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10 Easy Ways to Make Extra Money From Home

10 Easy Ways to Make Extra Money From Home

10waysSAHMearnmoney

This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

I’ve been a stay-at-home-mom for 12 years! 12 years! Wow! I love being home with my kids, but it’s not always easy and anyone who says it is, well, they are lying!  If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I’m a true entrepreneur at heart – I’m always trying to think of ways to make money in my everyday life. I’m so thankful I get the pleasure (although like I said, it’s not always a pleasure) of being at home with my kids and taking care of our household. But, let’s be honest, being at home all day taking care of laundry and kids doesn’t pay the bills.

We chose to wait to have kids until we were ready and able to have me stay at home to take care of them, knowing that I would not bring in an income. While I know that a lot of couples do not have this choice, it was our desire for our family.  After reading Dave Ramsey’s book, Total Money Makeover, we decided to work extra jobs for the first 5 years of our marriage to pay off all our debt and that sure made it easier for me to be home not working.
I’ve tried over the years to find ways to make money, but most of my efforts are on the money-saving side instead of the money-making side. I use coupons for everything, I try to make a lot of the products we use such as all-purpose cleaner, food items like taco seasoning and granola (find my granola recipe here – it’s yummy and healthy – WIN WIN), my kids take their lunch to school every day and we like to use plastic lunch box containers that we can reuse to save on those little plastic baggies, and much more. I know many moms are in my same spot – they are at home, trying to save as much as they can, and longing to also earn money doing it! Well, here ya go – my top 10 ways you can make money being at stay-at-home-mom and I have personally tried all 10 of these things and currently do a few of them right now:

  1. Nannying 
    Nannying is an excellent way to bring in extra income while staying at home. The best part of nannying is that it goes right along with what you already do as a stay-at-home-mom, especially if you are able to nanny a child around the same age as your own kids. Plus, having another child around to play with your child is also a bonus! I nannied a little girl last year for the duration of the school year. She was with me 3-4 days a week and she fit right into our daily schedule of kid activities. Plus, my kids loved having her around the house and always wanted to play with her.
  2. Make Your Own Product
    I have been making my own all-purpose cleaner for years and recently while sitting at church I had a bright idea that I should bottle it and sell it for all the people who just don’t have time to make it themselves.  It’s called CLEAN MOM Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner. Plus because I’m making it myself, it’s pure, natural and has no harsh chemicals. If you have a product you can make and sell, go for it! I’ve chosen to advertise my cleaner on a local Facebook page dedicated to Homemade products, as well as my own Facebook page, my Katrina’s World facebook page and my Katrina’s World blog. The sky is the limit on where you can post your products to sell them. Use local online pages, or consider setting up a booth a local Farmer’s Market or craft show on a weekend to display and sell your products. If you know any business owners with a storefront, consider approaching them about possibly setting up a little point-of-sale spot in their business.
  3. Start a Blog
    I’m working on this now!   I’ve had my blog for about 4 years now and it’s never made a single dime of income for me. I’ve taken it very slow, built it from scratch, spent countless hours pouring my heart into my posts, and have loved it. I take a lot of breaks from my blog to focus on other things especially when life just get really stressful. For me, that’s ok. I never started my blog to be popular – I really don’t know why God lead me to start my blog…I still wonder. I can tell you this, I like working on it, it’s a lot of work, but I know from all the other blogs out there that I follow that you CAN make money with your blog. I would love for my blog to make a real income for our family – even just a little bit would be helpful, but it’s all in God’s time and I’m willing to go along for the ride. Most of the money made on blogs comes from advertising income, guest posts, sponsored posts, etc. It all comes down to page views on your site and how many people are active on your blog. I’m currently working on that aspect right now.
  4. Take a Work At Home Job
    The sky is the limit on the work-at-home jobs that are out there, you just have to get creative on where to find them.  A few of them that I have done are: Data Entry, Virtual Assistant, Lead Processor, Appointment Scheduler, and Research Assistant. When I really think about it, most of these jobs have just come along when I’ve been in the right place at the right time. I never really went out looking for them. I did some data entry – but I did struggle with this, as I’m not good with numbers. I’ve been a virtual assistant many times over the years, but mostly for friends. I also recently spent a few months doing some lead processing which tied right in with appointment scheduling for a local doctor and loved the job! It was simple to do, didn’t take very much time, and made great money! I got paid every time I called a lead and got them scheduled for an appointment. If they showed up to their appointment, I was paid. It was a perfect job to do at at home, I just needed a phone and my computer. Again, this was another job I did that found me.   I really liked it, much more than I thought would and hope to do it again soon! For work-at-home jobs, sometimes you just need to jump on Facebook and tell your friends and family that you are looking for something you can do from home and then list off all your skills and see what comes back to you!
  5. Freelance
    I’ve done lots of freelance design jobs over the years. Since I have a degree in graphic design, all my work 20 years ago centered around design. I worked full-time doing design for other people and then for my own business for many years! When I stepped away from my design business I still would do all sorts of freelance design jobs on the side for different people. I still do – especially for close friends and family and a few local doctor offices. If you are able to do any type of freelance work, it’s a great way to make extra money. I have friends who code apps, space plan, or stage houses – the sky is the limit for what type of freelance work you can do!
  6. Multi-level Marketing/Network Marketing
    Join a network marketing company or multi-level marketing company. There are so many of them out there – find something you are passionate about like lipstick, makeup, health products, vitamins, candles, essential oils, etc. Instead of just consuming the products, sign up as a consultant and sell the products to your friends and family and then you can earn what you consume for free usually! It’s a win-win! I’ve had my own network marketing company and boy does it come with it’s ups and downs – be ready for a LOT of rejection, and a lot of triumph! I’ll be honest, it just wasn’t for me – but that’s a whole other post to write some day!
  7. Teach Classes
    There are 2 ways to do this – if you have a 4 year degree you can teach in many different ways – Community College, Substitute Teaching, Online Classes to foreign kids (and I’m sure there are many more).  A long time ago, before we had kids, I was working full-time as a graphic designer and we had just finished Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University course and we were committed to get out of debt as soon as possible. We both worked extra jobs and for a while I started teaching at our local community college. I taught basic graphic design classes at night and it was hard! The workload was a lot because I taught 2 classes a week , but it was so worth it! We made some great extra money and payed off all our debt in one year! I’ve never done substitute teaching or online teaching, but I’ve considered it. I have quite a few friends who teach online classes to Chinese kids and they love it! I’m not a fan of the hours though – it’s typically an early morning job – which is one reason I’ve not wanted to give this a try. I’ve also never tried substitute teaching at any of my local schools, but have considered it as well!
  8. Public Speaking
    I love to speak to large groups! If you are passionate about a topic, find a way to brush up on your speaking skills and share your knowledge with others! Join your local Chamber of Commerce and start out small by speaking for free to a small group. I used to speak about inexpensive ways to market your business with my local Chamber at a monthly luncheon and it was a great way to share my knowledge and also get my company name out there. I loved it and would love to do more speaking! I’ve also spoken at my local MOPS group about couponing, as well as how to raise kids with God’s grace. While I never made a lot of direct money from speaking – I did make money in other ways from it – such as I grew my graphic design business by gaining new clients by just putting myself out there and I also was given gift cards as payment for speaking for a my MOPS group.
  9. Dog Walking
    I don’t do this as much as I’d like to!  I love dogs, especially mine, and I walk her ALL the time – usually about 6 miles a day broken up into 3-4 smaller walks.  Sometimes I think she’s taking me for a walk more than I am walking her. I need some breaks all day long to stay focused and walking her is the perfect way to do it! She’s still a puppy and is FULL of energy, so walking her is a perfect way to give us both a break. I’m walking so much all the time, that I sure thought it would be nice to find a few other neighborhood dogs that needed walking as well and make some money getting exercise! I’m still open to this idea and hoping to find the right pups to walk!
  10. Bake Sale
    Have a bake sale with your kids on your front lawn! I do this with my kids every summer and it’s a blast! We bake up a whole bunch of treats and make a festive table in my front yard. We stick up signs around the neighborhood and viola! It’s great to pair a bake sale with a garage sale if you really feel like doing some work!

This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

10waysSAHMearnmoney

 

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September 25, 2018Comments are DisabledRead More
CLEAN MOM – Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner

CLEAN MOM – Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner

CleanMOM_KWYou all know me, I love to make things at home that I can make cheaper than buying at the store.  A few weeks ago I shared with you all my recipe for Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner that I like to use at home – it’s cheap to make, easy to make and has NO harsh chemicals!  The best thing about this cleaner is that it smells great and is super easy to make with things around your house!  I know our lives get super busy, I mean seriously, we are moms – so I’ve decided to bottle my cleaner and sell it in case you are too busy to make it yourself!  :) Yep, you got it – I now offer my Homemade Cleaner to any Parker, Colorado locals.  If you would like to buy a bottle of my CLEAN MOM All-Purpose Cleaner – please email me.

CLEAN MOM All-Purpose Cleaner is pure, natural, and cleans better than anything you can get at the store – without the harsh chemicals!

