I don’t know what your monthly finances look like, but an extra $50, $100, or $500 each month makes a huge difference to our monthly cash flow. When we were working hard at paying down consumer debt, I often made money with a side hustle or two that helped us put extra money toward our debt.
Whether you’re trying to crush your debt, build your savings, or invest for retirement, a good side hustle can really help.
With about 7% of fathers and 29% of mothers claiming a stay-at-home-parent status, one income families are common. As a one income family for the past 15 years, I can tell you a little extra cash each month can make a huge difference in a tight budget.
But one income families aren’t the only one’s that could benefit from a side hustle. For anyone trying to pay down debt, or simply get ahead financially, a side hustle can help propel them toward their financial goals even faster.
Everyone has skills and knowledge they can use for a great side hustle. Some require a little more imagination and/or time than others but, you can bet, there’s one out there that would work for you.
On that note, I will share with you the side hustles I’ve actually done over my years as a stay at home mom.
Sell “stuff” on ebay and Craigslist
Several years ago, I decided it was time to go through the clutter and rid ourselves of all the “stuff” taking up our space and time. We had a few “collections” of things given to us from parents when we left home, as well as our own things that had piled up. Much of this was easily turned into cold, hard cash.
Things I sold on include clothing (mostly dresses and shoes), John Deere collectibles, Christmas ornaments/decorations, books, coins, and other small items of value.
I did a little research on the items I was selling to determine if they would sell best on or whether I should just put them up for sale on Craigslist. I considered their ship-ability and checked ebay’s completed listings to help me make that decision.
Craigslist is great for selling anything, really. Obviously furniture goes over well on Craigslist, but I’ve also had great luck with toys, framed prints, bikes, exercise equipment, appliances and tools. With Craigslist, there is always the chance your buyer won’t show up but, in my experience, about 90% of the time people show. (Remember safety first – meet in a public place and take someone with you if at all possible!)
Flip yard sale/thrift store finds
Flipping found treasures from yard sales and thrift stores is something I discovered when I was selling our stuff. I used to frequent yard sales for kids’ clothing and I would often run across some very nice, name brand items at low prices, so I purchased them to resell on or Craigslist.
Some of my most memorable flips include a dress I paid 25 cents for and sold for $25, a snowsuit purchased for $10 and sold for $50, and telephone line tester purchased for $10 and sold for $150 (I didn’t even know what this thing was, but the guy at the yard sale assured me I’d turn a profit, and sure enough, I did!).
Sell handmade crochet hats
Though I’ve never opened an Etsy shop or made much money from this little hobby, I have sold my goods now and then for a little extra cash. Yarn can be expensive, but I can crochet a hat in about an hour and I profit about $10-15 per hat. Considering the time, this isn’t a great rate of return, but it is something I enjoy doing in my spare time. Plus, this hobby alone has saved me hundreds over purchasing gifts for people over the years.
Work as a Substitute Teacher Assistant
Once my kids were both in school, I applied for a substitute Teacher Assistant position at their school (I had no experience in education and no education degree, but the interview went well). The best thing about this job is I could go to school with my kids and leave with them when school was out. It didn’t cost me any extra gas and the schedule was perfect! I did make decent money from this side hustle, though my schedule was a bit unpredictable and some weeks I was working almost full-time. Overall this job was really a win-win!
Teach Community Education classes
I used to look through the community education catalogs and think the instructors must have a ton of experience and need professional licensure to be able to teach the classes. That is true for some classes, but I learned not all instructors need special training to teach at the community education level, just enough experience and expertise to be able to effectively teach it to others. (Do you know how to crochet, knit, scrapbook, take photos? Maybe you should consider this side hustle!)
When I started teaching self-defense classes for community education programs throughout my area, I didn’t even have my black belt yet (though I did have a certification from a self-defense program). I could charge whatever I wanted for the classes, within reason of course, and the community ed program kept either a fixed amount or a percentage of my proceeds, depending on the program. My profits really varied, mostly depending on how many people signed up for a class, but I sometimes got paid over $300 just from one evening class.
Clean house/House sit
Cleaning house and house sitting are both side hustles I’ve done through friends and family on an as needed basis. I liked these little gigs since I could typically take my kids along with me (though I admit, cleaning with kids in tow is sometimes easier said than done). I never really pursued this as a solid side hustle, but I know people who have done very well with both!
