I need to make some money- SUGGESTIONS?

[Lila]

We have 4 little ones, I exclusively breastfeed ds (4 months old), homeschool, have all the normal activities: soccer, girl scouts, etc...
Money is really tight. If this is any indication of how the rest of the year is going to go, I REALLY need to get a job. I have been spinning yarn and making things to sell online, but it is not a reaular source of income- I mean, all of $100/year...maybe. I could amp it up and get more things out there, but it still would be just a hobby that pays for itself. I have considered getting some of my designs together and posting the patterns for sale online, but still- it would be sporadic at best.
SO- what it comes down to is that, at least for a while, I need to get a job. I can't fathom how that would work logistically. It would have to be from home or else at night, when Dh is home, as it would not earn enough to cover the cost of a babysitter. It would have to be no more than 5 hour shifts- which is pushing it- because I'd need to get home and feed ds. I don't even know where to begin looking. I need some guidance...Please?

[velochic]

Check out the Work at Home Well... it's at the bottom of the main forums page. Good luck!!

[Lila]

I have never noticed that

[shelbell]

You didn't mention what kind of job skills and experience you have, but the one thing I would suggest would be to look for work that would save you money in other areas. Examples being things like working a weekend shift at say a grocery store (employee discount on groceries as a bonus), a weekend shift at an urgent care clinic or hospital doing any of a variety of things (many give employee discounts on health visits), or working at a breastfeeding-oriented store (discounts on nursing bras and pumps). If just a little bit of money would be a big help, I'd suggest those types of jobs with little "perks" that would also help the budget. Good luck!

[xmysticprincessx]

try being a waitress. see if you could do a couple 4 hour shifts a week (or even friday/saturday evenings). i've waitressed before and made some pretty good money. (i'm actually considering waitressing again for a summer job.)

[meandk0610]

: subbing

[1growingsprout]

Are you able to take in a couple kids for babysitting?
How about cutting out the 'soccer/ girl scouts' etc in favor of free activies?
Since you BF, can you borrow or get a pump, then you be gone for a longer time?

While we are not hard up for $$, a couple mom's have approached me for babysitting a couple days a week. it would be good playmates for my kids and the cash is always welcome...

[serenetabbie]

In our area there are a lot of senior citizens. I just picked up a job per diem running errands through an agency. The agency also has light housekeeping and cooking, but you cannot take your kids with you to a clients house. You have to pay $10 for the criminal background check, but you can take your kids with you to the grocery store, and besides, you have to shop for your own family anyway! I have spent maybe 2 hours a day, three days a week doing this. The money is not huge, but it pays for most of my family's groceries.

[meandk0610]

good idea!

Originally Posted by serenetabbie

In our area there are a lot of senior citizens. I just picked up a job per diem running errands through an agency. The agency also has light housekeeping and cooking, but you cannot take your kids with you to a clients house. You have to pay $10 for the criminal background check, but you can take your kids with you to the grocery store, and besides, you have to shop for your own family anyway! I have spent maybe 2 hours a day, three days a week doing this. The money is not huge, but it pays for most of my family's groceries.

that sounds great. how did you find the agency?

tia,

sarah

[courtenay_e]

Post partum doula work. Much of the same stuff that serenetabbie mentioned, but for newly post partum moms. SHopping, meal planning, meal prep, light housekeeping. People around here pay $25 an hour without blinking an eye, and the usual contract is a minimum of 3 days in a week for a minimum of 2 hours on those given days. You can set your own hours (for instance, that you could come after your husband comes home...from 6-9pm, or on the weekends), which is nice, and oftentimes if you wear your nursling, you can bring them along. SOmetimes you're expected to provide breastfeeding support...so you might want to bone up on that...

There are organizations who certify you, but you don't NEED to be certified. AT the very least, I'd look them up and start reading from the required book lists. It can help you to provide a scope of practice, so to speak.

[serenetabbie]

My primary job works with seniors, so it sort of fell in my lap to be honest. I have seen ads in the paper for agencies like the one I work for though. Look for things like "Independant living" or "Supported living", or call any place in your area that offers in home care and ask if they have a program like that. Some places will say no, you have to be a CNA or even a nurse, but can refer you to a place that can hire you. A lot of places are looking for someone to fill in the edges.

Post Partum Doula work sounds like such a lovely job I just love new babies *sigh*

[HRC121799]

I'm considering working at a coffee place, be a barista,lol (no experience whatsoever though). But that's because for me, the only times I could have an outside the home job is in the early, early AM. And probably just a couple hours each morning, very part time. Anyways, just considering it.

Maybe waitressing, since you need an evening thing.

