When I was single, I was responsible for my own income, so I worked part time as a secretary. This paid for my basic needs and allowed some money for fun purchases, yet still gave me time to “do my own thing”.
As a housewife, earning is not your primary job, but it can be fun to earn some extra money if you have the time to do so. Right now Hubs and I don’t have kids, so I have a lot of extra free time. I know my free time will dwindle as children arrive, so NOW is the time to be building streams of passive income, something I will discuss in another post. Right now I make money for entertainment, not because we need it. However, I know there are families out there in a pinch that need to earn a little more. Here are some ways a housewife can earn money on the side:
1. Freelance work: for me this would be floral design for weddings or other odd jobs. I know ladies who do photography or music lessons as a part time gig. Whatever you’re good at.
2. Babysitting children and/or animals: this is not skilled work, and if you already have children or animals it could be an option. My mom had an in-home daycare when I was growing up.
3. Selling stuff: this kills two birds with one stone if you already have too much stuff. Ebay, Craigslist, and Amazon are good places to start.
The best way to earn is to make money from something you enjoy and would be doing anyway. If you like quilting and coming up with new patterns, for example, it would be make sense to sell those patterns in a digital format on Etsy or some other marketplace.
Be careful about how you earn extra money… it could actually be costing you. If you have to leave home, for example, that means the cost of another car, gas, insurance and/or childcare. It might mean that you don’t have time to cook, which means buying expensive food. The house might be neglected, the husband and kids might feel neglected, and you just might end up feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. This, my friends, is not worth a few extra dollars.
As a housewife, your biggest asset to your family is the ability to save money (which is often better than earning, but I’ll discuss that later). Be sure to stay tuned next Tuesday when we discuss Money Skill #2: Saving.