Four Ways To Earn Extra Money As A Stay At Home Mum

Today I'm pleased to bring you a guest post from Ruth who blogs about genuine ways to make money online at Ruthmakesmoney.com, including freelance writing, eBay reselling, and matched betting.

I’m Ruth, and about eight years ago now, I ditched my full-time job as an HR manager to become self-employed and work from home. It’s been a journey full of ups and downs and wins and losses, but it’s also been massively rewarding, and the single best decision that I’ve ever made.

Nearly a decade down the line, I still get excited each and every day about all the opportunities that are available to us if we want to make money on our terms, from the comfort of our own homes.

You don’t have to stick it out at a job you hate. You don’t have to miss bedtimes and bath times in the name of keeping your boss happy. And whether you’d benefit from an extra £50 a month, or you dream of earning a full-time income working for yourself, whilst looking after your kids, it’s very possible for you to do that.

The first step is working out the kind of methods that appeal to you, and deciding on the route that you want to go down. 

Photo by Philip Veater on Unsplash

Here are four ways to earn extra money as a stay at home mum…

Offer your services as a freelancer

Think about the skills that you’ve acquired throughout your working life… Are you great at typing, or getting things organised? Can you design websites, or eye-catching logos? Or have you always had a passion for the written word, and love firing out blog posts just for fun? Whatever it is, it’s highly likely that there’s a small business owner out there who’s looking for exactly what you can offer.

The beauty of freelancing is that it’s totally flexible. You get to choose how many hours you work, what kind of tasks you complete, and how much you charge. A great place to get started is sites like People Per Hour and Freelancer. Here, you can search for opportunities that you’re interested in and start sending proposals to potential clients.

Buy things for cheap and sell them for a profit on eBay

Most of us have got a little experience of getting rid of our unwanted items on eBay. But did you know that you can create a business out of picking up low-cost items at places like car boot sales and charity shops, then flip them for a profit using online marketplaces? This is one of my favourite ways to make money online. It’s fun, and it basically involves getting paid to go shopping. Who doesn’t fancy a bit of that?!

I typically buy and sell clothes, because they’re what interest me most. As a few quick examples, this week I’ve sold items including a dress for £25 that I bought for £3, and a skirt for £14.99 that I bought for £1. There are eBay fees and postage costs to consider, of course, but if you get your calculations right, there’s plenty of profit to be made. 

Cash in on free bets with online bookies through matched betting

I’m firmly of the belief that if something sounds too good to be true when it comes to making money online, then it usually is. The one and only exception that I’ve found to that rule is matched betting. This is a strategy that you can use to leverage free bets from online bookmakers to create profits without risking your own money – as long, of course, as you follow the system and you’re not tempted to start having a flutter. It may sound a little dodgy, but it’s 100% genuine and completely legal.

My own journey with matched betting earnings saw me making over £400 in my first month, and I’ve managed to sustain similar figures since. My main advice with this one would be that if you don’t trust yourself to stick to the plan, and you think you may be tempted to slide into gambling, then avoid it. If it’s right for you though, you could make some really decent money by dedicating just a couple of hours a week. The best bit? Your profits are completely tax-free, so they’re all yours to keep!

Start a money-making blog

Is there a particular subject that you just can’t shut up about? Whether it’s parenting, cookery, fitness, or just about anything else that you could think of, you could start a blog and share your thoughts and experiences with the world. I’ll be totally honest here… This is not a quick fix, and it can take months of hard work before you even earn a single penny. If you’re in it for the long haul though, it can turn into an extremely rewarding and profitable career.

Bloggers make their money in lots of different ways… Some offer advertising space on their sites. Some are involved in affiliate programmes, which means that they earn a commission when their readers make a purchase on their recommendation. Some invite brands and businesses to publish sponsored content on their blog. The possibilities really are endless, and the added bonus is that you get to make a living out of something that lights you up.

These options here are just the tip of the iceberg, and you’ll quickly find that there are so many different legitimate opportunities out there. My advice for your next steps? Choose one, and commit to it. Don’t try to spread yourself too thin, and don’t try to do too much at once.

If you can spend just a small amount of time each and every day on creating and building your income stream – even if it’s just twenty minutes – then you could start to see some amazing progress quicker than you might think.

Thank so much to Ruth for sharing these fantastic tips with us all.