Ways to Make Money from Home as Stay at Home Mom

If you’re looking for ways to make money from home as a stay at home mom, then you’re in the right spot.

As a stay at home mom, the days are long, but we are rewarded with being able to experience every last one of your child’s firsts. To watch them grow from babies to toddlers to little people. We don’t miss a beat.

However, while being home is incredibly rewarding, it does not come without sacrifices to the family. Mainly, the finance aspect of what it means to stay home.

Which, for many women, can be a hard pill to swallow. Myself, included.

But, the good news is that with technology today, there are limitless ways to make money from home, which totally changes the game for stay at home moms.

I’ve got an important note for stay at home moms looking to start an online business. However, if you’re ready to skip to the goods, here are the best 15 ways to make money from home as a stay at home mom:

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Before I dive in on the different ways you can make money online, I want you to know it is going to be HARD work to make the transition from being a stay at home mom to a work at home mom. These are two very different worlds with changing dynamics that you will want to take into consideration.

As stay at home moms, we are already responsible for the house and kids. It’s like a never-ending cycle of cleaning, cooking, playing and teaching. Our days are already full day-in and day-out, with maybe the exception of nap times.

Now as a work at home mom, we have all of the same duties, but are also busy trying to get a business off the ground. You are essentially trying to perform two full-time jobs in the same 24-hour period. It is very difficult.

It is going to take determination and grit to be successful online. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are downright lying. You will want to quit … MANY times. You may argue with your spouse or significant other, especially when income is sparse in the beginning. And, you will have days where you feel like a complete failure.

But, if you can push through the noise and put in the time and effort, it will be worth it.

The biggest thing I want to remind you, however, is to remember why you became a stay at home mom, in the first place. It’s for your kids and they should be of the upmost importance.

It can be incredibly easy to get lost in your work and let it spill into the time you should be spending with your kids. Therefore, scheduling and organization are going to be key when moving into the role of a work at home mom.

If you’re already struggling with organization and order, in your home, then I’m going to urge you to get that taken care of first, before delving into entrepreneurship. Believe me, I’ve been there and I speak from experience.

If you need help getting there, I highly recommend my home binder system. It’s a massive 140+ page template system, built to help people get and keep their home organized. I use it myself and it’s been a total game changer for us.

Once you’ve got your home in order, it’s time to get work! The first step – deciding what you want to do.

Every business I have outlined below are ideal for stay at home moms. I’m not going to waste your time with things like couponing and survey apps. Because, let’s be honest, those are not jobs and they certainly are not going to bring in the income you are looking for.

My list of ways to make money from home focuses on businesses that can be ran at odd hours, that will allow you to still be able to spend time with your kids and that give you the potential to make at least $1000 per month.

Ways to Make Money from Home as a Stay at Home Mom

1.) Become a Virtual Assistant

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I have to admit that becoming a virtual assistant or VA is one of my favorite ways for people to make money working from home. And that is simply because you can use the skills you already have.

As a virtual assistant, your job is to help business owners in one or more areas of their business. And most of us have some skillset that we can offer up to these individuals.

Many businesses could use the help in managing some aspect of their company. However, they do not have the need (or sometimes means) to hire someone on full-time and provide benefits, such as insurance, PTO, etc.

And this is where you come in.

In most cases, as a virtual assistant, you do work for other companies or individuals, but you are also a business owner yourself. Therefore, you will be responsible for providing the aforementioned benefits.

When it comes to services you can offer as a VA, the list is ever-growing. Basically, anything you can do from your computer and phone, can theoretically, be offered as a service.

Now, as a mom, I would focus on offering services that will provide you with flexibility to work around you and your kid’s schedule. So, I would avoid things like answering the phone or managing incoming chat requests or emails that need to be answered right away.

Here are just a few services you could offer as a VA:
  • Set Up Email Automation
  • Social Media Manager
  • WordPress/Website Management
  • Bookkeeping Services
  • Calendar Management
  • Email Management
  • PowerPoint Presentations
  • Payables and Receivables
  • Video Editing
  • Pinterest Management
  • Internet Research

Virtual assistants are common amongst the online world, but they are still making their way into the “physical” world. If I were to take this career path, I would personally start by networking with business owners in my area and surrounding areas.

