Quick Review: A Catholic Mom's Guide to Working from Home

A Catholic Mom's Guide to Working From Home: 101 Tips to Help You Make Money Without a Commute

About the Book:

Many families have a problem: we want to pay the bills, but it is difficult – sometimes impossible – to survive on one income. But then we have these precious babies, and we want to stay with them, to witness their special moments and to care for them in the best way we can. In the words of Mother Teresa, “Love begins by taking care of the closest ones – the ones at home.” 

So what should we do? It is like a grown-up tug-of-war with your finances and career on one side and your kids on the other. 

Society tells women that we can’t have it both ways. But I am telling you that you can. You can stay at home with your children and also make money, and I will give you 101 tips to make it happen. 

This guide will give you, in a Catholic context, ideas on: how to decide the job that is right for you, how to make time for an at-home job, work time vs. family life, Catholic spiritual advice and practical tips on everything from taxes to web design. 

If you want to start making money at home, this is the booklet for you.

My Comments:

This Catholic mom isn't really looking to work from home; however,  I have a college-student daughter who is home for the summer and not currently employed, so when offered a free copy of this book for review, I grabbed it, hoping it would tell me how she could get rich this summer.  Unfortunately, after reading all 101 tips, I've come to the conclusion that she will not be ready to pay her own way to school this fall or Europe next summer.  

Actually, if you would like to start working from home, this book is a good little guide to get the wheels in your head spinning, though I would have liked to see a little more concrete direction as well as an indication of the likely income.  Suggested jobs are writing, making crafts, running an in-home daycare, selling things, working for a company like Avon, or seeing a need and meeting it.  While it lists these jobs, there is no real direction about how to go about getting them and making them pay though there is some general advice about not getting in over your head with expenses and about how to legally set up a business.

The strong part of the book is the spiritual aspect.  Jennifer Rainey reminds you that if you are too busy to pray, then you are too busy.  As the book is aimed at stay-at-home moms, it reminds readers that taking care of the kids comes first and discusses how to fit your work around them.

The book itself reads like an extra-long blog post.  There is a bold-faced tip and then a paragraph or two of explanation--right out of "How to Write a Blog Post".  

I'd like to thank Jennifer Rainey for the free review copy.  Grade:  B.