What Does it Mean to be a Blogger?

With the craziness of the school year starting, our roadtrip to Chicago, now the holidays are here and passing – life is a bit wild. But for a blogger….it’s even crazier! Being a blogger = NO FREE TIME! Not kidding, it’s a struggle for many bloggers to balance their blog work and keep family time sacred! And then there are those bloggers who have no kids who can blog 12 hours a day….but that’s a whole different perspective!

Being a blogger you can be lumped into a wild mix of ideas. Here are a few facts about bloggers:

Some bloggers make thousands of dollars a month (I’m talking like $10,000 or more even!)….

Some bloggers make $0 per month (this was me for the first 8-10 months of blogging!!)…..

Some bloggers are stay at home moms or dads…..

Some bloggers are working moms or dads…..

Some bloggers make enough $$ to hire oodles of other people to run their websites…

Some bloggers (like me!) do all of the work themselves….

Some bloggers have HUGE numbers (which many companies like) but NO quality….

Some bloggers have little numbers but HUGE quality and awesome readers (like you guys!)…

So what am I saying? Bloggers can be anyone! Seriously – when I tell someone in the “real world” that I am a blogger they look at me like I don’t do any work. They look at me like it’s a hobby and patronize the idea of it. But they don’t hear the stories I do about how it has changed a family’s life. How it has promoted education or even just given a sympathetic support to others in the same situation.

Bloggers literally are like super heroes! They can change your life. They can offer things you wouldn’t otherwise find. Bloggers and blogging has changed my life and my family’s life to be sure! Not only do I find great deals online to help out our family and my husband’s school/classroom but I have been able to partner with some amazing companies and organizations as well.

But with blogging comes a price. I no longer will ever have free time. I always feel like I need to work on my blog and make it better. Spend more time on it. I juggle my kids school schedules, therapies, Box Tops program, housework, errands, and blogging on a tipping scale. I can never go out of town on vacation and truly be on vacation….my blog follows me wherever I go! Our family has quickly become dependant on the little bit of income I can generate…which brings a lot of pressure to this superhero!

So if you have a few favorite bloggers whom you appreciate let them know! They really do thrive on reader appreciation and love to know little stories of how their site has helped you….no matter how big or small it may seem. Most bloggers work very hard at what they do and it takes a tremendous amount of effort, juggling, and multi-tasking to keep a site going. I long for the day I can have 6 straight hours a day to work on my blog and be done when my hubby comes home, but I certainly don’t see that happening any time soon!!

 For me, I check my emails and comments when I wake up in the morning, get my kids breakfast and ready for school. Drop them off….sometimes my little guy doesn’t go though. Come home for 2 hours and have to do the dishes, do the laundry, pay the bill, check more emails, get a snack, check FB and Twitter comments, reply, check the deals, write the deals, research more sites, and run to the car to pick up the kids from school. Run them back home for 20 minutes for lunch then either go out to therapy for a few hours or put them down for nap and start the process all over again! Some days, believe it or not, my husband is home more than I am – which is pretty sad considering he teaches 2nd grade!!

Anyways, just thought I’d give you a small glimpse into the blogging world. It’s different for everyone and everyone blogs for a different reason. Although we use my blog to help make ends meet my goal has never changed – the purpose behind my blog is to help others. Whether it’s great ideas to stretch your budget, giveaways to give you the chance to win something you couldn’t afford, or simply just chatting for moral support or ideas – please let me know if there is anything you need or would like to see more of!