Single moms usually do not get the luxury of being stay at home moms (SAHM), because they need to work to provide for their growing children.  But what  many single moms don’t realize is that we too can stay at home with our kids, and still be able to provide for them by being a Work at Home Mom (WAHM).

Working from home allows you to make your own schedule.  It saves you tons of  money and time, and it allows you to successfully fulfill your role as a parent. If any of this has your wheels turning, check out this post.  I’ll explain both the benefits and disadvantages of being a single work at home mom. Then you can decide for yourself if it is right for you.

Benefits of Working From Home

1. Availability For Your Children

The greatest benefit of working from home as a single mom, is that you are more available for your children. If they are young, you can be home with them, instead of being gone all day away from them. You will there to witness first steps and hear first words. Additionally, if your children are in school, you can be the one picking them up and dropping them off to school or the bus stop everyday.

2. You’re The Boss

If you start your own business, you are the boss. Imagine knowing that you are working hard for yourself – what a great feeling and hard to beat! It has good and bad days but you are taking responsibility for your own success.

Even if you are employed by someone else, there is still some freedom that you don’t have when working inside of any office building everyday.

3. Saving On Childcare Costs

Most single work at home moms don’t have to pay for child care, especially if your children are school aged. It gets a little trickier when you have a infant or a toddler. But many moms learn the fine art of  working while their child is asleep or engaged in play. It also helps if they have older siblings to keep them entertained while you work.

When I began working from home, I immediately saved $800-$1000/monthly on childcare bills for my then toddlers. At the time that was 1/3 of my income. I did, and still do occasionally pay for childcare and summer camp, but it by no means consumes 1/3 of my check.

You can also partner with other  moms (single or otherwise) and trade babysitting duties to help save on childcare costs. No money exchanging hands, just a small amount of your time.

4. Tax Benefits

An often overlooked benefit of  being self employed and working from home is that you can write it off on your taxes.  Most expenses related to using your home as an office can be itemized on your federal taxes. You can deduct the percentage of your home that you use, and you can deduct a portion of the utilities as well.

5. Saving $$$$

I can’t begin to tell you how much money I save working from home. I no longer  spend money on gas commuting everyday.  I don’t buy lunch at restaurants and food trucks everyday. I eat the food I have in my house. I don’t feel compelled to participate in every co-workers child’s fundraiser and I save a ton on clothing by wearing the same clothing over and over again. Because who sees me on a regular basis besides my kids..lol

6. Flexibility

Don’t want to comb your hair today? – Don’t! That is the beauty and flexibility of working from home as a single mom. I love the fact that I can lay in my bed or sit at a desk and work if I choose to. I love the fact that I even get a choice. I constantly where my hair in different colors (some days blue….some days purple..some days burgundy). And there is no one there to tell me that isn’t professional.

If you want to work from the beach in Madagascar or a  coffee shop down the street. You can do so… You don’t have to wait for vacation days. Work while you travel!

Disadvantages of Working From Home

While working from home as a single mom has has many advantages, it can also have its downside. Among them are:

1. No Paid Benefits

If you choose to freelance or start your own business,  you will miss out on many company benefits  you may have had. Among them: paid vacation, paid holidays, sick days, health insurance; which all may have been available had you been employed by another company. You’re on your own now and you suddenly realize just how many those benefits were worth.

2. Lack of Social Interaction

Little adult interactivity and support is another disadvantage of working from home as a single mom. You miss out on connecting with co-workers every day. When you work from home almost all your communication with anyone other than your immediate family is on the computer and the telephone. You have to work at scheduling enough time to even have lunch with a friend.

3. Distractions

Your toddler doesn’t care that you are trying to earn funds to keep them alive. Imagine you are a work at home mom, trying to finish a project for a demanding client who needs it in the next few minutes and your child is calling your name for the 5493343 time in 5 minutes. It can be a bit frustrating.

4. Not Making Ends Meet

Working from home has it ups and downs. Sometime the money pours in and sometimes you are scraping up pennies to pay for your internet service.This could lead to you being forced to find outside employment.

In conclusion, working at home as a single mom has the potential to be something awesome for both you and your family. But we should always consider the pitfalls, so we can weigh the pros and cons and see if working from home is for you, single mom.

Comment Below and Let Us Know Other Pros
and Cons of Working From Home