How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom – 15 Ideas for the Busy Parent

Staying home to take care of the kids?

It’s a tough decision.

It means giving up your career, your income, and your dreams of financial success.

Or does it?

My answer: definitely NOT.

Because in 2022, being a stay at home mom no longer means being powerless.

It no longer means not having your own money and not being able to make your own financial decisions.

Yup!

All you need to do is learn how to make money as a stay at home mom. (Easy peasy.)

And trust me.

There are a ton of ways to do so.

In this blog, I’ll show you 15 of them.

Ready to be inspired?

Let’s go!

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom: 15 Unexpected Ways to Earn Enough Cash to Pay the Bills, Travel, and Save Up for College

I know what you’re thinking.

You’re thinking I’m going to show you X ways to make money as a stay at home mom, so you can buy that latte during the rare cafe outing with your friends.

You know.

The odd jobs that pay approximately $200 a month, which allow you to buy yourself a new dress or get a pedicure without asking your husband for the cash.

Hold up.

That’s not what I mean.

What I’m talking about here is real money.

The kind of money that pays the bills, allows you to travel, and helps you save up for your kids’ college.

Yup.

I’m talking about income that’s a substitute (or even more) for whatever career you decided to give up to take care of your kids.

Excited?

Here’s a list of 15 of them.

1. How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #1: Start a Blog

To be honest, starting a blog is one of the best ways to make money as a stay at home mom today.

I mean, just check out these incredible blogging stats:

• 77% of internet users read blogs.

• Internet users spend 3x more time reading blogs than reading emails (in the U.S.).

• Content marketing (which centers around blogging) is now worth over $400 billion.

In fact, blogging is so awesome, millions of people have decided to start their own blogs.

Source: oberlo.com

But…how do you start one?

And once you have one, how do you make money from it?

Ok, first things first.

You’ll need a website.

Check out this blog for an easy, step-by-step way to build one. (Trust me, even total beginners can follow the simple steps laid out in the blog.)

And don’t worry.

Starting a website isn’t expensive.

In fact, you can get web hosting for only $2.95/month with BlueHost.

Once you have your site up and running, you’ll need to gain traffic through publishing weekly blogs.

You can write about anything!

Parenting, arts and crafts, exercise, pets, finance (anything you feel you know about quite well).

Posting valuable, high-quality content on a regular basis will pull in traffic to your site…

…and that’s the time you start monetizing.

Here are three proven ways to do so:

• Affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is the practice of promoting companies’ products or services for a commission. For example, if you become a trusted parent blogger, you can join affiliate programs and promote baby products to your audience. When they buy, you’ll get a share of the sales. (Interested in affiliate marketing? Check out our comprehensive FREE COURSE here.)

• Sell your services. Are you a writer, graphic designer, or marketer? You can use your blog to tell the world what you have to offer. (Trust me, with 7 billion daily searches on Google, you won’t run out of people who need your services.)

• Sell your own products. Into arts and crafts? Love to cook? Great at basket weaving? Why not use your blog to sell your own unique stuff?

Honestly, I could go on and on with ways you can make money with your blog.

But let’s stick to three for now, just to give you an idea of what’s in store for you.

So, how much can you earn through blogging?

Answer: the sky’s the limit!

Here’s some inspiration to take away with you:

• Jon Morrow earns more than $100,000 a month from his blog.

• Chandler Bolt earned $9.6 million in 2021 alone.

• Rachel Cruze has a net worth of over $3 million (she’s a stay-at-home mom).

Sure, not everyone makes millions with their blog.

Maybe you won’t (or maybe you will).

But even if you don’t, what if you could make an extra $1,000 a month through blogging?

Or even $2,000?

Or $10,000?

All the while making the best decision ever, and staying home with your kids?

I’d say you’d be crazy not to give it a shot!

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #2: Become a Freelance Writer

Love the written word?

Maybe you were an English professor before you decided to quit working and become a stay at home mom.

Or maybe you were a journalist.

Or maybe you’re just a person who loves to write, even if your writing is for your own eyes only.

Good news!

You can make a ton of money through writing for the web.

Here’s how much freelancer writers earn (on average):

Source: payscale.com

Not bad, right?

So, where can you find people who hire freelance writers?

To start, check out these platforms:

• Upwork

• Indeed

• FlexJobs

Of course, the best way to get premium clients for your freelance writing service is to start your own blog.

But if you’re a newbie and just want to get your feet wet, beginning with sites like Upwork is a great idea.

From there, you can start working directly for your own clients.

For inspiration, check out freelance writer Elna Cain.

Source: elnacain.com

Elna is a stay at home mom with a pair of adorable twins.