It works awesome on mirrors and glass leaving a streak free shine! Use also in your kitchen, bathroom, countertops and even on carpet stains!

*Ingredients: Water, Vinegar, Pure Lavender Castile Soap, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Hemp Oil, Lavender Oil and Jojoba Oil.

$3/bottle (28oz) or $10/4 bottles
Pickup in Parker, CO.  I accept Cash, or PayPal.

Order NOW!

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February 14, 20180 commentsRead More
Time to Tidy Up: Let The Selling Begin

Time to Tidy Up: Let The Selling Begin

LetSellingBeginI was so excited to get started with my tidying project that I had no problem sorting through stuff in my cabinets and begin the joyful job of discarding.  For me, this job is fun.  I do find joy in discarding objects that no longer serve a purpose or have a use.  You might have a much harder tine discarding items – my husband, for example, has a hard time letting go of things.  Just the other day we were sorting through that big box of cables, cords, old computer parts, etc that everyone has laying around.  We have a pretty big box full of these things to go along with our many other electronic devices and because my husband is a nerd we have a lot!  Yep, I just called him a “nerd” and I mean it totally lovingly.  He’s amazing and I’m so glad he understands computers!

Anyways, since I was dying to get a jump on the discarding process I drug my poor, unsuspecting husband to the basement to begin sorting through the box of cables and then to sort through our big pile of old computers, hard drives, printers, etc that we could recycle and get out of the house!  While I had no problem finding a ton of stuff to discard, my poor husband sorted it all and then sheepishly said he needed to keep most of it!  :)  It was adorable actually!  We had multiple TV cables from DirectTV still in the plastic packaging that were exact duplicates and I was ready to discard every single one, while my husband was worried we might need them ALL someday.  It was cute, and made me giggle.  Somehow I negotiated with him to keep just one of each kind, phew.  I did learn that everyone has a different way of looking at items around the house and the key is identifying it’s purpose and being ok with letting it go if it’s already served it’s purpose.

At least I know that I have no problem letting go of stuff, which I’m happy about considering the journey I’m about to go on, but the best words I’ve read so far into Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,  are “we should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of.”   Like focusing on the good.  I have a very hard time doing this in everyday life.  I tend to focus on the bad in a situation and in people.  Isn’t that awful?!  I love the idea of looking at an object and asking “Does this spark joy?”  If not, discard.  While this sounds simple, I know it’s going to be hard.

I do love this approach for clothing though, a lot.  I still have stuff in my closet that I wore in college, my “cute days,” as I refer to them.  I keep wanting to be the same size as I was in college – you know, long before I had 3 kids.  When I try to remember what I think I looked like back then, I’m not sure it’s all that different than I do now…it’s silly, yes, I was thinner, but I was 18!!!!  Marie also says in her book to thank the item for the role it played in your life and then let it go.

A great example is a pink t-shirt I still have with a glitter chihuahua on it (ohmygoodness…two of my favorite things – glitter and chihuahuas, especially at that time in my life), and it’s a very small t-shirt.  I loved this shirt, I wore it all the time and for some reason I still have it 18 years later!! 18 years?!!! I can’t believe I’ve had it that long! Why in the world have I held on to it this long?  Partly because it has glitter on it (have I mentioned that I LOVE glitter??), and partly because it has a chihuahua on it, and I have 2 chihuahuas (the same 2 chihuahuas who are now 14 and 15 years old).  More importantly, I keep hoping I’ll be able to get skinny enough to wear it again.  I’ve not worn this shirt for probably 12 years – I don’t think I’ve fit into it for the last 13 years and I still have it.  Marie says you should ask this question, “Does it spark joy?”  It sparks really good memories of a time when I was itty -bitty and cute, but it also makes me sad because I don’t look like that anymore.  Can I actually thank this shirt for giving me joy at the time I bought it and wore it, and be ok with letting go of it?  I’m not sure…..  When I really think about it, even if I could fit into it again some day, I’m not sure that I would even wear it, as it’s really short!  :)  20 years ago short shirts were the fashion trend, but not anymore!   I’m still really thinking about this one and I’ve not even started working on going through my closet yet!! My brain gets really far ahead of me sometimes.

