HOW I GOT STARTED
Many of you know my story. If not, the quick version is that while on Maternity leave last year, I realized that there was no way that I could go back to work in retail management, with the mandatory 12-hour days, 6 days a week, for the holiday season, PLUS continue working towards my degree as a full-time online student, PLUS take care of a new baby. I talked it over with my boss, and let him know my thoughts, and that I’d come back for a month or two to help them recruit and train a new Merchandising Manager, while I looked for something that would be a better fit for me. To my surprise, instead of appreciating my honesty, they let me go! This cut my paid Maternity leave off early, and left me with an infant and NO income. Woah.
TIME FOR A NEW START – BUT WHAT TO START WITH!?
After the shock wore off, I jumped into action {click the link to read my story}. I realized that it would take a lot of time to find a new employer, in this economy, that would be a good fit for me as a new mom. So, I started figuring out EVERY way that I could earn some extra money while being home with the baby.
MY TOP 10 WAYS TO EARN AN INCOME FROM HOME
These are legit ways to earn money, and all sites are ones that I use personally and trust. I hope that some of these can help you too!
1. Craigslist: I’m sure you’ve heard of Craigslist.org before. I LOVE it. You would be amazed at how easy it is to sell some of your old and un-needed stuff on here! At first, I went through the garage, and pulled out a bunch of stuff I knew we wouldn’t ever use, listed ‘em up in a quick couple of ad’s, and made $100! Here are a few tips -
- Be safe and smart. If you live alone, don’t list your phone number or address, just let them email you. Then you can ask for THEIR number, block yours, and give them a call. Tell them you’ll meet them somewhere to drop the item off.
- Bundle things into packages. You might not get a lot of response listing baby clothes piece by piece, but if you sell them by the bag, or as 10 baby pajama’s, Dress with shoes and matching accessories, one bag of play clothes, etc, they sell faster and at higher prices.
- Post pics! People love to see what you have before coming all the way to meet you. Make sure that they’re clear and show the item well enough to answer any questions someone might have.
2. Survey Sites: Of course you know I’d mention these right? This is one of my favorite ways to earn extra money. Here’s a great system that I use to keep up, and do as many as possible with my really limited time: I set up a folder in my email {or you could set up one separate email address for surveys only}, and every day when I go through my email, I move all of the survey invites into that folder. When I have time, in the evenings or during naps, I go to my folder and start filling out as many surveys as I have time for. You’d be really surprised at how fast the money adds up! Here are my favorite sites that pay in cash -
- Inbox Dollars: Pays in checks, and you get $5 instantly at sign up!
- Survey Spot: This one is so fun – they always have cool bonus things to earn more money. Example: Pick winners for an upcoming Nascar race, and each week – the more you got right, the more points you win. Points are redeemed for gift cards or cash. And, surveys are quick and easy here.
- Nielsen Home Scan Panel: I haven’t been able to get accepted back into this one again {I quit for awhile after I had the baby, and didn’t realize how hard it would be to get back in!}, but you redeem points for some seriously amazing stuff, including PayPal. They send you a scanner, and you scan barcodes on everything you buy in your life – grocery store, the mall, online, whatever! And those get you more points too – and it’s fun. Top rewards are even things like new appliances!
- NPD Research Panel: This is one of the largest and most trusted market research companies in the world, with over 40 years of experience. Fill out simple surveys, help influence actual products in the stores, and get paid to do it! Sweet, right?
- MySurvey: I absolutely LOVE this one. You can see some of the products I’ve gotten free – {full size stuff, like diapers, wipes, lotions, mascara} – in my old How to Get Freebies Series. They’re a great one for doing the home sampling. Learn more on their site.
- MyView: Sign up, and watch for your first survey to come in to your email, so you can start earning! Surveys are simple, and they do a lot of contests and bonuses too, to reward you with more cash and prizes. Reach payout pretty quick too.
- Ipsos I-Say Panel - This one is specifically targeted towards moms! By participating in their easy surveys you not only earn cash and get entered to win prizes, but you also get a chance to see new products and services before the general public, which is super cool! {Not a mom? No worries – sign up for this version of the Ipsos I-Say Panel.}
- Opinion Outpost: They do surveys because businesses, governments, public bodies, and similar organizations are interested in the views and attitudes of the people who use their products and services. The more they know about what customers and citizens think, the easier it is for them to improve. So they reward you for your help with cash, gift cards, Amazon codes, and tons of awesome sweepstakes.
- Mindfield Online: Fill out surveys to earn cash for your opinions, and sometimes bonuses and prizes!
- Valued Opinions:
- Mommy Surveys: This is another one targeting moms, which makes it perfect for people like us. And, you get paid via PayPal on the 1st and 15th of the month, for any surveys you complete! Another one – Mommy Talk Surveys, gives you $5 just for signing up, and earn more when you give your opinions on other baby products.
- For more about survey sites – some that pay in free gift cards, Amazon credit, or send you free products to test – see this post: The Free Money & Freebies Tip You Cannot Afford to Miss!
3. Childcare: Do you stay home with a child or two already? Adding another one or two in the same age bracket isn’t too much more work. I’ve been thinking about doing this when Abby gets a little bit bigger. I want to get a program like Sing, Spell, Read and Write : PreK Readiness Program
, that I can use to teach Abby the skills she’ll need to get a good start in Kindergarten, while teaching a couple of other kiddo’s too. Or, you could do just after-school childcare, for a friend of two of your own children. It’s a great way to spend quality time with your kids, and still earn an income. Plus – sign up for things like Pampers Gifts to Grow, to earn cool stuff when you redeem all of those diaper codes, use code MYSAVINGS to get a free baby carrier from Seven Slings, a free carseat cover with code “Enbaby”, or join an awesome site like Mommy Page – for tips, deals, and amazing free samples. Got old kids clothes? Sell ‘em on ThreadUp.
