After you filled out your 2020 budget, are you struggling to balance your budget because you simply don’t have enough income? Are you looking to make extra money from home as a stay at home mom working park time?
That’s great! I was in the same boat not too long ago! I get it, I worked full time until my oldest was 4 years old! And I dreamed of the day I’d be able to stay home with my kids because it seemed like I never got to see them.
We dropped our kids off at an in-home daycare at 7 in the morning and picked them up around 5. Between dinner and bedtime routine at 7:30, I spent about 2-3 hours with my kids each day. That was it! And it broke my mommy heart.
After becoming a stay at home mom a year ago, I’ve been scouring the internet for ways to make money from home with a side hustle that was worth my busy schedule.
I wanted to share some ideas I’ve found so that maybe you, too, could make a little extra money each month (without actually finding a job).
Related Post: The Best Budget Template for Couples [ Excel ]
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9 Side Hustle Ideas for Stay at Home Moms to Make Extra Money
I originally wanted side-hustle ideas that made $200 – $1,000 per month. My criteria was that it couldn’t be too much of a commitment. I looked for jobs that were low in time commitment so you didn’t have to sacrifice awesome fam-bam time! None of these recommendations are extremely difficult, but they do require some effort to probably learn a new skill.
My absolute favorite, hands down best courses I took to design, write, and create this blog are this one on setting up the blog. For increasing your SEO knowledge, I ALWAYS recommend this free webinar on How to Increase Google Traffic in Less Than One Hour.
But what’s a little extra effort to learn something new in exchange for a little extra cash and still time to achieve your secret inner-soccer mom dreams? Let’s talk money making.
Before we begin, I’m not talking about the side hustles that can earn you a quick few bucks but have no long term benefit.
I want to maximize your ROI for your time! For example, although you can legitimately share your opinion and make a difference as a consumer, making a little extra cash or earning gift cards for filling out easy surveys (I mean they are kind of fun to fill out)…I wouldn’t recommend that route for the best long-term strategy.
I’m talking about real side hustles. For real people. That offer flexibility and ownership and feed that entrepreneurial beast you have inside.
Nom nom nom.
1. Start a mom blog
Well, since you’re on my blog, you probably shouldn’t be too surprised that this is my number 1 suggestion for how to make extra money from home. As of 2020, I currently make about $350 per month mostly from ads and affiliate programs from my blog, which is all PASSIVE.
From the passive income strategy like advertisements and affiliate programs like Amazon Affiliates to the classes you can sell online to teach and transform your audience, the most potential and bang for your buck (aka best ROI) when it comes to time is starting a blog about something you’re passionate about.
Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started with your blog. Also, here’s a free masterclass on SEO aka Search Engine Optimization, how to find the best keywords, etc.
2. Sell on Etsy
If you’re at least a little bit crafty, starting an Etsy shop could be HUGE. Create a few products that you can post on the site, and then open up and see what happens! Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to Selling on Etsy.
If you’re good at creating printables or other digital media using programs like Adobe Illustrator, selling those products on Etsy can be a “set-it and forget-it” strategy.
3. Become a Virtual Assistant (VA)
With the online world growing like crazy, virtual assistant jobs are growing in demand. You can find positions available on websites like Upwork.
Additionally, you can become a specialized Virtual Assistant and become a Pinterest VA today! If you’re a creative type, use a free program like Canva.com to make beautiful images for other bloggers to use in their posts.
Since Pinterest is a HUGE traffic driver for many bloggers, if you’re good at this type of work, your time will be totally worth it!
4. Transcribe
If you type pretty quickly, have a good ear, like attention-to-detail and/or like to watch movies, then transcribing might be the job for you. One of the side hustles for transcribing I found is called Rev.com.
They pay Transcriptionists $0.36 – $0.65 per audio minute which is equal to $21.65 per audio hour. The best part is they pay weekly, and you have complete freedom to choose which jobs you want to take on. This is perfect for introverts.
I just got accepted on Rev.com, so I’m excited to try it out!
5. Find freelance writing jobs
Maybe you’re interested in writing, but you’re afraid to commit to the upfront costs of starting a blog (which really aren’t that much by the way). To get some practice writing for others, look for freelance jobs on free boards like ProBlogger or FreelanceWriting.
Elna Cain also has a ton of information on how to become a successful freelance writer. I love getting her emails because they are super helpful on pitching, finding freelance jobs, etc.
6. Sell photographs
If you have a bunch of old photos unorganized on your hardrive, scroll through them and grab a few that you think might be good “stock” photos.
The great thing about selling stock photos online is it’s a “set-it and forget-it” type of money making strategy…aka passive income! Those are the best!
My favorite websites that I contribute to are Adobe Stock, Dreamstime, and Shutterstock.
7. Become an influencer
From sponsorship posts to freebies, becoming a social media influencer might be right up your alley.
If you love sharing day-to-day encouragement (like my friend Megan here), then posting those cute pics of your kids could benefit more than the grandparents.
Did you know that Amazon even has an influencer program these days if you have a social media following? Just recommend a product you use and then add it to your influencer page (with a link in your profile!)
While I don’t have a huge social media following, everything I read says to make sure to post high-quality photos – preferably edited. Use a free app like VSCO or Snapseed. I personally love using the Lightroom CC app because of the presents I already own!
8. Become a Notary Public
I think this would be a great opportunity for a lot of stay at home moms. It’s quite flexible and you’ll be able to serve your immediate community.
Although sometimes notaries must travel to their clients, many can ask the clients to come to their home, which again, makes it great for a stay at home mom!
Here are a few examples of successful notaries (including one single mom, Sonita).
9. Resell items online
If you’re in the process of decluttering because you just watched Marie Kondo on Netflix and don’t want to sell your stuff for pennies during a garage sale, try reselling items on Facebook market place or Amazon.
These localized marketplaces can earn you back a little extra cash for items that you already own and want to get rid of. This can really be a win-win.
So, which side hustle idea are you going try this year? Share a comment below.
P. S. Don’t forget to subscribe below to gain access to the Freebies Library! I have a bunch of freebies made just for moms like you!