She set up her freelance writing business in only six months, and now charges up to a thousand dollars for a single blog.

And you can do it too.

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #3: Work for a Content Agency

Love to write, but not into the stress of starting your own website and managing a solo business?

You can work for a content agency.

It’s simple.

Once you pass their test, you’ll receive writing assignments that you can complete at your own pace (depending on the deadline you’re given).

A content agency can either pay you per word or per article.

Here are examples of great agencies you can apply to work for:

• Express Writers

• Constant-Content

• ContentFly

Remember, working for a content agency isn’t the same as working for yourself.

(You won’t earn as much.)

That’s because a content agency is a business and requires profit to thrive.

BUT…if you’re the type of person who’s looking for a chill type of job without the stress of finding your own clients, you’ll love working for one.

And the pricing isn’t that bad either.

For instance, if you reach authority writer status at Express Writers, you’ll earn 6c per word.

Not bad, huh?

It’s an easy way to make that extra $1,000 (or more) per month.

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #4: Work as an Editor or Proofreader

Got a quick eye and know how to pay attention to detail?

You can help people make sure the stuff they publish online is error-free (a.k.a. become an editor or proofreader).

I mean, what’s more fun than spotting mistakes in other people’s work?

Just kidding.

Remember, though, that being an editor doesn’t only mean scanning content to find a few spelling errors.

For most companies, it means doing deep edits.

It means going through the brief a client ordered, and checking to see if the writer followed the instructions carefully.

So yes, you need savvy writing skills yourself.

Think you got them?

You can apply for an editor job at content agencies.

For instance, Express Writers hires editors for $15 an hour.

Source: expresswriters.com

Freelance job boards like Upwork also have a ton of editing jobs available.

Source: upwork.com

Ok, a quick word here.

Being an editor probably won’t make you rich.

(Unless you get super lucky and land an editing job with the likes of 8-figure blogger Jon Morrow.)

But hey, it’s a great side job you can do while nursing the baby or running after your adorable toddlers.

It’s not that strenuous either, so you don’t need to worry about losing sleep over your projects.

(You’re probably already losing sleep over the baby crying in the middle of the night, so you don’t need extra stress from work).

Another great thing to keep in mind: most companies or clients won’t require you to have a special degree to become an editor.

All you need to do is prove you can do the job, and they’ll hire you in a heartbeat. (Talented editors are scarce compared to the amount of content published online.)

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #5: Create a Course

I know, this sounds freaky.

You need to be a doctor in mathematics or a science professor to create your own course, right?

Not anymore.

You see, in today’s digital world, anyone can teach others what they know.

Sure, you may not be a world renowned chef.

But if you know a unique way to cook pasta, you can teach others how you do it.

Or you may not be a nutritionist.

But if you’ve tried a certain diet and exercise plan that worked for you, you can tell others about it.

It’s that simple.

And yes, you can earn a ton of money from creating courses.

Just check out Dan Henry, a former pizza delivery boy.

Source: getclients.com

Dan figured out how to build his own courses and sell them online…

…and now owns a thriving 8-figure business.

(He even has his own yacht.)

But no, you don’t need to go huge and reach Dan’s scale.

You can build small, simple courses and sell them on Udemy or Domestika.

Like this one:

Source: udemy.com

Simply sign up for a free account, and you can begin creating your course material and selling it on the platform.

So, how much can you make from selling your courses this way?

It depends.

Your earnings will be determined on the quality of your courses and how many people buy them.

According to Instructor Academy, Udemy course creators earn between $1,000 and $3,000,000 over a lifetime.

Not bad, right?

Plus: selling your own online course gives you the benefit of residual income.

(Yup! You create the course once, and it continually earns you money. Even in your sleep.)

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #6: Become an Online Coach

Like being a course creator, being an online coach doesn’t require you to have a fancy doctorate degree.

That’s right.

All you need to do is to prove you’ve accomplished something.

For instance, let’s say you started up your own business from scratch.

You came up with a unique method for getting clients, and it works every time.

Great!

You can coach people on exactly how they can do the same.

Coach and course creator Maria Wendt did just that.

She started out with a tiny business, earning only $63.22 in her first year.

But she didn’t give up.

Instead, she developed her own method for getting clients…

…then started teaching others how to do it.

Today, she’s a huge success with a million-dollar business.

Source: mariawendt.com

Think you can do it too?

Yup, you can.

Just look back on your life and identify your biggest accomplishment.

Maybe you started a business, or flipped a ton of houses, or made it to a managerial position at that bank you worked for.

Whatever it is, you can coach others to accomplish the same.

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #7: Work as a Virtual Assistant (VA)

You and I both know it.

