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Side hustles can be a simple way to make money when you need it and if you find the right ones, it can be quite lucrative. I manage to make over $1200.00 a month with side hustles, so today I thought I would share with you how I do it.
But first, I have a confession to make: I totally rely on side hustles. I need to side hustle because I need money and I’m not able to work full time. Kids.
You too?
I gotta tell ya, I scoff when I read things like “jobs for stay at home moms that pay $3,000.00 !” Yeah… I don’t really believe it. I mean, 3 grand is a big expectation, especially when there are little ones running around, clamoring for attention.
And we all know that kids don’t always listen to mom, right? Spontaneous “quiet time” is out as the natural squabbling begins so trying to get in a solid span of time to make serious dough is out.
I suppose it’s possible for some moms to make decent money. But I wonder what kind of work they do. Probably a very structured job where they can close the door and leave the kids on the other side. Or Maybe one that gives them flexibility, but a heavy work load.
Neither works for me.
With three little ones under the age of five, it gets a little hectic around here. And trying to make some money on top of it all can be a little…well…much.
So I work as little as possible. Because that’s all I can do.
But you know what the hardest part is? The fewer hours I work, the less money I make.
And that sucks.
So I needed to find some realistic ways to side hustle and make money. And not just pocket change. I tried several different things; some worked and some didn’t. And after a while of trying a variety of side jobs, I came up with hustles that let make over $1200.00 a month – as a stay at home mom on top of it all, too.
Here’s How I Make Over $1,200 A Month With Side Hustles
I Watch My Neighbor’s Little Boy
Heck, why not? What’s one more kiddie in my house? I already have the toys, snacks and patience.
Monthly Earning: $300.00
Time Spent: If I had to count this as working hours, I would say I spend about 8 hours five days a week. Because the little guy is a small extension of my family, it’s not really work. And because his mom is my friend, and I can relate to her need for good, inexpensive childcare, I cut her a brake.
We both win!
I’m an Online Researcher
Monthly Earning: $150.00
Time Spent: About 1 hour a day
I learned of AskWonder about a year ago and boy, am I glad I did. Turns out I really like to do internet research. And I seem to do it ALL THE TIME.
How do I do it? I log onto the Ask Wonder platform, look for submitted questions that appeal to me, do the necessary research and answer the questions. But before I started making money I had to go through the little thing called the application process and then do a few test questions.
I can easily whip out at least 6 answers – research included – in a week. Not too bad for $6.00 to $8.00 average pay per answer.
Not-My-Blog Blogging
Monthly Earning: $300.00
Time Spent: About an hour each day
A lot of moms try their hand at blogging. Some are pretty successful at it, too. But I know blogging takes a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of time, patience, and writing, which is why I’ve never been crazy about the thought of blogging. I mean, sit in front of the computer trying to churn out a few paragraphs about something that interests me today ?
Nah. Not for me.
Unless…I can write like a blogger without actually running a blog (and all the work that comes with it) AND pick the topics that interest me. Picking the right places lets my creative writing juices flow and has given me a nice little bundle of cash.
Here are a few of my personal favorite places to write like a blogger:
- Listverse pays $100.00 for a list of 10 things
- BlogMutt pays $8.00 for each “purchased” article
- Autoshopper.com pays $15.00 an article
- Cracked claims they ‘ll pay $100.00 for your first article
- Upwork, a well-known and reputable freelance platform, gives me the opportunity to write about anything. The pay varies by customer that hires me but I make about $100.00 a month.
I Do a Little Transcription
Monthly Earning: $200.00
Time Spent: Between 1 and 2 hours a day, or up to 10 hours a week.
This is one of those little jobs that doesn’t require a whole lot of experience. I had absolutely no transcription knowledge under my belt but was able to get a job with Rev. I really like this gig, too, because I can do as much work as I want – whenever I find the time.
The most annoying part about applying for this little job was the application. It literally took me about an hour to get through it, thanks to the skills tests. The tests were easy enough, I must have been anxious to get started.
The pay is ok and there is always work to do. Some day I hope to start doing some of the captioning.
I did invest about $30.00 to buy this set of headphones. I have kids, after all. Gotta block the racket. So worth it!
Here are a few other places to do easy, no-experience-needed transcription:
- Babblytype
- GMR Transcription
- Quicktate
- TranscribeMe
I Do a Little Online Office Assisting
Monthly Earnings: $300.00
Time Spent: Depends on what I have to do but I usually spend about 5 hours a week. This is less than an hour a day because I tend to do this on the weekends.
Some call this Virtual Assisting, some call it online assisting. I like to call it being a Remote Office Assistant because I tap into my past office experiences and do office-y things for others. I work whenever I want to and charge whatever I think I am worth.
For this kind of work I turn to Upwork. I looked into the “we get the clients for you and all you do is the work” places like Time Etc and Fancy Hands but I found more high-payers through Upwork. But before I even got started, I brushed up on what it takes to be a Remote Office Assistant so I could offer my best self. Even if for a few hours a week.
So, when all set, I created my Upwork profile as a means to “brag” about my skills (data entry, word processing, email responding…) and set my rates. So easy !
I Do a Few Surveys
Monthly Earnings: $50.00 plus $15.00 sign-up bonuses
Time Spent : About 4 hours a month, or right around an hour a week
I know, I know. Surveys ! Really ? Yep, really. This is by far the best way to make easy money for just a few minutes a day.
The trick is to find the survey sites that pay cash.
And, to make things even better, some places give you sign-up bonuses.
My favorites are:
- Opinion Outpost
- Global Test Market
- Swagbucks (earn per survey plus $5.00 sign-up bonus)
- Inbox Dollars (they are giving out $5.00 sign-up bonuses)
The Side Hustles That Didn’t Work For Me:
Blogging For Money
Over the years I have read a lot about starting a blog.
And after having a few great ideas pop into my head I jumped on this bandwagon.
Know what happened ? I flopped !
Not because I couldn’t write or manage a blog. I flopped because I really wasn’t interested in doing this. It was hard, and after six months I saw absolutely NO profit.
Having a Full-Time Work At Home Job
Even though working from home has always been my goal, working full time with little ones was not do-able. I wound up staying up really late and getting up soooo early just to get my full schedule in. And I was a grumpy witch in the meantime. So yeah, working full time was not in the cards while the kids were young.
Having a Job With Structure
I just could not do this. Have a structured routine. Even if it was part-time.
My kids saw to that 🙂
Selling Stuff
Oh ya, I have a lot of stuff. Baby things, knick-knacks, old cell phones. As much as I would love to part with all this ju…err…stuff, I just can’t seem to do it.
I tried Ebay with mixed reviews. I didn’t earn enough profit to make it worth my effort. And I always seemed to be looking for boxes to ship my stuff out.
I tried selling some of my husband’s old-ish video games to Game Stop (local gaming store) but again, more work than it was worth.
So I gave up trying to sell my stuff. I think I’ll wait for one of those city-wide garage sales.
My Journey Will Continue
Some day I hope to bump my earnings up to the $3,000.00 a month like others claim they get. But I know one thing for sure: That won’t happen any day soon.
What about you ? Are you ready to start out making $1,200.00 a month as a stay at home mom ?