The Exhausting, Beautiful, Mentally Draining Reality of Being a Content Creator

And Why I Still Wouldn’t Trade It

If you’ve ever thought about making money from home, starting a blog, or becoming a content creator… this post is for you.
Not the pretty version.
The real one.

I never planned on becoming a blogger. Back in 2015, I was working part-time at Habitat for Humanity, my girls were just one and three, and I was exhausted in that brand-new-mom kind of way—where you want to be home more, but you also want to contribute financially. One day, scrolling Facebook during nap time, an ad popped up for a blogging course. It felt random, but somehow I knew it wasn’t. I clicked. I signed up. And that quiet “yes” changed the entire trajectory of my life.

To make ends meet, I started extreme couponing. I mean extreme. We’re talking color-coded binders, double coupons, the whole thing.

That season taught me so much about stretching a dollar. If you’re in that spot now, here are my best money-saving tips.

I realized other moms might want the same tips, so I wrote about how we were saving money. That small, scrappy beginning became my first blog.

If you’re thinking about starting one too, here’s my guide on How to Start a Blog.

When we moved to our farmhouse in 2016, The Frugal Farm Girl was born—part homesteading, part budgeting, all heart.

If you’re dreaming of a simpler life too, here’s how to start homesteading on a budget.

Then I bought a blog dedicated to sharing deals at BJ’s Wholesale Club. And suddenly… I had a business. A real income. A life I never expected.

But here’s the part no one really talks about:

Content creation is mentally exhausting.
It’s emotionally heavy.
It requires a level of commitment and thick skin that I never had until this career built it in me.

It is the only job where you are constantly, relentlessly comparing yourself—because everyone is always sharing their income, their strategies, their “secrets,” and trying to sell you the next course promising success. Meanwhile, algorithms shift like sand. There’s no roadmap. No guaranteed method. And the rug can be pulled out in a matter of minutes.

And that? That is exactly what happened to me.

Two years ago, during one of Google’s biggest updates, my BJ’s blog—our primary income—lost 90% of its traffic and revenue overnight. Ninety percent. I can still feel that pit in my stomach.

I felt lost. Confused. Angry. Scared.
Why would God allow all this work to crumble?

If you’re in a setback season too, here’s how to keep going when money is tight.

At the same time, my family was going through deeply personal struggles with my parents. Life felt like it was hitting from every direction. So I decided to get a job outside the house. For three months, I tried. I really did. But I realized something important:

I wasn’t done.
The story God was writing through my life online wasn’t finished.

So I came back. I pivoted. I learned TikTok Shop. I doubled down on Pinterest for The Frugal Farm Girl. I rebuilt, piece by piece, day by day—tired, discouraged, and praying constantly.

And today?
I’m back to the income I had before the update.
Our family is now 10% away from being completely debt-free—including our mortgage.
And I can honestly say it’s only by the grace of God.

This is what I want anyone thinking about starting a blog or online business to know:

You absolutely can make money online.
You absolutely can work from home.
You absolutely can change your family’s future.

But it is work.
It is consistency.
It is showing up when you’re discouraged.
It is creating when no one is watching.
It is trying again when something fails.
It is choosing faith over fear more times than you’ll ever admit.

There will be seasons where nothing feels like it’s working.
There will be updates that wipe out traffic.
There will be people who don’t understand what you do, who think it’s “easy” or “lucky.”

But if God calls you to something—He will sustain you through it.

Looking back, I can see how every setback pushed me into the next season I needed. Losing my BJ’s blog traffic forced me into TikTok, which opened a whole new door. Pinterest breathed life back into The Frugal Farm Girl. And running both brands taught me resilience I wouldn’t trade for anything.

If you feel that tug to start creating content, here’s my advice:

Start messy.
Start small.
Start scared.
But start.

Don’t compare yourself to people who’ve been doing this for ten years.
Don’t wait for the perfect niche or the perfect logo or the perfect camera.

And most of all—don’t underestimate the power of God to use your story, your voice, your creativity, and your little corner of the internet to change your life in ways you could never predict.

I’m tired.
I’m mentally exhausted many days.
But I’m grateful.
Because being a content creator gave me time with my girls.
It paid our bills.
It taught me discipline.
It grew my faith.

It’s building generational wealth.
And it gave me a purpose I never saw coming.

If you’re thinking of jumping in… just know you are capable. You are creative. And you are stronger than every algorithm thrown your way.

And maybe today you needed this reminder:

You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin.