Looking for genius ways to make money online as a stay at home mom? These 25 ideas are collected from real moms with real experience working from home and making money!
One of my main goals in creating Smart Cents Mom is to help moms find real stay at home mom jobs so they can create a life they love. Finding ways to work from home is hard when you don’t know what to look for or where to start. In the Work at Home Workbook, I cover everything from ways to make extra cash without surveys to how to start your own small business from home.
The workbook is totally FREE and perfect for anyone who is ready to create an action plan and start finding real work at home jobs.
We know that earning extra cash from home as a stay at mom can be life changing for you and your family. You may be dreaming of paying off debt, saving for retirement, or simply wanting to pay for Parents Day Out (so you can have a break!) no matter your goal the following list of genius ways to make money online is a great place to get started!
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1. Sell Name Brand Clothes
I think one of the best things moms can do right now to make extra money, even $200, $500, or up to $1000 per month is selling brand name clothes online. I know several people who have had great success with Poshmark and also eBay. I personally use Poshmark to buy clothes so I know it’s popular. The key here is to figure out how to get good quality brand name clothing at a steep discount. You can find pieces at yard sales, end of season store sales, and even in local buy/sell groups on Facebook. It’s the online equivalent of taking your items to a consignment store but because your market of potential buyers is larger online, your items tend to sell fast if they are name brand.
Lena Gott | What Mommy Does
2. Social Media Management
If you’re an avid social media user, freelancing as a social media manager can be a great way to make money working from home. A few years ago, I freelanced as a social media manager for a local rental company. I’d previously worked for the company in a different capacity, and after leaving, was approached by them to run their social media. I charged a flat rate of $250/week (bear in mind, this was a few years ago so this rate would have been higher now.) This was for basic social media scheduling, responding to comments, etc. When it comes to finding time to work, that’s the great thing about social media – there are various scheduling tools that allow you to schedule posts in advance, so you’re not tied to your computer during the day. In addition to scheduling posts which I usually did in the evening, I would log into the various accounts a couple of times a day from my phone to respond to comments.
Ashli | Digital Nomad Mom
3. Creative Way to Make Money: Hair & Make Up for Special Events
Do special events hair and makeup! I routinely make extra money from home by having ladies of all ages come to my at-home “studio” to get their makeup done for a special event. Of course, if you want to make the big bucks, you’ll have to do bridal work, and for that you’ll have to leave your home. That said, there is still money to be made doing at-home hair and makeup. And no, I don’t have a degree or certification or anything like that; I just started doing hair and makeup for friends in college, and it eventually blossomed into a business!
Caroline Allec | Money Done Right
4. Direct Sales
Although direct sales gets a bad rap it actually can be an incredibly influential way to make money from home. If you employ marketing strategies in your business like you would in any other business vs. the scammy tactics that the industry is known for you can be incredibly successful. I consider myself to be an introvert and did not want to do all of the parties that were recommended so I took my efforts online. I was able to grow my social media platforms to over 10k, sold tens of thousands in products and grew a million dollar team. This was all done without a single party or hounding friends. Two and a half years later it has become a very passive income stream now that I have a solid customer base and team.
McKenzie Bean | Moms Make Cents
5. Teach English Online
Teaching english online! If you have a bachelors degree and some teaching experience you can easily make $20+/hour teaching english online. Being a 4th grade teacher myself this is a perfect option to make money from home over the summer, during breaks, or even on the weekends. Some of the best places to find these teaching positions are VIPKID, Qkids, and GoGokid.
Brittany Kline | The Savvy Couple
6. Proofreading Online
Freelance proofreading and copyediting was the first way I earned money online. I badly wanted to stay home with my first baby but needed to earn an income too. I networked with self-published authors and writing coaches to find clients. I worked about 10 hours per week, usually Monday-Friday from 5:00-7:00 am before my husband left for work. I started out charging $.01 per word for proofreading and $.02 per word for copyediting. As I gained more credibility, I charged per project instead and earned an average of $38 per hour. I no longer offer proofreading, as I discovered I enjoy online content creation and marketing better, but proofreading was an awesome start to becoming a work-at-home mom.
Val Breit | The Common Cents Club
7. Disney Vacation Agent
If you are a Disney enthusiast selling Disney vacations . It’s the exact same price for the customer as it is booking online yet you help them understand fast passes and reservation windows.
Tara | 402 Vacations
8. Bookkeeping Online
If you are detail oriented and love organization, then bookkeeping is a fantastic way to work from home! So many bookkeeping companies need virtual bookkeepers that are willing to be trained and have attention to detail. There are also easy and free certifications you can take to learn the tools.
Hannah Smolinski, CPA | Clara CFO
9. Rental Properties
Owning rental properties and managing them along side raising kids. While you can buy them as a pure rental, aka with the intention of being a landlord. It is also a great opportunity to turn a starter home into a side busienss when you upgrade or go out of state. We have done very well turning rentals into a side business.
Elizabeth Colegrove | Reluctant Landlord
10. Freelance Writing
Freelance writing can be an excellent way to earn money from home. To get started, you should first write on your own platform, such as a blog, and then, gain experience writing for others by guest posting or writing a couple of articles for free. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have samples of your writing and can let people know you’re available for hire by creating a “Work with Me” tab on your blog and by pursuing freelance jobs. It won’t happen overnight, but if you intentionally position yourself as a freelance writer, you’ll get your first client sooner than you’d think!