[justmama]

I watch kids during the day and 4 nights a week from 4-midnight I work at an emergency animal hospital as a vet technician. My dh is home with our girls and I go to work and then I get to stay at home during the day while he's working. We don't see each other a lot but I made sure to get two days off in a row and one full weekend day and night off. That helps. Maybe you have an animal hospital around you that's open 24hours or a nursing home in need of housekeeping staff or such? Waitressing can be good pay for the shorter hours. Bartending? What about delivering newspapers?


Meg

[nadia105]

I have done two different things: newspaper delivery and childcare. They would up paying about the same per month (500 ish), but the papers only took up about 40 hours per month, childcare was 40-50 hours per week.

I was literally only gone from my house about an hour and a half max most days with the papers, I don't think there was any time that my kids woke while I was gone and needed me, ds may have woken once or twice, but Dh could settle him. The hard thing about this was getting up at 4 am and the fact that it was 7 days per week, no days off ever.

Childcare has been nice b/c I can sleep all night, but it has been a lot of work interms of dealing with the drama that came with the family whose dd I watch (my cousin and his wife). It was hard on my ds sometimes, he didn't always like having to share mama with his cousin, dd always thought it was great though. I will be done with this for good May 1, and it will be nice to have our lives back! I was only charging $3 per hour, and there were many times where this wasn't worth it.

[shell_sea]

I did legal transcription from home while I was pg. Whether or not the pay is worth it depends on your typing speeds though, as I was essentially paid by the word. I downloaded an audio file from their server, listened to a particular segment and typed out what was being said, and sent the completed word doc back to their office.

I liked being able to take on as much or as little work as I wanted, and some of the tapes were of interesting interviews or court cases. I don't know how easy it would be to do with kids in the house though, as I kind of needed a block of uninterrupted time to get in the 'flow' and I suspect I wouldn't have been as fast without that.

Anyway, I second what a pp said about looking at your skills and experience first and going for something that suits those. Good luck!

[PJJ]

Ideas

At 4 months the break of 5 hours might promote premature weaning. And pumps are never as good as a sweet baby's mouth.

I was thinking some of those survey gigs folks mention here--some make a few 100/month. Ladies, what are they called?

I concur with the short stints of babysitting for cash or barter.

Good luck Mommy!

PJJ

[Nikki98]

Have you thought of maybe being a breastfeeding counselor? Maybe inquire at your local WIC office or hospital to see if they need help and to see how much they pay.

Another idea- do you have any old clothes that the kids have outgrown? You could try consignment (I know that this isn't a job, but it could bring in a little extra money).

[courtenay_e]

Originally Posted by serenetabbie

My primary job works with seniors, so it sort of fell in my lap to be honest. I have seen ads in the paper for agencies like the one I work for though. Look for things like "Independant living" or "Supported living", or call any place in your area that offers in home care and ask if they have a program like that. Some places will say no, you have to be a CNA or even a nurse, but can refer you to a place that can hire you. A lot of places are looking for someone to fill in the edges.

Post Partum Doula work sounds like such a lovely job I just love new babies *sigh*

I do mostly birth work, but yes, doula work IS a lovely job...I think so anyway! And the mamas who mostly do post partum work around here are usually those who have small ones to take care of whom they don't want to leave for long periods of time. It seems to work well for all involved...the mamas getting the support, the mamas giving it, and the babies of both.

[elizawill]

wow!! i'm in your same shoes! well....minus the breastfeeding
i just got a job with a company called growing families foto first. i work on saturday and sunday taking pictures of newborn babies (you know - the photos they offer to sell you at the hospital when your baby is born). i really like the job a lot! i also make personalized notecards for people. I sell 8 cards for $12. i buy the cards at the dollar store and just make them on my computer. they are so cute and super easy to make. i hope this helps you

[root*children]

I'm a HS'ing mom of 2. I do partime home-based childcare primarily. THis brings in $500/month. I only let families come 1, 2 or 3 days a week. I've combined them so that I only have extra kids over 3 days a week, plus occassional date nights, etc. All the families are really alternative parenting types, so it works out well, and 1 family is also homeschooling (their mom works nights at Starbucks, so needs the occassional day to get caught up on sleep and house and gym!). anyhow, that's easy work, I don't take any babies... only 18 mos. or older

I also sell children's items on Ebay and make $400/month doing that. Get inventory from yardsales and thrift stores.

And the smallest amount earned is $100/month from doing GPT websites (get paid to). I frankly don't enjoy doing GPT's, it's very pointless work. So I only do it once a week, for only an hour or two. If you don't mind sitting at the computer going 'click... click ... click' then you could probably do better at it than I do!

We use DH's income for paying bills, groceries, gas and having a little extra personal money. My childcare money funds our savings account. The ebay and GPT money goes towards taking trips