Can a Single Parent Build 7 Streams of Income?
When I first decided to take action to diversify my income, I hit a wall—action paralysis. Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve seen the same flood of advice:
- “You need 7 income streams to achieve financial freedom.”
- “Make $5,000 a month by doing this one thing!”
- “Follow this plan for 30 days and change your life!”
While inspiring, it was also overwhelming. I kept asking myself, “Where do I even begin?”
As a single parent with a 9-5 job, I knew I had to be realistic. But here’s the thing: I figured out a plan that works for my life—and you can too. I broke it down into 5 simple steps that any single parent can follow. If you’re ready to start building multiple income streams or tackling any other big goals, let’s dive in—step by step.
Step 1: Find Your Why
Without a clear reason for starting this journey, it’s easy to give up when things get tough. Your “why” doesn’t need to be fancy or detailed. It just needs to matter to you.
As mentioned in my post, Breaking Free: My Journey to Financial Independence as a Single Parent and How You Can Too, here is my why:
To become 100% debt-free and secure a better future for my family.
Right now, my main focus is gaining financial freedom. I’m starting by tackling the mountain of debt weighing me down. Because once that’s out of the way, the options are endless.
So, what’s your why? Maybe it’s creating more time for your kids, traveling without financial stress, or simply having breathing room in your budget. Whatever it is, own it.
And remember: Your why may change as you grow. That’s okay! Revisit this regularly. Life isn’t static, and your goals can evolve.
Step 2: Picking a Starting Point
Taking it Slow
I get it—when you’re motivated, you want to jump into everything at once. I felt the same way. But life as a single parent with a 9-5 doesn’t pause. Kids, work, and daily responsibilities don’t just disappear because you’re starting something new.
I had to slow down my expectations and create a plan that fit my current schedule. And you should too. There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. Take your time and map out something that works for you—on your terms, at your pace.
How to Choose Your Starting Point
Be honest—have you ever felt stuck at this point? I sure did. The options seemed endless:
- Start a side hustle?
- Invest in something new?
- Learn a new skill?
It was overwhelming. Everything either felt like too big of a time commitment or involved financial risks I wasn’t ready for. I needed something flexible—something I could fit into the small windows of time I had.
Here’s what I was looking for:
- Flexible with my hours
- Low-risk financially
- Easy to pause and restart
What I Chose (and What You Could Try, Too)
That’s when freelancing caught my eye. I started checking out platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, and thought, “Hey, maybe this could work.” Freelancing seemed manageable—something I could do without fear of getting overwhelmed.
Here’s what I explored:
- Freelancing gigs through Fiverr and Upwork
- Starting this blog
Since I’ve always loved writing, sharing my journey here felt like the perfect fit. Who knows? Maybe my story will inspire another single parent to take that first step.
And guess what? I’m still exploring other ideas—I’ll share more on those in a future post. For now, pick something small, management, and flexible. You don’t have to figure it all out today—just start.
Step 3: Let Yourself Dream Big
It’s time to think big—seriously big.
I knew my plan needed to be flexible and realistic, but I also had to commit. This step is all about allowing yourself to imagine what’s possible.
For me, journaling helped. I use a Traveler’s notebook for personal goal setting, and I decided to apply the same future-planning method here. You don’t need anything fancy—just a pen, some paper, and permission to dream.
Here’s what I considered when building my plan:
- My kids’ milestones and schedule changes
- My financial goals
- Other life milestones
Start by dreaming about where you want to be in the future. Then, work backward to figure out the steps that’ll get you there. This process will show you if your plan is realistic, how aggressive you want to be, and whether you have enough time to reach those goals.
The Plan: Working Backwards
Mapping the journey to financial freedom means thinking long-term—balancing family goals, financial freedom, and key milestones. Here’s what my plan looks like:
- 15+ Years: Maintain or expand, college tuition fully funded for my kids, early retirement.
- 10+ Years: 100% debt-free (mortgage paid off!), 7th income stream added, college tuition fully funded for my kids.
