Now you may have read this and wondered if I've lost my mind. What do you mean, 'why work from home'? Doesn't everyone want to work from home? No more bosses and lots of money, right?

That's not the reason I attempted it. I started out of sheer frustration with corporate life after leaving my job. I wasn't listening to the useless drivel about how I was going to drive sports cars and live in mansions if I would only buy this system or that. There were no delusions of fantastic wealth or waterfalls of fluttering green cash clouding my judgement. In fact, I had little more ambition than to simply match my former salary, just without the restrictions of a corporate life.

Some of the more well-grounded, responsible people looking into making money this way are probably feeling the same disgust as I did. Among the more laughable work from home catch phrases are things like 'make tens of thousands of dollars in your first month' or the classic 'get rich quick and easy' bilge. Some may even wonder if there is nothing else on the net in regards to making money from home but scam ad copy.

I can tell you this is not the case. You can work from home, on your computer, and make money. The internet is a medium of income that produced companies like Google and Yahoo. There are ways that have been used by hundreds of thousands of people to successfully work from home. Which one you choose depends on your personal preferences and how much money you want to make. There are plenty of legitimate ways to accomplish the 'how' of working from home, if you'll learn them. Some people make six figures, and Ebay brags that some of its top affiliates make seven. So some time and mastery can put you in the upper middle class.

But 'why'? I'm asking this question for the benefit of people who have become hardened and even nauseous at the sight of another 'get rich from my system' ad off yet another generic work from home site. Why work from home, and if you don't mind, the responsible version please. No giant pictures of cash, no big mansions, no fancy cars, just the reality.

So, to break it down for those who just want someone to stop shoveling and make some sense:

-The freedom is real. No more bosses, alarm clocks, office politics, or tripe. You may have to deal with customers, and the legalities always exist, but they really are your hours, methods, and business theories. You can be your own boss, if you can develop the personal initiative and sufficiently motivate yourself to do what is required to make it a reality.

-You can earn enough to put you in the upper middle class. Earn enough to never have to work again? Probably not. Well off enough to take vacations and live in a nice house? Yes. Without a full-time effort? Again, yes, once you have your techniques perfected and all the up-front work is done. Zillions of dollars for a few minutes a day? No. But a sufficient income to enjoy life? Definitely.

-You can get the personal satisfaction at having built your own job and beaten the rat race. That's also very real. You're working from home, for real, with a real income, and perhaps even more real than the one you were making before you started. That actually happens, and has for others. It can for you.

That's the reality of it then. You really can work from home and make a living. You'll have to work, learn, and change your mindset, but it can be done.