The world has gone digital.

This means that today, most face-to-face jobs have their virtual equivalents.

So if you used to work as a secretary or administrative assistant before deciding to stay home with the kids…

…you can take your skills, knowledge, and experience into the online world by becoming a virtual assistant (VA).

The job of a VA is similar to the job of a secretary.

You’ll handle your boss’s email accounts, make phone calls, and book travel tickets.

But that’s not all.

Some VAs are also in charge of a company’s social media accounts, blog writing, marketing, graphic design, and more.

As a VA, you’ll be your boss’s personal assistant.

Don’t worry, though.

You don’t need to be a multi-talented expert before applying for VA.

It’s OK to start with nothing but killer organization skills.

From there, your boss will train you to do the required tasks for your position.

Ready to look for VA jobs?

Start here:

• Upwork

• Indeed

• LinkedIn

Another thing to note: your earnings as a VA will depend on your boss, your scope of work, and your skills.

But here’s a look at how much the average VA earns, just to give you an idea.

Source: payscale.com

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #8: Become a Social Media Manager

Love spending time on Facebook and Instagram?

Why not turn your passion for social platforms into a career?

Yup!

With 4.48 billion active social media users, companies are scrambling to find a way to reach this HUGE potential customer base.

And you can help.

I mean, hey.

You’re an expert at creating posts that get tons of likes and shares, right?

You can do the same for clients.

Here’s a quick look at the tasks you’ll handle in this position:

• Plan social media campaigns

• Create a content strategy

• Interact with customers and other social accounts

• Post regularly on social platforms

• Analyze engagement data

Honestly, it’s not hard to find companies that are dying to find someone to manage their social accounts.

You can check out Indeed or other job boards, or you can head over to LinkedIn and browse through their list of 40,000+ social media manager job openings.

What’s surprising (or not) is that the job of a social media manager pays well.

Check out the average according to Built In.

Source: builtin.com

Not bad!

Plus, you’ll be working on the social platforms you love, making your job a win-win for you.

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #9: Become an Author

We all know how J.K. Rowling grew her net worth to $1 billion by writing a series of fantasy books.

Case in point: books aren’t dead.

You can make good money by writing a book that changes the world (or the lives of a few people, at least).

And to be honest, now is actually a great time to become an author.

Gone are the days when you needed an agent and publisher to get your creations out into the world.

Today, you can self-publish your books on platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

Source: amazon.com

How it works: Create an account with KDP and publish your books on the platform. When you make sales, Amazon gets a percentage of your revenue.

So, how much can you make as a self-published author?

It depends.

Some factors include:

• How many books you write

• The value of your books

• How well you market your books

Sure, there are self-published authors who make a meager $50 per month.

But there are others like Andy Weir, who went on to sell 3 million copies of his book The Martian (if you haven’t heard of it, you’re probably living under a gigantic rock).

Who knows?

You might become the next author whose book becomes a hit movie starring Matt Damon.

And even if you don’t, it’ll pay off to sharpen your writing skills and share your creativity by getting your book out into the world.

Plus, you’ll make a few extra bucks, so it’s also a win-win for you.

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #10: Sell Your Photos Online

Maybe you were a photographer back in the day.

You worked with a team, capturing weddings, graduations, and baby birthday parties.

But all that’s over now.

You’re too busy taking care of the kids to take a day off for a photography session.

Don’t worry!

Your photography skills don’t have to go down the drain.

That’s because you can take photos at home and sell them online.

That’s right.

Platforms like iStock are scrambling for stock photos to sell to the public.

And what’s surprising is you don’t need to snap pictures of the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum to get sales.

You can take photos of a mug, a leaf, or a table…

…and still get a ton of downloads.

(Studies show that these types of photos actually get the most downloads.)

Here are some platforms you can upload your stock photos to:

• Shutterstock

• iStock

• Getty Images

• Twenty20

Simply sign up for an account, pick your best stock photos, upload them, and voila!

You could be earning a nice side income in a few weeks.

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #11: Become a Graphic Designer

Ever land on a blog that looks like this?

Source: papersowl.com

You know, nothing but plain text on the horizon.

I bet you yawned.

Your eyes closed halfway.

You clicked the back button.

Here’s the thing: most people are like you.

When they see a wall of unending text online, they bail.

That’s why images and design are so important.

I mean, check out how different this blog looks.

Source: backlinko.com

I mean, look at it!

The images, the layout, the colors.

Everything works together to pull your eyes in and keep them there.

That’s why if you know a thing or two about graphic design…

…I’ll bet there’ll be hundreds (or even thousands) of companies racing to hire you.

