A lot of the Stay at Home Moms (SAHMs) I know were once working! Maybe not working moms, but working wives. They were contributing to their family's bottom line and relying on that paycheck. This was the case with me. In fact, I never intended to be a SAHM. We never planned for it financially - except if you count the two weeks between when I gave my notice and when I stopped working. At that point we knew we were going to one income. At least we thought we would solely be relying on my husband's paycheck. Turns out, I've found a few ways to bring home a pretty decent chunk of change while raising my daughter.
There are SAHM and then there are WAHM. I consider myself to be both. When I think of a work at home mom I usually think of someone who has a home office, telecommutes or freelances. I don't fall into any of these categories. But I do work from home with a baby, no less! I've found this site called Ehow where I can continue doing what I love - writing - and make money online all at the same time. I'm not committed to write any certain number of articles or on any specific topic. It's totally up to me when and what I write about. The great part is it's passive residual income, meaning the articles can continue to make money long after they're written. But I get no upfront payment for articles, so if it's a dud it could sit at $0 forever! The first month I was on Ehow I made a whopping $7. It's been 5 months and this month I'll get paid more than $120 for my Ehow articles. Here's more about my success on Ehow and some information if you want to get started too - it's free to sign up! (I get nothing out of you signing up, I'm simply passing along the information.)
I've also started my hand at Ebay. I first started by just looking around my house and seeing what I could easily get rid of. Stuff I no longer used, clothes that were too small, too big or never worn, purses that were collecting dust, an old flute...you get the point. Each month I've sold at least one item on Ebay which gives me a little extra money. Now, there are people who make a huge portion of their monthly income selling stuff on Ebay...they go to garage sales, buy wholesale, resell deeply discounted sale items for a profit (which I've tried and wouldn't recommend) and so on. I have simply looked around my house and sold what I no longer use and so far I've made between $10 and $75 a month through my Ebay sales.
This next money making tip is perhaps the easiest, but I have to admit it hasn't paid off for me just yet. Did you realize you could have unclaimed money just sitting somewhere waiting for you to claim it? Millions of dollars is being held by the government because people forget they have it! The IRS has unclaimed money, state treasury departments hold onto unclaimed property and funds, insurance companies and banks are waiting for people to come get their money, too! It's so easy to search for your lost money...all you have to do is enter your last name and the state where you live or lived and a database will pull up any missing money that belongs to you. (If you don't find your name on your first search, try back in six months the database is always being updated.) While I was trying this with my last name I found my husband's aunt. It said she was owed more than $100 from a time (who knows how long ago) when they lived in another state. I informed her of this and she was told she had an unclaimed escrow account of between $800 and $1000 waiting for her. She filled out the paperwork to claim her unclaimed money and is waiting for the check. That's like free money with no work involved!!!
So if you're like me and you're always thinking about your family's bottom line do something about it. Even if you're not making a traditional income you can make an income. Be creative, use the skills and knowledge you have - be it writing, sewing, researching, teaching - and put them to work on YOUR time. You'll be able to raise your children and contribute financially!
Recommended Reading:
Tips for Surviving on One Income
Use Free Budget Worksheets to See Where You Can Cut Expenses
Ehow.com
Make Money Writing Online on Your Time
Search for Unclaimed Money Belonging to You
Unclaimed Funds and IRS Rebates
How to Claim Unclaimed Money
Favorite WAHM Blogs:
Make Money Writing and Working from Home
Work at Mom Blog
1 comment:
Transitioning form two incomes for one meant budgeting and living more simply for us. Once I started making money online as a work at home mom, the increased income allowed more breathing room. I am thankful for all the opportunities online -- it's been a blessing for my family!
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