Babysit
Babysitting/day care is a great side hustle for stay at home parents with young kids at home. I did it even when my kids were in school. I only took care of one child, but made a solid part-time income doing it and I could still get my errands and household chores done to boot!
Cook and bake for other people
For a short time (around the holidays), I would offer up my cooking and baking services to friends, family and my husband’s co-workers. I simply typed up what I was willing to make for them and how much I charged for each item. My husband’s co-workers were completely on-board and I was swamped with orders until the holidays passed. Even after I stopped advertising, I got requests and happily obliged.
Blog
Obviously, you’re here reading my blog as we speak, so you realize this is one of my current side hustles. Blogs have the potential to make money through advertising, affiliate links, ebooks, courses or products. Having a blog can also open up many freelancing opportunities.
I’m still a bit new to blogging, but have been at it long enough to see the income potential. What I can tell you is, though it’s more work than I ever imagined, it is one of the most rewarding side hustles I’ve ever done. The support from readers and other personal finance bloggers has been incredible and I love the connections I’ve made. Plus, I like to write and love that I can help others save more money and pay off their debt.
What could a side hustle do for you?
Overall, my side hustles have added up to thousands earned over the years. And every little bit helps, especially if you put it to good use!
If you are looking for a side hustle to bring in a little extra cash each month, first consider your expertise and strengths. What are you good at? What type of advice do people come to you for? What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Do a little research on your chosen hustle and give it a try! What do you have to lose?
What unique side hustles have you done? Your comments are welcome!
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Wow Amanda, you’re a true Jill of all trades! (and it seems a master of them all too).
I cannot agree more with what you said about blogging – it is so rewarding, even if it’s not quite making it in the “financial rewarding” category yet (that potential though is pretty motivating). Although I do dabble in selling our second-hand stuff (reminds me.. I have a pile waiting around to be listed), my most constant side hustle has been doing online survey. It is surprising how much the cents add up from the surveys and turn into some really decent dollars. Surveys are definitely not as exciting as some of your side hustles though; those little baby hats and baking skills double up fantastically as a way to save money when you give gifts to people!
Jasmin
Thanks, Jasmin! I would not say “master”, but I’m always willing to give things a try!
I have taken a few surveys but never enough for the rewards to add up. I may have to try it out again and see how it goes.
And yes, family and friends totally expect to get food (mostly canned goods, such as jam) and a crocheted hat or scarf from me when their birthday or the holidays roll around. I’m pretty predictable!
That’s a lot of different income streams! My wife does what she can with our 14-month old, but it gets easier after we finally leave the diaper stage (so I’ve been told!).
We are looking into teaching a self-defense class for children in the near future as a chance to bring in a little extra moolah.
Thanks, Josh! When the kids were really little, I would try to clean a family member’s house (but it took forever when they were with me). I also sold stuff on ebay and craigslist since it’s something I could do when I got a spare moment. It does get easier when they get out of the diaper stage!
I’ve taught self-defense to teens and women, for the most part, but have taught a children’s class – it was great fun!
I did a lot of babysitting and housecleaning when I was younger. Those jobs offered a lot of flexibility when I was younger and working full-time/going to school.
Thanks, Holly! Babysitting and house cleaning are definitely flexible and could work for anyone! When you have young children, babysitting is a great way to bring in a little extra cash too.
What a fab list Amanda! Very impressed, how cool that you taught self defence.
I love those little baby clothes you knitted, I have zero patience to do that – they are beautiful!
Thanks, Francesca! The crocheted baby items are mostly a hobby that I love, but they make great gifts!
I still teach self-defense on a volunteer basis and teach Tae Kwon Do at our martial arts school as well. It’s definitely a passion of mine!
This is great to read Amanda! You demonstrate that if you want to make some extra cash there are so many different options out there for you. Add in the fact that you have children to take care of, I’m sure things got pretty busy and hectic at times so well done. Also your crochet skills look impressive!
Thank you! I think there is something for everyone when it comes to side hustles. Having kids at home can make it a little more challenging, but the internet really helps out in many ways.