You’ll design:

• Blogs

• Brochures

• Ads

• Social media graphics

• And more

Sound fun?

It sure is.

Plus, the average pay for a graphic designer is attractive.

Check it out.

Source: glassdoor.com

Not bad at all!

To scout for graphic design jobs, you can go to:

• Glassdoor

• Indeed

• FlexJobs

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #12: Sell Stuff Online

Love the thrill of making a sale?

You know, that rush of adrenaline you get each time you get a notification that someone loved your stuff enough to buy it.

Great news.

You can feel that rush every day as an online seller.

And here’s the best part.

You don’t have to create your own products to sell.

All you need is a knack for finding great deals.

For example, that vintage lamp at the thrift store down the block.

Or those Boho earrings on eBay.

You can even sell your own stuff, like the baby clothes your daughter no longer fits.

You’ll be surprised to discover how many items you have lying around your house that you don’t actually need anymore.

So, where can you sell your stuff?

Here are three awesome options:

• Amazon

• eBay

• Your own website (the higher your site’s traffic, the more sales you’ll make)

The big question: how much can you make as an online seller?

Answer: the sky’s the limit.

For example, Michele Venton became a millionaire selling emergency gifts for parents on Amazon.

And you can too, with the right strategy and a knack for knowing what’ll click with your audience.

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #13: Sell Arts and Crafts on Etsy

According to Etsy, you can sell three kinds of items on their platform:

• Handmade goods

• Vintage goods

• Craft supplies

So if you love knitting, painting, drawing, leather craft, pottery, or any kind of artsy work…

…you can take your unique creativity to Etsy and earn extra cash from it.

Here’s a look at some of the cool stuff for sale on the platform.

Source: etsy.com

Personalized portraits, bags, leather craft – your own creativity is the limit to what you can sell.

And signing up isn’t hard, either.

All you need to do is create an account, then build your own Etsy shop.

Sure, Etsy collects commission fees when you make sales, as well as fees for advertising your crafts.

But don’t worry.

The fees are tiny compared to what you can earn on the platform.

For example, a listing fee is around $0.20.

An offsite ad fee is 15%, but you only pay this once you make a sale from the ad.

Really not bad, considering the earning potential you’ll enjoy!

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #14: Start a Day Home

Just because you’ve decided to stay home with the kids…

…doesn’t mean other moms will do the same.

Yup: there are a ton of mothers in your area who are rushing around, wondering where to leave their toddlers while they’re at the office.

To help them and earn extra cash, why not offer to look after their kids?

I mean, you’re already taking care of your own baby or toddler.

Why not add one or two more to the mix?

Plus, it’ll be a great experience for your own little one.

If things work out well, you can even upgrade your micro business into a small daycare center.

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom Idea #15: Start a Meal Prep Service

Are you the type of mom who cares about what goes into her family’s bodies?

I salute you.

In a world of sodium, trans fat, and sugar, you choose to stand out and feed your loved ones with food that actually does the body good.

In a world of pizzas, TV dinners, and processed foods, you choose to take the hard road and prepare your own healthy home cooked meals.

Guess what?

A ton of moms out there wish for the same thing.

Except, they’re too busy.

They’ve decided to continue on with their careers, meaning they probably don’t have the time to spend an hour or two in their kitchen.

Good news: you can do it for them.

You can offer meal prep services, where you deliver freshly cooked meals to their homes every day.

I mean, you’re already preparing the same meals for your family, right?

Why not increase the amount you’re making by two, five, or even ten?

That way, you’ll help others live healthier lives, plus start a business with huge future potential.

How to Make Money as a Stay at Home Mom: The Options Are Endless

So, you’re a stay at home mom.

Congratulations.

You’ve chosen to do something truly worthwhile.

Trust me, you won’t regret it in the long run.

But here’s the thing with staying home with the kids.

Sometimes, you’ll feel powerless.

You’ll feel as though you’re taking the backseat and watching the whole world go by.

You’ll feel insecure when you’re unable to make your own financial decisions.

Here’s something you need to know.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

You don’t have to choose between your kids and a career.

Why?

Because you can have them both.

Yup!

The world has changed.

Today, you can learn how to make money as a stay at home mom.

And I mean, serious money.

Not the random $5 to buy that cup of coffee.

Nope.

I mean, real money.

Money to pay the bills, to travel, to save up for your kids’ college.

So, go on.

Scroll back up and go through the 15 ways to make money as a stay at home mom.

Pick the one you like best.

Then, go with it.

Don’t look back.

Because honestly, it’s never a choice between the kids and earning money.

You can have both.

No limits. No sacrifices. No regrets.

Image credits: all screenshots taken by the author, April 2022.