Anyways…back to my point – I’m a few days into my tidying journey and I’m selling things like a crazy woman!  It’s nice!  We are saving for a car, so the extra money I make on discarded items around the house all go into a jar sitting on my counter – the official “Car Fund” – hey, you have to start somewhere right?!   I used to be a big fan of having a garage sale, so all year long I would designate a space in my storage room and/or the guest room and collect items we could sell.  Once garage sale season would hit, usually late April, I would drag all my stuff out to the driveway and sell it all.  Whatever was left after 2 days I would donate to Goodwill.  Normally, we would save all that money for something big – one year we used it for a vacation to Legoland!  Now, I’m a more sophisticated seller – I like to use online selling apps to move my stuff and reach a bigger audience, and for some stuff I can charge a higher price than I would get for the item at a garage sale, which is awesome!  My favorite selling app is VarageSale and I also use a few smaller local community Facebook groups.  These groups are great because the seller comes to you to buy your item and for smaller items, I usually leave them outside my front porch with a nice note and the buyer just leaves money under my doormat.  It’s very convenient and easy!  If you get to know me well enough you know that I really love things that make my life easier.  My kids have a snow day today – which means all 3 will be home, but I’m hoping that gives me a good excuse to get more tidying done since I don’t have to run them around.

So, who’s used the KonMari Method?  How did you discard items that were hard to get rid of?  Any advice for me and my tidying journey?

Have a great day!  I’m off to try to tidy….

LetSellingBegin

 

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January 5, 20170 commentsRead More
Do You Feel Like Giving Up On Your Side Gig? How To Stay Motivated

Do You Feel Like Giving Up On Your Side Gig? How To Stay Motivated

GiveUpSideGigAre you worn out and exhausted and wondering why in the world you keep trying to make money with your side gig when it’s the millionth time that you have hosted a home meeting, brewed the coffee, baked the cookies, spent hours practicing your presentation, prepared handouts, creatively displayed your products, sent out tons of invites, received a long list of RSVP’s, only to have your phone ring over and over with cancellations 10 minutes before the meeting, and then no one shows up at all?

Or here, let me set a different scene – have you spent hours and hours waking up super early each morning to work on your blog – day after day – you are writing for hours and hours and usually that is between a child or two that decide to get up early too?  You write, photograph, design beautiful “pin-worthy” images for every blog post, create catchy slogans, read every book by the famous bloggers who have made it, go to blog conventions, rub shoulders with celebrity bloggers, all to have your latest blog giveaway of a free lunch only have 3 people comments (and it’s a FREE lunch people…free…and you still can’t even get people to enter).

Both of these scenarios are in addition to everything else that is added on top of your regular daily jobs as a mom of cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, soccer practice, grocery shopping, school carpool, etc. – and somehow you are also trying to carve out time to be an entrepreneur and be successful because you have lofty dreams of one day being one of the celebrity bloggers you read devotedly each day, or one of the top level earners who just got a new car!

I’ve been there.  I’m there now.  I’ve been on the upside and have looked down and I’ve been at the very bottom.  It’s all hard.  There are pluses and minuses to both sides.  But I think the biggest thing to remember in all of it is your attitude and how you look at your present circumstances.  These are my top 5 tips on how I stay motivated to keep working towards my dreams:

  1. Remember that being broke is a state of mind.  If you are an entrepreneur and already have a side gig, then you are leaps and bounds ahead of most people – broke people.
  2. Consistency is key – keep at it.  Don’t give up.  Hold on to the reason that you started your side gig to begin with.
  3. Identify your “why” and write it on a sticky note and paste it up on different places in your house to remind you of why you choose the struggle to have a side gig.  If you don’t have a “why” then stop everything and identify it right now.  Focus on it, and keep going.
  4. Surround yourself with people who encourage you to reach your goals – if they don’t get super excited when you are winning than they are not your friends.
  5. Your success is up to you.  If you want to grow your business, it’s up to you – not anyone else.  If you want your blog to be amazing, write amazing blog posts.  If you want to take your business to the next level, then hustle and make it happen.

And finally, moms, give yourself some grace.  If you don’t get it all done in one day, that’s ok.  Like they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Give yourself grace, go to bed, and get up and try again.  Just don’t ever stop trying!

We can do this together – plus I’m praying for you and would love you to pray for me too!  Please feel free to send me an email with how I can be praying for you and your side gig!  If you want to pray for me, please pray that God would direct my side gigs to be whatever He wants them to be and that I would humbly follow His direction.  Hugs momma!

DoYouFeelLikeGivingUpYourSideGig

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March 30, 20162 commentsRead More
Why You Should Use IBOTTA

Why You Should Use IBOTTA

WhyUseIBOTTAEver wonder what IBOTTA is all about?  Have you heard people talking about how great it is?  Have you read bloggers who have written about IBOTTA being their favorite coupon app?  Well, you have come to the right place and I’m just one more blogger who absolutely LOVES IBOTTA and would love to tell you why you should use it too (I guess that’s also my way of saying to stop reading right now if you don’t want a super-easy way to save money on the groceries that you already buy).