Even though it may take some education on your end for business owners to understand your role, as a VA, it could pay off ten-fold, if done well.

If becoming a virtual assistant sounds like something you may be interested in, I definitely recommend checking out The Virtual Savvy. Abbey has been at this awhile, sold out her services in just one month and has tons of free advice on her website.

2.) Become a Freelance Writer

If you love writing and have a decent skill for putting words together, then freelance writing may be right up your alley. Businesses large and small rely on freelance writers to create content for them.

Writing content may include things like copywriting, ghost-writing and blog post creation. If you are not familiar with these type of services, they are particularly common amongst online businesses.

Copywriting is the task of creating sales copy to convince people to do a particular task. It might be to get people to enroll in an online course, purchase an item or join an email list. Copywriters are excellent sales people and marketers.

Ghost-writing is creating copy, such as articles, speeches, email newsletters etc., in the name of the business or person that hires you. Your name will not be on the content you create and will, instead, appear as if the business owner created the content themselves. Ghost writers are exceptionally good at encompassing and writing in the voice of the person that hires them.

Blog post creation is when you create a post or article for another business or company. Most businesses know the benefit of creating and having niche-specific blog posts on their website, but either don’t enjoy doing it or simply don’t have the time. And this is where you will step in.

If this sounds interesting, I highly recommend checking out Elna Cain’s website. She built her freelance writing business to a full-time income within six months and it is still one of her main drivers of income today.

3.) Open an In-Home Daycare

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You are already staying home with your kids, so why not take in a few more and not only help other families out, but also bring in some income for yourself?

Before you get started with an in-home daycare, you will need to look into your state licensing requirements. And you will also want to be sure you know how to perform life-saving measures, such as the Heimlich Maneuver.

With that said, operating an in-home daycare can be rewarding for someone that has a passion of caring for children.

4.) Become an Affiliate Marketer

As an affiliate marketer, you earn commission on products that people purchase through special links you obtain through companies. So, let’s say for example you absolutely love a piece of furniture you purchased from Wayfair.

You can ask to become part of Wayfair’s affiliate program and promote that item through links on your social media or website. If someone makes a purchase through your link, you will earn a percentage of the sale.

It sounds easy, right? Of course, we all know that nothing is ever easy. The hardest part is gaining that following and then furthermore gaining their trust enough so that they are willing to make a purchase, based on your recommendation.

When done the right way, you can make a livable income (sometimes even better so).

Amazon is probably one of the easiest ways to get your feet wet with affiliate marketing; however they are also notoriously known for having small commissions.

With that, people have still managed to make thousands per month from Amazon’s program. One such person is Debbie Gartner over at The Flooring Girl. She has been able to see this success through the 500,000+ visitors per month to her website and blog.

It’s important to understand, however, that people such as Debbie Gartner, have been at this awhile and generally speaking have a large audience or following. If you are starting from ground zero, it will take time to build up to this type of income.

Amazon is just one affiliate program available to people looking to get into this space. There are literally thousands of companies looking to partner with people to help get their business and products out there.

Many of these such companies can be found through affiliate program websites, such as:

  • Share A Sale
  • ShopStyle Collective
  • BrandCycle
  • Pepperjam
  • Flex Offers
  • CJ Affiliate

And some companies run their own affiliate programs entirely themselves. If an affiliate opportunity is available for a company, you will usually find this information at the bottom of their website.

5.) Start a Blog

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I first heard of blogging about a decade ago. And, I’ll admit that I was ignorant to the idea of blogging because I automatically associated them with online journals.

I didn’t see how they could possibly make money. But, I was young and was working towards what I believed to be my lifetime career. I didn’t have the time to focus on something I couldn’t see the potential in.

However, knowing what I know now, I wish I would have started sooner – like 5 years sooner.

Blogging is definitely not a get rich quick scheme. And while you may come across people that made six figures in their first year, they are really the exception. Not to mention, many had experienced a flopped or failed blog previously.

Therefore, they really may had been at it for a year or two before starting their money-making blog that brought them the success you are seeing today.

When you enter the world of blogging (for profit), you really need to be committed to it and treat it like a business. And the harsh reality is that most blogs will fail. This is not said to deter you, but it’s important for you to know that it is not all rainbows and sunshine.

It takes work … A LOT of work, especially in the beginning and you should not expect to see anywhere near any type of full-time income prior to (at least) six months of starting.

