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Why I Started a Blog

I follow tons of blogs, but I always feel like I found them long after they were successful and I always wonder how their blog ever came to be.  Why did they pick the specific niche they’re writing about?  My little blog is something I wanted to start for a long time, but it took me forever to finally pull the trigger and actually do it.  Here’s a little peek into my life and why I started Simple Living Mommy – and why blogging might be right for you too:

The real reason I even wanted to start a blog was because I’ve always been one to love giving and receiving advice.  It’s why I majored in Psychology in college.  It’s why I still read every case study and self-help article I can get my hands on.  It’s why Psychology Today is my all-time favorite website.  It’s also why my husband and I decided to go to premarital counseling and then continued to go to counseling for years after.

There’s no better way to learn about who you are and the world around you than by absorbing the wisdom of others.

I graduated from Penn State in 2014 with a degree in Psychology and every intention of going on to pursue my Master’s degree so I could one day be a marriage counselor.  That’s really all I’ve ever wanted to be.  I got pregnant with our son 2 weeks later.

Obviously finding out I was pregnant was a huge shock to both my husband and I because I had been on birth control, we were planning our elopement, and we were looking forward to moving south and starting our lives together.

This baby completely changed the course of all of that and I thought going back to college would be impossible.

The whole time, I’m living out a life I built based on advice I’d found in blogs.  I wanted to pursue a “tiny house living” lifestyle, and found encouragement in the blog Little House Living.  Because of Merissa and her story, Scotty and I sold our house, bought an RV, and parked it in my parents’ backyard for two years – cutting our monthly living expenses by well over $1000.

All of my frugal living tips and techniques I picked up from blogs I’d found on Pinterest.  When I wanted to figure out how to afford to be a stay at home mom, I used Pinterest as my search engine and read all the articles I could.

In fact, I’m addicted to research.  I scour the internet for every article and book I can find on any subject that is posing an issue in my life.  Over the years, it’s been relationship issues, money struggles, time management, home organization, you name it.  I’ve researched the ever living crap out of it.

Just ask my husband!  He and my OBGYN had an intervention to keep me off of Google when I was pregnant with our first son.

Finally, it hit me that these bloggers were really touching my life and impacting the choices I would make with their inspiration.  What a huge thing – to be able to sit at your computer, type out an article, and solve a problem for someone you’ve never met (and probably will never meet).

I decided I should start looking into starting a blog to share some of the information and knowledge I’ve picked up over the years instead of mourning the loss of immediately getting my master’s degree.  If these women could touch the lives of so many others with their blogs, why couldn’t I?

Plus, a lot of the bloggers I love most are moms who are home with their babies and trying to juggle the responsibilities and time commitments of blogging, all while caring for their little ones and maintaining their homes.

I started researching blogging and what all was involved – hint – it’s a LOT more than just writing!  I found bloggers who shared their monthly income reports and was completely blown away!  One of my favorite bloggers who shares this kind of info is Rosemarie Groner who blogs at www.busybudgeter.com.  If you want to learn to budget, live more frugally, start a blog, start freezer meal planning, check her out.  You won’t be disappointed!

Sharing her income reports with my husband was just about all I needed to do to get him to say “What are you waiting for?!”  He knows I’m full of BS that I just love to share with people.  I love to make friends in line at the grocery store.  I love to talk!  Blogging is such a great outlet for that!

Okay, come to think of it, he may have just thought a blog would take some of the heat off of him having to listen to my every thought, but no matter what his motivations were – he couldn’t have been more supportive.

He pushed me to buy How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup when I was up in the air about spending a few bucks on an ebook on my Kindle.  THEN the author, Ruth Soukup, the blogger at www.livingwellspendingless.com, another of my favorites, announced she’d be opening her Elite Blog Academy which opens only once per year.

On our absolutely nothing budget, my husband forced me to sign up for this class.  All the while telling me “you’re going to be amazing, I know you can do it.”  With his loving approval, we signed up for the monthly installment plan and paid $49 a month for me to take this class about blogging.  This is all after I racked up $70,000 in student loan debt for my undergrad degree.

Yep, you read that right.  I have a Psychology degree that I’ll never use that I spent $70,000 for.  Jealous?  I have a piece of paper that is probably worth more than the Declaration of Independence, and yet is completely worthless all at the same time.  If you’re not envious of that, well, you should be.

That was 4 months ago and I am SO happy I signed up for this class.  The information and connections I’ve made throughout the course were so invaluable and well worth the money we spent.

Through my little blog, I’ve already connected with readers around the world.  I have readers who subscribe from New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada, all over the US.

