Please delete

[lolobug]

Can someone help me make additional income? I
Stay at home with 2 little girls, I'd love a job that I could complete at my own leisure

 

[brymolmom]

This topic comes up on here a LOT...So a search should get you some ideas. Basics from what I have seen:
1) It is WORK - so the only people who really make 'any' money from it put many hours into it (ie: it isn't really leisure). Although some make a few extra dollars here and there doing some sorts of surveys, etc.
2) Many who have work from home situations have a specific skill that can be marketed to companies.
3) There are many 'house party' type jobs that many will say will help you out. But that often means many evenings away from the family.
4) IMO - the best way to stay at home and make real money for someone without other marketable skills is to do childcare...all day, before school, after school, etc. Depending on your location you could make $500 - $1,000 per week this way (not sure about tax implications).

Good luck.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Can someone help me make additional income? I
Stay at home with 2 little girls, I'd love a job that I could complete at my own leisure

Wouldn't everybody love to work at their leisure????? No such thing! As someone who works from home, I'm insulted by those who think it's just a hobby! I work every bit as hard as those who have "real" jobs. If you find someone who pays you for your leisure time, please share with us all!!

 

[skatalite]

Like bymolmom said, you'd have an easier time if you have skills that make you more marketable. Like data entry, programming, Web development, child care, etc.

Or, spend money to make money. Try your hand at buying old furniture and refinishing it, for example.

 

[lolobug]

Wouldn't everybody love to work at their leisure????? No such thing! As someone who works from home, I'm insulted by those who think it's just a hobby! I work every bit as hard as those who have "real" jobs. If you find someone who pays you for your leisure time, please share with us all!!

I really didn't mean to insult anyone. I was simply implying I, personally, would like to make a few extra bucks around my kid's schedule. I'm sure you work very hard and I hope you are adequately compensated for your work. I would expect the same, a few bucks here and there for work that fits around my schedule. If I was interested in a full-time position, I would have stated full-time work. GL to you, no insults implied

 

[sissy_ib]

I have a few friends who work from home and they are not flexible with their hours. They have to be online at certain times so they cannot work around anything else.

 

[Dizisfun]

My sister used to work from home for a credit card company. But her hours were not flexible. If she was offline she had to call and take leave or vacAtion time.

 

[lolobug]

Thank you all for the input, I appreciate your suggestions!

 

[DisneyOrBustColorado]

I can personally say that there are ways to work from home & make money. Somewhat in your 'leisure' time. Don't be down or listen to people that say you can't make money in your 'leisure' time. I can speak from personal experience on this one. I developed a specific skill in an area that I found there was a need. I am the mother of 2 young boys & I admit that sometimes I have to put in some extra hours to meet deadlines & keep my clients happy, but most of the time I can make my own hours. I have been very, very blessed in this way. I have almost made up my income as a full time x-ray tech previous to having children. There is a possibility that I could even make more, but I don't advertise & only work by word of mouth because I don't want to get too busy to interfere with my full time job as a mom.

My advice would be for you to look at things that you are good at & passionate about & then find a place where there may be a need or use for that. Day Care is not a bad idea. Are you a crafty person? Can you make jewelery or sew things? If so, maybe you could market your items on etsy? I would say that the single most important thing to what you do is having contacts & being social. Sometimes who you know is more important than what you know. Look for something that that would interest & be marketable to the people that you are around. Maybe sewing dresses for your girls? Your work will advertise itself when people tell you how cute they look. I know that there is a demand on etsy for Disney designs such as Fish Extenders. Find something that you are good at & passionate about & just start doing it.

Don't ever give up & don't let anyone else tell you what you can & can't do. If you have the heart & the desire & are driven enough to make it through some of the rough times, anything is possible. I'm sure there were some people that thought Walt Disney was crazy at some point, but he proved them all wrong.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

I do freelance writing and editing from home. Hours are completely flexible, and I can work at little or as much as my schedule allows. I have 3 kids at home, so I can really only get work done early in the morning or at night after my kids go to bed.

 

[JimPGH]

Blank

 

[DizMe]

I knit purses. I'll never get rich, but I am able to sell my purses for $50 and earn some extra cash. Out of the $50, I spend about $10 on materials. I usually do it at night, after everyone else goes to bed. It sounds like a lot for a purse but it does take many hours to make one so I'm limited in how many I can produce. My max number would be 8/month. For most people, it wouldn't be worth it but I do enjoy knitting. I just started making mukluks and hats so we'll see how that pans out. I got started making purses when I made one as a gift and began getting a lot of requests from the friends and acquaintances of the person I gave it to.

