If you’re like most homeschool moms, I bet you have a wish list filled with books, online programs, games, tools, curriculum, and subscription boxes you’d love to get for your homeschool.
You want to get an elite Timberdoodle Kit.
There’s a really cool microscope on Amazon that is calling your name.
Your kids are begging you to sign them up for the Magic School Bus Science Club.
You used up the free trial of ABCMouse and want to subscribe for the full year.
And let’s not forget all of the fun extracurricular activities your kids want to do and the homeschool co-op you wish you could join.
The only problem: you have a tight budget.
You wish there was a way you could supplement your family’s income.
You wish you had more money to be able to invest in all the cool things available to homeschoolers, but you don’t want to break the bank.
I’m a firm believer in, ‘if there’s a will, there’s a way’ and I am here to tell you that you CAN earn extra money. Most homeschool families make it work on one income, but it’s nice to have a little extra spending money from time to time or to be able to save up money check some things off your wish list. It will just take some resourcefulness, hard work, and creativity. Figure out what you are good at. Then figure out a way you can earn money doing that. It can be that simple to find a way to make money to fund your homeschool wish list or other extras you’d like for your family.
Here are several ways that homeschoolers (and SAHMs) are making extra money each month. Perhaps their experiences will give you a few ideas on how you can increase your budget so that you can splurge on some things now and again for your family.
Thank you to A-Z MedTranscription.com for sponsoring this post.
Blogging
Blogging has, in just the past 5-10 years, grown into a form of media that people turn to not only for news, but entertainment, motivation, education, inspiration, and encouragement. Many bloggers monetize their blogs enough that they are earning a significant amount of income each month. They do this through methods like doing sponsored posts (in other words, companies pay them to tell a story surrounding a product or service), having ads on their blog (or in the content), doing affiliate marketing (basically recommending a product or service to readers and getting a cut of any sales that are made via their blog), or selling their own products and services. For some, that income is enough to buy a little something extra. For others, it is enough to cover a few bills. For still others, the income is enough to enable them to quit their day job and blog for living. How amazing is that?!
Medical Transcription
Doing medical transcription is a great way for homeschool moms to earn extra money because you can do it from home and it’s flexible. If you have no experience or training in medical transcription, you can also get the training right at home. If you have common sense, a good work ethic, good typing skills, and a little bit of computer knowledge, you’d be an excellent candidate for medical transcription.
If you have experience in medical transcription or are interested in getting training, consider looking into A-Z MedTranscription.com. They hire experienced transcriptionists, but also train people that are interested in becoming a transcriptionist. There are also no age requirements or limitations in this field of work, so if you have a high school student, they could do this right along side you.
Deborah Burns founded the company, and she was a homeschool mom for years. Today, they have many homeschool parents working for them. While virtually anyone with good writing skills and a strong work ethic can make an excellent medical transcriptionist, they have discovered that home educators are a great fit. Typically, they have good English skills and are accustomed to working independently, both important qualities in the world of medical transcription.
Check out this events page and attend a free one-hour webinar to discover how to get started, technology needed, earning potential, and much more.
MLM
Multi-level marketing, or direct sales often gets a bad rap, but it can be very profitable if you find a company and a product that you can truly get behind and believe. I think that is the key to be successful in a business like this, you have to love the product and use it yourself so that you can genuinely and naturally promote it and share it with others. You can check here to reach prospects and customers on social media.
MLM allows you to work with a company that is already established, plus they are flexible, you can work from home, and you can decide how much time and effort you want to put into your business. Some great options for homeschool moms are Usborne Books & More, Pampered Chef, Discovery Toys, doTerra Essential Oils, but there are so many to pick from. Again, look for something you are passionate about and can get behind.
Freelance Writing
Do you have a way with words? Are people constantly reading your posts on social media and telling you that “you should be a writer”? Perhaps there is something to that! There is definitely a market out there for writers – whether you want to write for blogs, magazines, entrepreneurs, or businesses. I highly recommend checking out Writer’s Market for resources on making money as a writer. There is also Carol Tice of the renowned Freelance Writers Den, who teaches people how to make money in all sorts of writing niches. If you can get in when the doors open, it is worth the wait.
Selling Printables
Do you use Microsoft Word, Canva, or another program to create fun and educational worksheets for your kids? Or perhaps you are a whiz at creating organizational printables to help you stay on track? If so, you could be sitting on a goldmine! There are tons of people who love those types of printables, but are not able to make them on their own. So, they turn to places like Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers to get their hands on them. If you think you have what it takes, consider opening your own Etsy shop where you can sell your designs.
Photography
Do you have quality camera equipment and a ‘good eye’? Are you a pro at finding good spots to take pictures and know exactly how to coax out people’s good sides? You, my friend, may have the makings of a great photographer. There are so many occasions that people want to memorialize in pictures- holidays, birthdays, weddings, family reunions, births, monthly baby photos, back-to-school pictures, headshots for auditions. You could be getting in on the action locally. Not sure if your photography skills are up to par? Check out some of the photography classes on Creative Live to learn some new skills. Then get out there and practice!
Virtual Assistance
Are you organized, have a great work ethic, and love helping other people achieve their goals? Do you enjoy doing things like using social media, customer service, and planning events? If so, perhaps virtual assistance is a good fit for you. Virtual assistants are all the rage among online entrepreneurs who love what they do, but need to outsource some of the day-to-day tasks. To learn more about becoming a virtual assistant (also known as a VA), you can find tons of books on Amazon.
Housecleaning
Do you take pride in having a home that is always neat and clean? Do visitors often marvel at your ability to keep a sparkling home even when you have little ones running around? Do you take joy in cleaning things? Someone like you would be a godsend for many moms who can’t find the time to deep clean their homes. Put out feelers locally for families who would like to have someone come by on a regular basis to give their homes a thorough cleaning. It can be something that you do very part-time that brings in a good chunk of money depending on how much you charge. Remember, people are paying for the peace of mind that often accompanies having a clean home- that is priceless!
Flip Things on eBay
Do you seem to always luck out on great finds when you are out bargain shopping. Do you constantly find hidden treasures at yard sales and thrift shops? Put your good eye to use by buying things for cheap around town and selling them at a marked up price on eBay. A lot of people do this and do pretty well with it. You can also keep an eye out for penny sales at stores like Dollar General. This is when they are getting rid of certain pieces of inventory and have them marked down at super low rates (even as low as a penny). If you want to see a story about someone who did this successfully, check out the show “GirlBoss” on Netflix. The main character may rub people the wrong way, but she is still an example of someone with an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit that worked in her favor.
These are just a few ideas of ways you can earn extra money for your homeschool. What do you think? Are there any ideas that came to mind while reading? Anything inspire you? Have you tried any other side hustles to help supplement your income? Let me know in the comments below!
