this sahm needs to make some $$$

[Picabo]

I'm fortunate to be a SAHM to our 2 little girls but in our case - it doesn't make financial sense for me to go back to work. I was a travel agent and what I'd get paid would barely cover daycare for 2 kids in our area. Then I'd still have to come home to do all the cooking and laundry and bedtime routines, etc. (DH is VERY little help) So it just doesn't make sense. Fortunately my husband has a good job and while it requires him to work a good 60hrs or so a week, he at least is home each evening and is able to do things from home.
Also - I don't know the story behind the woman with the maid but I have to admit that we do have a cleaning lady come but just once a month. I do all the stuff in between but I find it IMPOSSIBLE to have a chunck of time large enough to get EVERYTHING done so the house at least is clean and tidy all at the same time. So we have her come once a month and she's very reasonable. When the kids are a bit older and not as dependant on me, that will change though. Trust me - I HATE paying someone else to do it but I just can't stand doing vacuuming one day, bathrooms another, etc. I like to at least occassionally have my entire house clean all at the same time.
In terms of making extra $$ - have you tried any home-based businesses like Pampered Chef, Usborne Books, etc? I used to sell for Usborne and if you are consistant with it, you can easily make a good $100-200/show in commission. But I had to stop b/c DH wasn't able to watch the kids in the evenings for me to be able to go out and do homeshows. Even then - you can make a lot of money selling to schools and libraries and doing school bookfairs, etc. Something to look into. (I can hook you up if you're interested, PM me!) I have a friend who sells Pampered Chef and she makes about $1k/month! But she is ALWAYS having home shows and stays pretty busy with that on the weekends and evenings when her husband is home.

Anyhow, hope that helps. I, too, am keeping my eye open for some good ideas. My biggest issue is no break from the kids and no support from DH in that regard.

 

[momxx5]

There are some good ideas from posters. I just wanted to say good luck. DH recently lost his excellent paying job due to the yucky economy. I don't think he'll ever find a job making that kind of money again. So, since your hubby is making good money, maybe it would be a good idea to take a look at what y'all are spending money on and then decide what is more important? New clothes for the girls or a SAHM, sometimes its sacrafices that make it all work. I have stayed at home for over 14 yrs to raise my kids, again with DH making excellent pay, but since his is now out of work I have been putting in applications everywhere, unfortunately our area is not hiring anywhere. Even the school system is laying off over 100 teachers, there is a freeze of hiring and all the laid off teachers are not put on the sublists so that is not off my list. Again, lots of luck to you.

 

[Picabo]

There are some good ideas from posters. I just wanted to say good luck. DH recently lost his excellent paying job due to the yucky economy. I don't think he'll ever find a job making that kind of money again. So, since your hubby is making good money, maybe it would be a good idea to take a look at what y'all are spending money on and then decide what is more important? New clothes for the girls or a SAHM, sometimes its sacrafices that make it all work. I have stayed at home for over 14 yrs to raise my kids, again with DH making excellent pay, but since his is now out of work I have been putting in applications everywhere, unfortunately our area is not hiring anywhere. Even the school system is laying off over 100 teachers, there is a freeze of hiring and all the laid off teachers are not put on the sublists so that is not off my list. Again, lots of luck to you.

This is a very good point. And, sooo sorry to hear about DH loosing his job. I can't imagine how scary and difficult it must be right now.

I should have added to my above post that while DH makes a good salary and we have a nice house and 3 nice cars, we live pretty frugally. I buy my kids clothes at Target/Walmart. Heck, I buy my own clothes there too but I rarely get new clothes for myself. Shoes are always from Payless or Marshalls, etc. We go out to eat MAYBE once a month, at most. We feel it's more important to make sure we have a decent cushion "just in case" as previous poster pointed out. Yes, may of us are fortunate to be able to do it but it's a scary though of "what if" happens.

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

I'm a SAHM who recently became an independent contractor for a very reputable company. I work from home using my phone and computer, and don't have to worry about background noise. I can't say much more on here because I don't want to get in trouble, but you can PM me if you want more info.

