How to make extra money from home.
A few years ago I made a promise, to myself and to my family. I promised that I would figure out a few ways to earn money from home.
You see, I am a stay at home mom…I have been for 15 years. I love this job. It is important to me to be available to my kids before school, during school and after school. I get that this isn’t what’s best for every family, it’s just what’s best for me personally. Like I always say, there are a thousand different ways to be a FABULOUS parent!
The problem was that, I also wanted to contribute to the family income. I like money (don’t we all???). My husband doesn’t earn a huge paycheck, and I really wanted to help our family financially.
So, I promised myself that I would find a way to earn money while still being a stay at home mom.
I tried teaching piano lessons from home. But, the schedule didn’t work with my kids schedule.
Then, I started cleaning Airbnb rentals, which technically isn’t out of the home…and that was the problem. I hated leaving the kids alone for hours while I went to clean. They are old enough to be alone…but it just didn’t work for us.
And, that is why I started this little blog. Honestly, I do not earn a ton of money from blogging, but I earn a little bit, so I keep working at it.
I get that blogging isn’t a job for everyone, but there are so many ways to earn money from home! There truly is a job for all personalities and talents.
Who Can Benefit From Working From Home?
There are many, many people who could benefit from an at home job:
- Stay at Home Moms who want to earn an extra income (like me!)
- Someone wanting a more flexible work schedule
- If you are paying off debt, and want an extra income to pay it off quicker
- Anyone looking to make extra money in addition to your 8-5 job
This article contains affiliate links. I will earn a commission from purchases made using links in this post.
How to Make Extra Money From Home
Sell Your Clutter
We all have clutter sitting around our house (or is it just me…..). Sell these items online to earn a little cash. Every 6 weeks or so I like to grab a few unused items around the house and list them for sell. I don’t make a lot of money doing this, but I do make some spending money. And you can too!
You can sell items in your home on websites like:
Sell Baked Goods
Do you love to bake? Make a business out of it! You could bake specialty cakes, cupcakes, cookies or other desserts and sell them for special occasions.
This has been a successful side hustle for many bakers. Start spreading the word among family, friends and Facebook offering your services for special occasions. I love to support in home bake shops!
Do Online Transcription Work
A transcriptionist listens to recorded audio files and converts them to text. This is usually done for medical or legal companies, but other companies hire transcription work as well.
Transcription work can be easy to learn and has many possibilities available, all from home. The only skills required are the ability to listen and type what you hear, not bad!
If you want to learn more check out this article from The Penny Hoarder. She gives great details about where to find transcription jobs.
Become an Online Tutor
Another one of the great ways to earn money from home is to become an online tutor. This is a great opportunity for anyone who enjoys teaching kids. Look into companies like Tutors.com for teaching opportunities. This could be such a rewarding job!
Start a Blog
I fell in love with blogging a couple of years ago and haven’t looked back. It truly is the perfect fit for me. Blogging stretches my talents and interests while providing a little bit of spending money to me and my family. Some day I hope to earn a bigger income, but for now I enjoy learning and growing.
If you are interested in starting a blog, be sure to sign up for Crystal Paines Free Blogging Webinar to teach you exactly how to start a money making blog. And, feel free to ask me any questions, I love to talk blogging!
- Related: How Do Bloggers Make Money
Use Cashback Websites
You can earn a little extra cash just by shopping normally. Every time I shop online I use the Rakuten website to earn cashback. It’s super easy to start earning!
All you have to do is:
- Log into the Rakuten website or app
- Select the store you want to shop at (they have almost every online store, seriously).
- You will then be redirected to that store website
- Shop as normal and complete your purchase.
- You will then receive a percentage of cashback from your purchase! It’s as easy as that! Rakuten sends checks out every three months, it’s such a fun mail day when it arrives!
My rule is to NEVER do any online shopping without going to the Rakuten website first! New signups can even get a $10 bonus after spending $25 using Rakuten! It’s a great way to try it out, while earning money at the same time.
- Related: 5 Ways to Earn CASHBACK on Purchases
Sell Your Photography
If you enjoy taking pictures consider selling them online. You don’t even need a fancy camera, just use your phone! There are many websites out there who are willing to buy your images for their stock photography. A few websites to check out first are: SmugMug, Getty Images, and 500px.
Rent Out a Room on Airbnb
Another great way to earn money from home is by renting out a room on Airbnb. Is there possibly a room or area in your home that goes unused? This might be a basement, Mother-In-Law Apartment or Guest House. These would all be perfect spots to rent out. If it’s not being used, you might as well make some money from it, right?!?!
Create Online Courses
I love online courses! I’m always taking one, for reals! It’s just SO convenient to take a course online rather than having to take the time and hassle to learn all of the information myself.
Think of something that you are an expert on, and create a course out of it! I know people who have created courses about: painting, web design, photography, sewing, math, fashion, makeup and MORE! Really anything! Pick a passion, and develop a profitable course from it. Signing up with a platform like Thinkific makes course creation even easier!
Become a Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is a great work from home job, with hundreds of different possibilities, depending on your skills.
