Given the cost-of-living crisis in the UK (and everywhere else) today, many people are turning to side hustles to boost their monthly income, particularly stay-at-home mothers looking for a way to earn money while meeting the demands of raising a family. Let’s look at 16 side hustles every stay-at-home mother looking to make an extra income should consider.
1. Virtual Assistant
Whether or not you’ve worked as an assistant previously, this may be a service you can offer. If you are handy with social media, proofreading articles, scheduling meetings and replying to emails, this might be an excellent fit for you. Virtual assistants (VAs for short) charge anywhere from £15–£30 per hour, depending on the services requested. You can find VA jobs on websites such as Upwork and Fiver.
2. Proofreader
With the rising use of AI to help create essential documents, articles and proposals, there is plenty of call for proofreaders today. If you have a meticulous eye for detail and love the English language, you can make up to £20 per hour. Try offering your services on platforms such as Fiverr.
3. Transcriptionist
If you have an ear for detail and can type quickly, you could pick up work from doctors, lawyers or lecturers and earn up to £25 per hour, depending on the company you contract with.
4. Affiliate Marketer
This job is slightly more complex as there are more stages to it. While many people start a blog to share their opinions, doing so also presents an opportunity to make money. You can negotiate a commission with every purchase by establishing an online presence and recommending specific products to your audience.
5. Data Entry Worker
Although it might not be the most exciting job, remote data entry is in relatively high demand and highly competitive. Some clerks report making £15 per hour as a starting point. If you can type at a minimum of 40 words per minute and already have a computer and solid internet connection, this can be a lucrative side hustle for you.
6. Pet Sitter
Are you an animal lover? The pet industry is a $100 billion industry, and you can cash in on some of that by offering pet-sitting services. You can make up to £15 per hour playing with other people’s pets through platforms like Rover. All of the fun, none of the cost, while lining your pockets as you go!
7. Etsy Seller
Are you an avid arts and crafts fan? Do your friends and family always ask you to create things for them? On Etsy, you can sell artwork, crafts, jewellery, clothes, woodwork and a variety of other products. If you love creating things, this can be a lucrative business for you, with the average Etsy business making around £35,000 per year.
8. Craft Fair or Market Seller
Why stop at Etsy? Sell your crafts locally as a fair and market seller. Earnings can vary depending on your locality, but it can be a great addition to selling online or an alternative if you are apprehensive about selling over the Internet. However, this option offers far less flexibility than most of our others.
9. Graphic Designer
Are you a skilled graphic designer? Do you have a passion for art? Many entrepreneurs turn to graphic designers to design their logos, graphics and websites. You can earn anything from £15 per hour using your design skills while helping others achieve their own business goals – it’s a win-win!
10. Retail Arbitrage Seller
Buying items from one place, such as high street sales, and selling them online at a higher price, also known as retail arbitrage selling, can be very profitable. However, it is worth noting that some people lose money on some of their sales, so this is a side hustle that takes a lot of research into trends and careful investment.
11. Online Gambling
If you excel at poker or other skill-based card games, you can actually make decent money playing live dealer games on reputable gaming sites like casinos.com. Some stay-at-home mothers have reported earning on average £1,500 per month through online casinos.
12. Private Tutor
Did you excel in a particular subject in school or study a mainstream topic at university? Tutoring could be the answer to your side hustle dreams. With the pandemic helping people become more confident using programmes like Zoom, you can tutor from the comfort of your own home and earn up to £50 per hour.
13. Test Proctor
You can work for many companies that employ people to monitor students while they take their tests, making £12 per hour. Contact your local academic institutions for more information.
14. Standardised Test Scorer
In addition to test proctoring, you could pick up work as a test scorer, particularly for written tests with essay-like answers. Markers are provided with a rubric and are fully trained to score the tests fairly, so no previous experience is necessary.
15. Consultant
Did you leave a career to raise your family? So many stay-at-home mums and dads did, but your training and experience don’t have to end there. Contact your previous employers to see if they would like to employ you on a consultancy basis or look for online consultancy gigs on sites like Indeed.
16. Childcare Provider
If you have children and room to add to the pack, why not make some extra money providing childcare services? You could offer your services during the day, evening and at weekends, whichever suits you best. Rates vary entirely depending on your services, the time of day, the child’s age and whether naps or schooling is required.
Conclusion
There are many ways to earn extra money, most of which you can do from home on your own time. With the rise of technology and the pandemic restructuring how people approach their attitude to the 9–5 grind, the time for stay-at-home mums to hang up their work boots may just have come to an end.