Last night, my 15-month-old-daughter had a rough night. This always happens after Brian comes back from an “away week”. She’s missed him and she knows he’s only a room away and only wants him. Last night she practically jumped out of my arms to try to get to him and I definitely pulled something in my back. So I am currently working while laying on my stomach across the bed. Dream life, right? Working from home.
I have had several new mom friends ask me over the past year about the transition to being a full-time stay-at-home-mom. Though there is nothing wrong with multi-level marketing jobs, they just aren’t for everyone and that’s all I will say on the matter. So I wanted to share some of the other ways I have been able to supplement our income to make living on 1 income work in California (though these can be done from any state!)
**Side note: I’ve been doing all these long before I ever was married, so they are nice ways to make extra cash while working/going to school.
I love Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads, but have also used Plato’s Closet in the past. Check online for local Consignment stores near you. There are even some consignment stores that buy children’s clothing, I just prefer selling them online as you get to name the price. These typically either give you the option to walk away with cash or receive store-credit, which worked best for me as my body changed so much after having Reagan that I was able to swap out styles that no longer work with my mom-bod.
- Facebook BST pages, Local Marketplace, or Instagram
For this, you will need an active Paypal account, poly shipping bags, a kitchen scale, (I linked the ones I bought) and shipping materials i.e. wrapping tissue, washi tape or twine, and regular packing tape. Well worth the investment for how much I have sold + shipped over the past few years!
All of the items shown below I spent a total of $8 on from thrift-stores while shopping for my daughter. Some brand new with tags. One made in Italy. I made about a $60 profit from this bundle of clothes alone and I definitely don’t price my clothes as high as I probably should (because I don’t know the environment they’re from).
My favorite FB group for selling baby/kid’s clothes is: Gap, Old Navy, Zara, H&M, and Target BST. I’ve also had luck selling on several Anthropologie BST pages as well as different baby-wearing BST pages. I’ve sold 2 Wildbird ring slings for exactly what I paid for them because the demand was so high, but my biggest advice would be to find a BST group for whatever brands you want to sell. That’ll give you the best input into what you should price things at.
I’ve also sold a lot of bigger/heavier household items on local Facebook BST pages. This is a little trickier living in an apartment building, but I can typically arrange a pick-up around the buyer’s schedule. Other local selling apps I recommend and use semi-regularly are Offer Up and Let Go.
- Poshmark (Use code HBUI91 for $5 when you first sign up)
My advice is take clear shots in bright light, model the pieces when you can (though I don’t ever), and when you can, try to find the original picture for the item online.
Poshmark is nice because you don’t have to deal with the hassle of making a label and weighing. They email it right to you after the sale is complete. However, they do take a percentage of your sale, so you do have to factor that into your price and the selling is typically very slow. I have sold over $500 worth of clothes on here in the last year. Slow and steady, but I really don’t have to do much work other than refresh my postings and add anything new to my closet that I want to sell.
I’ve listed three companies that I have worked for and are legitimate. I haven’t found a way to make a living doing mystery shopping, but it is nice supplemental income and you get to choose when and what shops you do. As a SAHM, it’s also really nice to have an excuse to get out of the house and not feel like I’m spending more than we’re making. What I do before accepting a shop is plan a day around that particular city or area so I’m not investing so much money in gas just to get there. For example, I will always choose to do a Best Buy shop in Burbank on a day I can have a date day at Ikea. I also schedule Disney Store shops when I have a few returns to make to the mall.
Bestmark – mails you your check 2 Fridays after you complete the shop
This company works best for people that drive a car in the Chevrolet/Ford family. You will basically never pay for any routine work to be done on your car ever again – in exchange for writing about your experience. Though we did get lucky once with a Lexus service shop, they are few and far between. Aside from car shops, which are the majority with this one, I have also done movie theater shops (reimbursed for 2 tickets, popcorn + soda) , dinners at Maggiano’s ($50 reimbursements), Best Buy shops (pays about $14 a shop) and so many online “car inquiries”. These only pay $3 a shop, but they definitely add up and don’t take a lot to complete.
My total income from all the shops I did over a 6 month span last year was about $400, which isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it was a lot of great (and free) memories for my little family. They also have a lot of other shops that I just wasn’t able to do with a toddler, such as new car dealerships and hotel stays, that definitely pay much more.
–Amusement Advantage – long narratives, but often reimburses in additional tickets
Very involved shops and must be okay with writing long narratives about your experiences. It probably took me 2 hours to write up the one shop I completed and upload the receipts. However, they offer shops for Six Flags, the Zoo, bowling alleys, mini golf, and several museums all over LA; so if you’re into any of those things and are okay writing long narratives, this may be the company for you. All I really want is a Disneyland shop, too much to ask??
–Intelli-Shop – Sends $ via Paypal on the 20th day of the month after you complete
Lots of retail shops, which work best for me as a SAHM. I choose to only do the Disney Store shops (each time being reimbursed up to $20) and Famous Footwear. The fact that they pay a whole month later makes it a nice surprise once the money does come through because I typically forget that I had completed them. Other than retail, they also offer Hospital shops, Home Depot, valet parking at hotels/malls, and fast food shops.
- Ibotta – use this code for a $10 bonus: jhmbdst
I cannot sing this app’s praises enough. It has revolutionized “couponing” for me as a SAHM trying to save a little here and there and they literally have on the app every store I shop at; CVS, Target, Costco, Trader Joe’s…etc. They even offer cash back on online stores/apps, such as Groupon, Old Navy, and even Uber! The way it works, is you type in the store name where you’re shopping and type in the category of what you are buying. For example, you need a 6-pack of beer for a BBQ. You type in beer, and you choose from the list, many brands will give you $3-$5 off their beer. You add that “coupon” to your account, then forget about it. Once you get home from the store, upload a picture of your receipt and you automatically get credited the amount. Sometimes you have to scan the item to prove it. Once you get over $20, you can transfer the money to your Paypal. Make sure to look for the *25 cents off any purchase* and use that with every single purchase.
Literally so easy. It’s all done electronically, there’s no remembering to bring your coupon, and no having to worry about it expiring. You can even apply additional coupons in person, which is what I always do when I buy Huggies diapers from Costco (which are already discounted). The other day, I was ordering a bunch of clothes for Reagan on Old Navy and I double checked Ibotta and sure enough, 2% cash back on any order from Old Navy. Score!
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Anyway, these are just a few of the ways I have been able to supplement Brian’s income. Last week alone I sold a dress and a huge stack of Dr. Seuss books I’ve accumulated over the years (the ones I truly can’t stand reading) on Facebook BST pages and made over $100. Though there is nothing wrong with donating these things, it feels so good to be able to contribute to our income. What else do I have to do to keep me busy during nap time? 😉
Sail On 