Are work from home jobs legit?
Well it depends.
Of course theres really scammy bad ones but also a lot of legit jobs that will pay you good money for working from home.
Being a stay at home mom can be very rewarding but also overwhelming.
You might feel very isolated at home even if you love being able to watch your kids and enjoy motherhood to the fullest.
It can get lonely and mentally not very stimulating.
While you might feel physically exhausted after a long day with your kids you are not very challenged mentally.
Or maybe it is a struggle financially but a part-time job just doesn’t pay enough to cover daycare and with a full-time job you won’t see your children at all during the day.
Is this you?
Welcome to my world – that is exactly how I felt and the very reason (well one of them) to start this blog.
Being extremely flexible when it comes to what hours you are working is a big plus for most stay at home jobs. (unless there are set business hours)
Of course it should be something that actually makes money and not just $50 a month.
If you are still pregnant or planning to get pregnant and wanting to be a stay at home mom after you can already start doing your research and start working today.
Because let’s be honest – one paycheck just won’t cut it to live comfortable especially if you life in a high cost of living area.
So how can you make a living while being at home with your kids at the same time?
Legit and flexible stay at home jobs are your answer.
During the pandemic right now a lot of businesses are also transitioning to remote jobs for all levels of experience.
Keep in mind that you may need some experience or education for some of the jobs on this list but most of them can be done without any prior knowledge.
The best stay at home jobs for moms:
1. Start a Blog
Yes, you can actually make money with a blog online!
There are bloggers out there that make a 6-figure income from their blog alone.
And if you are really passionate about a certain topic you won’t run out of ideas to write about while helping others online.
With blogging you have 100% control of how much and when you work on your conditions.
I’m gonna have to be honest though and tell you that many people fail.
Blogging takes time until you see results and then some more time to scale even more.
It can take months until you make your first $1 with your blog and many give up before that.
If you are just looking for a job that will pay you by tomorrow this is not for you.
While you should keep that in mind I would absolutely tell you to give it a try.
2. Become a freelance writer
You love writing but do not want to start your own blog?
No problem – people are looking for freelance writers all the time.
Being a freelance writer comes with all the freedom of making your own hours and decide how much you want to work (as in how many posts you write)
It can be a great way to make a full-time income from home.
3. Become a Virtual assistant (VA)
Another job that is always wanted.
Other people working online – like bloggers – always look for people that can take some of the workload off their back.
People that work online do hire other people (virtual assistant) to help them get their work done.
You can specialize on one specific thing (hint: Pinterest VAs make good money) or do general assistant work like answering emails, scheduling appointments and so on.
Virtual assistants save their employer a ton of time.
As well as other exclusively online jobs you can completely set your own hours and take on as many or few clients as you feel comfortable.
When you just start out your rates are most likely low but you can grow from there when you gain more knowledge.
You can learn more about how to become a Virtual Assistant here.
4. Sell on Ebay
When I did my research about legit stay at home jobs one mom told me that she makes money selling on ebay.
I was like – huh?
She started out by just looking around her own house what was still in good condition and just standing around with no purpose and listing it on ebay.
From there she went out to thrift stores and yard sales to pick up other gems that made her a good amount of money selling on ebay.
So this is a legit way of making money online.
You have to be willing to go out to look for those treasures but if you already love hunting for deals why not make some money with it.
This may also be interesting:
– How to save money on groceries
– Potty training in three days
5. Sell on Amazon
Basically like ebay you can flip items on amazon.
You can not sell used items here but resell products you bought for a discounted price and get more money for it.
Clearance items in new conditions are a great way to find discounted items as well as sales online (subscribing to newsletters for companies you already love can help finding them)
The selling family has a whole article on how to get started reselling products on amazon.
This is a super simple job that requires no experience whatsoever.
6. Open your own daycare
If you love being at home with kids anyway and a few more are easy to handle for you then a daycare in your home might be a good choice.
I have a friend that started a licensed daycare in her house and it’s going great for her.
She was a normal stay at home mom too and absolutely loves being around kids.
Her days went from entertaining her one toddler to dealing with 6 kids in different ages every day and she loves it.
