Please note: This post contains affiliate links.
Not many years ago our roles as women and moms looked different. Our place was in the home. We were responsible for housekeeping, shopping and cooking. Women did the laundry for our husbands and children so they were ready for work and school and looking their best. They baked for school and church functions and volunteered for class parties. These days women are kicking booty in the workplace and climbing the corporate ladder. Most families now live off two incomes. In response, the cost of living has risen to a point where for many, living off just one income is no longer a choice but rather a MUST. While many moms WANT a full time job or career, there are still many that want or need to be home with their children. They feel they need to financially contribute to the family though. But how do you make money from home? YOU CAN MAKE THIS WORK!
Multiple Streams of Income
Probably the biggest mistake when trying to make money from home is putting all of your eggs in one basket. Researchers have estimated that millionaires, on average, have not just one but SEVEN streams of income. While your goal may not be millionaire status, but rather just be able to afford groceries and the occasional pedi, this is still the best strategy for you!
The are endless ways to make money from home. The stumbling block for most is that none of them will replace a full time income. At least by themselves. What most people don’t consider though is that they also take much less time than a full time job which means that you have time to do more than one. Look at it this way, you find a gig that will only bring in around $350 a month. That doesn’t sound like much but maybe it’s your car payment. Another gig only brings in $150 a month. Maybe that pays for soccer. See where this is going?
So now you are probably asking “What are these “gigs” and where do I find them?”. Chances are you are already doing many of them for free.
Make Money From Home with Your Skills or Hobbies
My daughter is a gymnast. This is both a very expensive and time consuming sport. For that reason I felt that I had to work a 9-5 job for many years. Ironically it was that same reason that pushed me to quit and start my own photography business. Eventually her practice schedule made it impossible to work full time and get her to and from practice so I took the plunge and turned my hobby of photography into a business. My number one rule for all of my “gigs” is that they are something I love or am passionate about. If I’m truly going to be my own boss, I’m going to make sure I love my job…why not? Plus the best way to be successful at something is to truly love it!
Find Your Profit-Making Passions To Make Money From Home
What do you love doing? Is it something you could turn into a business or even just do on the side for friends and acquaintances? There are probably things you are already doing that could help you make money from home! Baking, crafts, refinishing furniture, gardening/landscaping, home organizing…you name it! Or maybe you have skills from a corporate job that could be of use to others like graphic design, web building, social media marketing?
There are so many resources online to help you turn your hobbies and passions into an income. In addition to loving photography, I also love crafts and refinishing furniture. I have a Cricut and enjoy creating new designs for my family or as gifts. I opened an Etsy shop and every time I create a new design I add it to the shop. Every so often I get an order out of the blue. BAM! There’s another income stream. Sometimes I find great furniture pieces for cheap or free on Facebook Marketplace. I LOVE refinishing these pieces to make them beautiful again which in turn I can turn around and sell for profit. I’m not gonna lie, I have kept most of them so far but still…the possibility is there.
Flexible Part-Time Job
Ok, I see you rolling your eyes at this one. You’re thinking “Is she really gonna tell me I just have to find a job that will let me make my own hours and take off whenever I need to? Cause you can’t find a job like that!”. But you can. No, your not going to see a lot of listings like that on Indeed, Monsters, Craigslist or any classifieds. But if you think outside of the box a little you would be surprised how many options there might be.
Think Small
One option is to think small…as in small businesses. Do you have a friend that owns or is starting a small business? Do you have skills that might help them and save them some money by not having to hire a full time employee or service? Maybe it’s doing paperwork for them including accounts payable/receivable and payroll. They might need someone to clean their office or workspace or a personal assistant. Are you good at social media? Every small business can benefit from having someone help market them online so they can focus on their actual business. If you have a PC this is also a great way to make money from home! If you can’t think of any friends that might need your services, think about your community. Are there any new businesses that have opened that might benefit from your skills? Write up a little plan of what you could provide for them and get the conversation started.
Think Outside The Box
Yes, I said you should love your gigs and consider turning things you already love doing into an income. But don’t limit yourself to the obvious. For instance, I am a creative. I love creating things and making things pretty. That’s me. Most of the time. Everyone needs a break though, even from things they love. Sometimes I just need to do something that requires repetition, organization and accomplishment.
My example gig of “Thinking Small” is working for a family friend who owns a trucking company. No, trucking isn’t a passion of mine and neither is paperwork or computers necessarily, but balance is. You know how a lot of people have a “Word” for the year? Last year mine was BALANCE because I think it’s important in everything we do. So this little job is a great break from creating. It also get’s me out of the house for a few hours every day.
Don’t rule out options that don’t seem like “you”. There are flexible options out there for you that you may be missing out on. What about driving for Uber Eats or Door Dash? At first thought delivering food may not seem like something you would be interested in but visualize yourself driving around town on a summer day with the radio up and the windows down, making your own hours and getting tips! Hmmm….
MLMs To Make Money From Home (Hear me out on this one).
Multi-level Marketing is somewhat controversial I know. When you think of them, you probably think of that annoying friend or acquaintance that is always trying to get you to buy something or “join their team”. Maybe you have looked into participating in one or even have started a business with one in the past only to find that the glossy images of earning cars, trips, or even a decent salary are practically impossible to obtain. This would all be a fair assessment.