Amanda,
I thought of re-selling items for a profit online through Ebay. I did it when I was in high school and did okay with it. My problem was that I got bored with it quickly. You also have to watch out on some thrift stores. Some of them are now selling items close to what they are currently worth. It might hurt your profit margins. Yard sales are usually better because some of the people doing them want the items gone and out of their house.
Another place I would recommend doing a side hustle would be selling on the local Facebook auction groups (if your area has one). I have had some success with that. Got rid of a lot of junk quickly. The one I sold on met in a safe park area where mostly everyone picked up their items they bought. or had someone pick the items up for them.
With blogging, I’ve been slowly growing an audience. I plan on working my blog a bit more to get people to read it.
Great ideas.
Hi Steven! I agree, you do have to watch prices at the thrift stores. I would advise anyone wanting to do this to pick a niche they are familiar with or one they want to learn about – then research items and prices within that niche. I often have the ebay app open when I’m at the thrift store to check to see if the items I am considering are selling at a profit. By doing this, I am only buying items I’m fairly certain I will be able to make money on.
I’ve never tried the Facebook auction groups, but I’ve heard of many people doing this. Great idea! Thanks for sharing your ideas, Steven!
I need to find time to start flipping garage sale items, I think that would be a ton of fun and if you scored on some items it would be even better!
The babysitting one is intriguing, especially with how expensive daycare is – if you could help out a friend and make some extra cash – win win.
It is fun to flip (at least to me)! I don’t do it regularly enough to make a ton of money, but it’s just fun to find treasures for cheap and turn them over for profit!
Great idea on the babysitting. This is kind of how it worked for me – I was babysitting my friend’s baby. She didn’t want to take the baby to day care and I didn’t charge as much, but appreciated the extra cash and flexibility. It was definitely a win-win situation.
I love posts like this where people list out their side hustles! I think there is a lot of opportunities for stay at home moms and dads to make extra money and save extra money. Gary Vaynerchuk talks a lot about the opportunity to make money flipping things at garage sales. If I didn’t have a 9-5 and a couple side hustles I would totally give it a try!
Thanks, DC! I’ve heard about Gary – I should read more about how he makes flipping work for him. I have a stash of winter coats I picked up at the thrift store last spring (when no one else was buying them) and plan to sell those soon, but after that, I’m out of things to sell. I need to hit up some garage sales!
Love doing classes as a side hustle in something you’re passionate about! Doesn’t even feel like work! Blogging is just another extension of sharing what you love. Lovely to see the community it creates. Thank god for the internet, I have learned SOOOO much from a handful of bloggers (anything from date ideas to home maintenance to personal finance) that I would not have had access to a generation ago. What a time to be alive 🙂
Thanks, Casey! Yes, blogging is really just sharing what you know and love. I’ve learned so much over the many years I’ve read blogs, and have always felt the pull to share with others. The internet is a treasure trove of any kind of information you need or desire, that’s for sure! 🙂
This was a great post – you have certainly done a lot of side hustles! I think it’s awesome that you taught self-defense classes – so cool! As for me, I’ve never been much of a side-hustle guy, especially once we had kids. I just focus on my day job and as of last month, started the blog which as you said is a ton of fun, but very time consuming. The good thing about blogging is that at least you can do it from home!
Thanks, Jon! My husband hasn’t really had many side-hustles either, just some woodworking projects here and there. When you have a full-time job, I don’t think there’s time for more than one side hustle at a time. Blogging is really quite flexible since you can do it from home, basically any time of the day! The nice thing about blogging is I never get bored with it – there is always something new to learn and write about!
Neat list! It’s very helpful, and I think it will help a lot of people see real life examples they can follow.
I don’t think I could ever turn my knitting into a side hustle (unless I came up with some patterns). A hat takes me 2-3 weeks! One an hour is amazing.
Thanks, Emily! Creating and selling patterns is actually a great way to make money with a crochet/knitting hobby. I mean, you write up (and test) the pattern and put it up for sale – no more additional work (passive income). I’ve purchased a few great patterns on Etsy and receive them through email, so there is little cost associated with the sale either.
It’s awesome that you teach. My wife loves it because it’s rewarding in more ways than just monetary.
