I have been writing Mom Start for one year now and still haven’t settled with a direction for my blog. I have been writing reviews and hosting giveaways and sometimes I don’t have the time I need to write as well as I know that I can. I do a lot of copy and pasting and have found that bloggers feel I don’t have a voice of my own.
I have been called terrible names and accused of being an e-mail harvester that doesn’t have any real giveaways. That’s not true and I don’t get as many products for review as I have giveaways and I only use e-mail address to contact the winner. I have been approached twice now for the sale of your e-mail addresses but I turned it down and will continue to do so. I have thought about charging to host giveaways that don’t include a review item and I sent out my media kit to a few companies and no one has accepted the payment agreement yet. This was something else that major bloggers were telling me. They said my time is valuable and I should not feel guilty charging for all the work. It’s just why would a company pay me to host a giveaway when so many other moms will do it for free.?
I will not charge for reviews because then I feel that I’m not giving an accurate representation of the product. I want to make a little money to support my family but not at the cost of my readership. I doubt I will ever be a professional blogger but helping my family with what little I do receive from my blog makes a difference. I mean, it’s just like when I said a penny saved is a penny earned. If I get a coupon for a free cleaning item then I just saved my family 4 dollars. So if you want to know why I blog? The answer is to help my family save money. All the perks have just been extra.
Saving money with my blog has helped us have the capability to move into a new house. My husband has a great job and I just help us not feel so tight. I clip coupons like a mad woman and refuse to walk out of Albertsons without saving at least 100.00 dollars. I sign up for freebies and blog tours just for the coupons and savings. I’ll show you where when I can and help you find the latest savings. I’ll also try to get links to the hot bloggers that write about savings.
I am going to continue reviewing items but I’m going to shift the perspective to savings. So the reviews will contain my opinion of the product, event, or advertisement, and how it has impacted my life and saved my family money. I even want to start a weekly meme that is called “Mom Start Saving”. I want all the bloggers that write about savings and where to shop to link up so we can all help moms start saving money. I’d love to have guest bloggers and establish a relationship with other moms through this aspect.
So let’s start saving together…..and always remember why we are in it. My family is my voice.
-no matter which way you play it there will always be haters – You must do what will make you feel is right-and those adorable children are what really matter in life-
Great post and cheers for you!I am already a reader but now you just got a fan from me as well.Great stand you jave taken and i agree.I started with a new blog and still not sure excatly where it is going.I enjoy sharing tidbits,ramblings just about my life,which mainly consist of daily trying to be a better child of God,saving money for home and family and enjoying and helping raise my grandkids.I have started my giveaways and reviews.
Your post helps thse of us who are struggling along bloggville..lol..
Thanks again for a great site and have a blessed week ahead!
betty
Hi there! I found your blog while “doing the drop” with Entrecard, and I really liked this post. I have been blogging about 5-6 mo. now, and I have been trying to figure out my direction also! Come on over to my blog sometime, and visit me. I think we could be good bloggy buddies!
http://mymoneymissiononline.blogspot
http://jamiealexmomma.blogspot.com
ooops…on my comment, I forgot to put the .com after my first blog listed (I have two).
Try this again:
http://mymoneymissiononline.blogspot.com
Bother…my fingers just can’t keep up with my brain sometimes!
Keep up your spirits.
Your blog is great and you’ll find your niche eventually. Or maybe not but that’s okay too.
My blog is a crazy zillion-topic blog, but that’s how I am, so I’m find with it.
http://thesuburbanjungle.blogspot.com
I didn’t realize my post was such a downer.
I like your blog – I don’t know why other people would care how you run your blog, or call you names – how silly. We all do what we have time to do, and reviews take SO much time, and you have been SO busy (even if you hadn’t been, it doesn’t matter) that I would be cutting and pasting, too! You always put an opinion in your posts, too, so they need to lay off. People must have a lot of free time on their hands if they can take the time to call you names.
I am a huge bargain shopper – if I don’t save more than I have spent, I am disappointed, so I can’t wait to hear your savings posts.
Like I told your before and the reason I nominated you, your blog is great.I read many blogs and I like the fact that there is info for all. My kids are older 14 and 18 but I do find interesting reviews and info for them too. Keep up the great work and don’t let the jerks get you down.