My hope is that I can share some of what I’ve learned on my little corner of the blogosphere and maybe inspire someone else to take a chance they’ve been thinking about:  whether that’s having a natural childbirth, buying a smaller house and living more frugally, or even just meal planning to save money.

It’s the biggest honor I could receive to get an email from someone who found my blog and was inspired enough to make a change in their lives that is going to benefit them in some way.

Simple Living Mommy is my way of sharing with people what I’ve learned about having a healthy marriage, raising babies, traveling, living simply, and doing it all on a budget.

It’s also kind of my way of “counseling” without going back to school to be legally allowed to have sessions!  As time has gone on, I’ve realized life is more about sharing what we’ve learned as life throws experiences our way, not just me in a chair telling people how to change their lives.  Blogging allows us to do that.  I share my thoughts, you comment back with your thoughts and what you’ve learned, and pretty soon we have an amazing community that we’ve built and a wealth of knowledge.

If you’ve made your way here, I really value you and appreciate your feedback!  I love my readers and subscribers and look forward to your comments and e-mails.  I love connecting with you!

Should You Start a Blog?

Have you ever considered starting a blog?  Do you find yourself giving people advice about a certain topic or are you the go-to among your friends about parenting advice, budgeting, DIY projects, etc.?  If you have the urge to share information with others or to help people, blogging might just be for you.

Blogging gives you a platform to connect with other like-minded people.  It lets you pass on the knowledge that you come across with people who are looking for solutions to the same problem.

There is TONS of information online about how to start a blog, but one of the most inspirational and easy-to-follow articles I’ve found is by Rosemarie Groner, The Busy Budgeter.  I actually have this article bookmarked on my phone and read it when I’m running out of energy to pour into my blog.

Blogging can be a really inexpensive hobby that has the potential to earn a full time income in a relatively short amount of time.  While the beginning months are all basically working for “free” – you’ll realize what a huge payoff blogging can be when you start hearing from readers across the globe who have been touched by something you’ve written.

At least for me, that truly makes all of the hours of unpaid hard work so well worth it.

Are you a blogger?  Have you ever considered starting a blog?  What drives you to pursue your passion?  Let me know in the comments!

 

Margret Myrick

Sunday 13th of November 2016

I am considering starting a blog about the loss of my son. I hope to help other mothers (and fathers) who have begun this endless journey. your thoughtful day would be appreciated.

Margret Myrick

Sunday 13th of November 2016

I am considering blogging about the loss of my son. I thought maybe I could help other mothers (and fathers) who have begun this endless journey. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Jamie

Sunday 13th of November 2016

Hi Margret, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I think you absolutely should start a blog. You never know who needs to hear your story to get to another place in their healing process. Not to mention, getting your thoughts and feelings out will be so therapeutic for you. I think you should do it. I'll be thinking about you!

Beverley Kussman

Thursday 30th of June 2016

Hi Jamie,, I have been thinking about starting a blog for quite some time. I enjoy writing and have a collection of many journals at home filled with my journey of seeking a better version of life , Many years ago I met a Russian spiritual guide who helped me unlock my passion for writing. Started researching how to blog , and am overwhelmed by the many many articles on starting a blog. I found you on Pinterest and here I am, starting to take some action. Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa I have experienced a rocky road of a 15 year marriage, blessed with 3 amazing kids, a messy divorce and many many life lessons learnt the hard way. If only I knew then what I know now maybe I would be a little less scarred, but that was my life plan which was mapped out the day I came into this world. I am now 15 years later ready to share the ture story and If I help one soal out there I would be most grateful. I have felt deep within my self sincentives I can remember that I had an important task to complete and this undertaking would help many. Perhaps this is the beginning , only God knows that. So this is my reply Thanks and I look forward to your feedback

Jamie

Thursday 30th of June 2016

Hi Beverley! I'm so sorry to hear you've had a rocky road, but I'm grateful you're willing to start a blog to share your story. The best advice I can give to you is this - find bloggers you trust and try to learn from the wins and losses they share. For me, that's the Busy Budgeter at www.busybudgeter.com among others. Also, start your blog on a WordPress.org site (there are so many articles out there to help get you started) so that you can monetize (make money with) your site someday if you get enough followers. Also - I promise you, if you write it, they will come. The most rewarding part of my blogging journey has been getting feedback from my readers who have found inspiration or some kind of help in my posts. There isn't a better feeling as a blogger than being able to help even one person, but as a blogger, you can touch THOUSANDS or even millions. Good luck with your blogging journey, stick with it and you'll be a HUGE success! People want to hear from others who have been there like you have. You can write about divorce, your kids, overcoming hardship, or anything else that you're passionate about. Your readers will hear the sincerity in your words and will keep coming back for more, and you'll love them for it just like I love all of the readers who I get to connect with (like you!) You can do it!

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