I probably enjoy using Craigslist too much. Now that I have more time on my hands, I’ve been clearing out a lot of junk for cash to spend on trips.
Thanks, Mr. Crazy Kicks! Teaching is rewarding in and of itself. That’s great that you are going to fund trips with your Craigslist money! Looking forward to reading about that!? 🙂
A great compilation Amanda! Before we get rid of anything from the house, I ask myself does it have any value and can I sell this on e-bay?
In my goal to help spread financial literacy I approached my local library about speaking on the topic. They agree and asked me how much I wanted to be paid. That’s how my current side hustle was born.
Thanks, Brian! You ask good questions about get rid of things – those are helpful for determining if you should donate or sell. I find myself donating anything with a value of less than $10 or so.
It’s great that you are making money while educating people about financial literacy! This is definitely something I’m keeping in mind for a future side hustle!
You are very talented, Amanda! I’m so impressed that you’ve sold your own crocheted baby hats & booties and that you’ve taught self-defense. And house-cleaning – ugh! Thumbs up for your gumption there. My biggest “side hustle” has been teaching summer school. For the first summer in four years, I didn’t this summer, and I’ve loved the break! After we paid off all non-mortgage debt, I allowed myself the break for this year. We’ll see about next year. No doubt about it – it makes a difference.
Thanks, Ruth! The house cleaning was a brief stint 🙂 ! You know, I think it’s so great you took the summer off and I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the break! The extra cash is definitely helpful, but taking time off now and then for some personal time is sometimes a necessity!
You’re definitely talking to me when you were talking about a singly income. Even $150 extra a month will make a big difference in our monthly cash flow.
As far as the method, I also prefer the blogging approach, mainly do to the fact that you get to impact other people along the way. So, in a sense you’re actually getting a double reward. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this, Amanda.
Thank you, Francis! I agree on the blogging! One of the main reasons I started my own blog was to help other people. Personal finance blogs have been a huge help to me over the years and I hope to pay it forward!
Side hustles are always on the brain for me. It just doesn’t make any sense to me to not try to monetize as much of my time as I can. In addition to blogging and freelancing, I’ll take surveys every now and then.
Hi Latoya! I used to take a few surveys now and then – I may consider looking into this again for a little extra cash!
Great list! We just had baby#2 and my wife and I talk about maybe having her stay home at some point possibly. Many of these seem like they could be good options. My wife actually has a masters in early childhood, but doesn’t use it currently since it’s hard to get a job at the public schools and the pay at daycare/preschools are very low. Substitute teaching and babysitting could work. And pretty interesting about teaching at a community college…I also thought that you’d need excellent qualifications to teach those courses. Now I just have to figure out what I have an expertise on…personal finance perhaps??
Thanks, Andrew! Since your wife has the early childhood degree, I’d highly recommend day care and/or substitute teaching. The substitute position would be great for when your kids are in school. Though I subbed in a large district, I only took jobs in my kids’ school to make life easier.
The crocheted hats are SO cute!!! My mom is great at that kind of stuff but I just didn’t inherit her craftiness. I’m working mostly now on earning side hustle money through freelance writing and blogging. It allows me to be home and home school the kids without having to leave the house. Last year I made $14k through side hustles!
Thanks, Laurie! I taught myself to crochet during a break in college. My mom says it skipped two generations and I inherited it from my great grandmother. You have done great with your side hustles – $14,000 is an amazing side income. Being able to be home with the kids and still make money is a win-win, in my opinion!
This is a great list! I’m currently learning to resell items on Craigslist, and need to try to sell on eBay. I hovered over several of the links in your article and see you’re using different affiliate networks. I’m just learning how to do this and posted my first affiliate link yesterday.
Thanks! Re-selling on Craigslist and ebay is a great side hustle for bringing in a little cash! I currently have some winter gear I purchased half price at the thrift store last spring that I’m getting ready to sell. I started with affiliates a couple of months ago…I am starting to see some results now. Good luck to you with the affiliate links!
Right now I earn an extra $1-$1.5k/ mo on Fiverr as a side hustle. It’s a reliable steady earner, and not something you might think would actually be good as a side hustle, but it remarkably is (I’ve found).
Oh, wow! That’s a great side hustle! So what do you do on Fiverr exactly?
