How to Make Money Without Spending Money as a Stay-at-Home Mom
Photo by Annie Spratt
Originally Posted On: Stache Blog | How to Make Money Without Spending Money as a Stay-at-Home Mom
Wondering how to make money as a stay-at-home mom without spending money? Our guide explains how you can use extra space to your advantage.
There are countless reasons why a stay-at-home mom needs to earn extra income. Whether it’s paying for toys, reaching out to a travel agent to book a family vacation, entertainment for the kids, or school supplies for their son, keeping themselves sane while their husband is on another business trip, or feeling like a contributing member of the household, they understand the importance of additional income and stashing it away for a rainy day.
But with kids to take care of, help with homework, and chores around the house, it’s easy to wonder how to be a part of the workforce and how to earn as a stay-at-home mom and finding stay-at-home mom jobs. It’s not always feasible for stay-at-home moms to work per hour outside the house, so ways to earn money at home are increasingly important.
Luckily, there are tons of amazing opportunities for stay-at-home moms to earn from the comfort of their own homes. From working as a storage host to teaching English online, stay-at-home moms have plenty of opportunities available to them. Be sure to keep reading for a complete guide on how to earn money as a stay-at-home mom, and to love doing it.
The Need for Additional Income
Aside from the perks of extra money, an additional income helps families save for unexpected expenses. This could be anything from a broken water heater, video games for Jimmy’s bday, t-shirts for the chorus concert, to a new soccer uniform. Since a single income can be challenging, more and more stay-at-home moms are opting to work from the house. In this day and age, there are endless ways parents can earn money from home while enjoying the work that they do and maintaining their kind demeanor with their kids.
Aside from a rainy day fund, an extra income allows families to take vacations and enjoy activities outside the home. However, not all work-from-home jobs fit into the schedule of a stay-at-home mom. Some part-time remote jobs have set hours, something not every stay-at-home mom can adhere to when caring for children.
How to Make Money as a Stay-at-Home Mom: 9 Job Ideas
The first step with making money as a stay-at-home mom is to figure out how many free hours there are in a day to devote to a work-from-home position and what home jobs are available. Another consideration is your personal skills and abilities. Do you have a bachelor’s degree? What jobs did you work before becoming a stay-at-home mom?
Our kids’ schedules often dictate how many hours they have to work, and the jobs we find from home have to work around that schedule. Stay-at-home mom jobs need flexibility. This is what makes becoming a storage host such an excellent work opportunity.
The first step in becoming a storage host is to determine how much extra space our home has to offer to those looking to store items. Whether it’s a spare bedroom, shed, or an empty garage, it’s easier than we realize to clear our space and to earn money as a stay-at-home mom.
Once we know how much of our homes we can devote to storage spaces for rent, we can begin to declutter. This is an excellent opportunity to discard and donate unused items, helping others in need while clearing the path for a second income.
While extra home space is an excellent path to bring in a second income as a stay-at-home mom, we need to find people in need of a storage facility. This is where an online platform comes into play to work for us, allowing us to showcase our extra space and to find prospective renters.
The first step is to contact a reputable home storage facility to discuss becoming a storage host. Once registered, renters can see available storage spaces in their area. It’s essential to have a clean space with plenty of pictures and to choose part of the house that can accommodate renters without taking away from living space.
Some items people like to store are motorbikes, classic cars, boats, furniture, and appliances until they find a permanent solution. The more additional space available, the more likely it is to find renters.
1. Become a Storage Host
A driving factor for becoming a storage host is the cash we can earn while renting out unused space in our own home. It’s like becoming a real estate agent for extra space in your own home. However, there are plenty of other reasons to be a storage host, such as bettering the lives of those around us.
In an effort to change the world we live in, more and more companies are donating a percentage of proceeds to wonderful causes such as cancer research and wish-granting organizations for kids suffering from an illness. Be sure to partner with a home storage facility that gives back to the community.
Additionally, utilizing extra space within our home allows us sustainability as a community. We can repurpose unused space to accommodate those who have items to store while bringing in a second income.
Since working as a storage host is a fun, easy part of making extra money, you can do it and fit in time to work other jobs from home/home jobs.
2. Virtual Assistant
For parents looking to work and make as much extra money as possible, virtual assistant jobs are an excellent way of increasing income in addition to renting out space within the home. With more and more companies offering remote positions, it’s easier than ever to work part-time jobs as a virtual assistant.
We can even find companies willing to work with our schedule, offering flexible hours to accommodate our children’s needs. This position is great for women who are highly organized and that have access to and enjoy working on the computer. This job is also a bonus for those with clerical experience and who know computer programs for jobs that focus on accounts payable and receivable.
