How to Make Money as a Stay At Home Mom

Congrats! You’ve taken your first step (or maybe it’s been more like a cataclysmic tumble) into motherhood.

You’re here because, like many mothers out there, you want to work from home, and you don’t know how or where to begin.

I’m Charmaine, and I’m a card-carrying member of the Moms in Search of Income While Raising Their Little One Club.

 

Thanks to the Internet, there are quite a few money-earning options for you as a mom, whether it’s working for another company or starting your own, Mompreneur style. 

Here are some of the basic ways to look into earning money as a stay at home mom:

1. Monetize Your Skills:

Sounds pretty straightforward right? I have a feeling you’ve considered this. 

The question is, what skills can you monetize to make a living? The answer is just as simple…if your skills are needed somewhere or somehow, then you can most definitely monetize them. 

For starters,

• • Consider selling your writing or editing skills on Fiverr, Upwork, or any freelance site.

• • If you’ve got experience as a virtual assistant, then you’re in luck! With people starting new businesses every week, the demand for VAs is at an all-time high, in fact, quite a few VAs I know are actually stay at home moms like you, so feel free to give it a shot.

• • If you’ve got good social media skills, you should seriously consider helping people manage their social media accounts– from creating and posting content to moderating Facebook groups, businesses and influencers can surely use help in these areas.

• • If you’re skilled in artwork and design, you could create logos, infographics, and other digital graphics for businesses, too.

• • You can offer consulting in an area of your expertise

• • If finance, number-crunching, and Excel spreadsheets make your heart flutter in excitement, consider freelancing as a bookkeeper. Every business needs someone to keep up their books. Maybe you can gather a few clients.

Really think about the skills you’ve honed. Just because you don’t have a degree in a certain area, doesn’t mean you aren’t competitively skilled! Sit down and write out your skills that seem to be in demand in the marketplace.

2. Pursue Your Creative Passions:

Instead of selling a service, you could sell a quality product.

So, if you’re a photographer, you can sell your photos and videos as stock media (check out Pexels, Unsplash, istock, etc). 

You can also do local photography sessions that might include family photos, newborn photos, wedding and graduation photos, etc.

If you’re more the “local art” mom, don’t be discouraged– there’s a sweet cozy spot for you on Etsy. You could be a mompreneur, knitting or painting away and selling your crafts as your own boss. (All that said– it can be very tough to stand out and make sales on Etsy! Research how many shops are already selling your products before jumping in.)

You could try selling your homebaked treats and delicious food items. I’ve tried my own home bakery, and while it can be tough to navigate cottage food laws and making the business profitable, there are mompreneurs who have found success in sharing their passion with the world.

Now for the third mommy-boss route.

3. Capitalize on Your Experience and Knowledge:

Perhaps you thought about this and you just haven’t figured out exactly what to do or how to start…as one who’s capitalizing on her own experience– I’ve got your back!

Consider:

• • Writing and selling courses on topics you know best. This could be designing, drawing, coding, photography, literally anything. Information is power, and information can translate money (sometimes!). Just be ready to spend a lot of time marketing your info product.

• • Teaching: And no, I don’t mean jumping back into the classroom (though if you substitute teach, my subbing blog can be a huge resource for you!) I mean virtual teaching or tutoring. There are various platforms where you can register and teach students online… or, if you’re up to it, you can try to start your own virtual tutoring business! Your teaching career doesn’t necessarily have to end if you’ve chosen to be a stay at home mommy– it can just look a little different.

• • Vlogging or blogging, though I wouldn’t advise blogging if you don’t have experience and aren’t willing to wait months or even years before seeing substantial income, but there’s a silver lining, vlogging doesn’t take as long as blogging, you can share your experiences and monetize using ads and paid subscriptions.

4. Quick Gigs for Quick Cash:

Let me explain, let me explain… I’m not referring to virtual gigs, we’ve long discussed those. I’m talking about in-person gigs. If you can arrange childcare, these are great options to make a quick buck.

You can offer house cleaning services, errand services, babysitting, pet sitting, pet walking, etc. You think of it, I’ve probably tried it.

Feel free to experiment and see what works for you and your family.

5. Go Big and Become a Content Creator

Take this a bonus idea.

We’re probably familiar with the most popular content creators, and how they make money. This honestly is the riskiest endeavor, because it involves painstaking efforts of time and dedication. But I include it because the reward could be worth it.

To start gaining an audience and eventually monetizing, you can:

• • Shoot to become a social media sensation: I’m thinking of those perfectly curated Instagram accounts we all envy. Be sure whatever niche you choose is something you’re knowledgeable and passionate about. It’ll be a slow start, and it’s more of a marathon to gain the kind of following necessary to generate meaningful income.

• • Start a YouTube channel: Unlike Google, YouTube won’t have you waiting years to grow something substantial, be creative, entertaining, or informing, and you’ve got a good head start. I’m sure there are challenges that come with the platform as well, though.

To Wrap Things Up

That’s it for now! You’ve probably got a hefty to-do list today. But I hope I was able to get you thinking and motivated to pursue a money-making endeavor. I’m rooting for you!

You could also listen in on my podcast, A (Mostly) Stay-at-Home Mom, where I share weekly tips for busy moms earning or looking to earn a side income. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!