictures of other people who may not be a fan of having their surprise photo displayed on the internet — I generally try and leave pictures of strangers offline or photoshop them out. Close up shots of art projects or food is usually fairly safe as are most pictures of your family as long as you are aware of the background and identifying information.

The internet makes the world a very small place. It allows us to have access to more information and resources than we ever could have imagined even a few years ago and it makes us more vulnerable to internet predators and identity theft that ever. The world is changing and sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So what is right and what is wrong? What information is ours to share as blogs and social media becomes the norm?

Running a Home Daycare – Communicating with Parents

Rachel — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:16:35 +0000

As a home daycare provider, you have a lot of responsibilities. Unlike working in a center, home daycare providers are responsible for all aspects of care, including, childcare, cooking, cleaning, marketing, finances, and curriculum planning. Despite all of these responsibilities, it is important to keep the lines of communication open with the parents of the children you care for. Open and honest communication creates a partnership between caregiver and parent which is what really makes the foundation of quality childcare.

Give a brief overview of the day at pickup time. This should just be a quick summary of the day. Extended pickups create tension for children and parents who are anxious to get home after a long day. Longer conversations should be saved for a later time.

Create a monthly newsletter to share important items with parents. Newsletters are a great way to share the things that the children in your care are learning with their parents. This is a great place to include information on your monthly themes, special activities that you have participated in, and birthdays that fall within the month. You can keep parents informed of upcoming holidays or days where the daycare will be closed.

Find alternative ways to communicate. Everyone has a busy schedule and it is easy to forget things that you wanted to share with the parents of the children in your care. If the parents have access to email at home or at work this can be a great way to give them quick updates about how their child is doing and what activities they have been participating during the day. Special notes can be sent home with cute things the children have said or nice things they have done during the day. Parents will love being involved with their children’s day while they are away at work.

Acknowledge any problems right away. It can be stressful confronting parents about problems with their children or problems with the parents. Open communication is ultimately the best way to solve most problems. Parents can provide insight about the children’s behavior at home that you may not be able to see.

Open communication between you and the parents of the children in your home daycare will make a huge difference in your job satisfaction and success in working with children. Childcare is a partnership between caregiver and parents. Both of you want what is best for the children you love.

5 Reasons It’s Great to Work from Home in a Bad Economy

Guest Writer — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:42:47 +0000

With all of the economic woes people in the U.S. (and around the world) are facing, it’s no wonder many people are concerned for their jobs. If you work from home, though, be thankful. While you’re not immune, there are many reasons you are in a better situation than your commuting brethren. Here are five ways working from home helps you.

Saves Gas Money

You have no commute, which saves time, but it also saves money. With gas prices in flux and people needing to find places to cut their budgets, you have a huge financial burden out of the way. I live 45 minutes from Louisville, Kentucky, the 16th largest city in the nation. Driving there and back costs me around $10. By not commuting – since that’s where I’d be most likely to find an office job – I’m saving $200 a month. How much do you save by not commuting?

Gives You Flexibility

Do you need to pick up a few hours at a local retail shop? Do you need to spend more time cooking from scratch to save on the grocery bill? Because you work from home, you have the flexibility to make your work schedule fit what your family needs. Perhaps you worked 9-5 but are finding that doesn’t work for your family right now. Never fear; you can adjust as needed.

Gives You Power Over Business

While you cannot control all of the factors related to how well your business will do, you do have more power than the average cubicle-dweller. If business looks like it’s drying up, pound the pavement. Spend time looking for more work and then work later into the evening if necessary.

Means Low Overhead

Yes, writing off a percentage of your mortgage is nice, but let’s face it. You have to pay that mortgage whether you’re working from home or not. By working from home, rather than running your business from an office setting, you have very low overhead. If needed, you can cut back internet and phone services to the bare essentials, and you will be running your business for close to nothing each month. Those savings over running a business outside of your home really add up in a tough economy.

Lets You Leave

If the at-home business isnt working out right now, you may find that you need to bail on the business and seek out employment. If you’re working from home, you probably don’t have employees, which means you don’t have to worry about others losing their jobs. You also don’t have lease agreements, lots of equipment, and other expenses, which makes closing up shop simpler and less expensive.

By Brandi Rhoades