Seeking Work at Home Opportunities to Supplement Income

Updated on February 08, 2012
M.M. asks from Hallwood, VA
11 answers

Since reducing my full time status from a 40 hour work week to 30 hours to get the kids on and off the bus, I am having a hard time paying the bills. Does anybody know of a WAH job I can do after work or on the weekends to supplement my income?

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So What Happened?

I want to thank everyone who responded and realized that I reduced my work hours for my children sacrificing 10 hours of income to be with them. Because of the positive responses I received, I now have some options to research. You have given me hope that maybe I don't have to sacrifice being Mom so I can make the income I need to support our family. Any other suggestions are welcomed.

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J.G.

answers from Washington DC on

http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/
I have two friends who do very well selling these bags. I've also heard great things about the company.

2 moms found this helpful

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A.C.

answers from Madison on

Depending on how much extra money you need and how much time at night/on the weekends you have to dedicate, one area you might want to look into would be survey taking. I did it for a while but found that it ate too much into the time I needed to actually do my work from home job (I am a contract editor). Depending on the companies you sign up with, you might fill out lots and lots and lots of surveys for little pay--or you might only do a few and get paid quite a bit. And they usually always have drawings and such for "big prizes" that actually do get awarded. With so many people out of work right now, though, I don't know how much you can really make doing this, as I'm sure there are many, many people doing this in hopes of supplementing their income--or as their only income.

I discovered that since we live an organic lifestyle and also have food allergies and intolerances that I would usually get kicked out of doing the surveys because our household wasn't "the type of household" they were looking for to do their surveys. I did survey taking for about three solid months and made about $50. You can up that amount depending on what type of surveys or survey groups you sign up for/get into. I know lots and lots of people say you can make SO MUCH doing this, but I didn't see that. But then again, if you buy a lot of consumer stuff and shop at the local grocery store and are always trying out new foods, products, etc., you might be someone the survey groups are looking for. Not enough advertising companies are catering to those of us living an organic, allergan-free lifestyle.

Baring surveys, and given the time periods you have open to sell/work/do something, you're probably looking at selling Tupperware or Pampered Chef or Longaberger, Amtrak (they have a new name), makeup, etc., where you'll have to have parties and go to people's houses to present and sell.

Do you have any special skills you can use? Do you work with English, writing, editing, etc? If so, contact me and we can talk further about opportunities in that area.

Sorry. I don't have any other advice other than I'm glad to see that you are there to put your children on/off the school bus. Losing those 10 hours for them is priceless and can never be taken away from you. My daughter being in school and on the school bus was why I started my at home business when she started Kindergarten (she's now in the 6th grade), and my husband and I have never regretted it. When you want something badly enough, you'll find a way to make it work.

3 moms found this helpful

N.G.

answers from Dallas on

I'm confused. You reduced your work hours to exclude before/after school hours, but you want a part-time job during those hours? If you are getting your kids on/off the bus, how will you dedicate your time to a WAH commitment? At that point, just ask for your hours back.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.M.

answers from Kansas City on

Did I misread the question, or are some people just rude? I thought you were looking for a WAH job, not opinions on whether or not to go back to work full-time...anyways, some of the "tupperware" and "pampered chef" type businesses can bring in a solid $300-$500/month or more depending on how much you want to work.

2 moms found this helpful
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N.B.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi M. - I run a small catalog shopping business from my home. If you might have an interest, I can share the info with you, to see if this might be a good fit. This is true, reliable, residual income, and we are backed by the BBB & the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Feel free to contact me for more info. No pressure. We have helped many families in these tough economic times! All the best to you. My website and direct email follow: ____@____.com; www.ConnectingFromHome.com/Nat

1 mom found this helpful
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K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

If doing selling and home parties appeals to you, I would love to talk to you about joining my Discovery Toys team. It is a perfect job for moms because it is a kid-oriented business, so you have tons of built in customers. If you want more info, send me a private message or check out my page at http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao

1 mom found this helpful

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

Why don't you go back to your 40 hr week? Are you home while children are at school?

This type of question is posted often. You open yourself up for all the MLM/direct sales people to recruit you to join their team and make money. There is no get rich quick.... it is a lot of work, investment and recruiting of others to work under you with MLM'rs.

Working from home is WORK.... you don't get paid to work and tend to children. Many employers, including myself, would only have someone work from home IF childcare is in place. No employer/customer needs to hear children or pets in the background. You have to dedicate your time, space, be self disciplined, self motivated to make working at home work. It is not fair to your children or employer to try to mesh them both together.

We do work from home running our company which is not MLM/direct sales... we are in the raw materials industry dealing with manufacturers, timelines, deadlines etc which takes a lot of focus because it is critical that everything is dones correctly and by the book in order to process truckloads of materials, get them delivered on time with correct paperwork, etc.

There is no way I would be able to do my job and do it with the expertise/detail I demand of myself and which is critical to run a successful company with children around.

It is rewarding to be your own boss at home but it is work. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Think outside the box.... Can you do something retail, sell things you no longer need on craigslist or ebay, babysit? If you are a degreed professional with specific training, maybe you could consult, tutor, etc.

Good luck finding the right fit.

1 mom found this helpful
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H.G.

answers from New York on

Hi M.,

I used to work a 40-60 hour week before I had my daughter who is now 12. I've been doing a Pampered Chef business for the last 9 years. All I can say is, it seemed like the most logical choice for me. I do maybe 4-5 shows a month and earn an average of $200-$300 per show. That's in NJ so other states may not have such high show averages for sales.

Start-up cost is $80-$150 max and you usually make that back with your first show. No hassles, great company to work for - ask anyone who owns our products if they like them and you'll see what I mean. I literally left my house two times last month for shows (slower month than usual) and my paycheck will be just over $600 plus I earned a bunch of free goodies for myself.

I've always done shows at night and on weekends when I didn't need childcare. If you're interested in more info, send me a message and I'll forward my website link to you. Whatever you decide to do PLEASE research the company FIRST - especially if they want you to lay out either a lot of $$ or $$ on a regular basis. Beware of scams or companies that want you to keep a personal stock of their items at home for sale - red flag!

Best of luck to you!

1 mom found this helpful
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N.B.

answers from Washington DC on

I sell Avon. Work at my own pace, know my earning potential, and have fun meeting new people.

Nanc

1 mom found this helpful
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K.P.

answers from Phoenix on

Advocare.com/10101931 and view the opportunity page. Great company with great products. Have to be willing to share with others.

D.B.

answers from Boston on

Yes! I do this and am thrilled to have found an ethical company with tremendous training & support but no quotas. I work it around my schedule.

If you are considering direct sales, I can give you advice on how to weed out the ones that are not lucrative or which are not well-regarded in the industry. There are ways to check these things out.

I can give you more info if you are interested.

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