Life on One Income: Part 3 – Side Hustles, Burnout, and Couponing Like My Life Depended on It

Living on one income sounded simple at first: cut back, stay home, save money. But simple doesn’t mean easy. This season has brought with it side hustles that barely paid, burnout that hit hard, and a newfound obsession with saving every penny—sometimes literally. Here’s what life has looked like lately.

The Side Hustle Spiral

I wanted to help contribute financially, so I started looking for “flexible” side hustles I could do from home. What started as a couple of quick gigs turned into a full-blown juggling act—UGC content creation, surveys, freelance work, reselling… you name it.

Some of it was helpful. Some of it wasn’t worth the time. And all of it together? Exhausting. But I definitely learned a few lessons from trying: not every side hustle is worth it. If it's taking away from your energy and happiness it's not worth your time. I also learned I'm extremely entrepreneurial... and I didn't know that about myself before.

Burnout Is Real, Even at Home

There’s a strange pressure when you stay home and still try to earn. I felt like I had to prove I wasn’t “just” a stay-at-home mom. But trying to work, save, meal plan, parent, and manage a household on one income? It gets stressful and exhausting quickly.

There were days I was glued to my phone hunting deals or pitching freelance work, but couldn’t remember the last time I had a quiet cup of coffee without multitasking.

Being a stay-at-home mom is enough. Let me REPEAT myself... being a stay-at-home mom is ENOUGH. You are contributing. You are working hard. It's important work.

However, IF you WANT to contribute financially, that's fine as long as you're happy and still have time and energy for your kids. Once that side hustle starts to make you burnout, it's okay to take a step back or away.

Couponing Like My Life Depended on It

Grocery prices kept creeping up, and I snapped. I dove headfirst into couponing, deal stacking, clearance hunting—you name it. If it wasn’t on sale, it wasn’t coming home. There’s a thrill in watching the total drop at checkout. In all honesty, I am still obsessed with couponing and won't buy full price anymore. But I also had to learn how to avoid burnout here, too. I started a relatively successful couponing social media page. I was teaching people how to coupon and showing deals every single day. I had to completely stop that page because I got burnt out. I was posting 3 times a day, answering comments, DMs, searching for deals I didn't truly care about... all day every day. It wore me out. Now I just look for deals that I actually want to get and actually work for my family. I don't do every single deal and I don't search for deals on items JUST because they're free. What's the point if my family won't use them?

My strategy now:

• Digital coupons first (store apps are gold)

• Pair sales with cashback apps (like Ibotta or Fetch)

• Shop clearance racks without shame

• Don’t buy things just because they’re cheap—buy what you need

Closing Thoughts: One Income, a Million Lessons

This chapter of life has taught me how strong I am, how creative I can be, and how much I truly value time over money. Living on one income isn’t about just surviving—it’s about learning how to live smarter, slower, and with a lot more intention.

I may be tired. But I’m proud.

 Coming Soon: Part 4 – The Chaos Curveball No Budget Could Prepare For

Let’s just say couponing couldn’t save us from this one. In Part 4, I’m telling the story of the unexpected moment that shook our finances—and what we did next.

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