Frugal Friday- Earning Money From Home, Part 1

I've posted lots of Frugal Fridays on how to save money, but this week and next I'd like to look at ways to earn money at home. Who of us couldn't use a little more moo-lah?


Last week I added up a rough estimate of my earnings last year and was quite pleasantly surprised that it amounted to around $3,000. That may not sound like much, but it's an impressive little sum considering I have about half-a-dozen little "trickles" of income from here and there!


Some of the ideas listed here are more suitable for young women who are still at home, are unmarried, or who don't have small children at home (in other words, who have more time!), but there are lots of ways for us mamas to generate a little extra income, if we'll just be creative!


Some things I've done in the past to earn money, others I currently do. Let's look at a few.


House cleaning. Ugh. Who wants to clean someone else's house when she hardly has time to keep up her own? Obviously this is a "job" for a lady with a little more "extra" time on her hands, although I did manage to keep house once-a-week for an elderly couple just until last fall (when I found out we were expecting again!). I actually have enjoyed all my housekeeping jobs over the years and would love to do it again someday (when my children are older, of course). This is a great opportunity for sisters, friends, or mothers and daughters to work together- it's safer that way (if you're cleaning house for a stranger) and makes the work quicker and more enjoyable. There's pretty good money to be made for rather minimal effort in housekeeping- anywhere from $15 to $20 an hour, depending on who you're cleaning house for and what all you're doing.

Another idea along this same line is to clean for churches or businesses. I know two young women (sisters) who clean at least two churches that I know of on a weekly basis. It is a blessing to the church and generates extra income for these ladies!

Teach music lessons. Of course you must first know how to play an instrument for this one. ~smile~ If you are musical and have the time and desire to teach, giving music lessons is an excellent way to earn extra money. I know some women who do this full time and make a very nice income. I have done it myself (not on a full time basis) and enjoyed the practice and extra money. My mom currently teaches piano to 14 students, and my sister-in-law has 8 piano students! If you know how to play an instrument and would like to make a little income off your talent, check out the music lesson rates on your particular instrument at area music stores, place an ad in the newspaper, put up flyers, and go for it! Word of mouth is an excellent advertiser, too! There are usually more students than there are music instructors, especially in small towns.

Take in ironing. This one probably ranks right up there with housework. ~grin~ I found that often people who will hire you to clean their homes will also hire you to iron their clothing. I have earned my keep pressing and starching laundry, believe me! I did this for several people in our church during my teen years, especially women who worked outside the home and didn't have the extra time to starch their husband's shirts and slacks, etc. If you're interested in launching your little laundry career, word of mouth is a good place to start, or place an add in the newspaper. I always charged less than the local cleaners since I didn't have a way to professionally starch and press clothing- people were happy to get a good rate and I was happy to make the extra money... even though I don't particularly enjoy ironing. ~grin~

Don't toss your stuff- consign it! This is something I do on a pretty regularly basis. I keep a bag in my closet of unwanted or outgrown items; when it gets full, I take the items down to our local consignment shop to resell them. Let me quickly state that I'm not taking about "junk" here. I only take items- clothing, shoes, purses, baby things, etc- that are still in great condition but that we don't need or use anymore, or won't need in the future. (I save the majority of Amy and Emily's clothing, but we get so much given to us that I can't possibly keep it all.) I don't get rich off this little source, but on an average month I make about $25 to $30 from items that would otherwise be sitting in our closets taking up space.


Put your craftiness to good use. My mom had a booth in a local craft and antique store for over ten years- she absolutely loves making and selling things! With her as my example, I discovered a new niche for myself when we first moved to Cisco 3 years ago. We only had one child at the time (Amy was a year old), and I ended up getting a little space in a local craft store and began peddling my goods. I made around $100 to $125 a month off my little goodies. Not bad for having fun. Of course, you want to be sure you have something that will sell, that you're not paying too much to rent a booth or space, and that you won't be tied up working at the store all the time (some stores require that vendors work a certain number of days per week or month as part of their rent).


Sell on eBay. This is yet another venue of money making that I've put to use over the years, especially right after Jeremy and I married and I had a lot of extra time. We first began a little book-selling business on eBay and did pretty well. On his days off we scoured thrift stores, libraries, garage sales, junk stores, and anywhere else that had a book or two for sale. Our most famous find was a volume we picked up from the library sale room for 50-cents... it sold for over $100!

I have since sold children's clothing, baby boutique headbands, and whatever else I had on hand and didn't need. I recommend that before you start selling, browse around on eBay and see what is selling and what isn't. Do a search on completed items for a good feel of what certain items are going for. If there are 50 other Plush Elmo toys in the completed auctions that sold for less than $1, or didn't sell at all, scratch that idea and try something else! I read somewhere that you should try to make at least $5 profit on everything you sell or it isn't worth your time. That's a good rule of thumb. (Oh, and you will need a digital camera to sell effectively on eBay, as well as a PayPal account, which is easy and free to sign up for.)










This is by no means an exhaustive list of opportunities for making money at home. I've also done computer date entering for my home church, as well as for individual's personal businesses, baby sat, helped my dad do lawn work and remodel rent houses (I did the clean up jobs!), baked and sold cookies, and just about anything else you can think of. One of my cousins has done well with her free lance photography business; her sister is a skilled seamstress and has made draperies, clothing, and other items for pay. A friend of mine ran a wallpaper-hanging business with her sister-in-law for several years in Houston, Texas. The possibilities are out there- you just have to find your niche!


There is money to be made- although maybe not in huge quantities- for those who are willing to sniff out opportunities, sharpen their skills, and be creative. An important thing to remember is, if at first you don't succeed, keep on trying! Or try something else. Pray for wisdom, get advice from your dad, husband, or other authority, and bounce your ideas off someone who has succeeded in an area you're attempting to try.

I definitely recommend the booklet Merchant Maiden, by Crystal Paine, if you're serious about finding your incoming-making niche at home. It's chock full of ideas for earning extra money without working outside the home.

Next week we'll look at some ideas on making money via the internet.

I'd love to hear some of your ideas or goals for earning money at home! What has worked for you? What hasn't work so well? What have home business venture have you always wanted to try? What resources have helped you out the most?