I am a stay-at-home mom with three children (soon to be four!) I am always looking for ways to make money or save money! Here are some ways that we save money and below that are some of the ways that I make (or have made) extra income. I will update this page as I remember or come across new ideas.
Saving Money:
- We do not have cable. For a long time we would just get movies from the library or watch things on the computer. So much is online to watch now! Now we have Netflix.
- We do not have a home phone. We use our cell phones. I used to think that we would need a home phone once the kids were older and we'd have a babysitter but even my 15 year-old babysitter has a cell phone.
- Use coupons! Coupons are a great way to say money but only if you use them to buy things that you would buy anyway. There are a lot of great sites to help you get some great deals.
- Buy gently used! I shop at the kids closets and resale shops for a lot of our clothes. I do still buy some new but usually because its on clearance. I've even found great things at these places that are unused at a very low price that make great gifts for the kids or whoever. Many things you buy new will look pre-owned in a matter of days anyway so save some money!
- Sell things when you're done with them. Kids closet and resale shops are a great resource for selling things when you're done with them also.
- Plan your meals and cook at home. This can be well worth the effort. Put your menu together according to what's on sale that week and use your coupons! You can experiment and make a lot of the things that you like to eat out - at home. :)
- Take advantage of your local library. I was surprised when I first started going to the library that they now have movies, cds, even magazines that you can check out. Ours even has a magazine exchange. They also have free programs for the kids.
- We have a zoo membership. For the cost of about one trip to the zoo we get a membership for our family to go the whole year. It's definitely worth it if you like to make multiple trips during the year. Memberships often include savings for other events or zoos, too.
- We don't have any car payments. (We are thankful to Dave Ramsey for this one! www.daveramsey.com) We don't have new cars but we have cars that get us from point A to point B safely. Our cars are 10 and 12 years old. We have a car replacement fund so that when they break down we can get them fixed or replace them. :)
- Keep a budget. Another Dave Ramsey tool. Without a budget it's easy to let money slip away. When you plan out the month on paper it's easier to make better decisions with your money and avoid spending money that you don't have.
- Cut up those credit cards! Ok, I'm starting to sound like Dave Ramsey now but when you're not paying all that interest on things you didn't need with money you didn't have. You save! I was really nervous about this one but we've lived without credit cards for a couple of years now and I will never go back...Ever!
- Plant a garden. Planting things that you know your family will eat is a great way to save on produce and eat healthier. It can be fun, too. Get the kids involved. Some cities have community gardens where you can "rent" a plot and get lots of support. I will be attempting this next year which will hopefully have better results than my little back yard garden. :)
- Plant fruit. Fruit is a great thing to plant because the plants are perrenials and come back year after year. I currently have a raspberry garden which does excellent every year, a gala apple tree which we planted about three years ago, a grape vine, two blueberry bushes and a blackberry patch. My children love to pick their own fruit. Not all of my plants have provided edible fruit yet. Some things can take years. The apple tree is producing a few apples each year and getting bigger and bigger. Hopefully next year we will get some we can eat! Fruit can be a big part of your budget. Growing your own can supply you much of the year if you learn to freeze or can it properly.
- Swap babysitting with a friend. Babysitters can be expensive! If you have a friend or two that you can swap babysitting with you can give each other a break or night out and both save on your budget.
- Make your own cakes. I love to bake! I recently have learned lots of cool tricks to decorating cakes and hope to learn many more in my cake decorating classes. You don't have to take classes or make fancy cakes to save money making your own. There is nothing wrong with making a box and spreading on some premade icing!
Making Money:
- Childcare. I provide childcare for others on a full-time or occasional basis from my home. Great way to earn money and be home with your kids! Plus you save because you don't have to pay for lunches out, work clothes or gas :)
- MLMs. There are some great multi-level marketing businesses out there that come with a built-in support group! Many people make a good income working their own business this way. Some that come to mind are Pampered Chef, Premier Jewelry, Creative Memories. Chances are you could find something that interests you because there are so many of these types of companies.
- Start your own business. Do you have something that you love to do or make? Start your own business! It can be something as simple as an online business. You can find free web stores at www.webs.com.
- Sell stuff on Ebay. Ebay is fairly simple and popular. You can often get a better price than you would at a garage sale or resale event simply because of the wider audience.
