As you may or may not know, I’ve been a stay at home mom for the majority of the last 3 ½ years. I’m someone who prides myself on being independent, so not working has always been something that I struggled with. Call it pride, call it being boujee, call it whatever you want, but I like having my own money! Granted, I’m married, so the money is “ours,” but sometimes it’s nice to buy things without feeling the guilt of “I didn’t earn the money to buy this.” I know I’m not the only one who feels like this.
That being said, I’ve found several ways over the past few years to earn some money from home (and they don’t involve taking surveys). If you work hard enough, all of the things I’m going to list here can totally provide a livable wage, but I’ve just dabbled enough to make some spending money and feel like I’m being productive. So, here’s 5 ways you, too, can earn money from home as a SAHM (or not as a SAHM):
1. Sell your stuff/your kids’ stuff. This one is probably the easiest, and definitely the quickest, way to get some quick cash. Go through your closet, your kids’ closets, your husband’s closet, and sell what you’re not using anymore. I’ve used Poshmark, Mercari, and Ebay, and I like them all for different things. If you’re a name brand fashionista, Poshmark will be your best friend. List your higher end clothes/shoes/accessories there. I personally like using Mercari for anything non-name brand and for kids clothes. Mercari has less expensive shipping and they also take less of a cut than Poshmark. I’ve used Ebay for a little bit of everything. Selling your stuff isn’t only limited to clothing; on all of these apps, you can sell home goods, shoes, electronics, collectables, vintage goods, etc. Get to cleaning out that closet and you can have a nice bank deposit within a few weeks!
2. Become a reseller. This is something I dabbled in a little bit when I was pregnant with Jackson, and when he was a baby. Basically, a reseller buys used goods and sells them for profit. So, you can go to Goodwill (or any thrift or discount store), find gently used high-end items, and resell them online. I only sold clothing when I did this, but it went very well for the time I was committed to it. It definitely takes time, but if you do it right, you can make good money.
3. Sell handmade goods. This is for those of you who are crafty, creative, good cooks, etc. Sell what you’re good at making! I opened my Etsy store in 2018 and sold T Shirts. I’ve absolutely LOVED doing Etsy and I’ve made a lot of money doing it. If you’re a good cook/baker, you can totally sell pre-made meals, desserts, etc. So many people really hate cooking and everyone loves custom sweets for their special events. When it comes to handmade products, the options for what you can sell are endless. Seriously, there are people who want whatever you make.
4. Put your skills to work online. This refers to skills such as designing, copywriting, proofreading, resume writing, video/photo editing, etc. Basically anything you can do for someone else online. Sites like UpWork and Fiverr are made just for this. You can sign up in the area you specialize in, and people can hire you to do work for them. Totally remotely from your home, on your own time, at your own rate! You can also be a virtual assistant if you have the time to dedicate to that.
5. Use social media. This is something that will take time. Utilizing social media to make money is a drawn out process, and it’s a lot of work. But, if you put in the effort and you TRULY have a passion for what you’re doing, it’s possible! YouTube is great for anyone who’s not camera shy. People look up EVERYTHING on YouTube. You can make tutorials, vlogs, advice videos, informative videos, literally anything. The same goes for a blog. You can create a blog about anything you please – someone out there is looking for exactly what you have to offer. You can also utilize social media to partner with companies to promote products and do affiliate marketing. If you have a good following on Instagram or Facebook, you can use that to your advantage. However, I will say – do not try to become an “influencer" if you’re not fully committed AND passionate about doing it. It is a lot of work and has very little return until and unless you get to a certain point.
And there you have it! 5 ways you can make money at home as a SAHM. Not all of these things will work for everyone, and there are of course other ways to make money at home, but these things can be fun and provide some fulfillment if they’re right for you. I hope you found this list helpful and you can start making money from home soon!