Virtual assistants are hired by many bloggers or influencers to manage social media, research trends, make travel arrangements, send emails, proofread and much more.
You can market yourself out as a Virtual Assistant on places such as Facebook, or join a virtual assistant website to get yourself in front of more eyes.
Freelance Work
Hiring yourself out to offer freelance digital services is easy to do using Fiverr. On Fiverr freelancers are connected with businesses needing digital work done. I have hired many people off of Fiverr and have been impressed by everyone I have worked with. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, I highly suggest trying it!
A few freelance services being offered on Fiverr include:
- Write blog articles
- Edit blog articles
- Write resumes
- Design logos
- Edit images
- Draw pictures
- Create PDF files
- Write jingles
- And more!
Check out their website to get some inspiration of how you can use it to earn money from home.
Home Salon
Did you go to beauty school by chance? How about cutting hair out of your home? I love to support in home hair salons. The price is usually a little cheaper and I love the casual atmosphere.
You don’t even need anything fancy! Just do it in your kitchen!
Sell Your Craft
If you enjoy creating or crafting, turn it into a business. Etsy is the perfect place to sell your handmade goods.
A few of the items selling well on Etsy are:
- Jewelry
- Digital Artwork, such as invitations, birthday cards, etc.
- Handmade clothing
- Art
Start an In Home Daycare
Offer to watch kids within your own home. You could watch just one or two kids, or look into becoming a licensed in home day care. This is something I have considered doing multiple times. I love kids!
Spread the word through Facebook Marketplace that you want to start doing this. There is always someone looking for a babysitter!
Work for Amazon
Check out the virtual job opportunities Amazon has listed. They are often adding jobs for Customer Service, but these go quick. Check their website regularly so you can land the job as soon as it’s listed.
Start a YouTube Channel
Everyone has a story to tell, why not share it on YouTube while also making money. Your YouTube channel should be focused around a topic you are passionate about, such as sports, music, travel, food, fashion, etc.
If you love what you are talking about, others will respond and want to learn more. Growing a YouTube channel takes time, so be patient, but keep trying…I’m still working on getting mine going!
Teach Music
Do you play an instrument or enjoy singing? Another one of the best ways to earn money from home is to teach music lessons out of your house. The great thing about this job is you are able to be your own boss, set your own hours and decide your pay. It’s also so rewarding to watch your students learn and grow with their instrument.
Pet Sitter
If you love animals you might enjoy hiring yourself out as a pet sitter. Many people are looking for someone to watch their pets while they are out of town or at work. This is such a fun way to earn some extra cash and get to play with animals.
The best way to spread the word is on Facebook Marketplace or through friends.
Complete Tasks on Amazon Mechanical Turk
A quick and easy way to earn a few extra bucks is by working on Amazons Mechanical Turk. Amazon Mechanical Turk will you pay you for completing small simple tasks. These tasks range from data entry, identifying items in a photo, transcribing, research and more.
The payout is small (like 5 cents small), but the tasks are very quick to complete. I use to do these tasks quite a bit while watching TV in the evenings. It is legit, but you won’t earn a lot of money (consider yourself warned).
Start a Podcast
Have something to say? Like to talk? Well, start a podcast!
Podcasting is quickly becoming more and more popular to listeners and will likely continue to grow. Make sure to do some research to learn all about how to get started. If it sounds like the right fit for you, jump in! Let me know if you do, I listen to podcasts every day and love them all! I just might listen to yours!
Re Purpose Your Old Furniture
Fix up some old furniture or decorations in your home to sell. All it takes is some sanding, painting and a little elbow grease to make furniture or decorations new again.
I love the look of repurposed furniture, but don’t like putting in the work. So, I am always buying repurposed furniture for my home. There is a big market out there for this service.
You can sell your finished pieces on Facebook Marketplace! That’s where I buy!
Rent Out Your Car
Rent your car out for people to use when you don’t need it. Turo is a peer to peer car rental website connecting drivers to cars. Basically, you just list your car on the website, you choose how much you want to rent it for and when it is available. You will be contacted when someone wants to rent your vehicle. Such an easy way to earn money, especially if you have a car sitting around and not in use. Check out Turos website to learn more about the details!
In Conclusion
I hope reading through this list helped you get some ideas for how to make extra money from home. It is possible and I truly believe there is something for everyone!
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How many people actually make a profit from mlm? The percentage is very low. I understand that you’re providing options but I find it discrediting to your website that this is a suggestion.
I’m sorry you feel that way.
I have personally done MLM. I did make some profit doing it. But with any type of sales gig that you earn a commission; you have to apply yourself to make money doing it. You get what you give….reap what you sow, etc.
Such a great point!
Hi Kim,
You may not be aware but people make a fortune from MLM. I work for the Aloe Vera of America Company that have offices in over 100 countries and I have seen first hand the life changing opportunities from network marketing. You can learn more at foreverliving.com.
Thumbs up sweet frugal.
Thank you for an excellent article — informative and sensible. I have long-ago experience as a copy editor and still possess those skills, but without recent experience is there a way to make myself appear credible on FIVRR? I would be grateful if you have any ideas there.
(PS: It’s FIVERR. How embarrassing.)