, that I can use to teach Abby the skills she’ll need to get a good start in Kindergarten, while teaching a couple of other kiddo’s too. Or, you could do just after-school childcare, for a friend of two of your own children. It’s a great way to spend quality time with your kids, and still earn an income. Plus – sign up for things like Pampers Gifts to Grow, to earn cool stuff when you redeem all of those diaper codes, use code MYSAVINGS to get a free baby carrier from Seven Slings, a free carseat cover with code “Enbaby”, or join an awesome site like Mommy Page – for tips, deals, and amazing free samples. Got old kids clothes? Sell ‘em on ThreadUp.
4. Start a Blog: You don’t need a ton of technical knowledge… A few years ago, I started a job where I totally lied about my computer knowledge to get the position. And the first day at work, I didn’t even know how to turn the computer ON! Seriously. When I started this site, I still had limited computer skills, but you can get started pretty easily, and you’ll learn as you go. For some advice on starting blogging see How to Make Money Blogging, or if you’re already blogging, read my recent post, Blogging Tips: Earning an Income with Your Blog, and my fave – How to Monetize Your Blog in 5 Simple Steps. You’ll also find tons of great resources to check out in my Bloggertunities posts – tips, networks, events, product review opps, and ways to earn an income.
5. Digital Earning: Cash Crate has been around for years, and has a ton of members. You get paid every month as long as you’ve earned at least $20 {which is SUPER easy to do}. I usually get paid twice a month, since I earn a lot, and it goes directly into my PayPal. {You can request checks too.} Sign up here- Cash Crate Sign Up. Swagbucks: Have you read the reader comments about this lately? It’s not just me- Everyone loves it! And you can redeem your bucks for PayPal cash, or Amazon gift cards, which for me are almost as good as cash! If all you do with it is use the toolbar to do your searches instead of using Google, you’ll still be earning free money—> with NO work at all! Love it. Are you a mobile user? Then check out Jingit – just download the app, check in when you shop, and earn free cash instantly. It’s not gonna make you millions, lol – but it is a crazy-simple way to earn free money doing what you already do. Want to make dining out more affordable? Join Plink – sign up, connect your debit or credit card {it does NOT charge you, promise} so that they can track which restaurants you go to. Then earn FREE rewards {Amazon, Walmart, etc} when you eat at any of the participating restaurants. I am so in love with this.
6. Make Cool Stuff: Do your friends always ask you to make them jewelry? Are your handmade knit scarves always in demand? Then open up an Etsy shop and start earning money from that hobby! A few great sites to read for advice are Handmadeology andEverything Etsy. Sign up for their newsletters– They both have amazing tips and ideas! To boost your skills, check out cool online craft classes – like this bag-making basics course, on Craftsy – they are amazing. You could also check out a site like IndieMade LLC to help you set up your own website to sell your products, or sell at local Farmers Markets and Holiday Bazaars.
7. Free Money from Shopping Online: Earn money by shopping online. Crazy? Nope – totally true. I put together a big list of 15 Ways to Shop Online for Free – not only can you earn credit for sharing deals with your friends, and use that to save a ton of money by getting what your family needs for free, but many of these sites also reward you with cash for your referrals. I let them add up all year, and then use them to do my entire holiday shopping for FREE! I also get regular monthly checks from bothEbates and Moolala. Super easy, very fun, and a great way to earn some extra bonuses when you’re an online shopper like me!
8. Virtual Assistants: Read this great article from ABC News on how to find legit companies to work with on this. I’ve done call center type work in the past, and this is something that I’ve considered doing. A great way for a full-time income from home, just be really wary of scams. There are tons of legit sites, and I know a few bloggers that hire this type of help, just be really careful, since there are some bad guys out there. For a really amazing – and more comprehensive! – list of resources and tips, see this awesome article: How to Become a Virtual Assistant. This gal has worked as a blogger, VA, freelance writer, and so much more. She totally knows her stuff.
9. Direct Sales: Companies like Avon, Scentsy, Mary Kay, and more, are always looking for enthusiastic new sales reps! You can put as much, or as little, time into this as you want. When we were kids, my mom went door to door for MILES around our house, and made enough to support us 4 kids while my dad was out of work, so there is a ton of potential there! If you’re interested, check out some of the great ladies on my Direct Sales Directory. That way, you help out another woman too, by giving her a referral bonus!
10. Freelance Writing: Are you an expert on a local topic? Maybe you’re everyone’s go-to girl when it comes to getting the best deals in town. Or you’re a foodie, and know all the ins and outs of your local restaurant scene. Maybe you’d be a great parenting expert, or full of tips on how to build a great marriage – whatever your area of expertise, why not share your tips and get paid for it as a local Examiner in your city? You get your own syndicated column, and it’s incredibly easy to get started. JoinExaminer.com today. Check out my Frugal Living column to see an example – {and click the subscribe button under my photo if you’d like to get my newsletter!} Another super simple way to use your writing skills is to set up an account at Squidoo.com - creating “lenses” there is super fun, and can lead to residual income for a long time.
IF YOU HAVE MORE GREAT IDEAS TO ADD – PLEASE SHARE IN THE COMMENTS!
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