So you’re a new stay-at-home mom now, and you’re starting to feel changes in ways that you never imagined—changes in routine, schedules (if you’re the type who sticks to one), and more importantly, finances.
It’s quite easy to adjust to the first two. But the third, it could take some time. Aside from not having a steady income, you need to pay for yourself your health care, insurance premiums, etc.
So as not to wreak havoc on your family’s finances, here are six ways by which you can still earn even when you’re just at home and caring for your little one. The trick here is to be patient, as money may not come quickly and the jobs could be few and in between.
Six Ways to Make Money from Home Quickly
1. Sell Services
Surely, you have a skill or two that, if perfected, could help you earn money. Take a moment to write your skills down and identify which one has the potential to be improved and used to help you earn. These skills don’t have to be very technical. You’d be surprised at how you could make money by just organizing stuff for others.
Below are some ideas that you can try out:
- Bookkeeping
- Child Care
- Dog Walker
- Freelance writer
- House cleaner
- Meal prep
- Organizer
- Personal Concierge
- Pet Sitter
- Photographer
As soon as clients start coming in, make sure you make it clear to them that you expect payment upon completion of the task. That way, you won’t have to worry about collectibles and not having enough money with you.
If you want more ideas, here’s a list of more service-based businesses that you can do at home.
2. Do Short Tasks
Taking on short tasks or micro-tasks is another way to earn money from home quickly. They take a short time—some even in just minutes—to complete (hence the name). Tasks and payouts may vary.
Here are a few sites from which you can find short tasks to complete.
Call Center QA
If you have excellent writing and listening skills and pays attention to detail, you could be a Call Center QA telephone mystery shopper. All you need to do is call clients of Call Center QA to help assess the quality of their call centers. The task takes about 5–10 minutes, and you could earn $5 for each completed call. Payout is within seven days.
Fiverr
Sell just about any service you can provide—designing, writing, doing voice-overs, translating, programming, etc.—on Fiverr for at least $5. An online marketplace for selling short tasks, Fiverr imposes a $1 fee for every task completed. The rest of the payment will be sent to your PayPal account immediately.
OneSpace
With OneSpace, you can be an e-commerce specialist and get paid for a variety of micro-tasks that you can perform. Whether it is copywriting, translating, ensuring quality assurance, transcribing, editing, designing, and taking surveys, there will always be projects available for you to do. All you have to do is apply. If a job that matches your skills comes in, a notification will be sent to you. Payment is made via PayPal as soon as you complete the task.
UserTesting
Does earning $60 per test sound appealing to you? If it does, UserTesting is the site to go. All you need to do is make a 20-minute video review of websites and smartphone apps. For every video created, you will be paid $10 via PayPal within seven days of completing the task. UserTesting’s clients include eBay , Apple, Twitter, and Facebook.
Are you still looking for alternatives? Check these out for a list of other short task sites that you can explore.
3. Get Rid of Used Stuff
Not everyone gets a second chance. But your stuff, they could. As long as they’re still in good and usable condition, you can put these old items of yours for sale on sites like Craigslist, VarageSale, or Facebook Marketplace; to a consignment or pawn shop; or hold a garage sale.
There are a lot of ways for you to dispose of your old stuff. It all depends on how much time you have and how soon you need the money. Check out the sites below that may consider if you’d rather sell your stuff online.
Cash4books
Got new or used books just lying around at home? Don’t let them gather dust anymore. At Cash4Books, you can sell these books at a fair price. All you have to do is head over to their website, key in the book’s ISBN (it’s a 10- or 13-digit number found either on the front or back cover of the book), and then you will get a quote for each book. If you find the rate reasonable, send in your books using a prepaid shipping label. You will get paid either through check or PayPal once they get your books. It’s that simple.
eBay
Sell anything, anytime on eBay! Take photos of the items you want to sell, make a catchy yet accurate description of the item (or of its quality, if used), and post it on their site for bidding. You may choose to open it for bidding or let interested buyers purchase it outright. Once the item is sold, print the shipping label from eBay to send the item. Payments are sent directly to your PayPal account once the buyer's payment method goes through.
