One of the biggest challenges of single parenting is juggling home and work life so you have enough time with your kids and enough money in the bank.
For this reason, many single parents work part time or are lucky to have employment with flexi-hours. Full time work is also possible dependent on the ages of your children and the level of support you have.
Whatever work you do, if you want to increase your income while being an available parent, work from home is an attractive option.
The question is: How can I earn money from home?
In this article, we list realistic ways boost your income without leaving your house.
1. SELL STUFF
There are many advantages to living a more minimalist lifestyle such as making your home easier to clean and tidy. You can even make money from it!
Set aside time to go through different parts of your house (garage included) and decide what you don’t need/use anymore. Then sell it!
The most popular platforms for this are Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace. However, depending on what you are selling there are more specified sites. For example, try Depop or ThreadUP to sell clothing and accessories.
This is also a great time to donate items to charity if they are not worthwhile selling but would be welcomed by another person.
2. DO SURVEYS
A popular way to earn money from home is by completing online surveys. And it’s easier than you may think.
There are lots of websites offering this service so it’s worth doing your research to pick one or two that you like the look of. As a starting point try Octopus and Prize Rebel.
Once you have registered, you will be asked several lifestyle questions so you only receive relevant surveys. Each time you complete a survey, you will receive a reward. This is usually in the form of points which can traded for cash or gift vouchers.
Doing online surveys is not going to pay the bills but it will boost your income and can be done from the comfort of your home.
3. TUTORING
If you have a background in teaching, or can help another person learn, you could use your skills to make money as an online tutor.
To teach an academic subject, you would need knowledge of the current school curriculum. Yet there is more to teach than Maths and English. Adults and children alike are keen to learn musical instruments, art and other creative skills. If you have them, why not make money by sharing them?
There are online platforms to advertise your services to prospective students such as TutorMe and ClassGap. If it takes off, you could even create your own little tutoring business so you don’t pay commission to a third party.
4. BABYSIT (IN YOUR HOME)
If you find yourself stuck at home with young kids, you could consider looking after other people’s children every now and then. The more the merrier!
Ask around at your children’s playgroup or school. There is always another parent struggling with childcare arrangements. You could be the answer to their prayers.
Not only will you earn extra cash, but it is a great way for your own child/ren to learn social skills and make new friends.
Make sure you work within the legalities of childcare in your state, especially if you are caring for several children at the same time.
5. WRITE ESSAYS
Did you like essay writing when you were at school, or do you have past writing experience from previous employment? If so, you can boost your income from home by writing essays for other people.
This is a really popular way to make money online. Websites such as iWriteEssays will connect you with clients in need of essays. Fees and topics vary dependent on your range of knowledge and writing ability.
If you enjoy writing, this is great way to work from home, while combining business and pleasure.
6. GET CREATIVE
Are you a creative sort? If so, don’t keep your wonderful talent to yourself.
Check out online market spaces such as Esty or Madeit to get inspiration around what you could make and sell. Think art, jewellery, gifts, facemasks, pottery … anything! Personalised products are particularly popular in these spaces, as well as the kind of items people can’t find elsewhere.
Once you’ve decided on your product and started a small production line, set-up your own account and get selling.
7. RENT A ROOM (OR A GARAGE)
Look around your home. Is there an area that you don’t really use, but someone else can make use of? Perhaps a spare room, the garage or land.
Rooms and even your entire home (if you are vacating it for a period) can be rented on sites like Airbnb or Stayz. Or, if you are looking for something more permanent and have enough space, consider sharing your home with another single parent family. Find out more about this and get listed with ShareAbode.
If you live in a highly popular commuter area and have a parking space you never use, you can even rent that out. Look at Parkhound to find out what you might get and how to find a potential renter.
8. WRITE AN EBOOK
If you are a fountain of knowledge on a particular topic or you have a skill others might like to learn, get yourself e-published.
A simple free tool like Canva is great to help you plan and present your content professionally. They have a choice of user-friendly templates, including front cover options.
From there, it’s all about selling. The most popular platform for the sale of ebooks is Amazon. You can also boost your sales with your own website or through your favourite social media platforms.
eBooks are great to sell online as there is no postage and you can sell worldwide, meaning more sales and ultimately, more money.
