Prior to becoming a work-at-home mom, I worked for the state government as a social worker. One of my biggest pet-peeves of that job was that my income never seemed to equal my efforts.
Every morning, I would arrive at work promptly at eight a.m. (Okay, 8:15 at the latest…). As I shuffled through my caseload in an attempt to plan my day, I watched as one co-worker after an another would arrive. “Jane” walked in at 8:30, followed by “Bob” at 9:00 and then “Jim” would often make his grand entrance nearly an hour later. Frankly, it always bothered me that I’d earned the same income for putting in a full eight hour-day that Bob, Jane and Jim earned for working part-time.
I have never felt cheated as a home-based professional. As a blogger for Families.com, my income is entirely dependent upon my efforts. If I decide to spend the afternoon watching Oprah and Dr. Phil instead of blogging, my paycheck will reflect that decision.
If I spend my evening plucking my eyebrows, soaking my feet and enjoying a mud-mask…I will make less money. There are no “longevity increases” and you don’t get any bonuses for showing up on a holiday. The home-based formula is quite simple. Less work equals less income.
You are invited to to show up late and leave early. You can even take a two hour lunch break at Wal-Mart if you want. However, when all is said and done, the time you spend actually working, will be reflected in your paycheck.
Frankly, I understand why some people wouldn’t consider starting a home-based venture. Perhaps they enjoy getting paid a forty hour per week salary for putting in thirty-two total hours of work. Perhaps they don’t have a problem sleeping at night knowing that they just cheated their employer out of two hours of work by spending a three hour lunch break looking for a cute pair of shoes at the mall.
I am thankful for the work ethic my father taught me. He grew up on a farm and learned early on that every meal his own father put on their table was the direct
result of getting dirty and sweaty.
While it would be insulting to compare my home-based blogging job to my grandfather’s farming business, I am starting to recognize why he was so thankful for every penny in his paycheck.