Tired of sacrificing time with your family for a job that you don’t love…or doesn’t love you? Supporting your family doesn’t mean you have to give up spending time with them! Keep reading for the best work from home jobs for moms that really work! How do I know? Because I’ve tried them!
My Journey to Becoming a Work at Home Mom
When I decided to become a stay at home mom six years ago, our yearly income was literally slashed in half! Working in the restaurant/event industry was tough with young kids and a baby, and it became clear that I couldn’t do what I used to do and still be the mom I wanted to be.
So my husband and I made the decision for me to become a stay at home mom. Our family had to make some BIG adjustments to our yearly budget…and FAST!
However, I wasn’t content to simply save money — I wanted to make money too! So I started looking into ways to become a work from home mom, while still having the flexibility to take care of my family.
I was not willing to sacrifice my health of my family anymore.
There just HAD to be ways to make money AND be happy. And I was determined to find them!
What Kind of Work Can I Do From Home?
We are a generation that is truly blessed. With the internet and social media, we have the ability to connect with others around the world…right from our home!
The possibilities for working from home are many! I’m going to go into detail about the ones that worked well for me (especially blogging…hellllooo!!) — I hope that this guide will help you to get ideas and realize your own work at home goals.
I know so many fellow moms that are making more money than they did at their “real jobs” and moms that have retired their husbands! (Like me!)
It is not a pipe dream…working from home is a legit career option if you are disciplined and determined. While it’s not “easy money” or a “get rich quick scheme” — you really CAN make money with a home based business if you put in the time and work.
6 Best Work from Home Jobs for Moms
These are REAL ways that I use to earn extra money online, while still being there for my girls during the day.
I’ve also included a couple things here that people I know personally have done with great success, because I wanted to be sure to show a variety of ideas.
1. Start a Blog
I might be a little biased (because I’m a blogger of course!), but it’s hard to deny that blogging is one of the best ways to make money. And it has one of the lowest start-up costs of any business…pretty much ever!
6 Reasons Blogging is an Awesome Side Hustle:
- Be your own boss
- Work anywhere, anytime
- No prior experience required
- Limitless income potential
- Minimal start-up investment
- It’s fun! (I love my job! And that’s something I’ve never been able to say before!)
Real Talk: I didn’t start my blog to make money. Seriously! I didn’t even know that you could make money blogging!
In fact, I laughed when my mom suggested that I look into monetization strategies. “How do you make money with a blog?!”Â
Well, I stand corrected because I am proof that not only can you earn extra money online blogging, but you can make a full time income!
If you enjoy writing and connecting with others online, blogging could be a perfect fit!
The first step: choose a website name and set up web hosting. I started with BlueHost and I love them! I truly think they are the best value for the money, especially when you’re just starting.
Sign up through my link for an exclusive offer for fans of The Soccer Mom Blog! Get hosting for as little as $2.95/month plus a FREE domain name ($15 value)!
Learn more about starting a blog:
- How to Start a Blog from the Ground Up in 10 Steps
- How to Start Making Money Blogging (Even as a Beginner)
- How Much Money Do Bloggers Make?
- 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Blog
2. Referral/Affiliate Programs
Is there a particular product or service that you can’t live without? Do you find yourself gushing about it to friends and family and encouraging them to try it too?
You should get paid for that right?!
Well in many cases, you can!
There are so many ways to become an affiliate, from a huge company like Amazon, to an author that wants help selling their book.
My favorite: the Ibotta app, which allows you to earn legit cash rebates on groceries, home goods, clothes, and more.
A few of my readers encouraged me to check Ibotta a couple years ago, so I signed up and gave it a try. I loved it and started telling everyone I knew about how I was getting rebates straight to my PayPal account. Each time one of my friends or family signed up, I got a small referral fee and they got a sign-up bonus!
How much can you make with Ibotta? It depends on what you buy and how many referrals you send, but I’m usually able to pay at least our cable bill each month. Definitely worth it!
Want to try Ibotta too? Sign-up here and get a $10 bonus! (limited time only)
I only do this for things that I genuinely love and use regularly because when you recommend something, it needs to be authentic or it’s going to come off like a sales pitch. And you don’t want to be “that guy” (or gal!)
3. Work as a Virtual Assistant
Do you have a knack for social media? Are you experienced in bookkeeping, administrative work, or graphic design?
These are just a few of the opportunities to work remotely from home!
Companies both large and small are hiring Virtual Assistants (VA) because they can pay for just the hours of work needed, while the VA gets to work from home on their own schedule. It’s a win-win for both parties!
How do I know? Because I hire virtual assistants to help me manage my growing workload!
Ways to set yourself up as a virtual assistant:
- Make sure you have an active social media presence and/or a website where people can find and contact you
- Join a networking group dedicated to VAs, like the International Virtual Assistants Association
- For a more direct approach, you can also set yourself up on a site like Fiverr, allowing customers to purchase your services a la carte
- Let friends and family know what you’re doing — word of mouth is one of the best ways to find work as a virtual assistant!
Read this next: How to Become a Virtual Assistant with NO Experience
4. Take Surveys Online
Online survey companies have gotten a bit of a bad rap, but it’s a legit way to earn extra money online. And it’s easy!