I also have an idea that I think would pay pretty well. I don't plan to do it myself but recognized the need for it after my dad moved in with us 3 years ago. He is 85 and has dementia. We tried placing him in assisted care but he hated it, so we moved him in with us. While he was in the care facility and since coming to live with us I have come to the conclusion that there is probably a very large demand for an elderfriend service. If you could coordinate a group of people--college students, for instance--who would each spend X amount of time per week with an elderly person, I think you would have a great deal of business. I'm not talking about doing any grooming or health care, I just mean someone to sit and talk, play games, go on outings, and things of that nature. So many old people are lonely and bored. As the facilitator, you would not be the one visiting the elderly but would be responsible for coordinating things, payroll, etc. With a service like this, families could hire someone to spend a little time with their parent/family member in a friendly capacity on a regular basis and maybe take them on an outing. This is all in my head and I've no idea how involved it would be to set up something like that or how lucrative it might be, but I can tell you that there would be a lot of interest.

 

[pocomom]

I do office work for a mid range company that has quarterly needs. Lots of businesses have extra work here in there, whether seasonal, quarterly or end of year... more and more opportunities are from home. I work in my "spare" time (although when I am working I put in at least 40 hours a week) for 2-3 weeks at a time every quarter. It is mind numbingly boring work but I get paid as much as I could reasonably make full time, as a stay at home mom of 12 years especially if you account for childcare. I would ask around. Small businesses often need help here and there, but can't afford a full time position. Tell your firends and family you are looking, start making contacts. Good Luck!

 

[lolobug]

I can personally say that there are ways to work from home & make money. Somewhat in your 'leisure' time. Don't be down or listen to people that say you can't make money in your 'leisure' time. I can speak from personal experience on this one. I developed a specific skill in an area that I found there was a need. I am the mother of 2 young boys & I admit that sometimes I have to put in some extra hours to meet deadlines & keep my clients happy, but most of the time I can make my own hours. I have been very, very blessed in this way. I have almost made up my income as a full time x-ray tech previous to having children. There is a possibility that I could even make more, but I don't advertise & only work by word of mouth because I don't want to get too busy to interfere with my full time job as a mom.

My advice would be for you to look at things that you are good at & passionate about & then find a place where there may be a need or use for that. Day Care is not a bad idea. Are you a crafty person? Can you make jewelery or sew things? If so, maybe you could market your items on etsy? I would say that the single most important thing to what you do is having contacts & being social. Sometimes who you know is more important than what you know. Look for something that that would interest & be marketable to the people that you are around. Maybe sewing dresses for your girls? Your work will advertise itself when people tell you how cute they look. I know that there is a demand on etsy for Disney designs such as Fish Extenders. Find something that you are good at & passionate about & just start doing it.

Don't ever give up & don't let anyone else tell you what you can & can't do. If you have the heart & the desire & are driven enough to make it through some of the rough times, anything is possible. I'm sure there were some people that thought Walt Disney was crazy at some point, but he proved them all wrong.

Thank you, very very much!

 

[Eureka]

I do freelance writing and editing from home. Hours are completely flexible, and I can work at little or as much as my schedule allows. I have 3 kids at home, so I can really only get work done early in the morning or at night after my kids go to bed.

I am a freelance writer too. I started when the kids were pre-k and could really only do research when they were home/awake. I had to actually write when they were asleep.

 

[crazelion]

this board has a lot information on how work from home.

http://www.workplacelikehome.com/forum/index.php

This where I got a lot of my information from. I love amazon mturk that I do at my leisure most of the time.

 

[Tree]

I have been working from home 10 years working around my kids schedule- I have several different eggs and have a goal of 1800-2500 a month. I do phone work, freelancing writer and work as a virtual assistant for several different real estate agents.

 

[Disneefun]

I've worked from home since 1999. The thing is, there are no "instant jobs" or "jobs in a box." So many people look for something easy, but there's no such thing. Even though it's from home, it's still work.

I think that's what gets people a little hacked off when people post here looking for WAH ideas; that there is this expectation that you can work whenever you want and make a decent wage. (Because that's what some people have literally posted asking for. "How can I do as little as possible, but still make a lot of money?" Not saying the OP is doing this, but so many people do, I think that's where some of the "insult" comes from.) But that's not the case. Sure, you might get rich, but you're going to get there because you work your butt off, not because you fit work in amongst all your other duties and make it the lowest priority in your life.

Legitimate employers and businesses you start yourself require time and effort. Sure, you might have some flexibility in your hours, but it might not be as much as you think.

To make money at anything requires time, effort and skill. I always tell people not to look for a ready-made or "insta-job." Find something you're passionate about and do that. That passion will keep you going when it gets hard, and believe me, it will. If you take a job-in-a-box kind of thing or choose an employer just because they allow you to work from home and you don't love it, you're going to be miserable and, since you're working from home, you won't be able to leave your misery behind at 5:00. It will dog you all night and all weekend.

Just my .02