5 ways I make extra money as a stay at home Mom
Ebates – This is a great app because you really don’t have to do anything to get a little extra money in your pocket if you shop online. Last Christmas my son was so little that the thought of going out Christmas shopping was too much for me so I did a lot of my shopping online.
If you enter the website through an Ebates link you get cash. Ebates will actually mail you a check, or you can choose from their gift card selection. They have the option of putting an icon on your website dashboard that flashes when the site you are on is an ebates site. Recently they even started including coupons which saves me time researching (I make it my goal to never buy anything online without finding a coupon on the internet).
Coupon Apps – I have a couple of apps on my phone that give you money for groceries you are already buying and you can trade them in for gift cards.
Ibotta – My favorite app I have on my phone is Ibotta. You can get money back on items you are buying anyways like milk and eggs. They also have lots of items that you can cash in on. To receive your money, they pay out in either a Paypal deposit or gift cards from a variety of stores like Amazon. In 1 year I have made about $150.
They make it a team competition and you can make more money back when your team earns enough. Join my team!
Local store apps – Target, Meijer, Jo-anns, etc. all have apps for their store with coupons and some have extra rewards programs on them. I always check quick when I am at the store to make sure there isn’t any extra money I could be saving.
Half.com – You can sell used books of any kind. I still haven’t jumped on the e-book bandwagon so I have extra books that just take up room on my book shelf. I also got my husband on board selling some of his old college text books and computer programming books.
When you sell a book you do have to pack it up and take it to the post office, which can sometimes be a pain with kids in tow but it is always nice to have an out of the house adventure.
Direct Sales – I sell Wildtree, which is an organic all natural food product company, and I love the extra income and free product it brings in. Freezer meal workshops are big in this company where you are given a menu and provided assistance in making the meals. It helps with meal prep in my house too.
There are lots of direct sale companies out there and it always helps that you get free product and money in your pocket. With Wildtree, I am actually stocking my cupboard with free food to cut down on my grocery budget.
Sell your trade – Do you make killer cupcakes? All natural cleaning products? Have you perfected a Pinterest project? There are so many things that you can make (even if you are not crafty) that you can sell locally or on sites like Etsy.
For example, my husband studied graphic design in College, he has taught me some of the tricks of his trade and now I design business logos, invitations, and holiday cards for my friends and family.
I have been teaching myself photography and photo editing (with the help of my husband) and I have started a side photography business. Snaps by Kelly Mackie
When my Aunt had cancer, she came up with an idea to sell cards to help people have a way to communicate with people who are sick. We now try to keep her memory alive by selling Leslie’s Cancer Cards on Etsy.
I am also in the process of building my sewing inventory to open my own Etsy store, more on that to come.
While these might not be specific trades that you are good at, take a look at what you are good at that is marketable. There is always something! Good luck on your journey.
Do you already have a way that you make money? We would love to hear about it.
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