I have to be honest – to me it sounds like a nightmare.
I’m good with my one toddler but if you are anything like her and throughout enjoy working with children think about it.
You will need to have some certs like a first aid certification and be able to pass a background check (like you have to in many jobs).
If you want more information on how to start your own daycare you can read here.
7. Become a photographer
Some people are a total natural when it comes to capturing absolutely stunning photos so why not turn it into a career?
You can work independently, setting your own hours while doing something you love.
Whether it’s just outdoor shootings or an actual photo studio in your home.
You can offer different packages and set your prices.
You should be willing to invest in a very good camera and learn from courses to become the best photographer around.
I know a women that quit her job and started at a friends photography business and they make a lot of newborn photography.
Just imagine that – taking pictures of adorable newborns all day.
Or take it further and offer packages to capture the whole labor and delivery!
Yes, there are tons of couples that want photos of those moments.
If you do a great job your new clients will come naturally and of course you could set up your own website just for the photography business.
Stock photo sites also always look for pictures and you can sell them there (this won’t make you much money though)
8. Start your own boutique
If you are great at sewing and have all the hardware and some creativity why not start a boutique?
You can start with a few basic sewing patterns and go from there.
Your boutique could offer clothes for babies, women, maternity clothes or just simple bows you can all make in the comfort of your home.
By the way – if you love sewing for babies you should come check out this facebook group.
9. Open a etsy store
Instead of a boutique you can also sell homemade clothes on etsy as well as a ton of other products.
This is perfect for creative people that love to craft.
Digital products are also doing pretty well on etsy.
Like every other platform you will have to learn how to get your products seen by the ideal customer and the downside is that etsy takes a cut out of every sale you make plus listing fees.
On the other side they deal with the taxes for you.
Find out more on how to be successful on etsy here.
10. Offer laundry services
Anyone that owns a washer, dryer and iron can do this work from home job.
You do not need any special skills or knowledge other than how to wash clothes (I mean that’s what we moms do a lot anyway)
Other people that have to go to the laundromat for their laundry might be happy for someone offering a service like that.
Pages like Taskrabbit specialize in bringing customer and people that want to do simple tasks together.
Alternatively you can make a facebook page and start offering your services in local facebook groups as well as to friends and family.
11. Become a graphic designer
This was always something I was interested in but somehow never pursued it further.
If you are a natural in designing and love to create unique art online why not do it for a living?
There are always people hiring graphic designers for their website design, graphics for digital products and so much more.
I know a graphic designer that started her own etsy shop offering the cutest cliparts that she draws on her tablet using a design program.
So that is a option too if you don’t want to have a employer.
12. Make personalized items
This is another thing that is so much fun and can bring in a good chunk of money.
Personalized products from shirts with unique design, epoxy tumblr (they are very popular) or Car decals made with vinyl all have one thing in common – a cricut.
You can buy yourself a Cricut machine and the material you need and then just start letting your creativity flow.
I can’t tell you how often I see other moms looking for a personalized shirt in local facebook groups willing to spend some money.
I personally love to make car decals (you should see my car) and made a few free of charge for friends of mine too.
It is very simple once you get into it a bit more.
All those items could also be sold online in a etsy store or website.
13. Be a tutor
Tutors are always needed.
There are always kids needing help with math or a second language so if you are really good at a specific school subject this might be for you.
Especially now with many parents doing homeschooling this could also be offered online with a zoom lesson.
14. Hop on AirBnB
Have a spare room or a whole apartment you don’t live in?
Maybe you are traveling for months and your house will be empty and you live in a big city?
Start renting out your home on AirBnB to travelers from all over the world.
AirBnB is a great way for people to stay at places for a more affordable price than hotels or for people that want the experience of actually living where they take their vacation.
And if that extra room is just collecting dust why not make it work for you?
Of course you should be comfortable with having a stranger stay at your house.
I personally booked over AirBnB before and always had a great experience.
15. Become a bookkeeper
This can be the perfect job if you just love numbers.
Bookkeepers are also wanted by bloggers and other people that have a online business as well as local businesses you work remote for.