IBOTTA is a very easy-to-use coupon app for your smartphone.  Available for both Android and Apple devices and is free to download.  If you join IBOTTA via a friend referral code you will instantly earn $10 after you redeem your first rebate.  You can sign up now via my referral code – SIGN UP NOW so you don’t miss out on that extra $10!  The great part signing up via a friend is that your friend also earns a $5 reward for signing you up!  It’s a win-win!  After you have joined IBOTTA you can start referring your own friends and you will make $5 for every friend you refer that signs up via your own personal link and redeems at least one rebate, plus they also earn that $10 reward as well!  Can you see why I think IBOTTA is awesome?!

Don’t wait, go ahead right now and get signed up – SIGN UP NOW, and then once you have the app installed on your phone, continue reading.  I’ll wait, seriously, go ahead.  SIGN UP NOW

Now that you have the IBOTTA app installed, let me give a quick overview of some the great things IBOTTA can do and how you can save
the most money:

  1. How IBOTTA Works: Download the app, unlock rebates by browsing the app before you go shopping, go shopping and buy the items you unlocked, verify your purchases and upload a quick picture of your receipt, then get cash loaded to your account.  SO EASY!
  2. Extra Savings on Groceries:  You will see that the IBOTTA app works at most major grocery stores and you can useIbotta-logo IBOTTA and paper coupons to purchase the same item!  For a lot of things that you mean you can get them for free with the double savings.
  3. Not only for groceries:  I use IBOTTA mostly for savings on my groceries, but you can also earn rebates at restaurants, on electronics, clothing, even movie tickets, and so much more!
  4. Redeem for CASH! After you have earned $20, you can redeem your earnings for cash, or gift cards to great places like Starbucks or the movies!

Now do you see why I love IBOTTA?!  If you still haven’t downloaded the app, do it now,  SIGN UP NOW and start saving and making money today!

Some links in this post are affiliate links, thanks for using them – while they help you save money, they also support me and my blog.

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March 12, 20160 commentsRead More
5 Simple Ways To Save Money

5 Simple Ways To Save Money

PiggyBank_saveMOney

If your family is anything like mine, you may have some months when your finances are tighter than others.  It might be due to a job loss, or you woke up and realized it was December and Christmas was around the corner.  Or simply, there were a lot of unforeseen budget items that came up that you had not planned for, like soccer registration, especially when you had no idea your kid could even kick a soccer ball!  Those little things add up and all a sudden your monthly finances are stressing you out and you realize – ouch – I need to either make our money stretch really far this month, or maybe make a few quick bucks.

This is exactly what happened to us this month – we did our monthly budget committee meeting, planned and spent all our money on paper and then the month started to play out.  Things were being added that we hadn’t planned, and we were left shuffling money around to accommodate.  There were a few things I wanted to purchase mid-month that unless I could make a little bit of extra money, I wasn’t going to be able to purchase them.  I didn’t worry though, I realized there were a few things I could do today to make a little bit of extra money and there were a few things I could do to save some money, so I got to work!  The best way to make some money is to get to work!

