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10 Legitimate Ways to Make Money from Home

 

At-home employment has many faces: some women own their own businesses ranging from public relations and graphic design to massage therapy and life coaching. Others work for an organization in a marketing, sales or assistant capacity. Whatever your skills and experience may be, and whatever time you have to dedicate to the work – there is a gig for you.

Learn more about these 10 legitimate ways to make money from home.

1. Have a Yard Sale

a yard sale

Probably the most obvious way to make money from home is to have a yard sale. You'll have to put in some work gathering, cleaning, sorting, and pricing—and don't forget to put up signs—but you can easily make a few hundred dollars getting rid of things your children have outgrown or that you have been storing in the attic for the last ten years. It's not a long-term solution, but it will bring in a nice sum of money for things that were just gathering dust before.

2. Sell DIY Crafts on Etsy

a person making some craft objects

If you're creative enough, find something that you love to make and sell it on Etsy. There's a large market for handmade baby clothes, cloth diapers, momma cloth, crocheted or knitted hats and scarves, jewelry, soaps, candles—really anything you can think of. Setting up an Etsy shop is free and their fees are low enough that you retain almost 97% of your profit per item.

3. Beauty Sales

a woman applying eye liner

While Avon and Mary Kay have been popular for decades there are some new options out there, too. If you love fun nail art you can sell Jamberry nail wraps and polishes. For those who love new makeup trends, take a look at Younique, a company that offers mineral makeup and fiber lashes. While you may want to host some parties in person, many presenters choose to host virtual parties through social media.

4. Blogging or Content Writing

a woman on her laptop at home

If you've always felt that you have a gift for writing you might have what it takes to become a paid blogger or writer. There are many resources online to help you begin your writing career from home. It's typically easiest to find jobs through content mills, but pay can sometimes be as low as a few dollars per article. If you have an active blog or other writing examples online, bigger jobs—sometimes paying as much as $25/hour—can be found.

5. Open an eBay Store

ebay website

It's up to you what you want to sell. You can use eBay like an online yard sale to get rid of used items from around the house, or you can find or create goods to sell for a profit. eBay does charge fees to list items, but it's a simple process to open your own storefront. What you choose to sell is only limited by what you have access to. If you have an eye for quality items and love to shop at thrift stores, opening an eBay store might be a fun job for you.

6. Refurbish Furniture

old furniture

It's not uncommon to see furniture put out on the curb around trash days. While some of it isn't worth your time, you can find some real gems, too. If you have the time and space to sand and paint old furniture there's a big market for shabby-chic items. You can wait until you have a few items for sale and rent a table at a swap meet, or you can list your pieces online.

7. Medical Transcription

a mom working from home on her laptop

If you don't need to start working immediately, medical transcription is a solid career for stay-at-home parents. You'll need to take a one-year course to gain a certificate, but you can often find these courses online. It's possible that you'll need to work in an office for several months before you're allowed to work from home, but once you've established yourself within the field it will become an option.

8. Customer Service Representative

a customer service worker

Many companies have chosen to skip having local call centers and instead opt to route incoming phone calls directly to representatives' homes. Employees are from all over the country. Jobs can range from taking orders, helping with medical issues, or helping with technological issues. While you'll need to have a quiet room, you won't have to leave the house and you can usually set your own hours.

9. Take Surveys for Cash and Rewards

a mom using her laptop at home

You won't make a lot of money taking surveys, but you can get some fun money and earn rewards, too. Some sites will reward you with points to use toward drawings or for coupon discounts, while other sites allow you to accrue points that you can cash in.

10. Provide In-Home Daycare

a mom working as a day care worker

It's up to you how big you want your daycare plan to be. You might want to watch a friend's child a few hours per week, or you could become licensed and open your doors to multiple families in the area. While having a larger daycare in your home will make your life busier, you can still spend fun, structured time with your children while they're young.

 
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