Great article, I always like to read how people make money through side hustles!
I tried the thrift store idea a few months ago, but it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t know enough about the items to really be able to buy with confidence.
However, I have made decent money writing ebooks on Amazon. And now I’m trying to teach courses about accounting and finance on Udemy to see if anyone bites.
Thanks for sharing what’s worked for you, Andrew! It’s very interesting on the ebooks! I would love to hear back on how Udemy works out for you too.
You’re right on the thrift stores – usually it’s best to find a niche that you know enough about to pick things you know will sell for more. I have the ebay app on my phone, so I look completed listings to see if items have a chance of re-selling for more.
It is a bit harder for me to make money off Udemy. I think the first course I picked was a little bit too niche. I have another course I’ve been working on, so hopefully it does better. The whole process has certainly made me a better marketer (which is one of my weaknesses)!
Thanks for your reply, Andrew! Every experience like that, profitable or not, adds to knowledge and skill set for future endeavors. Marketing is one of my worst subjects, so anything that would help me learn more on that end would be worth it. 🙂
This is amazing, good list of side hustle to make money. Most of them listed in your post are doable by anyone, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Jeno! Yes, most of them are doable…and everyone has a skill they can use to pull in a little extra cash. 🙂
Great list!
Everybody has some kind of skill that can make money from it.
I make money of my hobbies at koocam
Cool site!
Highly recommend it for those who want to work from home.
Thanks, arava! Yes, I do believe everybody has a skill they can tap into to bring in a little extra cash! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I know this is an old post, but I appreciate it anyway! I’m a new stay-at-home mom this year and really hope to make some side hustle money these next few years. I’ve always wanted to try selling baked goods, like you mentioned; maybe I’ll give it a try now! I also could do the teacher’s aide gig or take care of an extra kid or two. I’m also really interested in freelance editing, so I’ll see how that goes! Thanks for the ideas!
Oh, I’m so glad you found the post useful, Kate!!! 🙂 I liked selling the baked goods and actually had a decent customer base of working women who didn’t want to take the time to do the baking themselves, but still liked the home baked goodness. I’d love to hear more about the freelance editing if you give it a go. It’s something I’ve seen out there as an option, but I just haven’t looked into it yet.
Thanks Amanda for all the ideas. I love to write and would like to know how you make money on blogging. I’m a senior citizen that’s helping raise my grandchild and could use some extra spending cash to keep us from credit cards. I’ve never done well with the resale of items. I make quilts and don’t seem to get a decent price on them. For instance, I made 3 t-shirt memory quilts, one being queen size , the other two twin size and charged a lawyer ( who had money to pay) $225 for all 3. I love to cook but again don’t know how to price it, plus I’m concerned about a health liscense for cooking it in my home. I try new recipes every week and would love to do a cookbook of what we like but since someone else originally wrote the recipe is that copyright? Plus how much to charge? Again. Would like to be a chat agent for certain companies but don’t know the necessary knowledge or equipment. I’ve done web pages years ago but that’s changed in 10 years.
Hi Penny! Thanks for stopping by! I understand the difficulty with some of these side hustles you mention – I’ve tried many of them myself and some of them present their own challenges, no doubt. And, for me, it’s been a matter of trying all sorts of different things to see which ones are worth my time. Many of them only lasted about a few months, but I don’t see them as losses, just learning experiences.
The ones that have worked out best for me are reselling items (which I do when I have extra time), babysitting, teaching and, more recently, selling handmade furniture and blogging. As far as blogging goes, it takes a ton of upfront time to get started, but once you gain an audience and reach, there are many ways you can make money online – from ads, sponsored posts, affiliate links and freelancing. Freelancing has been the most consistent online income for me, but I am not doing it at this time. Right now, I’m just covering my expenses, so not much profit there.
Maybe you could give quilting lessons!? Or do a cooking class? Teaching a skill you have can be fun and profitable!
If becoming a chat agent is an area you’re interested in, look at the requirements and talk to companies – and then see if you can learn the skills as you go. I’m one of those that has to “dive in head first” and learn as I go. At first, it’s challenging, but in time it gets so much easier. It never hurts to give it a try if it’s something you’re interested in – I encourage you to try it and see how it works out!