Desperately Need Ideas on Supplementing Income

Hi B.! I understand you are a little leery of work from home businesses but I am a Mary Kay beauty consultant in Federal Way. Mary Kay has been around for almost 48 years. I love this career and the company itself. Previously I was a radiology technologist and knew nothing of skin care. I am a mom of a 5 and 1 year old. My husband travels quite regularly and I work part time at Valley Medical center. So I have a very inconsistent schedule and Mary Kay has been great at just fitting in. If you are willing I'd love to treat you to a fabulous free facial and tell you more. We have a great success plan if you are dedicated it really does work! Please feel free to call me anytime!

Jenny Sipe
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www.marykay.com/jsipe

MLM's are not all bad, it really upsets me when Mom's that have never done an at home business act like everyone that mentions them is trying to scam someone. I work from home and never had any desire to do that but I do and I love it I choose when and how often and how much to work, I take time off when I want and I answer to myself only. I get to do what I love which is talk to others and help people learn how to become wise consumers and how to be healthier, while keeping my family stocked up with healthy products. You do have to work at any job no matter what type of job you do that is why they are called a job.

I do daycare in my home to help supplement our income and it is great. I have 3 young kids (1, 4, 8) and it's so nice to make an income while staying home with my own kids. The pay that you mentioned, unfortunately, is about what childcare pays. I charge usually around $150/week for the kids. So, you figure 5 days, 9-10 hours each day, it comes to about $3.00/hour. I have 2 full timers, and 3 summer only part-time kids. So, year round I bring in $1200/month, and during the summer I make an additional $900/month on top of it. I'm licensed thru my state, so I also get monthly reimbursement for participating in the food program, so that's another $300/month as well. I LOVE doing daycare. I actually went to school for early childhood education. So, until all of my kids are in school full time, this is what I plan on doing. I may either continue daycare after then, or I may take some more classes and/or go to work at a daycare center...who knows!
But, the daycare thing is great--you get to stay home with your own kids AND you get to provide a loving environment for others while making money!
If you have any questions about the daycare thing, feel free to message me.
Hope this helps!
J.

Hi B.,

$1000 a month (I'm assuming you mean take home) is a lot, but depending on how much you are willing to take on you could do it.

I just logged into sittercity as if I were 'searching' as a parent for a babysitter in Tacoma Washington. Most of the sitters are asking for $7-$10/hour, so I'm not sure who has made you the offer you specify. Yes, if you are regular and by the day it doesn't normally work out to $10/hour, but certainly more than $2.25. I would think around $5 at least (technically if you are not reporting your income that puts you right about at what you 'would' take home with a minimum wage job').

I would think this is simply a marketing opportunity.

First - I would list yourself on sittercity - or whatever other babysitting sites there are where you live.
Then call all the elementary schools and ask if they have a listserve so you can email/advertise yourself for summer care.
TONS of summer camps have hours from 10-4 so working moms have to figure out what to do with their kids before/after while they work. Call them and ask them to give out your name if a parent asks.

Good Luck!

I don't know what the economy is like in Tacoma, but we were paying our in home sitter 10 per hour (in New Haven, CT). She only had my son 2 days per week, for 8 hours each, but we were still paying her significantly more than what you list above. What kind of child care can you expect to get for less than $3 per hour? I got paid more than that as a teenager to babysit on the weekends.

What about your working in a daycare/YMCA type thing during the day? Your kiddos would get interaction w/other children and you could earn a few bucks w/o having to do it at home.

Can you downsize your life some, like sell a car, or get a cheaper place to live, or start scrutinizing your grocery bill and utilities? We are so spoiled by being apartment managers it's just pitiful, not having to pay rent or utilities is pretty awesome in this economy. Lots of apartment managers have little kids, all the ones I know do... I'm the only "grandma" out of the bunch. You might consider doing it for a time just to get on track.

To make a 1000 a month you are going to have to get a job. Perhaps you could find an evening job so that your husband can be with the kids while you work. You can also take a real close look at what your expenses are, and try to pare them down. About the childcare, that is the going rate, sadly. What is your previous job market?

What are some of the skills you used in your previous job? Can you brainstorm any other type of company that might need you to use those skills? Are any of your job skills (maybe computer related) be something that you could do at home? Maybe you could work part time or on the weekends when your husband is home? Good luck!

Brenna did the work before I had a chance and I agree with her, Daycare pays way better than $2 an hour. Especially in Tacoma. And if you promise parents to never have more than 2 kids, plus your own, they pay more! If you want to be home with your kids, you have all those hours to fill up so even if it was low pay that added up to $800,$1000 a month you are making what you want. Why ask for more if it will pay the bills better than doing nothing. I loved doing daycare, and did for 27 years. I have always said if we HAD to have more income I would go back to taking in kids. Id ask for slightly less than what parents are paying in their daycares and Im sure Id have a house full in no time. If you keep 1 little kid for $150 a week, thats $600 a month. keep 2 kids for that and you are making $1200. And you are home with your kids, which is the most important thing to me.
added: waitresses make good money but only the really best, who have been working longest get the great Saturday night with all the tips. And working nights will leave you no time to sleep in the day if you have to be awake with your own kids. If jobs were so easy to get, we wouldnt have so many people unemployed right now. I see daycare as a great opportunity to help another parent who HAS the job already and would like to save a bit on child care costs by going to you for slightly less. And garage sales and selling on ebay will only last as long as you have stuff to sell. Then what will you do? They are great ideas if its really temporary, but not for long term.