Now, theoretically speaking, you can make money in just about any niche (or topic). However, it has been shown that blogs in the following niches tend to have a better chance of being monetized more quickly: finance, health and fitness, technology, fashion, lifestyle, travel, marketing and self-improvement.

Wondering how exactly how blogs make money? The good news is that there are plenty of avenues in which blogs can monetize. The most common ways are outlined below:

  • Ad Revenue
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Sponsored Posts
  • Creating their Own Products, such as digital products or courses
  • Selling Services

And just to give you a little perspective, I first started taking my blog seriously in January and experienced my first sales in April, of the same year. Do you want to know what changed? I put my readers first, removed the “money-making” mindset and created a product that I am super proud of and knew would help my audience.

So, I know first-hand it is 100% possible and that it can be done, but it will take consistency and a great amount of effort.

6.) Start a YouTube Channel

Now before you roll eyes at this, hear me out. YouTube is not just for entertainment. If you have ever delved deep in YouTube, you know you can find content on just about anything on there.

I love this as a way to make money from home for stay-at-home moms because all you really need is your computer, a camera, editing software, decent lighting and you’re set. As you begin to monetize your channel, then you can upgrade to bigger and better setups.

Channels are created on literally everything and anything, but just like blogging, some topics are going to monetize sooner and better than others.

If I could give you any one tip, it would be to remain consistent and always give your best content. If you plan to upload once per week, stick to that schedule and make sure what you are saying and delivering is valuable.

YouTubers make money much in the same way that bloggers do. They can be monetized through ads on their videos, by partnering with brands, through affiliate marketing, etc.

7.) Open an Etsy Store

If you are a crafty person or even have interest in designing things like T-shirts, hats, wall decor and an array of other products, why not test out your products on Etsy?

If you open a new store using a referral link, such as this one, you get 40 FREE listings. It is a great way to test out the waters and see if Etsy is the platform for you. It literally costs you nothing upfront, but time to get started.

Like I mentioned above, you can sell clothes and accessories that you design. You might be wondering how you do that. There are two routes you can go.

You can do the product designing, cutting, pressing and mailing yourself. Or, you can partner with a third party provider, such as Printful or Printify, to do everything, but the designing, listing and marketing for you.

I also love that you can create and sell digital products, such as wedding and birthday invitations, on Etsy. And with third-party providers like Templett and Corjl, it makes it incredibly easy for your buyers to make their own edits. Freeing up time for you so that you can continue designing.

Need help getting organized at home so you can rock your online business?

The Intentional Living Home Binder is an extensive digital download template system that gives you all the tools you need to create the perfect personalized home binder for your household. 

8.) Start an Online Store

Opening your own stand-alone online store will prove to be a little more difficult than utilizing popular platforms, such as Amazon and Etsy. And this is because you are solely responsible for bringing traffic to your store. Whereas, Amazon and Etsy already have millions of users accessing their sites each month, looking for what you are selling.

However, there is a huge upside to operating your own online store. And that is that you fully own your storefront.

My favorite platform for e-commerce, at the moment, is Shopify. They are super easy to set up and are pretty affordable to get started.

9.) Start a MLM Marketing (Direct Sales) Business

I was really reluctant to add direct sales onto my list as many people that enter the business do ultimately fail. However, I simply can’t deny the fact that people have been fortunate enough to make a good living in this business model.

You can find direct sales companies in just about every industry. Whether you’re passionate about skincare, makeup, nails, clothes, health, fitness, Tupperware, cooking, cleaning or books, there is likely a business model out there for you.

Should you choose to get started with one of these companies, I recommend doing your research fully. The last thing you want is to get into the business and find out it was all hype.

Some things I would ask myself before I were to join a company:

  • Do I love the products?
  • Would I recommend these products to my friends and family?
  • Are the products unique and different?
  • Does the company have brag-worthy values and commitments to their customers?
  • Can I make at least $1000 a month WITHOUT needing people to sign up under me?
  • Can the products be easily demonstrated online or would it need to be in person?
  • Would I need to invest a lot of money into products first?
  • Would I feel good about representing their company and products?
  • Is my area saturated with representatives?

