[Allison]

If you are a stay at home parent or your spouse is, what are some creative ways you have found to make some extra income?

This would be something with very limited hours/flexible hours since i am still caring for 2 little ones.

Also open to any suggestions for a certificate/training that could lead to a career field with higher income that would also allow for part-time positions when my kids are a little older.

Thank you!

[Amy]

Bookkeeping. While I had prior accounting knowledge and interest in the field, I took an online course that did an excellent job of not only teaching me how to become a virtual bookkeeper, but how to operate a virtual business (including how to market, create a website, how to talk to clients, etc).

My original goal was to take on enough clients to make enough money to cover our monthly mortgage payment.

By luck, my first client was big enough that it nearly met my goal.

Over the years, I slowly grew the business and have learned more and more and more (I feel like you can always learn more in this industry – whether it’s related to tax, advisory, payroll, tech/software, etc).

Now I have a small team of bookkeepers that work for me to help manage the client load.

I started this side hustle when my daughter was 3 months old and she’s 6 now – and I’ve had 2 other children over the years.

Has it been easy? Absolutely not, running a business never is.

But the work setup is perfect for a stay at home mom (I don’t even have my kids in daycare – this was my primary goal of working remotely).

And, you don’t even have to own a business and deal with the madness of marketing, sales, client interaction – you could just be a subcontractor and help a firm owner.

The workload usually comes with a monthly deadline – so there is a lot of flexibility available.

I’m happy to answer in questions if it’s helpful to you.

[Laura]

I do secret shopping, which really depends on where you live. Also Buy Nothing group on Facebook can save you a lot of money depending on your area.

[Emily]

I’m not a stay at home parent, but I have a side hustle as a Virtual Assistant.

My clients are service based entrepreneurs (esthetician, organizer, interior designer, physical therapist) who need an extra hand with admin, marketing, customer service, special projects, etc.

I work on my own schedule and tell them how many hours per month I can commit to.

[Kara]

I’ve used dog sitters (people taking care of my dog in *their* home while I’m out of town) that I’ve found through Rover (app and website) and I’ve always thought that would be a good way to make some extra money from home . . . if you’re a dog person.

[Sarah]

Mine are 21 and 25 now but while I was raising them I just did side gig type stuff… real estate, trading stocks, trading stocks, substitute teaching.

[Becca]

Maybe not useful to the OP, but I’m an RN in an acute care hospital and was able to transition to PRN (as needed) position once I had our kids.

My minimum monthly commitment is 2 twelve hour shifts per 28 day schedule.

I receive 25% more per hour (versus being employed full time) because I’m not eligible for benefits (I don’t need them as I’m insured through my husband—I do still contribute to my 401k, which was vested prior to taking my PRN position).

When I got my RN license 18 years ago, I never dreamed it would offer me this level of flexibility, it’s been a good fit for our family.

[Amanda]

I am an LMT / licensed massage therapist, licensure is required in our state but the education is not hard or long and not every state requires licensure.

Work a couple of nights a week.

Last year brought home just shy of $10k which wasn’t bad for literally working 2 nights a week from 530-8.

It’s a great career field for parttime flexibility.

[Caro]

One of my SAHM friends used to do like 5-10 hours of paralegal work a week but now that kids are 2 and 5 she stopped but once the 2 year old goes to pre school I bet she’ll start again

[Suzanne]

I worked part time when my kids were little, and had a side hustle selling random stuff on EBay. Anything I had been looking for and had difficulty finding… an example is replacement toilet paper spinners (the plastic part that goes inside a roll).

Apparently, I had been using the wrong keywords when searching online, and all I was getting in my Google searches were full hardware kits. So, I found a supplier and started selling using my keywords.

Multiple that times 20-30 products I’d carry at a time, and I typically made $300-$900/mo profit after kids went to bed (I typically stayed up for an hour shipping and listing new items).

Eventually another seller would come in and my sales of one item would slow, so I was always looking for something new.

When I went back to work full time, I (mostly) quit eBay. I still sell personal stuff occasionally (and you can bring in $1000+ each year just taking the time to sell your kids unwanted video games, clothes, the earrings you got for Christmas but didn’t want, etc).

If you source inventory, look for cheap and lightweight products. And bundle as “set of 2” or “set of 3” (shipping costs will be similar, and you can sell for more $$).

[Jestine]

I used to teach and at one time I tutored some kids after school a couple days a week.

I charged $25 for 45 minutes, which was because I had 2 little ones, so I knew there would be some interruptions but that is a great deal for a tutor.

When the kids were finished they would walk home, so it was very convenient for the working parents.

I tutored two kids twice a week, so I made $100 for 3 hours of my time.

[Kaitlin]

Court reporting. You can learn the skill now with online schooling as you raise your little ones. When you finish graduation speeds you can work freelance and set your own schedule and some freelance work is even remote.

If you want benefits later you can work full time as an official in a courthouse.

The job is in high demand all over the county.

The caveat is schooling is hard because it’s hitting a speed rather than just finishing tests or turning in papers so a lot of people give up too soon.

But if you like anything related to English, the law, and people watching it’s a great career.

[Tiffany]

None.
I try to use various rebate apps to eventually cash in for gift cards or dollars. Ibotta, fetch, etc. I have sold a few cakes but don’t advertise much (working on it).

Resales/consignment.

I plan to apply for Substitute teaching at our grade school and possibly highschool.

Alternatively, I’m looking for a PT remote bookkeeper position, that’s my unicorn right now. Like 20hr/week, $20/hr. Would be perfect!

Learn to fix, repair, and improvmemts DIY. Meal plan, make a list, budget.

Sometimes it’s the simple things.

[Amy]

I had my child late (38) and I still work while caring for him BUT I am currently doing PT contract work as opposed to FT. Not sure I’d be able to handle FT -as I can barely do PT lol!!

I am a web developer and my hours are fairly flexible. I also run a small side hustle using my laser machine. So, I design, make and sell on Etsy.

I don’t do as much as before because I use to have my parents and my parent in law help w our child but w the hubby in the military, we had to move away from the help.

It’s only been 3mo so I’m still adjusting. Our son is 3 and I’m hoping I can get him into preschool this next school year because he won’t be 4 by the cut off date.

I think that would help open some time to do more of my side hustle or even just focus on looking for new work if my contract doesn’t renew in a couple months.

[Erica]

The greatest impact I’ve had on our finances is saving money to increase savings.

Food, home repairs, vehicles, insurance medical payments, clothes, even vacations.

[Author]

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