- 5+ Years: 5th and 6th income streams established, debt-free except for the mortgage, consider 9-5 job and lowering amount of hours.
- 3+ Years: 3rd and 4th income streams added, fully funded emergency fund.
- 1 Year (Now): Launch freelancing and blogging—1st and 2nd income stream added.
Step 4: Let’s Get it Done this Year! (2025)
Now it’s time to take action—one step, one quarter at a time.
We’re breaking this year into manageable chunks so the big goals don’t feel so intimidating. Quarterly targets keep things realistic and flexible.
Breaking Down the Year: A Quarterly Plan
- Quarter 1: Get started!
- Research freelancing opportunities
- Create Fiverr and Upwork profiles
- Launch this blog and post weekly updates
- Quarter 2: Learn more and expand!
- Continue weekly blog posts.
- Research marketing techniques
- Land gigs and build a strong star rating on Fiverr and Upwork
- Quarters 3 and 4: TBD
- I’ll share updates in future posts on these steps—which will depend on how Q1 and Q2 go.
- Review progress in 2025
- Plan strategy for 2026
Step 5: Step-by-Step Action Plan for Q1
This is where the magic happens. Big dreams? Love them. But real progress comes from small, consistent actions.
Since I’m starting mid-way through Q1, I broke my targets down by week. (Normally, I’d break things out monthly first—something I’ll do for Q2.)
Weeks 8-13: The Game Plan
- Weeks 8: Research, get essential equipment and software, create a Q1 content calendar, and launch this blog.
- Week 9: Get consistent with blog posts (aim for 1-2), research Fiverr, and set up profiles and gigs.
- Week 10: Keep writing blog posts—focus on creating a consistent writing schedule, research Upwork, and set up a profile.
- Week 11: Begin planning Q2 monthly targets and content calendar, continue writing blog posts, and monitor Fiverr for gigs.
- Week 12: Spring Break! Take a breather, but keep an eye on progress.
- Week 13: Submit the first proposal on Upwork, continue working on Fiverr gigs and blog posts, and get ready to launch the Q2 plan.
Work towards earning that first $1!
Why break it down this way? Because life’s busy. Breaking big goals into weekly actions keeps things realistic and achievable—especially when you’re balancing parenting, work, and everything else life throws at you.
You don’t have to figure everything out today. One step each week is enough to build real, lasting progress.
Key Considerations
Life doesn’t always go as planned. And that’s okay. This isn’t meant to be concrete—it’s a roadmap you can adjust. Go at your own pace, tweak the steps, and keep moving forward.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you work through your plan:
- Balancing opportunity costs: What will you need to shift or give up to make time for your goals?
- Prioritizing Sleep and Self-Care: Hustle hard, but don’t burn out.
- Being Patient: Slow progress is still progress.
YOU DID IT!
You’ve got your plan—now it’s time to execute it! Here are a few tips that might help you along the way:
Managing Time as a Single Parent
- Maximizing Small Time Blocks: Working in 15-30 min chunks rather than waiting for big open hours.
- Prioritizing the Right Hustles: Focusing on what brings in money first. Make that first $1.
- Staying Consistent but Flexible: Adjusting based on what’s working and what’s sustainable.
The Mindset Shift: From Overwhelm to Action
- Accepting Imperfection: You won’t be perfect but you do need to start.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Slow progress adds up to big changes over time.
- Focus on Long-Term Freedom: Stay focused on the big picture–financial freedom and flexibility for you and your family.
Reevaluate and Adjust
As you learn more and grow, reevaluate your plan. Adjust your timelines, test new strategies, and give yourself grace.
Next Steps & Call to Action
- Do you do long-range planning?
- What best practices or challenges do you have with planning or mapping out goals?
- Is there anything holding you back from starting?
📚 Recommended Read: The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington
👉 Next Post: How did my first week (Week 8) go? Let’s find out together!
✨ Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your story.
Leave a Reply