HomeWork: It's Not What You Think

As a homeschooling mom, I find myself looking for resources all over the internet, and one overflowing resource for homeschoolers everywhere is The Old Schoolhouse Store, which is where I was able to download an ebook, HomeWork: Juggling Home, Work, and School Without Losing Your Balance. This book is 96 pages full of helpful advice on not just homeschooling, but also working a home business or working from home. If you are feeling that urge to help out your family financially, but you don't know where or how to even start, this is a wonderful resource.

The book is divided into different sections, based on the kind of at home work you are interested in, including crafting/sewing, travel, bed and breakfast, computer-based business, writing, bookkeeping, and many more. The best part is that all of the different sections are written by real homeschooling moms who operate their own businesses and work from home. They share many tidbits of wisdom, including how they started out in their work, as well as advice on how to handle both working and homeschooling, while at the same time managing household tasks. One thing a lot of the moms did was to give a run-through of what their day looks like, which I think helps to give a healthy portrayal of what that particular line of work is going to take and how much of your time it is going to take. Within each section, there were links to that mom's website and even some helpful links to get started with certain work.

At the end of the book was probably one of the most important sections that deals with not only organizing your business/job, but also organizing your home. Record keeping and bookkeeping can sometimes fall between the cracks if we let it, and this section just gives some very helpful tips and things that you should know before you ever start, including knowing your tax laws, since most work at home moms take care of their own tax withholdings, retirement savings, etc. It talks about how prioritization is a key concept with not only time but everything that we do. The very end of the book has 3 pages of interesting links to help you in your research and quest for that work at home job you've been dreaming of.

All in all, this book is definitely worth its weight. The cost is really very affordable at $12.45. It's so helpful and just opens your eyes to possibilities in being able to stay home with your children, but also help with the family income, especially today with so many families having to scrimp and save every single penny. If you want more information, head on over to The Old Schoolhouse. Enjoy!