7 Ideas to Make Money as a Work at Home Parent

If you are a parent who works from home, or a stay at home parent and looking for ways to increase your income or earn some extra money, then there are lots of things you can do that you may not have thought of that can increase your household income. Also, chances are that you have lots of skills that you can put to use that would earn you some money without leaving the house or needing to find childcare for the children.

7 Ideas to Make Money as a Work at Home Parent

Sell Unused Items

Going through your home and doing a big declutter and selling things you no longer need or want may well be the quickest way to make some money from home. Facebook Marketplace makes it very easy to connect with people local to you that may want something that you no longer want or need. If no one around you wants your old items, you can always list them on eBay to increase your exposure.

Reselling items in this way can actually become a full-time business venture. After some research, you may find ways to get inventory that you can then resell for a profit.

Arbitrage is another closely related idea, in which you sell items on behalf of others and make a commission for yourself. There are many people that have things to sell but may not have the time or knowledge to fool with selling them.

Babysitting

If you already have small children you care for each day, babysitting can be an easy moneymaker for you. You can first offer to babysit family members of friend’s kids and then start to advertise your services on local Facebook groups too, and you may find two or three more children to watch for extra money.

You can charge for each child per week and you could even just provide the service during school holidays when people find it particularly difficult to manage their work and children.

Become a Virtual Assistant

If you have a decent internet connection then you have options that will allow you to make money as a work from home parent. Even if you have limited skills, it is relatively easy to learn how to become a virtual assistant (VA). This is basically doing the busy work for bloggers or online business owners that are looking to outsource certain tasks.

Lots of people choose to hire a VA to check emails, write content, share posts on social media, update product pages, take pictures, create and cook recipes, and lots more. None of these tasks are particularly difficult, and if you already check your personal email and post on Facebook regularly you probably have what it takes to become a VA. Each of your clients will have specific needs and some will even train you to ensure you do the job the way they want you to.

Blogging

Starting a blog is more of a long-term moneymaker for work at home parents. It takes time to start and build up a blog and start earning from it. However, investing your time on a blog while you do other money-making activities can greatly reward you in the long term. There are many blogs out there that earn thousands each month with advertising and affiliate links (special links that earn the blog owner a commission when a visitor clicks the link and makes a purchase). It may take 6-18 months or even longer to get there, depending on your niche and the amount of time you devote, but it’s definitely worth it later down the road.

Photography

Though some may have a natural talent for photography, it’s definitely a skill that you can learn to earn some extra money. You can create stock photos to sell online, which bloggers and website owners can then purchase a license to use. You will earn money each time a stock photo is licensed.

Selling on Etsy

Etsy is a great place for parents to earn money from home, no matter what you have to sell. It doesn’t work well for the used items in your home (unless they are vintage), but if you are creative you can make new items to sell at a premium on Etsy.

The good thing about this platform is that people expect to pay more for handmade and unique items. If you have a knack for crafting, you can make a solid income from home with Etsy. Even if you don’t like to craft, you can design printables online to sell, so you can be making money with no physical inventory. Digital printables are a brilliant way to make a passive income online without huge start-up costs.

Teaching a Course

Many teachers have started working from home by teaching what they know online. Even if you were never a teacher, as long as you have a skill or hobby you could teach others, you can make money with this method. There are online platforms that will allow you to create a written or video course on any subject, such as baking, photography, exercise, or home organisation. You then earn money for every student that enrols in your course.

People that don’t want to scour the internet sorting through the free information on a topic will often pay to enrol in an online course. Many courses sell for $97 and up, depending on the subject matter being taught. It’s not uncommon to see a $497 course on some topics, and it may have 100+ students enrolled. Just imagine the profits you could earn by teaching something you already know and love.

There are many ways that work at home moms can earn money. These seven are really just scratching the surface. Think outside the box, as creativity can allow you to earn money in the most unusual ways. It can also take you from earning a small amount doing what everyone else is, to earning thousands each month doing something that very few people are doing!