The Abundant Wife

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Earning money as a Stay-At-Home Homeschooling Mom of three kids isn’t always easy, but over the last six years I’ve tried lots of different things.  Some worked; some did not.  Many opportunities have come and gone, or only worked well for a season.  But I keep trying, and keep discovering new ways to make money!  Here are a few of the ways I’ve earned money in the past 12 months:

• I made $162.70 substitute teaching for 2 days last fall.
• I made $4.84 this week by turning in our plastic bottles, glass bottles, and cans for recycling.
• I made $152.70 by claiming my “Unclaimed Property” from the State of Maryland Treasurer’s Office.
• I made $32.83 for cashing out my credit card rewards points.
• I made $155 babysitting this summer.
• I made $10 by completing a Rebate Form for paint I bought at Lowe’s.
• I made $300 pet-sitting a dog this spring.
• I made $14.96 by cashing out my retirement from substitute-teaching in Minnesota.
• I made $5 for switching over to paperless statements from our bank.
• I made $100.91 from Google Adsense for blogging.
• I earned a $10 Amazon gift card for calling AT&T in response to a mailing I received for being a “small business owner.”
• I earned $15 worth of Amazon gift cards by cashing in 1500 Swagbucks.

So, even in this incomplete list, I’ve made $963.94 this year as a Stay-At-Home Mom!  If you are looking for some ways to earn money as a Stay-At-Home Mom, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What are my gifts, talents, and skills?
• What do I like to do?
• What experience do I have?
• What are my strengths and weaknesses?
• What do I have that I could sell?
• What degrees, certifications, or credentials do I have?
• What am I qualified to do?
• What forms could I complete to receive money?
• What do I have the time and space to do?
• What interests me?
• What need have I observed that I could meet?

When looking for new ways to earn income, begin with what you have, where you are.  Once you spend some time thinking about the possibilities, choose something and try it!  Give it some time, and if it doesn’t work out, try something else!  You are not bound to your first attempt.  Remember, failure is proof that you’re trying.  Keep at it, and maybe something will work out.  You might find yourself a new way (or ways) to earn money as a Stay-At-Home Mom!

How have you earned money as a Stay-At-Home Mom?