Work From Home Without Committing To A Business
Would you like to be a work from home mum? If you are in a position to take up employment or start a fully-fledged business that’s amazing! (24 Work From Home Jobs For Mums).
Unfortunately, there are some circumstances where parents cannot go “All in”.
I have put together some tips for those who want to raise some finances but may not have circumstances that are flexible enough to have a job or operate a business.
You don’t have to settle for a party plan business or a commitment to running a full-time biz.
Being a WAHM does not always require a huge investment, especially if you are only looking to make a side income.
There are many ways to make money from home. Like anything profitable, it will require some of your time but not necessarily a cash investment.
How To Make Money With No Investment
Get Involved In Online Competitions
Although online competitions are a game of chance if you participate often enough you will win.
How does this make money? Technically it doesn’t, however, the items you win will save you money. For example one month I won over $100 worth of Fischer Price toys [See prize proof below] & some cosmetics.
You can put your prizes away for Christmas or sell them on if they are no use to your family. Saving you money – making you money. A great site competitions.com.au has a guessing game you can participate in every day and the prize is $50 cash.
This may not be the way people define work but it takes time and some competitions take skill.
It takes some time and when you’re actively using the time to make money, That is work. You can also apply to review products on websites like mouths of mums. You will get to keep the product if you are chosen for review, sometimes the products are worth over $1000.
Check Your Budget & Free Up Money
I know this is a boring one. But I have to include it because while we are desperate to make money we spend money on things that often if cut from the budget would go completely unnoticed.
It could be simply switching your fruit & veg shopping trip to a small local place which offers cheaper prices instead of large grocery chains who are notorious for being overpriced.
Take advantage of multibuys in your larger grocery chains if you know you will be back in a week anyway for that second can of spaghetti sauce. Shop your local “Outlets” & consider local markets for produce.
Years ago I did a “Feed Your Family For $50” a week challenge and shockingly we ate better than on our previous budget due to the food being mainly from scratch and fulfilling meals instead of so much “snacking” on expensive packaged food.
Some people might say that watching the budget isn’t “work”. It is work if your extreme budgeting. Just cutting junk food isn’t budgeting. Shopping around, doing your research and planning ahead takes work. While some families will shop anywhere for pure convenience you are prepared to put in the “work”.
How To Make Money On A Small Investment
Flipping Second Hand Goods
One man’s trash is another person’s treasure. I am no stranger to flipping second-hand items. Sometimes it’s crazy what people will sell things for at garage sales and markets. Don’t feel bad because if you don’t buy it, someone, else will. I do not agree with heckling people down in price so you can resell the item and I do believe in garage sale karma.
Popular items to flip are small pieces of furniture, video game consoles & current games, designer clothing & kids toys (especially solid brands like Little Tikes). Buy items at local garage sales and eBay and resell them on local Facebook groups or niche groups looking for certain items (I.E. Second Hand City Chic Clothing).
Some of the work involved to make better profits will range from making repairs, upcycling or cleaning the items. Just driving around sourcing the items is work in itself however if you love a good garage sale you will be combining your hobby with making money.
More about the Facebook Marketplace HERE
Buy Ahead – Second Hand Shopping Done Smart
Another way of making money by saving money. Many people may just snuff this off but you need to really consider the amount of money spent over the year on children. Just last week I picked up a Year 1 Text Book for $2 which wasn’t used and is on our book list. This text-book is normally $21.95.
Also, consider shopping second-hand you can pick up brands that are better quality than what you may be able to afford new. My children have many pieces of clothing that are from high end clothing stores that are excellent quality when some cheaper brands don’t normally last the distance.
The amount saved if buying ahead and rarely having to buy brand new in department stores can be a LOT if you second-hand shop smart. If you have second-hand stores close by, include them once a month on your grocery day. Check for school shorts & skirts in great condition, Shoes, and clothing in larger sizes. Put them away for the future.
At the end of winter snap up all of the sale clothing for next years winter – the same with summer. If your children are swimming in chlorinated pools regularly consider second-hand swim shirts as the chlorine kills them quickly anyway – you may as well enjoy the savings.
When Winter ends check your linen. If you are certain you will need flannelette sheets next year (maybe a child moving from a cot to a bed next year) then buy them at the end of winter. I just snagged a set of $30 Single Winter Sheets for $6 at Kmart Australia (4/09/2016).
You might still be thinking this is not what a work from home mum does. But this takes planning and sourcing, something you will need to get used to as a WAHM. Think about the bigger picture.
You can use your huge savings for a business plan once you decide what kind of work from home mum, you would like to be [see below for more business related ideas].
How To Make Money With A Larger Investment
Devote an hour a day to Ebay
Bid on trending items from china at a very low price. You can resell these items locally and put some away for gifts. This will save you loads when Christmas time comes and you have to find small items for people who you need to buy token gifts for.
I have resold bracelets, necklaces, stickers, kids products, headbands – all bought on eBay for an extremely low price. One great way to sell your items is to wait until they build up in a pile. For example, bid on necklaces under 20 cents using the one touch bid option.
Example:
- Spent 1 Hour Bidding On Infinity Bracelets ending soonest under 10 cents
- Won 43 Bracelets costing $4.00
- Sold Bracelets in one lot after arrival for $40 – Kept 3 for Token Gifts
If you are sitting on Facebook each night scrolling then why not be productive? Here is an example of a product I used to regularly bid on eBay.
Always keeping my bid under $3 AUS these tops resold at $8 AUS locally. [$10 For any trending Characters on the front]. Being a work at home mum can be very rewarding because you can choose the products you love!
Buy Bulk Stock On Aliexpress
You don’t have to buy the same product. Often stores will do free shipping on an MOQ of $10. This means you can pick several pieces of costume jewelry. As long as the store is the same you will get free shipping.
When the products arrive you can sell them in one large batch or sell separately.
An example of a sale I made during my stay at home mum period:
- Purchased a bulk amount of children’s headbands for $8.30
- Kept 1x Headband for my daughter on arrival.
- Sold the remainder for $20
I profited over $10 and acquired a headband for my daughter that normally sell for around $6 – $8 each at the markets. If you sell 5 Lots of these in a day simply by listing them locally you make $50 – and so on. Not a lot of work involved – just spare time.
Extra Tips To Use On Your Side Hustle
Imagine if combined how you could boost your income using these side hustle strategies. A lot of these require some time on the computer. Once you become a regular at re-selling items and entering competitions you will be surprised how quick and efficient you will become.
Using Google Chrome you can also save your name, DOB and address using Autocomplete and simply one click fill out entries. Being a Work From Home Mum does not require a full-time business if you are simply looking for some cash to boost your bank balance.
Once you start to engage in money-making activity you may find yourself fall into a part-time business as a work from home mum purely because you enjoy it so much. You find your “niche” and a regular income. For more serious selling techniques you can also refer to my books on Amazon Kindle.
For more ideas on working from home in a more professional capacity, I recommend Work From Home Mum