Alaya Linton | Hope and Cents
11. Make Money with Air BnB
Last year I made $33,277 on the side by doing things such as renting out my garage ($50 per week), Airbnb when we went away ($1,300 over Christmas and $600 another week), freelance writing, online surveys, doing market research, buying things to resell (I have made over $10,000 in a month when I do this properly). There are so many ways to make money from home or on the side now.
Kylie Travers | The Thrifty Issue
12. Make T-Shirts with Merch by Amazon
Amazon Merch is really easy because you make designs for t-shirts and then when they sell, you make royalties from the sale. The royalties are more than money that comes from affiliate sales and is taxed at a lower rate. You do need editing software like Photoshop, Illustrator or can try GIMP for free but it’s very cumbersome. The biggest tips I would give to someone just starting is learn Photoshop and then find SVG or Vector files for cheap to make the design. It’s very easy and you can make quite a bit doing it.
Ashley Patrick | Budgets Made Easy
13. Virtual Assistant
One of the fastest and easiest way to make money online is to freelance as a project manager or virtual assistant. If you like challenges and working with people to find the right help for their businesses, becoming a freelance virtual assistant is the best location independent work and provides flexible hours to help you be present with your kids and still bring in a decent about of income on the side.
Brittany Thompson | Social Caffeine
14. Sell Printables Online
I recommend starting a product based business. If you have a creative hobby, interest in developing products or art skills that can be used in print on demand, you can build your own shop. I started my stationery shop when my littles were babies and it’s grown into a wonderful source of joy. I worked during naptime and part time preschool hours. It gave me a creative outlet that I craved and I enjoyed developing my design skills in a different way. My biggest piece of advice is to figure out your strength and how it solves someone’s pain point. Then develop your business idea from there.
Natalie | Honestly Nat
15. Start a Freelance Writing Small Business
I’ve run a freelance writing business from home since 2014. I’ve made six figures the last three years and expect to invoice $300,000+ this year. I’m a homeschooling single parent of two kids so having a schedule has helped tremendously with managing my time and being productive. Also, I’ve hustled really hard and become an expert in my niche so I can command higher rates.
Rebecca Lake | Boss Single Mama
16. Niche Virtual Assistant Tasks
I worked as a VA specializing in remote project support – think website migrations, product launches and the types of work companies would usually hire temporary staff for. I made it known to my former employers that I was open to any and all types of work and as I had left on good terms (so important!) they knew I was reliable. I’ve found success with targeting my former employers for all types of virtual or remote work as we’ve already established trust – which is often the biggest hurdle in hiring virtual staff. LinkedIn and Facebook make it easy to keep in touch and let your network know when you’re available for extra work.
Emma Healy | Money Can Buy Me Happiness
17. Flip Items Online
18. Instagram Influencer
19. Photography
20. Sell Printables on Etsy
21. Provide Product or Service Offline
Do in home sales/estimates and/or consultations. I started out doing painting estimates for a painter. It was good because timing was flexible and it was fun talking to people and giving them advice on their home. I think I was getting 4-5 appointments per week and usually made $2000-3000/week. Later, I learned so much about paint colors that I also offered design consultations for$150 each, and I did some on the phone from home for $75-$100/hour.
Debbie Gartner | Healthy Savvy and Wise
22. Create Patterns
My sister is rocking a book-folding business on Etsy. She and her daughter create patterns that they sell as digital downloads, and they also supply local craft shops with actual folded books. She created a Facebook group of diehard fans, and let’s them test her patterns before she uploads them to Etsy.
Amanda Grossman | Frugal Confessions
22. Sell unique products on Ebay
I’ve turned freelancing writing into a full-time gig from when I first started as a SAHM. I also occasionally sell on eBay, focusing on high-margin products. Perfumes found at yard sales/online auctions do really well, even if they’re open. You can simply advertise what percentage of the bottle is left and price accordingly. Plus they don’t take a lot of room to store and are cheap to ship. Other good flip categories I’ve done are homeschool curriculum and designer handbags (either bought second hand or at clearance prices).
Lauren Ward | Hipster Realestate
23. Tutoring kids off line
I’ve tutored kids in my home who needed help with reading. I’m a certified teacher but anyone can tutor if they have knowledge in a subject matter. I charged $40 per hour or $35 per hour if parents paid 8 sessions upfront. Offering a discount this way is a great way to get the commitment and ensure you get paid! Tutoring two students twice a week in the evenings ( 1 hour each) meant I was making $140 per week only working 4 hours. The more students you tutor, the more you can make! Place your services on Yelp.com. That’s how I got one of my students!
Dri Lima | Our Home Sweet Home
More Ideas
24. Sell Succulents for Profit
Succulents are those adorable little cactus-like plants that are everywhere…TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Krogers, Target, etc. You can make money with plants by selling succulents on popular sites like Etsy, Facebook, and Amazon Handmade. If you have a green thumb and love succulents, then selling wholesale succulents may be a great side hustle for stay at home moms.
25. Start an Online Clothing Boutique
Selling beautiful unique clothing at a great price is a great online job for fashion lovers. It can take time to build your online presence with social media and will require an investment up front for clothing that you want to sell. One of the advantages of selling clothing online is that you don’t have the overhead of a brick and mortar store. Therefore, it’s much cheaper and less riskier to open an online clothing boutique.