I agree with trying to get something PT that allows you to work around your husband's schedule--even if the hours vary a bit for him...there's GOTTA be some time that he's always home--even if it's the graveyard shift, stocking shelves, mini mart, waitressing, etc...

NOBODY pays 2 dollars an hour for childcare. Don't care WHERE you live. There are moms all over the country DYING to find quality childcare for many times that.

I suggest you get the word out you are looking to babysit, at your kids school, a poster in your neighborhood grocery store, laundrymat, just tell everyone you come into a conversation with you'd like to babysit a few kids.

In the lean years for me and my husband, that's what got us through, and in 1995 even my own SISTER paid me $5 and hour to keep my niece.

:)

How about getting a part time overnight job?

- Sell items on ebay. Collect all the clothes your kids no longer wear and list them. Kids clothes sell fabulously on there. Plus, kids grow out of things so quickly, you will always have something to sell. List anything - your clothes, hubby's, household items. Whatever you want to get rid of!

- Have a yard sale, or, one each weekend if you have enough stuff!

- Put an add in the paper, craigslist, etc that you are looking to nanny/babysit. You will be able to find plenty of moms who will pay you more than $2 an hour.

- See what you can cut out of your budget. Coffee, lunches, dinners, brand name food at the grocery store, cable, combining insurance on the home, cars, selling a car and buying a cheaper one, the list goes on. I revamped our budget and was able to cut hundreds when we needed to be on a budget. I can help if you want more ideas!

- Wait table two nights a week. If you are serious about making extra money, you can take up waitressing for a few months or until you are where you want to be financially. You will be amazed at how much you can make, cash in hand, on a Saturday night in a steakhouse. And anyone can wait tables. Smile, write everything down, and bust your butt.

- If it sounds too good to be true, it is. That is why the work from home deals sound fishy to you.

Good luck!

Hello B.,

We are in the same boat, single family income with three boys (15, 3, and 2). This might interest you. How about capitalizing from services that you already use. Moreover, you can capitalize from services that others already use. By becoming part of the team in this company you have the benefit of earning income from services that everybody uses. Take a look for yourself. www.5linx.net/L463365

If you have any questions, e mail me at ____@____.com
Hopefully this will work. Best wishes.

I. C

what about an overnight shift at a nursing home or treatment center? I know you can make more money working overnight and it wouldn't depend on your husbands schedule then.

Hi B., I am a professional network marketer. I use quality health and wellness products for personal use (my kids and hubby too) and when I refer others to use them the company pays me, not some ad agency.

I started off in my first year and I earned about $3500 (that is what I paid from my products all that year - so basically they were free). By the end of my second year, I earned about $17 000. And that was 5 years ago. My income has increased every year. It has been a fabulous journey. My team is about creating 6 Figure Families. I have met a couple of other moms here on MamaPedia who are now feeding their own families better and earning an income from it. I can connect you with one if you want. You can check out what I do at www.TheYummyMommy.com.

B., you are worth as much as you want to earn. I am not promising you quick money or a get rich quick idea, what I am offering is the opportunity to live your life while you are changing it.

Interested? www.TheyYummyMommy.com

B.
Family Success Coach

what about your husband doing some handyman work in the area, when his hours are reduced? For you, I think the childcare is best because you wouldn't have to do too much more than you're already doing now. Consider caring for school age children, so it's after school (fewer hours) and they are presumably better behaved. Good luck and hope you continue to make ends meet and eventually prosper.

I had to leave my job because of some health issues with my daughter. I'm doing direct sales. It's NOT get rich quick and it DOES take work, but it's bringing in the extra income with a schedule to fit my needs. So, direct sales is an option but be prepared to work for the money.

Good luck!

I thought about childcare and listed a free ad on milwaukeemoms.com for $5 full-time only and got a half dozen responses within a week (I took it down bc I found out I was pregnant shortly after posting haha). Milwaukeemoms is a branch of our local newspaper, but you could also try Craigslist. It's free, so you have nothing to lose!

Hi B.,
I started a little part-time at home business last August to help supplement our income. I was very skeptical at first because there are a lot of scams like you said. But, it has been great and a lot of fun. I've been able to help a lot of people, and my highest earning month so far was about $900. Let me know if you'd like some info. Good luck to you!

Well your post will get every MLM'r out here recruiting you to get rich quick with them.

You have to think outside the box and get creative. What can youdo to help someone?

Even with a single income family, you need multiple income streams that keep things going when 1 avenue is not so good anymore.

If you are set of staying home during this, babysitting is a big option.

Look within yourself to see what you LIKE to do and what you are good at.

Good luck.

You may be able to find a position where you may have to have a sitter for a few hours in the evenings until your husband gets home. Like a grocery or Target type place where you go in at 7pm to 12 midnight to do some stocking.
Does he work weekends? You could work 16+ hours each weekend while he is at home with the kids, then maybe only 1 or 2 night a week and there you'd have several hundred dollars!

The babysitting thing sounds crazy. I don't blame you for not wanting to commit to such low pay. It wouldn't be worth it.

I work from home, and it's actually helped us save money. I work for Ameriplan so we are saving money on insurance and on many things that I buy all the time. Movie tickets, the gym my girls go to, restruants, etc. PM me if you would like information on that. I work from home while my girls are napping or in bed for the night.

Also for in home daycare when you break it down unfortunately it does usually work out to a very low amount per hour. I babysit one little girl about 45 hours a week for $150 a week. That does break down to a little over $3 an hour. Pretty pathetic for me when you look at it, but if I charged any more she would take her daughter elsewhere. It's a tough thing to get into, unless a friend is needing childcare (which is what happened in our situation).

Good luck!!