I’m gonna ask you to look at them from a different perspective though. I absolutely love supporting small businesses. Whenever the opportunity arises, I give shout outs to the ones I love. I love the personal attention they give and the idea that when I spend my money with them it is probably going to paying for baseball or piano lessons for their kiddos. While MLMs are big companies selling name-brand products, their consultants are running a small business by selling those products. No, most don’t earn the big money or prizes but remember…multiple streams! Can MLMs bring in a little extra cash? Yes! Is this another great stream to make money from home? Yes!
How to choose an MLM
My first MLM experience was with PartyLite. I sold candles and home decor to go with them. “Parties” were in-person then so I hauled everything from one house to another and stored it all at my home. It was a pain and not worth what I made at the time. But things have changed. Between technology advances and Covid, MLM parties are often held online now which makes them convenient to do from anywhere, requires little to no product on-hand, and can even be set up in advance to run almost completely without you!
Choose a product you actually love and use. If you don’t currently use any, try a few out. I started using Color Street nail strips when a friend had a party and loved them and decided I wanted to use them all the time. I was telling everyone about them. Through the years I have learned if you are excited and telling everyone about something, you probably could be making money for doing that! I now have the opportunity to earn the product I was already using for free and make some money doing it. I love that they give me a prepaid debit card that my earnings automatically go on so I can keep it separate from our other money and accounts. This allows me to save it up for specific goals or bills.
There are literally MLMs for just about everything so find one that you are passionate about and love. Here are just a few: Thirty-One, Scentsy, Nu Skin, Pampered Chef, Primerica, Mary Kay
But in true MLM fashion, if you would like to “Join My Team”, here’s a link: https://www.colorstreet.com/HappyManisbyHeather/enrollment
Selling Online To Make Money From Home
Selling online on places like Facebook Marketplace, Garage Sale groups, Poshmark, etc. can bring in cash fairly regularly and help keep clutter out of your home. Not only can you sell things you no longer need/want, but you can also become an “pro” seller. I have a friend who is great at finding valuable things in thrift stores and for cheap or free online. She gives them a little TLC if needed and is able to resell them for a profit! What a great way to make money from home!
Do Contract Work or “Fill IN” To Make Money From Home
When I first started out as a photographer I had dreams of building a big, successful business. I wanted to make the rules, and be in charge. I wanted all of my eggs in THAT basket. Through the years the number of “photographers” in my area skyrocketed though and I was spending more time marketing and trying to get business than enjoying the parts of the job that I really loved. I felt I had to take every job or opportunity that came my way, even if it wasn’t really what I wanted to do, just to fill the holes on my calendar. At some point I said “enough”. I wanted to enjoy what I did again. That’s when I started adding other revenue streams. It’s also when I decided I didn’t want to have to TRY so hard with my photography business so I became a photographer for a wedding company called Bellagala. I still have my own business but can fill my empty dates with weddings through them. This is my gig that makes my car payment every month. There are lots of opportunities to do contract work or to help out without being a full time employee. Maybe you become a substitute teacher or soccer ref? There are so many possibilities!
Become an Affiliate To Make Money From Home
This lovely blog that you are enjoying isn’t a big money maker for me. But it occasionally brings in a little money. I say this all the time because it’s true… I love sharing things that make life easier and more fun. When I find something I love and get excited about it, I want to tell people. This is what me led to start this blog. I blog about things I wanted to share with people whether they are products, companies, parenting tips, recipes… you name it. When I first started I didn’t realize that most people who were doing this were getting paid. I just enjoyed it honestly. Then I realized I could make a little money doing what I was already doing for free. So I applied to be an affiliate for some of my favorite things that I use and talk about all the time. What an easy way to make money from home!
You do have to have an established blog and some social media followers to be considered for most companies. What are your favorite things that could be making you money just for sharing? Here are a few of my mine to help you figure out what YOU might want to share (all titles/images are also clickable links if you want to check anything out for yourself) :
Stitch Fix
This is how I clothes shop. I get compliments on my clothes often and am always telling people how much I love Stitch Fix!
Noom
This is what started my journey as an Affiliate. Nothing is a bigger conversation starter than losing weight. A couple of years ago I lost 40 pounds by re-learning how to eat with the Noom program. EVERYONE was complimenting me and asking how I did it and I was happy to tell people and write about it because it’s such a great, life-changing program!
Cricut
As I mentioned earlier, I love crafting with my Cricut! I share my creations and how to make things all the time so as an affiliate I can also be the first to get info on sales and products and share that too!
Canvas On Demand
As a photographer I obviously am often recommending ways for my clients to get their images off their computers and up on their walls. I have several canvases from Canvas On Demand hanging in my office. They are affordable and good quality. It only made sense to become an affiliate for them.
Minted
Minted is a really cool company that I probably should talk about even more. They are an online marketplace of independent artists and designers. The company crowdsources art and graphic design through monthly design challenges. The public votes for the winning entries, and Minted produces the winning work as stationery, wall art, and decor. I love supporting artists this way and recommending them to everyone!
Decor Steals
I love decorating my home. Decor Steals is a fun way to see featured daily items (or “steals”) for your home. I have gotten some great unique pieces and conversation starters from here!
Kinsley Armelle
I’ve never been a big jewelry girl, but I fell in LOVE with this jewelry! I love how these bracelets are stackable and you can mix an match them. I love how they can dress up an outfit as simple as jeans and a T-shirt! They have gorgeous earrings and necklaces too!