 

[PinkRhombus]

RE: Craigslist

How good are you with a paint brush and staple/glue guns?

I find some chairs or little tables cheap at yardsales, Goodwill, etc. They have to be the right style.

I'm not talking about wing chairs or anything...just ones with the upholstered seat cushions.

Paint them (spray primer is a BIG time saver)...recover the seat...and then sell them for a decent profit.

I've done this a few times with ones that I've bought for my actual use and then changed my mind.

Maybe some old chests. French/English Country is always good. I think that shabby thing is still going strong, too.

You have to go for the real wood stuff though.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I am not a SAHM, in fact I don't have children, but I wanted to supplement mine and Dh's income so we can go to Disney more, so I just becamse an AVON Independant Sales Rep. PM me and I will give you my site address and you can check out how to do it and it only costs $10 to start up.

Suzanne

 

[surfergirl602]

If you're that short every single month, maybe staying home isn't the best option for your family.

For the poster who said she has a friend that makes her husband work three jobs ~ that's horrible!!

I'm fortunate to be a SAHM and thankfully, my DH only has to work one job to maintain the style I've become accustomed to.

No, we're not short. Not at all. I would just like to help contribute to the vacation fund if I can. And bringing in a little extra helps out with the rising gas prices and the food bill, too. I have three girls that dance, and their accessories are getting more expensive. So helping out the family when I can is what I am trying to do.

 

[surfergirl602]

This is a very good point. And, sooo sorry to hear about DH loosing his job. I can't imagine how scary and difficult it must be right now.

I should have added to my above post that while DH makes a good salary and we have a nice house and 3 nice cars, we live pretty frugally. I buy my kids clothes at Target/Walmart. Heck, I buy my own clothes there too but I rarely get new clothes for myself. Shoes are always from Payless or Marshalls, etc. We go out to eat MAYBE once a month, at most. We feel it's more important to make sure we have a decent cushion "just in case" as previous poster pointed out. Yes, may of us are fortunate to be able to do it but it's a scary though of "what if" happens.

exactly. New clothes are from the clearance racks at the PX, which usually are 50 or 75% off! Shoes come from walmart, or payless during a bogo, and I don't remember when I bought something for myself. We use coupons, and use sam's club for the dog food, and big lot items. my DH makes a good amount of money as an Army officer. I just feel like I should be helping out if I can to put stuff away for college, pay off school loans. Getting a job just doesn't seem feasible to me. Around here it would pay for daycare and gas. What's the point?

 

[PrincessKell]

RE: Craigslist

How good are you with a paint brush and staple/glue guns?

I find some chairs or little tables cheap at yardsales, Goodwill, etc. They have to be the right style.

I'm not talking about wing chairs or anything...just ones with the upholstered seat cushions.

Paint them (spray primer is a BIG time saver)...recover the seat...and then sell them for a decent profit.

I've done this a few times with ones that I've bought for my actual use and then changed my mind.

Maybe some old chests. French/English Country is always good. I think that shabby thing is still going strong, too.

You have to go for the real wood stuff though.

Also another good place to look for these things are on freecycle. I got the cutest little dress that holds my fabric stash right now until I get my big dresser for it. When I am done with it, I plan on doing what the pp said. Paint it up and sell it. I am a single mom who is at home on disability with broken ankles, so its super hard time for us right now. I sew clothes for my dd, and sell them to help ends meet.

I see you sell on etsy. How is that working for you. if you advertise for that, it could bring you in a decent amount of money. good luck!

 

[Tree]

I have been working for several inbound call centers for over 7 years-I work while the kids are in school and on the weekends while hubby is home . Now that school is out I do an early morning shift and have my days free. work at home phone job has a listing of some call centers.

 

[disneyjunkie]

No, we're not short. Not at all. I would just like to help contribute to the vacation fund if I can. And bringing in a little extra helps out with the rising gas prices and the food bill, too. I have three girls that dance, and their accessories are getting more expensive. So helping out the family when I can is what I am trying to do.

Why not work part time during the summer and/or Christmas season?