Gazelle
Do you have old electronic devices that you no longer use or are broken? Instead of throwing them away, sell them on Gazelle instead. That way, you earn extra money, rid your house of clutter, and help save the environment by keeping these devices away from landfills. Let them know the type and condition of the device you’re selling. Once you accept Gazelle’s offer, you will receive a pre-paid box so you can ship the device to them. Processing takes about a day or two; you will get your payment 3-5 days later.
thredUP
The world’s largest online secondhand shopping destination, thredUP allows you to have a sure market for your old stuff—clothes, shoes, bags. All you have to do is sign up online for the Clean Out Pack. Once you get your Clean Up Pack, put in all the stuff you want to sell and send it to thredUp with the pre-paid label and packing slip. thredUp will appraise your clothing and pa you either through PayPal or give you store credit. Items that are not sold will be donated.
If you’re not sure whether the stuff you want to get rid of can be sold, here’s a list of more things you can find at home that you can sell.
4. Join Focus Groups
Focus groups are one sure way of earning big bucks (some pay $100 per session) in such a short time. All you have to do is sign up, look for a topic where you’d like to become a participant and do what you’re supposed to do in the time allotted. Some of these focus groups are done in person, while others are like 20|20 Panel and Respondent could be done online.
You may find other focus group opportunities by checking the newspapers or going over this list.
5. Use On-Demand Sites
Technology has paved the way for a lot of things, including earning money fast. Below is a list of on-demand sites that can make you earn money real quick.
DoorDash
Deliver food orders and earn money weekly through DoorDash. Just visit the DoorDash to find out how to be a Dasher. Once you’re in, install the DoorDash app to start accepting assignments. You get paid for every delivery made, although payouts are done weekly. And yes, you may receive tips.
Instacart
You may be a stay-at-home mom, but surely, there are times when you can squeeze in a task or two. Why not sign up to become an Instacart full-service or in-store grocery shopper? That way, you can earn extra cash, and you get to keep a schedule that works for you.
Uber Eats
Uber Eats promises to give its users to deliver to them, on time, the food they love. Make that happen and earn extra money in the process by applying to be an Uber Eats driver. Drivers are given assignments through the app. Drivers stand to earn $2.60 to pick up an order, $1.15 per mile to the dropoff destination, and $1 for delivery. You are paid either through direct deposit or through Instant Pay.
Of course, there are more on-demand gigs that you may do. Check out this list and look for the one which you think is doable given your schedule.
6. Have Your Stuff Rented Out
If you have extra space at home or an additional vehicle and are comfortable with the thought of renting it out to strangers, earning extra money should not be a problem.
Below are a few platforms you might want to check out to start generating income fast.
Airbnb
Do you have an extra bedroom at home that you’re not using? Or a property that you can furnish and have it rented out? List them on Airbnb and start earning extra money. Think about this: some Airbnb hosts are earning thousands in extra income each month just by renting out their property. If you think you’re ready to give it a try, head over to Airbnb’s site and find out how you can be a host. Payments are made immediately, as soon as Airbnb is done processing the payment made through the platform.
Getaround
When your car is not in use most of the time, why not share it on Getaround? That way, your car won’t remain idle, you also get to earn extra cash—some as much as $10,000 a year! Don’t worry, your car will be insured, and assistance will be provided when the renter needs one. Visit their website to find out more about this platform. When you’re convinced, you may apply online, too.
Cars and extra property are not just the only ones you can rent out for money. Look for more ideas here.
Conclusion
You may think of these as just opportunities to pass your time, while you still haven’t figured out exactly what to do as a stay-at-home mom. But it won’t hurt you either if you give these tips a try and eventually consider doing them full time.
Are you a stay-at-home mom, too? How do you make money from home? We’d love to hear your suggestions.