What’s best is the ability to work for any company, regardless of location. Remember to set a block of time aside each day, as well as a quiet workspace.
Another great virtual position is as a social media manager if you know the different platforms.
3. Sell New and Used Items
Another popular option moms use to get cash, without much work is by selling new and used items. Hosting quarterly yard sales with your neighborhood, or buying and flipping items from thrift stores or flea markets is a great option. You can shop thrift stores in addition to using a garage as a storage rental, increasing their revenue even more.
As our kids grow, we find ourselves throwing out or donating items we no longer need. There are countless websites to sell items on, including local mom groups.
Clothes, baby toys, and baby cribs are just some of the items that can be sold after our kids outgrow them.
For those looking to make money at home, utilizing a specific skill is another excellent way of earning money. Women who enjoy making handmade items and crafting can sell their products online or at farmers’ markets.
A lot of moms crochet, paint, or make custom gifts for birthdays and special occasions. Making cakes for parties or meals for events is another excellent way of earning money without compromising our role as a stay-at-home mom.
4. Tutoring
Tutoring is an often overlooked job. Nowadays, there are kids all across the world looking for expert tutors in every subject imaginable. Children in another country often seek English-speaking teachers to help them learn the language and avoid error, and the time difference often allows them to work the job when their kids are sleeping.
Getting a job teaching English as a second language has the potential of a full-time income but isn’t the only type of tutoring job available, and moms with a background in education can excel as remote tutors. Platforms such as Skype and Zoom allow moms to connect with kids in any city or state and to help them with homework, writing assignments, math, reading, and more.
For people who play an instrument, another great tutoring job is music lessons. They can also be offered virtually. It’s an excellent way to earn a living while partaking in something we love.
5. Blogs and Freelance Writing
Moms have tons of valuable information to offer, so why not share it as content and start a blog? A blog is an excellent way to create a job and home business for yourself, make some extra money, and work for very little startup cost while creating content useful for other people.
With so many other moms looking for advice, especially on ways to earn money as a stay-at-home mom, starting a blog is an excellent hustle and way to help others with fantastic content while earning money.
One of the top ways to make money with a blog is through building traffic and monetizing with ads. There are paid per click ads and paid per impression ads. However, ads aren’t the only way to earn money with a blog.
Another way to monetize a blog is with affiliate marketing. Affiliate blog content options range from joining an affiliate network or working with another blog as an affiliate of theirs.
If ads and affiliate marketing seem daunting, there are still other ways to make money with a blog. One way is to write blogs for businesses. Working on a blog or as a freelance writer allows the opportunity to make money at home but on their schedule.
Companies that specialize in SEO often look for moms who are interested in writing during their free time. Moms of all experience levels can work as freelance writers, writing for a business blog, and taking assignments they’re most comfortable with.
6. Work as a Photographer
For the stay-at-home mom looking to earn cash creatively, photography is a great choice. However, a good camera is needed, along with plenty of practice. Contact a wedding planner in your area, maybe a friend of yours, or a cake designer for a less-pressure opportunity, to ask for a shot to try out your skills. Photography takes a good eye but makes a great side hustle and work from home job with a very flexible schedule.
One path to showcase photography is with a personal website. It can be used as a portfolio for prospective clients to view what we have to offer.
Photography lessons can also be offered online, the same way that tutoring is offered.
7. Direct Sales Positions for Stay-at-Home Moms
Direct sales offers excellent ways for moms to create work from home job options. The best part about direct sales is the ability to sell whatever we’re passionate about.
For example, someone who loves organic food and products might benefit from selling organic personal care products. Get paid by sharing products you love with friends and family. Other ideas present themselves in direct sales like becoming a mystery shopper, or become a direct sales party planner for your friends with a business.
Be on the lookout for blog posts on the latest and greatest direct sales ideas out there so you can be ahead of the next big trend. One set of emails, one message to the right person, or one phone call can make or break your efforts.
Social media, emails, and the internet have a strong presence in our lives. While connecting with friends and family on social media platforms, we can discuss the product we’re selling, why it’s a smart investment, and advertise specials as they arise.
8. Editing and Proofreading
Working as a freelance writer or blogger is an excellent way for moms to make money at home, but so are editing and proofreading. Some moms may feel that writing requires too much research. If this is the case, editing and proofreading may be a better work-from-home position.
This is a perfect job for moms who live the written word, have an acute attention to detail, and are familiar with the rules of grammar.
Use these skills for data entry work as well which is generally very flexible and pays per word/item.
