Blogging Away Debt Our Journeys to a Debt-Free Life

by Hope

The tides seem to be turning quickly. After over a year of seeking and struggling to find work, I have two part time jobs that I absolutely love and pay my bills. Then just this week multiple past clients have reached out for additional work…

• Changes to their website
• New Facebook ad campaigns
• Taking over management of their social media
• and so on…

And with no kids and no travel, I have nothing but time and focused energy. This is where I thrive. Being busy, varied tasks, and the freedom to do it when and where I want. As I write this, I am sitting at a fast food restaurant (the one I work for) enjoying a drink I brought from home and my free break meal.

There’s been no income yet from any of these side jobs, but that will come.

Friday Night Fun

This past Friday, Princess and I met halfway between her college and our home for dinner. She arrived with flowers and her W2’s in hand. After our amazing food, we moved to a bubble tea/coffee shop with free Wifi and I helped her get her taxes filed. This was her first year filing as an independent single person versus dependent, so she wanted my eyes on it before she completed it.

We have a wonderful time and she was thrilled to have filing her taxes off her plate as she goes into the final months of her junior year of college. And I was thrilled to get some quality time with her.

Sarcasm and Jokes

Now before everyone jumps down my throat, I did not charge Princess to do her taxes. The food and flowers were completely her call. A way of showing gratitude. I just thought the title was cute.

We are a family of sarcasm and jokes. If you could only see the constant back and forth between Gymnast and my sister where she is constantly hiding and scaring him or …so much. It’s a family affair. And it’s all in love!

As for my text to my boys, it was a joke. As a single mom, my boys have always taken on tasks around the house that I could not do or that they just loved doing. Them all being gone for a year has been hard, not just on my heart, but things have been left un-done. With them gone, if I had been able to, I would have hired some help. But that wasn’t an option.

Anyways, that was a joke and my boys actually were all grateful that I found someone to help me. Especially someone we all love having around. (And he’s in college, so the extra money helps him quite a bit.)  Gymnast did call him and thank him actually. It was really sweet.

As for why I didn’t include Princess in that text, you may recall, if you have been here for a while, that she is literally allergic to outside…literally everything. She does not and cannot do yardwork without ending up with some severe allergic reactions.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.

Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.

Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.