Stay-at-Home Mom Turns Side Hustles into Family Lifeline During Government Shutdown
In the face of financial uncertainty brought on by the federal government shutdown, Natalie Folino, a stay-at-home mother of three from Dayton, Ohio, has transformed her side hustles into her family’s economic lifeline. With her husband continuing to work as an essential employee for the Department of Defense without receiving a paycheck, Folino found herself in a precarious position as the sole income provider for her household. “He’s commuting 40 minutes every way, but we are just not receiving a paycheck, which is a little problematic for a family like mine, who is a single-income family,” she explained to Fox News Digital. For 29 days and counting, the Folino family has been navigating life without her husband’s regular income, forcing Natalie to tap into her entrepreneurial spirit and leverage her growing social media presence to keep their finances afloat during this challenging time.
What began as a modest effort to fund her children’s soccer activities two and a half years ago has evolved into a crucial financial strategy during the shutdown. Folino set an ambitious goal for herself in October: earn $5,000 through various side gigs, which meant making approximately $160 every single day without exception. Her determination paid off spectacularly, as she not only reached but exceeded her target by $224. This achievement wasn’t just a financial victory; it represented her family’s resilience in the face of circumstances beyond their control. While they’ve had to dip into savings, Folino acknowledges her family’s relative fortune compared to others affected by the shutdown: “I know that we are in a more blessed position than lots of people, so nothing for our family has actually changed other than the fact we’re kind of moving my earnings around a little bit.”
The breadth of Folino’s side hustles demonstrates both creativity and hustle. Her income-generating activities include laundry services ($70 for two bags), dog walking ($25 per session), social media monetization, coaching calls, and affiliate shopping links. She documents her financial journey transparently on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where she’s built a substantial following of nearly 200,000 combined followers and garnered over 2 million likes on TikTok alone. Her daily earnings fluctuate dramatically, ranging from as high as $431 on productive days to as little as $22 on slower ones. The economic ripple effects of the shutdown become evident in her work as well, as Folino notes that living in a large Air Force community means many of her potential clients are also experiencing government furloughs and layoffs, further straining the local economy.
What makes Folino’s story particularly resonant is not just her financial accomplishments but her philosophy on handling adversity. She emphasizes the importance of controlling what’s within your power during challenging times: “There may be circumstances that are entirely out of your control. But there are a couple of things that I think that you can control. I think that you could control your attitude and your outlook and I really think that you can control your work ethic.” This bootstrap mentality has served as both practical guidance and emotional support for her family throughout the shutdown period. Rather than waiting for external solutions, she chose action, believing that with clear goals and willingness to work, “there’s really no limit to it.”
Perhaps most touching is how Folino’s success story has come full circle to benefit others facing similar hardships. In a Thursday video update where she emotionally announced surpassing her $5,000 goal, she revealed plans to donate her earnings from the final two days of October to community members in need. This gesture of giving back demonstrates how individual resilience can strengthen communities during times of governmental dysfunction. The visibly emotional Folino thanked her followers for their support throughout her journey, underscoring the importance of community even in entrepreneurial endeavors that might otherwise seem solitary.
For many American families caught in the crossfire of political standoffs, Folino’s experience offers both practical inspiration and emotional reassurance. While the shutdown creates anxiety and hardship for thousands of federal workers and their families, stories like hers highlight the innovative ways ordinary Americans are adapting to extraordinary circumstances. By documenting her journey through social media, she not only created income for her family but also built a platform that provides ideas and encouragement to others in similar situations. Her parting message to her followers—”Anything is possible”—serves as a fitting encapsulation of the determined spirit that has allowed her family to weather this financial storm, turning potential crisis into an opportunity for growth, community building, and ultimately, triumph over circumstances she never chose but refused to let define her family’s future.
