Unlocking Financial Freedom: 8 Legit Side Hustles for Stay-at-Home Moms
If you look at this blog’s Facebook page, you’ll see that under “Hours” it says that I am available Monday through Friday from 9-3. Many moms are in the same predicament.
We already know that there is a wage gap between men and women, and for special needs moms, the gap widens. Usually, when you hear “Work at Home Jobs for Moms,” you think of selling something or making a significant financial investment in something with no guarantees of returns.
I stayed at home; it was a tough decision we had to make. My husband has more earning potential than I did (when we both worked outside the home).
Work at Home Jobs for Special Needs Moms
Kevin has numerous appointments, illnesses, random days off from school, and other weekday/workday activities that require my attendance.
As it turned out, I lost my teaching job due to the 2008 financial crisis and was able to collect unemployment while I learned other skills. We had recently received Kevin’s diagnoses, and I started becoming an IEP Advocate.
But the pay was less, and I was not hired immediately either. I spent many months volunteering before I was hired.
It’s a question that I hear often from other parents. “How do you do it?” and “I’m getting in trouble at work for being absent so much.”
Technology has evolved so much in just the past 10 years. It has opened up so many opportunities for telecommuting and working from home.
Before you switch jobs to work at home, you may want to talk with your boss or HR department to see if telecommuting is an option. The pandemic certainly changed the landscape of this.
Not all of these jobs take place in your home, but they generally offer flexibility and the ability to work weekdays from 9 to 3.
Best Jobs for a Stay-at-Home Mom
If you are a stay at home mother or single mom, there are ways to earn money. And, it’s not MLM or anything that requires a huge investment.
Virtual Assistant-You’ll hear lots of people telling to you “start a blog!” and tell you that you can make money blogging. You can, but chances are, those folks also have a blogging course of some kind to sell you. Or web hosting and other services that will be profitable to them if you sign up. Building a blog is a lot of work. But, many successful bloggers use Virtual Assistants. Virtual Assistants do everything from scheduling social media, making graphics and ‘pins’ for blogs, writing posts, editing, writing and answering email, replying to blog comments and so much more. Think about what you’re good at and my recommendation is to specialize in something. I know one Virtual Assistant who literally makes thousands each month because she taught herself to be an expert in running Facebook Ads for clients. There are Facebook groups for VAs or Virtual Assistants that you can join where site owners and VAs exchange jobs.
Customer Service- Big companies such as Amazon, American Express, and Humana now offer Customer Service positions that are telecommuting. Any of the big job posting sites will have multiple listings.
Non-Profit Work– I have many friends who work online for a non-profit. Fundraising, social media, copywriting, outreach, membership, and advocacy are just a few of the things they do. Small non-profits and NGOs work with very limited budgets. Many are happy not to have to have office space for all employees.
Special Education Advocate– Once comfortable with your child’s IEP, start volunteering to help friends and family. From there, you can take classes and attend conferences to become a Special Education Advocate. I do most of my consulting, research, and writing between 9 and 3 and after the kids go to bed. Occasionally, I have an early morning or late afternoon meeting that requires a sitter, but most IEP meetings are held during the school day.
Online Services: What did you do before you had kids? Can that skill transfer online? If you were a social worker, can you be a counselor with virtual services? Whatever you did in your career, think outside the box and how to offer that same service from your home computer.
Online Teaching or Tutoring– I have a friend teaching for VIP Kid and putting all the money toward her student loans. It’s all online. Most of the companies require at least a bachelor’s degree. And online tutoring is huge right now! There are lots of companies that offer this.
Stuff other people don’t want to do-Or, I should say, have time for. People are busy! And some are willing to pay others for the chores they don’t want to do. Grocery shopping, taking cars to service centers, taking pets to the vet, and other errands. You can pick your own customers and make your own hours. I see people in my town advertising their services in Community Facebook groups. And they always have people inquiring about their offers. This is also popular if you have a senior citizen community nearby, as sometimes they no longer drive.
Thrifting– Yes, this is a thing. And thanks to Marie Kondo, you can be more successful than ever. I have this friend. She goes to the local Goodwill outlets, where they sell the merchandise by the pound. (You have to sift through it in large bins) Having 3 kids herself, she knows what moms are looking for. So when she finds something good, she buys it for pennies. Then, she takes it home, washes it, and resells it at local consignment sales. With everyone joining the “decluttering trend,” you can find some really good stuff now. Start in your own home first. Clean it out and sell your clutter for cash. You can also offer to clean out your parents’, friends’, or neighbors’ homes and give them a percentage of what you sell.
Cooking– Love to cook? Are you good at it? I have a friend, and a few days a month, she rents a commercial kitchen. (most churches, fire companies, etc., have them) She makes healthy, locally sourced, home-cooked meals and sells them. She sells them on Facebook, and everything sells out every week. People love home-cooked, healthy, locally sourced meals.
Writing– Maybe it’s time to polish up those writing skills or that English degree you never used. Thanks to the internet, there are all kinds of online writing gigs available. Want to work for yourself? Find a niche and go with it. Some writers only do cover letters, resumes, or college applications.
Side Hustle Passion: I have a friend who makes hair bows and sells them online. Another makes custom designs with her Silhouette machine and sells them. And another friend who is just starting to make decorated birthday cakes and sell them to close family and friends.
And yes, I have one more example. I have a friend with a real knack for braiding hair, particularly fancy French braids. While her kids don’t do gymnastics or cheer, many in her neighborhood do. Now, they line up at her house before a competition and pay $20 each to get their hair braided. And my friend makes a nice little chunk of change.
What is your passion? How can you monetize it? It might have to be a side hustle at first, but you can make it work if it’s your passion.
Caregiving: If you have kids, chances are your friends have kids. And, if you have disabled kids, you have extensive caregiving experience. Finding a caregiver for an autistic or otherwise disabled child is not always easy. Maybe you could watch one or two kids in your home for other parents who work outside the home. The extra child may help with socialization, boredom, and other things for your kids.
Surveys: Yes, you can make money online taking surveys, being a secret shopper and things like that. I’ve done that. It’s worth considering and you can do it in the waiting room while at appointments, waiting for sports practices and stuff like that.
“Gig” Jobs: Gig jobs are newish in society. They are generally something you do on an app, and at times, that suits you. Examples are Uber, Lyft, Instacart, and stuff like that. I’m not sure how I feel about taking my child with me on Uber rides, and maybe Uber doesn’t even allow it. But jobs like that offer very flexible scheduling.
Sell Stuff: There are a whole lot of people buying stuff for really cheap, then selling it for more on Amazon. It takes time and learning and some investment in your inventory. I knew one woman who claimed she made 6 figures doing this. She would buy stuff super cheap at a QVC outlet, then sell it on eBay.
How to Make Money from Home as a Stay at Home Mom
Making the decision to stay at home is a big one. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it takes a lot of planning and cost-cutting.
That being said, there are material things we do without. It doesn’t bother us, but it was an adjustment.
However, we have found that no longer having the stress of “who’s going to call out to stay with Kevin” is priceless. Worth every penny.
