Moms Making Money

Is your baby stuck on your hip, but you are desperate to get out of the house? Or do you just need some cash and don’t want to have to hire a babysitter to get it? Below are five varied and flexible options.

FREELANCE WRITER

Benefits include: working while your kids sleep or are at school; working as much or as little as you want; flexing those mental muscles. If your specialty is parenting articles, head to http://www.parentingpublications.org. Then Google “writers guidelines parenting publications”. Get sample copies, then peruse them to decide which of your ideas will be a good fit. Also check out http://www.bukisa.com, http://www.suite101.com, http://www.ehow.com, http://www.associatedcontent.com, http://www.helium.com, and http://www.writerfind.com.  Don't forget about my ebook "Get Published in Regional Parenting Magazines", available through thekerrieshow.com or payloadz.com ... it's a 400-page treasure trove of information complete with Excel database of over 200 editor emails!

Warning: Keep track of where and when you’ve sent your articles, and NEVER submit your piece to two publications in the same area.

Babysitting At Your Place

Benefits include: choosing your hours (taking care of kids on a part-time basis or on a full-time basis; choosing whether to care for infants, toddlers, older kids, or a mix); it’s a wonderful way for your own kids to learn how to get along with others. First check with your state to get requirements you’ll need to fulfill. Then, find clients. Ideas include:calling some in-home daycare providers and asking them to send you the clients they are too booked to care for; putting an offer on http://www.CraigsList.com; searching for jobs on Craigslist.com. The income potential can vary greatly, but expect to earn from $2-9/hour part-time; $75-300/week full-time per child. Keep detailed records for the tax time.

Babysitting Outside the Home

Benefits include: health clubs usually pay you with money AND a membership; your older kids can do their homework at the site and can even help out; your kids get a preschool-type experience free of charge; you can choose only the jobs you want to do and can set the “busy-ness” of your schedule. To get started, Google “(your city) health clubs childcare” or “(your city) childcare” and call to find out if they need sitters and if you can bring your own kids along. You can expect to earn anywhere from $6-12/hour, usually paid via payroll check with taxes taken out; however, some churches pay upon completion of each job.

Medical Transcription

You will probably need to become accredited first, which involves taking a set number of hours of classes (check ahdonline.org for approved schools). After that, benefits include: you can learn this field in the comfort of your home, thanks to home study courses; you can set your own schedule as long as the work gets done on time; some employers supply all the equipment for you; you can do it in your jammies! Check out http://www.mtdaily.com and http://www.medicaltranscription.com for information about this field and links to national and local training programs, job listings, and much more. Then visit Amazon.com to peruse the numerous books about medical transcription, including the humorous You’re a Medical What!?! by  Sara Burns. Once you are accredited, hit the online job boards like http://www.CareerBuilder; http://www.HotJobs.com; http://www.Indeed.com; http://www.Monster.com and http://www.SimplyHired.com. After a couple of years of experience, expect an average of $12-20 per hour, depending on how fast you can type.

Warning: NEVER pay for lists of potential employers. Be sure this is the career for you before investing the time and money in training and equipment.

Mystery Shopping

Benefits include: you accept only the jobs you want to do; you can end up with some free, fun merchandise and food; your opinions can make a difference in the way companies do business. Start by signing up at http://www.cybershoppersonline.com, then they will send you e-mails for jobs in your area. Check out the site http://www.mysteryshop.org. The pay is minimal, but the free stuff can make up for that. A typical fast-food restaurant job may pay $5 plus a free meal or drink, while a typical retail shop job may pay about $12.

Warning: NEVER pay for a list of potential mystery shopping clients or give out your credit card information. Sign up with the right companies and the jobs will come to you.