If only there was a side job that could help pay the bills but not take up too much valuable family time. Are there even jobs out there like that? And if so, where do they exist? I’m tired of being broke and spending all day in a house that has been taken over by toddlers and their toys. So I started researching. Maybe you don’t have time to look for this information, and that’s okay. I did it for you!
Quick Read:
Making extra money without raising your stress level sounds like a dream. But finding the best side hustles for parents that not only work with their schedule and lifestyle can be time-consuming. In my world, I’m good at diapers and wiping noses, but it’s been a while since I was in the workforce. I made lists of my strengths: time management, organization, staff management … and the things I love: crafts, reading, and travel. And I came up with a ton of ideas. Hopefully, this list can help you think of ways to combine your favorite pastimes with your strengths to create a winning side-job, too.
Best Side Jobs for Parents
Blogging
You may have wondered, “What are the best side hustles for parents?” Well, if you need some stress relief while making money then a blog may be the perfect answer to this one question. A how-to site, a recipe log, some parental wisdom or even some funny but sage advice from the mouth of a toddler can go viral in minutes, thanks to social media. No one knows this better than the mommy bloggers who make cash from writing what they know. Some are lucky enough to support their entire household by stringing together words that resonate with frustrated parents. How do they do it? Creative, useful and entertaining content with some of the monetization methods below.
- PPC Ads: Pay-per-click ads are just one of the ways to monetize a site. Google Adsense is the most popular method, but there are others. Ads show up based on the content of the page, and you get paid when viewers click on them.
- Sponsors: Whether you run an email campaign that sends out new blog posts or you rely completely on organic (search engine directed) traffic, sponsors pay for ads or even pay successful bloggers to review, discuss or sometimes just mention their products.
- Backlinks: Got a popular blog with lots of traffic? You can sell links going from your site to another. The more popular your blog is, the more you can charge per link.
- Book It: Ebooks are more popular than ever right now. Once you have enough content on your site, you can turn your blog into a book and sell content you already have. Some reformatting and marketing, and you’ve got yourself a spot in a bookstore, with a potential for even more traffic going to your site.
Blog as much, or as little, as you like. But know that the more you write, the more you can draw traffic to the blog and increase your income. That is why this is one of the best side hustles from home!
Content Writing
There are so many places that will pay you to write articles for them. Getting started is as easy as searching the internet.
- LinkedIn: There are companies on this site that will advertise job openings for content writers. Once you make connections, individual people will even send you writing positions. It’s free to sign up and you just have to make a profile that showcases your experience, education, and a brief opening about what you can offer.
- Upwork: Similar to LinkedIn, Upwork is free to get started. You do need to be approved before you can join fully, though. Once you are approved, you can search for jobs and get paid for your work. The more reviews you get, the higher your score becomes and as it rises, more people will send you job requests or pick you for an interview. When jobs pay their fees, Upwork does take a percentage off of the total amount for their services.
- Facebook: There are various Facebook content writer groups that are specifically geared toward this type of writing. Once you get approval to join these groups, there are people to give advice and even postings for side jobs for extra money. Plus, you are making connections with others who may help you network to get additional jobs.
Once you have a few pieces under your belt, you will become a better writer and make more money. Side jobs for extra cash do not need to be stressful. For me, I thought — self, you are on the internet anyway so why not make some money doing it?
Selling Selling Selling
It’s no surprise to say that I never had so much STUFF as I did once I became a parent. And as soon as I get them one thing, they outgrow or stop using something else. But the clutter, it turns out, can bring in much-needed cash. I had a ton of things I could no longer use such as children’s clothing that has become too small, toys they barely touched, books and a variety of other things that are just taking up space. Listing these items for sale can help generate additional income and also free up space. Win-win. Craigslist, eBay, and even Amazon are easy to navigate and some are free or only charge a small fee for listing products. If you have a lot of items you want to get rid of, you could turn this side job into an online store for an ongoing source of income.
In addition to selling this stuff online, I took some stuff down to my local consignment shop that sells only children’s clothing, toys and books and I got enough credit to buy clothes for the next season. But there are also broader-based shops where you can take the items that you no longer need. Just look up consignment and your town name to get a list. This can be one of the best side hustles for dads and moms because regardless, each parent will have stuff they can sell!
Driving for Lyft or Uber
Driving is something you do, anyway, so why not get paid for it. Kids have playdates, sporting events and practices so why not make the most of the time spent waiting on them by picking up a ride or two instead of idling in the parking lot?
Lyft and Uber are very similar to each other. To be approved to drive for Lyft and Uber you will need to own an Android or an iPhone and meet certain qualification relating to you and your vehicle — but honestly, it’s not that hard. They will also do a background check on you and want you to have an in-state driver’s license. Your car needs to have four door handles and five seat belts to drive for Lyft. Uber allows you to not only drive people, but you can make deliveries too. Also, it goes without saying you need car insurance.
Both companies use an app that you can download to your phone and through which they will connect you to people in your area that need a ride. You can work around your schedule, turn it off and on as you’re able, and they pay you for every minute and mile of the rides you give. You get to keep your tips from passengers, and you get paid directly into your bank account.
Getting paid for what would otherwise be idle time is a great way to make easy cash.
Daycare
One of the hardest choices to make as a parent is whether or not to put your child in daycare while you work outside the home. Solve this problem, along with some financial ones by opening an in-home daycare. Find out the certification and/or licensing requirements in your state before you go big time but know that many states don’t require anything until you have five children or more. States today even have programs that pay for daycare while low-income parents work or look for work so you can get paid on a regular basis without worrying about parents being able to afford it. Not only that, but Christmas feels a lot better when some of the gifts are tax deductible!
Selling Your Photography
Do you love taking pictures of your family and friends? If so, you could turn that hobby into additional income. This is a popular side job, so you will really have to capture your audience and get friends and family to help you advertise. There are many directions you can go with this business including baby portraits, weddings, senior pictures and many more.
When I was choosing a side job that would work for me, I had to think outside the box and then, once decided, I had to just do it. I realized that for me, it was easiest to monetize things I was already doing.
Look for ways to combine the things you love with the things you’re good at to create a side-job that you enjoy and one that helps make those fraying ends, meet. Here’s to getting paid for some of these parenting skills!