  1. Sell Some Stuff:  We all have stuff sitting around the house that we could sell and make some quick money off of.  If the weather is nice, have a garage sale!  Round up some old stuff that you don’t want or use and sell it!  Garage sales are not only done in your garage anymore – there are now online garage sale groups that might be right in your neighborhood.  All you do is post a picture and you wait for someone to buy it!  I’m part of a bunch of online groups local to my area through Facebook as well as a site called VarageSale and Wallapop.
  2. Shop From Your Own Pantry:  In our house, our grocery fund is one of the largest funds we have – when I want to save money, I know I can if I work extra hard at planning my meals ONLY with the stuff that is on sale that week, using my coupons (which I do every week no matter what), and shopping from my own pantry.  I have a stockpile for a reason, to buy items when they are at their cheapest amount and then use them —- so go and use them!  If you make a clear effort to plan meals using mainly what is already in your pantry, you can really cut your grocery budget.  You can’t do this every week, but it’s a great habit to put in place at least once a month.
  3. Swap Babysitting: In my house we try to make it a priority to have a date night at least once a month, and a lot of times this requires high babysitting fees.  When money is tight, it’s a lot easier to just forego the date night – but we all know it’s super important to have time alone with just our spouse.  Instead of paying for a babysitter, offer to do swap babysitting with a good friend.  You watch their kids one evening so they can have a date night, and then swap the next weekend where they watch your kids.  Saves you money and you might like the idea so much that you won’t ever have to pay a babysitter again!
  4. Use Coupon Apps:  I grocery shop once a week and although I save money when I use paper coupons, I love actually making  money – which I can do by using coupon apps. Coupons apps pay you a little bit extra for things you already buy.  Ibotta  (yes this is my referral link, so I thank you in advance for signing up!) is my favorite coupon app and every week I make extra money on top of the savings I get for using paper coupons, just for buying what I was already planning to buy.  It’s a win-win and after my account accumulates a decent amount I can redeem my savings for gift cards or cash!  I love to redeem my savings for movie gift cards for date nights!  Read a recent post I wrote all about using coupon apps to save money  - read now.
  5. Use Cashback Sites:  I use a cashback shopping site called Ebates.com to earn money on things I already buy!  One thing I buy consistently with Ebates is a water filter for my refrigerator – I buy it from Lowes or HomeDepot through Ebates and then go pick it up in the store in to save on shipping fees and I receive cashback from doing this!  It’s awesome actually!  If there are things you know you need, and can shop for and buy online, then why not use a cashback site to buy those things?!  This process works really great for essential things you need and it’s even better when you can pair it with sites that offer in-store pickup or free shipping!  Plus, if you refer other people to their site, they pay you for your referral!  You can sign up here - (yes this is my referral link, so I thank you in advance for signing up!) - SIGN UP NOW for Ebates.  You’ll be shocked how many stores you can shop at using Ebates and just think of the savings you will have!  Stores like, Old Navy, Amazon, Macy’s, etc!

PiggyBank_saveMOney

 

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February 15, 20160 commentsRead More
How To Make Money While Staying Home

How To Make Money While Staying Home

Have you ever rolled out of bed, stumbled down the stairs, and looked around at your messy house filled with toys that you didn’t feel like putting away last night, knowing it’s just another day and you probably still won’t get the toys put away?  Besides never getting the toys put away, you still have to get the lunches made and the piano practice done and on and on and on and on…all within the next hour before you get kids off to school?

I remember when I had this exact morning about 3 years ago, and I remember thinking – “gosh, this sure is fun – said no mom – ever.”  But then my thoughts jumped to the fact that already two of my kids are in school all day and I only have one still at home with me.  In a few years he will be at school all day as well – and once he is, then WHAT??  What would I do with my time all day long?  Yes, for the first week I will eat bon bons and watch soaps all day.  Actually, I don’t like either of those things, so I probably won’t do that.   The quiet will be nice – but only for a couple days.  I know myself well enough to know that I’ll go nuts if I don’t find something to keep me slightly stressed and busy.  That’s how I roll – I function so much better on the edge of panic.  It’s also how I get a lot done – I fill my days from sun up, to sun down with some type of work, and I tend to be very effective.  If I don’t have something to keep me actively busy and full of purpose, I will flounder.

Since I know all of this about myself, and because I’m a planner, 3 years ago I started looking for things I could do to keep busy when all three kids will be in school full time.  If you have read my blog for awhile now, you know I’m an entrepreneur5MM_Cover_295x448 at heart,  so naturally, I began to think about business ideas and ways that I could earn and save money from home.  After a lot of research and prayer, about a year ago I started actively working on a new business that I plan to work on full time when all three kids are in school, and I’m so excited!

If you find yourself in the same place I did, wondering what you’ll do once kids are in school full time and wanting to make or save some money, then here are some ideas for you.  I’ve also written a really great eBook, 5 Money-Making Ideas for Stay-At-Home-Moms, that you can download FREE now that explains many of these ideas and even a few more in detail.

  • Shop at thrift and consignment stores.  Don’t freak out – you really can find some amazing deals at thrift stores for your family and you can save a lot of money.  Especially if you shop on their 50% off days!  Yes, it takes some work to really look for stuff, and you tend to deal with long lines, but you can find some really great deals!  Some of the best deals I’ve found have been on sporting equipment for the kids (especially on cleats) and maternity clothes.
  • Sell your stuff at consignment stores.  Not only should you shop at consignment stores, but you can sell your used stuff at them as well!  I know some mommies who sell enough of their own stuff that they can then use their store credit to turn around and buy whatever they need, and are never7BigMistakes_Cover_295x448 really paying out of pocket for clothing!
  • Use coupons every time you shop.  Join a coupon group where you can share deals and swap coupons.  Get your kids involved and have them help you clip coupons!  If you get a system down, you can use coupons every week, save money, and not have it take up too much of your time.  I explain a lot more about how to do this in another eBook I’ve written, 7 Biggest Mistakes Couponers Make – you might want to download that one as well. :)
  • Have a garage sale.  We all know this is a lot of work, but you can make quick money by having a garage sale!
  • Start your own business!  This is my favorite idea of all – I love to SAVE money, but I also love business and I personally want to earn money.  The best way I know to earn money from home is to start a network marketing business.  There are so many of them to choose from with great products like jewelry, bags, makeup, energy drinks, etc!  It’s all about finding one that fits your lifestyle and has the potential to earn the amount of income you are looking for.  Some people just want the free stuff that you get from having a few parties, some people want to earn enough money to make the car payment, and some people want to find a business that replaces their spouse’s income.  I was looking for a serious business model, with a company that had ground-breaking products that no one else offered, and that had the income potential to replace my spouse’s income and bring him back home to work with me in business again.  I’m so happy because I’ve found it!

