5 Ways for Moms to Make Extra Money

As a stay-at-home mom I was struggling with finding ways to make extra money.  I spent a lot of time researching companies that would allow me to work from home yet provide me with the flexibility I needed to be a parent.  It was extremely difficult but I knew I needed the extra money to fund my shopping addiction and obsession with eating out.  Here are five things that have worked for me and provided me with my own income to help my family and help my sushi addiction.  I hope they will work for you or at least give you some ideas to set you in the right direction.

1. VIPKID

For me, this has been a game-changer.  VIPKID is an online teaching platform where you teach ESL to children in China.  You need a Bachelor’s Degree to apply and you need some sort of experience working with children.  This can be in a church nursery, babysitting, volunteering or teaching.  The interview process is a little tedious but once you move past that, VIPKID is an incredibly flexible job perfect for stay at home moms.  You can make between $14-$22 an hour and you have 100% flexibility with your schedule.  This has been the best company for me because I work early mornings and late nights so my work schedule doesn’t interfere at all with my kiddos and their schedule. I have a post talking about VIPKID where I discuss more what the company is about but feel free to email me with any additional questions! mikaela.marra@gmail.om

2. Poshmark

There are a ton of great websites out there that allow you to sell items that you don’t use anymore.  Poshmark is my favorite because they pay for shipping and the listing/selling process is super user-friendly.  There are also a ton of other sites you can use for bigger items like furniture and home decor.  Ebay is great and the Facebook Marketplace or Letgo are awesome when you are trying to get rid of things. Some of my friends have even gone so far as to shop at local thrift stores to find high-value items that have been donated and sell them on eBay or Poshmark.  There is a ton of potential here and with a little time and energy on your end, you could turn this into a little extra money or an awesome side-gig.

3. Start a Blog

Starting a blog is the perfect way to potentially make some extra money! I will say that with my experience, it could take a lot longer than with the other options, but it can be extremely lucrative if you put the energy into it.  Anyone can start a blog! All you need to do is figure out what you enjoy and what you want to write about.  If you love to cook, share your favorite recipes!  If you love to shop, share your outfits! The options are limitless and there is a place for everyone. I think the most common misconception is that everything on a blog needs to be magazine worthy and picture perfect.  This surely is not the case! If you are providing good quality content, then people will want to hear what you have to say! Once you have a blog there are many ways to make money, from partnering with brands to running ads on your site.  There is nothing holding you back so start a blog today! Feel free to email me if you have any questions about how to start a blog!

4. Ebates

I love Ebates and I have a ton of friends that use it religiously and swear by it!  I am guessing that, especially as a mom, you are shopping for a lot of things online and Ebates helps you earn cash back from stores where you are probably already shopping! Right now if you purchase through Ebates, you can get 10% cash back on your purchase from Macy’s! The list of participating stores is HUGE and you don’t have to anything sketchy to get started.  So sign up and start earning money for shopping!

5. REV

I just found out about REV through a friend of mine so I actually haven’t taken advantage of it myself, but if you are looking for something that is super flexible, this might be the job for you! REV is a company that provides a transcription service and they are looking for freelancers to help transcribe.  The pay isn’t that great, but if you are looking for a way to make extra money after the kids are in bed, this is a great option!

Bonus Idea: Etsy

Is there something that you create or make that your friends are always asking to borrow or buy? If you have any hobbies that are low overhead, I would recommend starting an Etsy store! The platform is super user-friendly and Etsy does the hard work for you since they already have millions of people already visiting and searching their site. It is easy to set up a “store” and they charge you very little to post items for sale. I love supporting small businesses and other moms so if you do start an Etsy store, send me the link so I can look around!

I know it can be hard at times finding a sense of independence as a stay at home mom.  It’s different for everyone, but for me, that independence came from making my own money.  If you also feel like you want or need to work while you are staying home with your kiddos, hopefully, one of these options will work for you! Know that you can always reach out to me with any questions.  I have tried almost all of these and would love to chat about any of them!

Good luck and see you next time!