One of the most popular survey programs is Swagbucks — essentially you complete tasks and earn “swagbucks” to redeem for rewards. These rewards range from gift cards to PayPal cash. (Cha-Ching!)
Sign-up with Swagbucks here, and you’ll be on your way to making extra cash in seconds (literally!) I usually cash in my Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards to use on essentials that I would be ordering anyway. Except now they’re essentially free!
PS- Start with the very first survey listed (should take about 3 min). Once you complete this, it should open up a LOT more offers!
5. Write an Ebook
I’ve wanted to be an author since I was a kid. Growing up, I spent countless hours typing away on my home computer drafting plays, chapter books, and I even drew picture books for my younger siblings. That passion never went away, even though I took a hiatus from writing while I was working full time (sometimes a bad job can drain your creative energy).
When first quit my job I decided I was going to finally do it — I was going to write a book! It took almost a full year to figure out exactly what I was called to write about first, but published my first Ebook, Secrets to a Successful Single Income Budget and then I co-authored The Slime Book with a friend and fellow blogger.
The Slime Book was even picked up by a publishing company and is now a print book too! Exciting stuff!
How to Write an Ebook
It’s easier than you would think (well, the technical part, that is!) Thanks to the internet, self-publishing has become easy, affordable, and legitimate! I used the iBooks Author app for Mac: it’s free(!), has plenty of templates to get you started, and publishes to multiple formats.
The best part about writing an ebook is that once it is done, it’s done! You can submit it to Amazon, the iTunes store, or even sell it yourself on your website or social media and it can make money without you having to lift another finger.
I personally know some ebook authors who make hundreds or even thousands of dollars every month with their work. Ebooks are a way for anyone to earn extra money online!
6. Create an Online Store
The possibilities are endless! Here are just a few ideas:
- Open an Etsy shop — If you have a talent for making crafts, home decor items, printables, jewelry, etc. this allows you to put those skills to use and earn extra income online!
- Create an online boutique — My former co-worked founded Ladyfish Boutique a few years ago and it was my go-to for unique clothing finds! She was always selling out! Now she’s moved on to pursue another dream of custom cookies. You really can do anything you want to, with the power of online selling!
- Design T-shirts and custom merchandise online — Amazon Merch and Rush Order Tees are a couple popular options that handle the order-taking, production, and shipping for you! All you do is create fabulous designs!
A Work at Home Mom Must Have 3 Things:
- Patience
- Hustle
- Creativity
It takes time to build a home-based business or simply earn extra money online, so don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen instantly.
Some income streams like surveys allow you to earn extra money online pretty quickly, others require time to set up and build a following.
However, the above ways to earn extra money online really do WORK if you’re willing to put in the effort.
But remember the benefits!
Working from home allows you to spend more time with your family and have a more flexible schedule than traditional employment.
And that makes all the hard work worth it for me!
What I hope you take away from this…
With a little creativity and some hustle, you CAN earn extra money online (all while working from the comfort of your couch!)
These are just a few of the ways you could get started, and ones that I have tried or personally seen work for someone close to me.
Do you have any other ways that you’ve been making money at home? Share your tips below!
How to Use a Blog Income Report to Grow Your Business
Want more blogging tips?
Check out more of my popular blogging posts:
- How Much Does it Cost to Start a Blog?
- How to Become a Virtual Assistant with No Experience
- 12 Things to do Every Time You Write a Blog Post
- The Secret to Writing a Blog that People WANT to Read
- 6 Reasons You Need an Email List for Your Blog
- How to Start a Blog in 5 Steps
- 4 Reasons Your Blog Won’t Make Money (and How to Fix It)
- 5 Ways Bloggers Make Money
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Haima says
A very helpful and informative post!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Thanks Haima! 🙂
Sarah says
Stacey,
I came across your site from Pinterest, and already have looked at two articles. I read so many articles like this so I guess these things are legitimate enough that they appear on so many sites and blogs as ways to make money.
Hopefully one day soon I can say I’m earning money with a blog. I’m trying to keep it simple and for now that means writing on LinkedIn Plus. I highly suggest that as a way to get started for readers who want to write professional articles geared toward a variety of audiences.
note: My blog is currently not active as I changed focus to LinkedIn and away from WordPress.com after taking a long break.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Sarah,
You’re right, LinkedIn can be a great way to start writing, especially for things that could be more business and career related. You’ve made a smart decision to focus on a social media platform that you think could be most beneficial to the type of writing you do and audience you want to reach. Over time, you’ll want to learn how to optimize your work for other social media platforms and diversify (and increase) your traffic. I’m actually working on an ebook about how I grew my blog into a business in a year’s time, so stay tuned 🙂 Feel free to email me if you ever want to talk further. I’ve started consulting on a very part-time basis, but don’t mind answering questions here and there.
Heathers Heaven says
Hey stacey! This was a great article with lots of suggestions for those looking to work from home. I was wondering what plugin you used in the meet stacey section. Your blog looks great!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
I actually didn’t use a plugin, the “Meet Stacey” is part of my sidebar. Your theme should have a section where you can edit yours.
Heather says
Ok thanks it’s probably just the theme I’m using which I’m hoping to get genesis here sol
DNN says
It’s always good for mothers to blog away especially after giving birth.