Download my eBook for more ideas on how to save and earn money from home – it is possible!  I’d love to hear your ideas on how you save your family money or how you make money at home!  Please share them in the comments below!  Hugs!

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November 4, 20150 commentsRead More
Have You Ever Wanted To Be An Entrepreneur?

Have You Ever Wanted To Be An Entrepreneur?

Have you ever wanted to be an entrepreneur?  If your answer is no, I totally understand – I never wanted to be riskone either!  Now, does that surprise you?  It should – especially if you have read my blog and know that I’m a huge business person.  There is a difference in loving the art of business and actually being an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur: a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.  

Did you read the part that said considerable risk?  Ok, stop everything right now – know this about me – I’m a WIMP!!!  A huge wimp.  It’s actually sort of funny because I have no problem talking to anyone, or being up on stage commanding a crowd, or leading a huge group of people to do some task – but when it comes to any sort of risk, I wimp out – big time!  Funny the way God made us huh?  The risk-taking part of being an entrepreneur is the hardest part for me and the biggest hurdle for me to cross.  But, I’ll admit, I have all the other parts covered – I love to organize, manage, and take initiative – and those three things outweigh my fear of risk and that’s why I’m an entrepreneur!

If you want to be an entrepreneur and have no idea where to start – I’ll tell you one thing, you already have crossed a big hurdle – desire - dreaming of more!  At the heart of every entrepreneur is a dream of more and that is a great place to start!  If you find yourself dreaming about firing your boss, or dreaming of having more time to spend with your family, or simply dreaming of having more income coming into your household, then it’s time to get started!  Being an entrepreneur doesn’t have to be overly complicated – simply decide it’s time to do something.   Figure out your strengths and limitations, and then start considering your options.

For example, you might be a stay-at-home-mom like me and dream of making some extra income for your household to pay bills and maybe save a little for a newer used car.  You know you are good at sewing and cooking, but you also know your time is limited because you have young kids.  You realize that a lot of people need their clothes tailored or mended and you decide to start an in-home sewing/tailoring business for your friends and neighbors, that you can do a couple hours a day Are You An Entrepreneurwhen your kids are napping – and tadaa – an entrepreneur is born!  It’s really that simple!  It just takes some desire, passion, purpose and a drive to go for it!

I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!  If you have any questions – comment and I’ll try to help as best I can!

I recently posted a video of my journey to becoming an entrepreneur – if you didn’t get a chance to watch it yet, you can now - WATCH NOW.

 

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July 28, 20150 commentsRead More
Katrina’s Coupon Tip #10 – It’s All About Planning

Katrina’s Coupon Tip #10 – It’s All About Planning

CT10_PlanningPlanning is essential to maximize savings at the grocery store! If you want to save a lot of money on your groceries, you MUST take the time to plan.  I like to think of grocery shopping as an art form and practice makes perfect!  I’m totally serious about this.  I won’t save on my grocery bill if I don’t take a few hours each week to plan where to get the best savings and which store to get them at.  

Every Wednesday when my grocery store sales ads arrive in the newspaper, I will glance at them and start making my shopping list.  On Thursday I will check and print coupons from my online sources, go through my coupon book, start clipping coupons from the week before and matching up what coupons I have with the items on sale that week. On Friday I will double check my list and my stockpile and finalize my shopping trip. It takes work, but on average I save about 55% on my grocery bill each week.  The time is totally worth it!

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July 21, 20150 commentsRead More
Health Quest – I Lost Another 2lbs!

Health Quest – I Lost Another 2lbs!

