Becoming a stay at home mom meant more time with baby, getting to wear leggings all day, and also a cut in our income.

I have a problem with always wanting to stay busy. I guess it’s a good problem to have, because it’s resulted in allowing me to make some money from home and not have to commit to a full time job. I get asked frequently about how to make money from home because I think as stay at home moms we still want to stay busy and it feels so good to make your own moolah! So buckle up and see if any of these could be your future side hustle!

Offer a ServiceYou can look to dog walking/sitting, babysitting, or clean/organize someone’s home for money. Any service you can think of, you can do and usually bring your little ones along! Care.com is a great site for finding these jobs but you can also post in your local Facebook groups. Find something you can be comfortable doing with your baby though, not all dogs and houses would be suitable to bring them around.

Photography is also an amazing opportunity because your schedule can be pretty flexible and you decide how busy you are. You could make it a weekend thing, or have the clients come to your home studio (obviously be cautious with this). It doesn’t take the most amazing camera to be successful, but there are lots of companies you can rent a camera from and save up to buy your own.

Direct Sales

I’m sure you have seen a direct sales ad or two, especially if you dare to ask in a mom’s group “how do you Moms make extra cash?” While most direct sales have a negative connotation for badgering people to buy their product, there are a lot of good whole-hearted business owners out there! And, you can make a few extra bucks or an income more than your spouse makes which is kind of crazy to think about for most. There are a lot of different companies out there, so my recommendation would be to look into the ones you’re interested in, and do research.

Research how much it is to join, how much you will need to buy monthly (if there’s a quota), incentives for ranking up, if you like the products, and budget how much extra costs will be (if you have to buy a site, ship out product on your own, etc.). Most of the time you will end up making a larger investment than profit, so be proactive and create a business plan. A few of these businesses include Scentsy, Red Aspen, LimeLight by Alcone, etc.

Go in with a positive mindset and start thinking of how you will be making a profit. I recently started selling for Red Aspen and it’s been an amazing experience because I learned what to do and not to do. Find a company you can be passionate about! If you’re interested in joining, message me on Instagram!

Work Online

This is how I personally make money, so I have most expertise here. As you know, because hello you’re on it, I am a blogger and I make an income by doing so. I have a post about ways I make money on my blog but the opportunities out there are huge. Read how to make a blog here!

More recently I became a Virtual Assistant, which is a fantastic way to earn an income from home. It is exactly what it sounds like, you are an assistant virtually. I have social media, sales, and social media marketing experience so I am able to put that to use by helping out my clients with their businesses and blogs. If you have experience in things like writing, social media, accounting/bookkeeping, managing client’s information, or even experience in a specialty (like medical, art, real estate, any career really) you can use these skills to be a virtual assistant.

You control how much you charge, it can be anywhere from $10 an hour to $70. I’m not kidding when I say the possibilities are endless. I stumbled across my jobs, but you can be proactive and get it out there that you offer VA work, or message companies you think could benefit from your skills. (Example; Think about a small restaurant that has an empty Facebook page and how you could bring the community to it and create content for it)

You can also start a YouTube channel, but just know to monetize you now need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 views in the year. You could film anything and offer your advice and expertise to others. Film a makeup tutorial, a DIY nursery decor, a yummy recipe, cloth diaper tips, you name it. Brands are usually pretty open to working with youtubers too, so don’t be afraid to network and connect with some.

Sell

Something I discovered recently is I have way too many clothes (let’s not talk about how many don’t fit after baby) and have been selling them on eBay! Sites like eBay, posh mark, thred up, are all great for selling clothes secondhand. Baby clothes are also a great thing to consider selling, especially if they are in great condition. Look into upcoming consignment exhibitions in your area or even just sell them online or to a store near you.

If you’re crafty, you can look into having an Etsy or selling from Facebook or Instagram! People love handmade products, you can almost always find something people are willing to buy, especially from another mama.

Use Your Education or Expertise

A lot of moms have an education or even a career they have a lot of experience in. When you decide to stay home, see if your job could be a work from home opportunity!

Have medical office experience? Transcribe (here’s a great website here) could be something worth looking into. If you have an education background or general bachelors, there are a lot of websites to teach students from China. Most of it is early morning or late nights, which can be ideal for mamas with little ones. It’s a bit tricky when looking into working for a company, because a lot do require a child-free, quiet area. If you have a cosmetology license, look into working out of your home, just research the laws on what is required.

Call center jobs are also prevalent, and some are phone, E-mail, or chat only. Depending on the company you could find something that works with your schedule and life! My absolute favorite place to look for at home Jobs is indeed.com and for location type in “work at home”. There will always be a lot of opportunities that pop up, you just need to know how to look! You could work customer service, telemarketing/sales, administrative assistant work, or even Tech support.

The opportunities are out there but I will give you a warning. It may sound all fine and dandy to have a work from home job, but keep in mind what you will be sacrificing. Will this job keep you from spending time with your kids or husband? Will you be able to have discipline and complete tasks? And will you have time management skills that will be efficient to be both mom and Work from Home woman? I left my full time work from home job for that very reason, so please don’t stress yourself for the sake of your family!

These are questions you really need to ask yourself, because honestly it takes a lot of responsibility! Working for another person or company requires more of a structure, but working for yourself also faces different challenges because you have to prioritize and set your own deadlines.

I hope if you are looking for extra income that you find the perfect fit for you! Sometimes opportunities will come to you, but other times you will have to find them on your own. Best of luck and know that even if you find something to make a few extra bucks, you are winning and a super mama.