9. Bookkeeping From Home
Another lucrative position for moms is bookkeeping jobs. This is especially true for moms with experience using spreadsheets and programs such as QuickBooks. Get paid using skills you already have from previous jobs.
Hours might be set from day to day, but there are plenty of full and part-time jobs available to accommodate a variety of schedules. The bottom line is it’s worth it to find something that makes you feel best.
How to Make Money as a Stay At Home Mom Using Things You Already Own
Contrary to what many people assume, being a stay-at-home mom is a full-time job. Whether you have one child or multiple children, there is a lot to juggle on a daily basis.
If you find that there’s always too much month at the end of a paycheck, there are ways to supplement this with a few simple side hustles.
Learn how to make money as a stay-at-home mom in this blog.
How To Make Money as a Stay-at-Home Mom: 13 Achievable Ideas
So you may not have a huge amount of spare time as a full-time mom, but the great news is that you don’t have to work full-time these days to earn cash. With a few savvy ideas and an internet connection, all you need to do is look around your home for opportunity:
1. List Your Baby Gear for Rent
All parents are familiar with how much you need in order to travel with your little ones. Is it all necessary? Probably not, but you can never be too prepared. If you’re not using your baby gear and it’s simply gathering dust in your garage, why not rent it out to people who may need it?
It works in the same way as Airbnb — you’re renting out something you already own for a side hustle. Only, it’s Airbnb for traveling parents who haven’t purchased their own infant travel gear.
There are even apps that have been developed for this very purpose. Today, you can make yourself an average of $10-$50 per day renting out a travel crib. If you rent out a stroller, this averages about $15-$40 per day. While car seats go for $12-$25 per day.
If you rent out all three of these items, you could earn yourself some decent cashflow until you need to use this baby gear for yourself again — if you plan on extending your family, that is.
2. Capitalize on Empty Garage or Storage Space
Do you find that your garage sits empty for most of the year? Or, are you willing to park your car on the street in order to make some extra cash out of it? If so, then this is a prime opportunity to rent out some space for other people’s storage needs.
By using a company such as Stache, you can offer up your garage, a basement, a loft, or an empty room in your home for storage. All you need to do is sign up, and they take care of sourcing locals in your area who are looking for extra storage space.
This is literally one of the easiest forms of passive income you can make by renting out a space that you already own.
3. Offer Your Car for Rent
No, we don’t mean the car you use to cart your children around! But if you have a spare vehicle that is not used as often, this is a worthwhile means of making a second cashflow. Perhaps your partner would even be willing to use public transport, or carpool with a colleague in order to rent out a second vehicle?
This is something to discuss and consider because you could earn yourself up to $700 per month by offering this service.
There are a number of car rental services that will list your vehicle for rent, and also offer up to $1 million in liability insurance coverage, as well as theft and damage coverage.
4. Sort and Sell Your Kid’s Clothing
As all parents know too well, kids grow out of their clothes faster than you can ever prepare for. So why hang onto clothes that no longer fit if they’re not wearing them?
Okay, so maybe you’re keeping a few things aside for another sibling down-the-line. But if not, sorting through their clothes and listing them for sale is another option to make money from what you already own.
There are a few options — you can sell them in a standard yard sale, sell them online via social media, Craigslist, thredUp, or Poshmark. Or, you could sell them to your local consignment store.
5. Make Money From Unused Gift Cards
Ever received a gift card to a store that you’ve never set foot in? Or maybe you just don’t have the time to head to an actual store and shop? Whatever the case, don’t let unwanted gift cards go to waste.
Most gift cards remain valid for a period of 12 months or longer, so do some research on websites that will list your gift cards for sale and earn yourself some extra cash.
6. Cut Down on Your Movie, Music, and Electronics Collection
Most households today are hotspots for hoarding collections of unwanted CDs, DVDs, records, and electronics. If your household is no different, it’s time to sort through this collection of items that could easily be turned into money.
There are several websites today that allow you to list and sell your collection to them, one of the most popular is Decluttr. This option is so much faster than trying to sell to another buyer who might buy a few things and then still haggle you on the price.
All you have to do is scan the barcode of your items and determine how much the company is willing to offer you for them. Done!
7. Sell Your Own Personal Items
This is one of the best ways to make money in a dash, and it’s also a good idea for decluttering your home, so it’s a win-win. If you’re looking to make easy money, why not go through your own items and see what you can sell?
And no, we don’t mean things like old books, CDs, and DVDs (see above). There are far more valuable things that people would be willing to buy, such as an old laptop, camera gear, cellphones, furniture, TV, clothing, and jewelry.