16lbsDownHi all!  Well, it’s a few weeks past our Whole30 challenge and I thought I’d give an update to you all on how things are going.  Just because we finished our challenge, we have not gone right back to our old habits.   Instead, we have adopted a lot of the ideas and techniques we learned in our challenge.  I can honestly say I’m feeling amazing!  I’ve not had any bread (which, you all know I LOVE) for the last 9 weeks, nor have a I brewed a cup of coffee.  I have lost a total of 16lbs since we began our challenge and I don’t feel starved, hungry, or deprived, in fact, I feel totally satisfied.  I have enjoyed some yummy treats in the past few weeks too – Mother’s Day we went to my favorite Mexican restaurant and I enjoyed a few tortillas, chips and salsa, and cheese!!  It was heavenly, but I really noticed that a little bit went a long way.  We also had company over last week and since you all know my obsession with brownies – I did find a flourless brownie recipe that tasted amazing – you must check it out here from the blog, Running With Spoons: Flourless Double Chocolate Brownies  I’m hoping to lose another 14lbs in the coming weeks and months – that is my goal, but for now I’m loving how I feel!

For the  most part, we are still eating Whole30 – at least 80% of the time.  I’ve allowed a little more flexibility for the kids while trying to keep my diet stricter.  We are still very limited with our sugar intake, but a few snacks have made their way back into our rotation.  When the kids have special occasions at school or birthday partiesFitBit to attend, they can now partake, we just don’t eat sugary treats at home on a consistent basis anymore.  A great friend of mine gave me a spiralizer and I love it!  It makes preparing veggies super quick and easy!

My husband, and I, have started working out 4-5 times a week doing T25 and are loving that early morning time together before the kids get up!  I now own a FitBit and LOVE it!  I challenge myself daily as I try to get at least 10,000 steps in and today am proud because I’ve already put up 15,000 thanks to the lovely weather and 3 mile run I was able to do with my youngest son!  If you don’t own a FitBit or any sort of exercise/activity tracker, consider one, they are fun and a great way to stay motivated!

I know another huge part of my health success is due to the supplement that I take on a daily basis.  If you are looking for a high quality supplement, then make sure you find one that activates Nrf2 and is reducing your oxidative stress levels, while repairing your body on the cellular level.  Ok, so who has heard of Nrf2?  I promise I’m not crazy and that if you have not heard of Nrf2 yet, you will soon!  It’s something that you absolutely need to look into and do something about.  I have written an ebook all about Nrf2 that you can download if you want to axioknow more – plus I plan to write a post about it soon!  Download my Nrf2 eBook NOW.

Now back to what I was saying about supplements.  I take Protandim (I love the science behind  Protandim and the personal results that I’ve had with it, that I’m also an Independent Distributor for all the LifeVantage Products), and I love knowing that I’m not only reducing my oxidative stress by 40%, but that I’m also repairing all the years of cellular damage that I’ve caused my body with all the over-the-counter pain medications I used to take for the migraines and headaches I would get every day.  Protandim has helped me sleep better and preform better with all of my athletic workouts I do.  Today I went for a 3 mile run and I love how Protandim helps me recover quickly orthodicsand reduces overall inflammation in my body.  I’ve combined my healthy eating with AXIO, an all natural energy drink, and love the guilt-free energy boost!  I’ve even replaced my morning coffee with AXIO and love it!  I know it’s not the same as that warm cup of coffee first thing in the morning, but after all this work I’ve done, I love knowing that AXIO is actually helping me in the long run – there are studies to show it helps with cognitive brain function and it really does give me a mental clarity for the day, as well as an energy boost.  The best part of AXIO is there is never a caffeine/sugar crash!

Another great part of my overall health success is the continued support from my favorite chiropractor – Dr. Carrie Wolf from Wolf Chiropractic.  If you live near Parker, Colorado, she is AWESOME!  Carrie has not only helped align my spine from recurrent adjustments, but she has continued to do acupuncture treatments on my leg muscles and feet and along with using RockTape to hold my feet in place, has really helped make the nerve pain in my feet to disappear.  Carrie has helped me find custom orthodics that we are working hard to make perfect for my stubborn mechanical feet and today after my 3 mile run I finally feel like we are getting my orthodics right!  The doc who is making my orthodics is wonderful and between him and Dr. Wolf, they have FinishedRunnot given up on me and have continued to refine and fix my orthodics.  My orthodics look hilarious actually!  They are nothing alike – having a normal foot and a mechanical foot make for some crazy differences, but I love that my docs won’t give up on me!  Today I was able to run with minor nerve pain and my toes did NOT fall asleep!  This is awesome!

I’m planning to stick with my new routine and continue on with the awesome success I’m having!  If you have any questions on anything I’ve learned in my journey to better health, please let me know!  I’d love to know what you have tried and what has worked for you as well!

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May 21, 20150 commentsRead More