10.) Become a Website Designer

A website designer is going to differ from being a website developer. As a website designer, your job is to give the overall look and feel of a website. To accomplish certain looks, you will likely need to know some code.

However, there are so many tools nowadays, that take away the huge burden of needing to know tons of lines of code. And there are successful companies out there utilizing them to build their own websites.

You can learn how to design websites by using page builders, such as Divi, from Elegant Themes, or Elementor. While it will still require some technical skill, it is far better than learning to code websites from scratch.

When I got started, my favorite person to watch was Josh Hall. He has tons of free videos on his YouTube channel and paid courses on WordPress and Divi on his website. And while I have never taken a course by him, I am certain they are packed full of value.

And, if you want to learn about coding, which I definitely recommend you at least understand the basics, then I highly recommend freecodecamp.org. I am currently going through their mini courses and have been really impressed with them. Plus, it’s totally free!

11.) Start an Online Consignment Shop

I love the idea of consignment shops as a way to make money from home as there is very little upfront costs. There are plenty of people, myself included, who have junk lying around, but hate the process of selling it. That’s where you step in.

As an online consignment shop owner, you take products in, clean them up, list them for sale, handle the shipping and split the selling price with your consigner. You can get started for free, by utilizing social media platforms, or by opening an E-commerce platform straight-away with platforms like Shopify, Volusion or BigCommerce (all platforms I have used in the past).

I think this would work best by specializing in a specific niche, such as used kids items or high-end products.

12.) Start a Make & Take Sign Craft Business

People love to get together, but sometimes they want to do something a little different. So, if you love to create wood signs or other artsy items, such as canvases, this might be a perfect idea for you.

You make money through the sale of your pre-treated signs and then provide your time to teach your customers how to make it uniquely theirs, which is typically done through painting.

This is a business that can be ran in the evenings and weekends and can be advertised towards businesses, bachelorettes and just about anyone looking to hold fun and different parties.

13.) Family Photographer

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Many women find their love for photography, after they have children. After all, you’ve got the perfect subjects – your own squishy babies and family. As a photographer, you choose the hours you work, which makes it perfect for women staying home with their children.

I’ve seen quite a few people get their start from watching YouTube videos and doing lots of practice. Then from there, they invest in themselves (which, I always recommend) and take courses to further their skills.

If you’d like a great starting point, I highly recommend checking out Photographer Resources. They have TONS of helpful information; everything from contracts to advertising and photo editing.

14.) Teach English Online

That’s right. You can teach people English, from your very own home. Most of the sites listed below, if not all, do typically require a Bachelor’s degree; however it can be any field. While it does not have to be teaching, you should enjoy children and have a liking to teaching.

Otherwise, this is going to be just like any other job you have never enjoyed. And the whole point of being able to work from home, is to be able to do the things that you enjoy.

There are so many different companies to choose to work with; the ones that I have heard the most about include:

  • VIPKid (very popular)
  • QKids
  • Magic Ears
  • GoGo Kid

I love this job for stay at home moms because you can work early mornings and late nights, which means you’re not taking much time away from your kids while they are home with you.

15.) Become a Proofreader

Ever notice spelling or grammatical errors in books, advertisements or on websites? Do these things irk you? Then becoming a proofreader may be the perfect online business for you.

If this sounds like something you may be interested in, I recommend checking out Caitlyn Pyle over at Proofread Anywhere. She made proofreading her full-time job and now teaches it to people looking to do the same.

I hope that this list of 15 ways to make money from home has inspired you to go out and start your own home business. One of the biggest regrets I have is simply waiting too long to actually get going.

All I did was consume, consume, consume. I used to watch YouTube video after video, analyze Pinterest, join group after group and just read through all the conversations, practice coding and just be altogether all over the place.

So, if there is one thing I could say to you, it would be to not worry about being perfect. Everything will come together as you work through all the different, moving pieces. Commit to whatever you choose to start for at least six (6) months, preferably a year.

And, if it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve had many failures in my time online and continue to experience them today. Does it suck? Yep. But, you just have to dust yourself off and keep going.

And, for the love of everything … just.get.started.

Did you skip to the bottom? Here is a summary of the 15 ways to make money from home:

Need help getting organized at home so you can rock your online business?

The Intentional Living Home Binder is an extensive digital download template system that gives you all the tools you need to create the perfect personalized home binder for your household. 

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