There are tons of courses online or at your local college you can take to start becoming a bookkeeper.
16. Become a travel agent
Being a travel agent and be the person that brings customers and their dream vacation together can be a really fun job.
If you consider choosing that as a career you should do good research for legit travel agencies to start working.
17. Translate for others
If you are bilingual or even speak more than two languages this is a pretty easy job for you.
Translators will translate written documents or audio files to the desired language.
You can find translator jobs on pages like indeed or be a freelancer on upwork.
18. Seamstress
If you are a pro in sewing you can offer your services to do alterations on clothes for a variety of customers right in your own home.
You can have a very flexible schedule depending on how long it takes you to do alterations and how many hours you want to work.
People can drop their clothes off at your house and you can give them a timeline that feels comfortable for you.
Then you can sew and do alterations whenever you have the time for it.
19. Data entry online
This is a very simple job that requires you to input certain data into company systems from other written files or audios.
This is usually a independent contract job rather than being a employee.
Be careful looking for those and never pay for anything beforehand.
You can look into platforms like Upwork to find people that look for simple data entry.
20. Start network marketing
Nowadays there is a huge variety of Multilevel marketing companies (MLM) out there.
I’m pretty sure you have at least one friend doing this type of work.
There are companies for beauty products, health products and more.
The concept is usually the same – you start being invited by someone else and work in their “team” under them.
You sell the products without the need of having inventory in your home and recruit more people to make more money.
It can work – a lot of people are pretty annoyed by those companies by now so it might be hard finding customers for the products you’re selling.
21. Do nails at home
You can start doing nails from the comfort of your home.
This does not require much experience.
Depending on what you are planning on doing (gel, acrylic or dip nails) you just need all the material and practice.
Ask friends and family if they are willing to be your test objects for free or a low fee to cover the material cost so you can learn.
There are also courses you can take and hygiene is very important.
This is a great job if you are naturally a social person that loves to talk to your clients while working.
You can also set your own schedule and make as many or few appointments as you want.
22. Rent out baby products
Yes, you can make money by renting baby gear to tourists with babies in your town.
It requires you to invest a bit upfront to buy a variety of products.
Learn more about the how to here.
23. Teach english to chinese kids
All you need for this job is a bachelors degree and being good with kids.
Pages like VIPKID are always looking for people that speak accent free english to teach children in China english.
It actually pays pretty good for a “simple” job.
If you have any teaching certification it makes the whole process even easier for you.
24. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is actually one of the many ways to monetize a blog too.
But what is affiliate marketing?
You basically share products that you already love with your readers or followers with your personal affiliate link and when they take action and buy trough that link you get comission – simple as that.
So if you have a big following on your social media outlets you can actually make some good money with it.
One of the most popular Affiliate programs is from amazon itself – I am sure you have tons of followers that are shopping on amazon already anyway.
25. Start with Amazon mechanical turk
Speaking of amazon – there is another thing you can start doing.
Amazon mechanical turk is a platform where people do small tasks for money.
These small tasks mostly include surveys and things robots can not do yet.
So for example find something specific in a picture.
This one includes a lot of luck to find the good paying ones tho and is more for pocket money.
If you do have tons of time you can absolutely make a full-time income with this too but for most of us moms it more coffee money for the month.
26. Start a career as proofreader
Proofreaders are always high in demand.
You can completely set your own schedule with this one similar to blogging or being a virtual assistant.
The only thing you have to be really good at is the written English language or any other language you want to work in.
A proofreader makes sure that written content is always in perfect grammar without any huge mistakes.
The Writing Center has a few great tips on how to get started to become a successful proofreader.
27. Transcriber
What does a transcriber do?
It’s pretty simple – you listen to a piece of audio and transcribe it into written english.
I used to do this in Germany while I was still in the middle of moving overseas to make a little extra money on the side.
It’s not the most exciting job but it’s simple and you don’t need any special degree.
Being a transcriber gives you the freedom to work when it’s best for you.
You can find some easy transcription work with mechanical turk mentioned as #25 or look at job portals like indeed.
So what job are you gonna start from home?
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