 

[SaraJayne]

No, we're not short. Not at all. I would just like to help contribute to the vacation fund if I can. And bringing in a little extra helps out with the rising gas prices and the food bill, too. I have three girls that dance, and their accessories are getting more expensive. So helping out the family when I can is what I am trying to do.

Sorry, I apparently misunderstood this ~

I am nowhere near the amount I need to get it deposited into my account. What can I do to bring in a few hundred a month?

If dance is becoming a problem, maybe it's time to give it up. Sometimes when you only have one parent getting a paycheck, sacrifices need to be made.

Dance definitely isn't a necessity and is very expensive. That would probably give you more than the amount you are looking for per month.

 

[Mom2JPL]

I'm not sure what your husband's schedule is, but maybe you can get a part-time job waitressing. I just did this myself, working around my dh's schedule, and I'm able to do it 3 or 4 nights per week, which brings in, on average, an extra $150+ per week.

Good luck with whatever you decide...it was a difficult decision for me to get a job, since I love being home with my kids, but I have to tell you that getting out a few nights a weeks and being with other adults that I work with (and getting paid to get people things, LOL, instead of just "mom, I need.." all day) is making me just a little happier all around. My dh works a job where he is paid commission only and is only paid once a month, so this is really helping us out.

 

[Metsfan520]

I was just reading this thread & I noticed that a few people suggested watching other people's kids. I know you said that wouldn't work out, but I'd be careful before starting to do that. It may depend on where you live--one of my friends lives in a condo & the condo board frowns on people running day care. They have no problem if you are related to the kids (as was my friend--she used to watch her sister's kids). Also, you may want to check out what your local town or county requires. Some may require you to be licensed if you want to watch more than 1 kid that isn't related. And I don't want to be a downer, but just the other day a toddler drowned while at an in-home day care--the caregiver had a cold & took some meds, they made her sleepy, and she dosed off. The child ended up in a bucket of mop water & died. So I'd think long & hard about doing that.

 

[PinkRhombus]

Why not work part time during the summer and/or Christmas season?

Who is going to watch the kids during the day?

It's easier to work part time when the kids are actually in school.

 

[surfergirl602]

I was just reading this thread & I noticed that a few people suggested watching other people's kids. I know you said that wouldn't work out, but I'd be careful before starting to do that. It may depend on where you live--one of my friends lives in a condo & the condo board frowns on people running day care. They have no problem if you are related to the kids (as was my friend--she used to watch her sister's kids). Also, you may want to check out what your local town or county requires. Some may require you to be licensed if you want to watch more than 1 kid that isn't related. And I don't want to be a downer, but just the other day a toddler drowned while at an in-home day care--the caregiver had a cold & took some meds, they made her sleepy, and she dosed off. The child ended up in a bucket of mop water & died. So I'd think long & hard about doing that.

I'm the OP, and I rent my house, and I am not allowed to run any sort of business in it. Watching other people's kids for money would get me kicked out.

 

[scotdog]

What about a paper route? My older son and I do it, and it pays for the extras. We start at 5:00 and are done by 6:30, which is before my husband leaves for work.

 

[princessfionasmom]

I was facing the same issue and recently started my own internet marketing and product brokerage business with Market America. I am just starting out but I love it already. If you want to know more, PM me or email me at carmelmelling@hotmail.com and I give you more info. It's a great job because you can take it with you anywhere and you make your own hours. It is a job and not a get rich quick type of thing. I'm really enjoying it.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Who is going to watch the kids during the day?

It's easier to work part time when the kids are actually in school.

Who said she has to work during the day?

If her husband works during the day, then she could work a few nights a week.

 

[3boymthr]

Well, this won't help until fall, but our school has moms come in to be playground monitors. Our school is always looking for new people. It's always moms who do this and almost always only until their kids are out of elementary school. They pay minimum wage, so it only works out to about $50/week but you get to bring your kids with you and they can play on the playground too. They also have lunchroom monitors and again pay about $10/day. I know you said you're military and I don't think they do this, but check with the local school system to see if they do this.