Fredericksburg Parent

22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • March 2023 When my youngest child entered first grade, the questions began. "Are you going back to work now that your kids are in school all day?" "What will you do for six hours when your kids are in school?" You get the idea. After correcting the misinformation—it's not really six hours when you factor in the varying bus schedules—I politely let them know that I wasn't concerned about how I would occupy my time. I was busy volunteering at the school and doing other household tasks, but I also wanted to earn some extra money to help offset the high cost of college tuition. More importantly, I wanted flex- ibility. So I began freelance writing for different publications. Over time, my income has increased, and I'm hoping to save enough to pay for at least one of my kids' college educations. If freelance writing isn't your thing, or even if it is and you want to add another job, here are some ways you can earn extra cash while remaining a stay-at-home mom like me. BABYSITTER OR NANNY Some moms I know tend other kids while watching their own. If you are unable to find a job through friends and family, try looking on websites such as Sittercity, Care.com or UrbanSitter. Pay range: $11–18 per hour CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE My friend used to provide customer service from her house through Liveops. She was able to create her own flexible hours by signing up for time blocks. She started taking calls for infomercials, then auto claims for Allstate and orders for Pizza Hut. The only cost to her was a dedicated phone line, which was $22 per month. Pay range: $10–20 per hour WRITTEN BY CHERYL MAGUIRE DELIVERY PERSON A recent article in Money Magazine described the job of being an Amazon delivery person through Amazon Flex. Drivers must use their own car and an app to select a block of time to deliver pack- ages. Rates vary by state and time of year; during Christmas you can receive higher rates. Pay range: $18–25 per hour ETSY SHOP OWNER Etsy is a website where you can set up your own store. Most people sell crafts, jewelry, clothing, home décor or vintage items. I bought a graphic design for my website on Etsy, though, so you are not limited to those categories. Etsy charges a $.20 listing fee, a 5% transaction fee, and 3% + $.25 payment fee. Pay range: The range varies, but one website claims that a shop owner earns $70k per month! FITNESS INSTRUCTOR A few of my friends are fitness instructors, such as spin, body pump or TRX teachers. These require taking certification tests that can cost around $300. Then you need to recertify every two years, which costs roughly $100. My friends enjoy the flexibility of the job and the fact that they get paid to work out. Pay range: $10-$30 per hour, depending on the gym and class taught. Plus, most gyms offer free membership to their instructors. Some offer free child care while you are teaching. ONLINE TRANSCRIPTIONIST There are several companies that will hire you to work from home transcribing audio speech to written documents. The audio could be from a doctor, lawyer, court hearing or freelance writer. Some companies don't require any experience. There are transcrip- tion courses available for a fee. Some transcription companies are Rev, Scribie and CrowdSurf. Pay range: The Rev website states the average earning is $245 per month. $ $ $ $ $ $ SIDE HUSTLES SIDE 15 for Stay-At-Home Moms

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