Many homeschool families make financial sacrifices for one parent to stay home to educate their children. If you’re a stay-at-home homeschooling mom (or dad), odds are that you live on one income. And odds are, you’d be interested in ways to make extra money at home.
If this describes you, then you’re in the right place. In this article, I’ll share practical ways I’ve used throughout my years as a homeschool mom to help boost my family’s budget.
Whether you need to make extra money to pay for piano lessons, a vacation, or to buy next year’s homeschool curriculum, these practical ideas can help you reach your goals.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission for any purchases you make at no additional cost to you.
Sell Things You Don’t Need
Most people have things in their home they don’t use. It could be books, curriculum, clothes, shoes, or home decor. Selling these items can help you make some quick cash.
Don’t know where to sell? Facebook Marketplace is a great place to sell locally. If you don’t mind shipping items, eBay is another great selling option.
Offer Child Care Services
Do you know another mother in your area in need of child care? Two of my daughters babysit about eight hours a week, and they are making great money. My point in mentioning the girls is that you don’t have to offer 40 hour a week child care services to make it worth your while. In fact, you’ll probably make more money as a once a month date-night sitter.
Last year, my nephew was four years old. I knew that he would thrive with a group to do preschool at home, so I invited a few other moms of preschoolers to send their littles to our house four days a week, three hours a day. They paid me for my services, and all of our families were blessed.
This year, my high schoolers need a few elective courses. I’m offering for other homeschoolers to join us for Spanish I and Personal Finance twice a week for a fee.
Sell Other Services
Do you have skills that other people may be willing to pay for? In our area, there are three things that I see selling well and selling often.
Photography: Everybody wants great pictures for all the special occasions in our lives. We’re willing to pay for quality. If you have a quality camera and a great eye, you can work around your own schedule to make extra money.
Baking: Birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, and just because… If you have baking skills, you can make extra money for your family. And you don’t have to bake cakes. You can offer homemade breads, rolls, cookies, cupcakes, scones, you name it…
Meal Prep: Many people in our area are back to work and back to school and looking for ways to eat well on the run. If you can offer on-the-go meals and have them picked up once or twice a week, you can make extra money for your family. In our area, prepped meals that accommodate special diets like keto or gluten-free are very popular.
Teach or Tutor
As a homeschool mom, you have some teaching ability, right? Why not get paid to share that ability? Perhaps there is an area of teaching that you’re an “expert” at?? You could also offer after-school tutoring to public school students for academic classes.
Piano Lessons: Or voice lessons or violin or any other area that you have skills in. You can offer lessons to homeschoolers, public schoolers, or both. Set your own schedule.
Specialty Classes: If you’re gifted in art or a foreign language or have a keen interest in science (especially high school level) or almost any other subject, you can put together a class and offer it to other homeschoolers. This is exactly what we’re doing with our Spanish class this year.
Our family lived in South America for two years where we learned the language, but my girls still need to “earn” their high school foreign language credit. Inviting friends earns a little money for the household, holds us accountable, and makes the learning more fun for all involved.
Sell Handmade Crafts
Do you crochet or knit? Paint or make door hangers? Several mamas in my area offer their crafts for sale and make extra money for their family by doing so. If you have a creative bent, this may be an option for you.
Consider Online Options
There are an unlimited number of ways to earn money online. Below you will find three that have worked for me or my friends.
Freelance Writing
If you have decent writing skills and a fluent grasp of the English language, you can earn extra money from home writing for businesses. Every business needs an online presence these days, and many aren’t interested in creating their own content. That’s where you come in.
Elna Cain is a successful freelance writer and blogger that has created a course to help you get started with freelance writing. Write Your Way to $1K is an affordable and thorough course to teach you all the ins and outs of the business.
While you’ll never make big money writing for content mills, Steady Content and the HOTH are two that I can vouch for that offer consistent articles and pay on time. The pay is not great, but they’re a great place to get your feet wet.
Teach English to Foreign Students
I’ve never personally worked for them, but I have several friends that have and still do work for VIPKids. This company has a great reputation and pay is reported to be $20 or more per hour.
The company has prepared lesson plans and pairs you with students from the other side of the globe. You do need a four-year degree to qualify for a teaching position, a dependable internet connection, and a quiet place to teach uninterrupted.
The only real downside I see is that the best hours for teaching are super early in the morning or late at night, because of the time zone differences. Other than that, teaching English online has been a great fit for many homeschooling parents.
Start a Blog
Now, blogging won’t make you an immediate income. It also won’t make you a dependable income in the early days. But if you like to write, if you have expertise or even a strong opinion about something, and if you like helping others, blogging may be the thing for you.
Suzi over at Startamomblog.com has been an amazing help in getting my blog going again. She and her husband, John, offer many free tips on their You Tube channel. And when you’re serious about becoming a blogger, I highly suggest her Blog by Number course to get started on the right foot.