While I was still teaching, I had many streams of income coming in from all different directions. This made my transition to staying-at-home much easier.
Mystery Shopping
This one is fun because a lot of times my family can come too! We use this to eat out after church, go out on dates, get my hair cut, go on fun outings with the family, etc.
One of my only problems with mystery shopping is paying up front and waiting so long to get paid. I work around this by using the money I make from shops to do other mystery shops and continuing from there.
Be careful though! I NEVER pay a site to mystery shop for them. I only use sites that are FREE and send me information regarding available shops. I actually stumbled in to mystery shopping when I received a scam email from one that required you to pay. I searched them on bbb.org and the bbb gave me legitimate sites to go to for mystery shopping! Try there or you can go here to find more information too!
Customer-Service Agent
LiveOps! Guess what?!?! I’m actually doing this right now! I am taking calls in my home and making money (and blogging in between calls)!
Downfalls: cannot work with children around. (I am fortunate that my dad’s wife, Laurie, comes over one day a week to watch the boys! I also work an hour or two some evenings when my husband is home.) Additionally, you are not guaranteed work or pay. You get paid based on the amount of time you are on calls.
If you need the extra income, working from home is the way to go! By doing LiveOps, I can work in the bedroom and hear my children in the living room. I can take breaks to nurse Elias! I stop to eat lunch with them and enjoy some time between blocks. It is much different from leaving for an entire day and being gone and exhausted!
All You listed LiveOps, as well as some other customer-service options from home, in a recent article they did. Check it out here.
Tutoring
This is one of my favorite ways of bringing in money. Why? Because I LOVE teaching and this way I get to do both: stay-at-home and teach. I find jobs many different ways. I have posted some on job boards. You can also use craigslist. I have recently found Care.com. You can post your own ad and people can find you, or you can find people who have listed what they need.
Tutoring is wonderful because it works completely around my schedule. I ask my husband how his schedule looks for the week, and when I can tutor, and we fit it in.
You can also contact schools or districts. Sometimes they hire tutors, or they can give your information out to parents who are looking.
On a side note, I do not keep kids in my home currently, but my mother has and I know plenty of other people who make money this way too. You can use the Care website for this as well.
MLM–Multi-level Marketing
There are MANY MLM companies out there, so BEWARE! Not all MLMs are the same, or even good, for that matter. My husband and I sell Scentsy. We did a lot of research before joining and we believe in the product. We enjoy selling because it is a product we use, so we get it discounted or FREE, and it brings in some gas money each month. So be sure to join something you believe in and use.
Your Own Craft
Now for the fun stuff! I have recently taken up sewing. I LOVE sewing! It has become my craft and I even have a website: www.iParaklesis.com. To make money on something I love, just adds fun to my day, and I can do this with my boys playing right next to me.
There are a number of ways to sell your craft: Etsy, Ebay, craigslist, Facebook, word of mouth, etc.
My husband does yard work, tree trimming, and pool work on the side. He has been doing this a number of years and now has a website to advertise his company, JBGrasscutter.
Find what you enjoy doing or making, and learn to make money! I have many friends who do photography, scrapbooks, wood art, even different foods, and so much more. Whatever you love to do can make you money!
Saving Money
There are numerous ways to save your family money. To start, look at your budget and figure out what you can get rid of to save money. Cable. Extras on a cell phone plan. Sell your car with a payment and pay cash for a car you can afford. Home phone. Internet. (For businesses like LiveOps, you must have both a home phone and internet, but these are tax-deductible!) Etc.
Menu planning can also save you A LOT! Making a plan, and sticking to it, makes sure you don’t overspend on groceries that may go bad. Also, having a plan prevents you from unnecessary eating out. I LOVE using Cozi.com for my menu planning. It is also a great way to keep a calendar for your whole family. They also have an app that is awesome (except that the menu planning is not on it :(, but you can access your grocery list!!!)!
Couponing is another favorite of mine! It can take a little time, but does save you a ton! I keep a notebook, with baseball card holders, for all of my coupons. I also subscribe to several emails or groups about saving money. They email me deals all the time! Groupon, and similar sites, are my absolute favs too!
Ok, I’ve given you a lot to think on. I feel certain I am forgetting something :). What do you do to make your family money and/or save your family money?
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