For example, if your wardrobe is bursting at the seams and you don’t wear half of it, it’s a good idea to sell it. Take some to go through your clothing, set aside what you want to keep, sell, and donate.
Your best tactic is to list your items on multiple platforms, such as Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, Poshmark, or thredUp. This gives you a better opportunity to sell more.
Before you list your items, you want to put some effort into the photos you take. Approach your product photography as a retailer would. Use a good quality camera, use a neutral background, make sure your items are clean, crease-free, and look appealing.
8. Turn Your Knowledge Into $$$
If you’re a decent writer or know you can learn to be one, then make some cash with the written word — freelancing writing, to be exact.
If you have knowledge on certain topics, whether it’s parenthood, food and nutrition, technology, or personal finance, you could turn this knowledge into a home job option and extra money. With a plethora of freelance writing sites out there, you could start writing on topics you have knowledge of while earning for your family.
Keep in mind that there is a huge range of parenting publications looking for first-hand experts on the topic. You could get paid to write about your parenting skills and hacks, while still raising your kids.
9. Use Your Own Money To Make Money
This sounds like a catch, right? Well, there is no catch, only Acorns which is a website and app that allows you to grow your money with micro-investments.
Acorns is a simple, user-friendly investment platform that’s designed for people who have no knowledge of investing, as well as those who don’t have much money to invest.
How it works is simple: you list your purchases for the month and the cost of each is then rounded up. This extra amount of money is invested by Acorns and can quickly become a nest egg you can use in the future.
10. Use Your Wheels To Run Other People’s Errands
Why would you run other people’s errands when you have your own to manage? Because you could earn money by doing so! There are tons of people out there or busy moms like you who might not have time for grocery shopping.
While you’re there, doing your own shopping, why not pick up a few extra things for someone else in need? You can charge for your grocery shopping errand and delivery via an app called Shipt — which is an on-demand, grocery delivery service.
So, basically, you are Ubering other people’s groceries to them on a part-time basis, with the potential to earn over $20 per hour for the service.
11. Offer Your Car for Advertising
While we’re on the topic of your car, did you know you can earn some passive cash with it, with minimal effort? There are a number of companies that pay to use your car for advertisement, all through an app called Wrapify.
In short, your car is wrapped with an advertisement with the goal of marketing their business to a wider audience. And the best part? The more you drive, the more money you earn.
With this service, you could potentially make an extra $200-$400 per month, which you could even use to pay off your car quicker!
12. Monetize Your Expertise and Create an Online Course
Do you have a degree, qualification, or expertise in a certain topic? Turn that knowledge into cash and create your own online course.
With Udemy, you can create your course and sell it to millions of people across America, or even the globe. There’s potential to earn thousands of extra dollars each month with a little bit of effort and research on a topic that you’re already knowledgeable about.
In order to create a successful course that people will buy, you want to do some research on courses of a similar topic. Look at the course reviews and where it falls short. Make a note of what to include and what not to include. Think about how you can create a course that’s better than what’s already out there.
It’s also important to consider the platform you sell your course on, as this will determine how much money you make. That’s why Udemy is a great platform because it basically promotes itself. Otherwise, it’s also a good idea to promote it on a blog, your Facebook page, and your own website.
If you host the course on your own website, promote it with a few paid advertisements.
13. Sell Your Creativity
Whether you love to photograph or craft things, there’s always an opportunity to sell your wears. With the app called Foap, you can sell your photography for $5 or more per picture. You don’t have to be a professional, it’s about being creative and having a good idea for detail.
Then there’s also Etsy, which is an online marketplace for all things hand-crafted. Whether it’s candle making, knitting, painting, embroidery, or sewing, this is a great place to list and sell your creative creations.
Earn a Steady Stream Cash With Stache
If you’re wondering how to make money as a stay-at-home mom, then we hope this guide has served its purpose. Stache Storage is your go-to for a passive hustle without any work on your part.
Become a host and rent out your garage, loft, basement, a spare room, or even a closet and earn yourself some extra money to support your family and your lifestyle.
Get Ready to Make Money From Home
Many women wonder how to make money as stay-at-home mom, and luckily there are countless opportunities to make money from home. One of the best ways to bring in additional cash is by becoming a storage host.
When we use our homes or garages as storage rentals, we’re able to help out someone in the community while making a profit on unused space. This simple and effective option to make money at home helps families financially, all from the comfort of their own home.
To learn more about becoming a storage host or to search for storage rentals, contact Stache today. A member of our dedicated staff will help you with all your needs, whether you’re looking to turn a profit on unused space or are in need of a local rental facility.