Inspiration for income for a SAHM (stay at home mom)

[promiseacres]

OK 3 years ago my DH took his current job (had been laid off in 2009) which involved short sale of our home and moving, which meant no more job for me. Which was ok we were able to buy another property with a much lower mortgage among other things. BUT we still have this huge amount of debt hanging over us and it makes it so we still live paycheck to paycheck. I was doing ok with my MaryKay businesss TIL we moved now pretty much have given up on it (DH couldn't be dependable due to his job/OT about watching the kids and babysitter=money out of my pocket, plus I suck at sales) . I've looked for another jobs (I have a Ag Sci. BS degree) but nothing pays enough to justify childcare for 2 children.... I have tons of ideas of things I could do but just get easily overwhelmed by constant distractions via my children... I know my critter addiction doesn't help with the constant feed bills but am really working on making them at least breaking even.

My hens/eggs are breaking even with a few egg sales. (would love to start raising a "breed" for resale, constraints are no incubator and need a "breeding" area)
My hair sheep are doing ok, so far not many expenses and I do have leads on sales, plus we'll be eating 1-2 this year but really still growing the flock.
Selling extra veggies from my garden (there is a farmers market I could take them too) but have sold a few last summer via FB pages
Selling started garden plants (constraints are no place...need a green house to really do it right?)
I REALLY want to get some Velveteen Lops, seems like they are rare enough to resell but need a bunny hutch/shed built
I do have the ability to work with horses, ponies but still hard to justify a babysitter b/c not many people I know pay for a trainer plus I'm limited on my skills (IE I have no desire to buck out a horse, but love groundwork and driving ponies)
We only have 4 acres which in my head is a major constraint but I rotate and don't do too badly on pasture. DH has hay equip and so far we've put time and gas into making hay but nothing out of our budget.

We live in a pretty rural area so it'll be drive if I find a suitable job PLUS working outside of the home means more expenses all around and less whole foods b/c of time constraints though being a SAHM I've found it's not as hard as I used to believe to eat healthier, non proccessed foods. I DO have an interview next week BUT the pay is right on the border of being "worth" my time, though location is great.

If anyone wants to share what worked for you (or didn't) in a similar postion I'd love to hear from it b/c I know there are many other SAHM and "farmers" making things work. Maybe I can be inspired out this thought that I HAVE to get a job outside of the home. Thank you!

 

[Upper Penn Love]

I've been looking into similar at home money making ideas. Unfortunately there's nothing worthwhile online to find as far as ideas. What I have in my arsenal is things I've done or have seen other people do to make money at home.

Produce: your doing good with the farmers market and fb, also try Craigslist, it's easy to post and ad and forget about it as long as you regularly check your email or don't mind people calling.

Breeding: unless you get something pretty rare ( which is going to need a major advancement of funds to buy) it really isn't worth breeding for profit. Mother need more/ special feed during pregnancy, babies need special food while growing and vaccinations ect. Do your homework and try to figure out if it will be worth the time and not just another cute pet and cute babies for your entertainment. Rabbits are rather easy to raise compared to other animals though.

Crocheting/ knitting: I've bought homemade crocheted matching hats and scarves on the roadside before, the people actually had there kids 8-10 man the table in the front yard and take the cash. Crocheted blankets or homemade quilts also sell pretty well. Even if you don't know how, it's easy to learn and initial cost is low. Craigslist and fb will again be your friend here

Jewelry: a friend of mine made jewelry. Really nice beading on wire, you can find all kinds of books on it. There's a learning curve and you need some equipment for working wire jewelry but she sold necklaces for up to $10 and matching sets of necklaces/bracelets/ earrings for up to $30. The price of beads can vary but she made good money. Even worked it out with a local small shop and was able to put a rudimentary display on there counter. She also took orders for custom matching preices for weddings. On eBay you can find package deals that include everything you need or just thousands of misc beads for decent prices. And more then that, it is fun to create beautiful arrangements with the beads, plus you will always have a necklace for any outfit lol

Play your strengths: I took a few agility lessons with a dog I used to have and I always wished I had some of the stuff at home to practice with her between weekly sessions. Searching the outrageous prices for simple jumps online it hit me that I could easily make some myself. I drew out plans and bought the needed PVC and built it myself, when someone else heard they wanted some too. I ended up making a 5 pc set ( single jump, double jump, triple jump, weave poles, and tire jump) for about $80 and sold them for $125 and that was a discounted price for the set individual pieces had a better profit margin. I plan to start it again this summer but I live in a new area and I'm not sure of any interest.

Daycare: and I don't mean just kids, although a lot of stay at home moms do babysit during the day. In my area I've already heard a number of neighbors asking each other to watch the dog over the weekend or during a trip or while they are hunting ect. You wouldn't think it but a lot of people are willing to pay for you to watch there dog or cat a few days or even while they are at work. A doggie daycare opened up in my country area about a year ago and that make enough money that they are already expanding. And that's for your dog to sit in a kennel all day. I'd much rather look up someone in my area that lives on a few acres and maybe has a fenced in area for my golden to run then have him locked in a 4x8 kennel while I'm gone, and kids and pets mean he just might get some attention or fun out of it.

Sewing: if you can sew, I work with a girl who is kept busy in out country area making alterations on everything from an old pair of favorite pants to taking in or letting out bridesmaid dresses, she also repais ripped anything. In this day n age it's more cost effective to repair something then throw it away.

Homemade: take a look at Pinterest. Com if you haven't checked it out. They have hundreds of ideas on homemade items you can make and probably sell (among many other things). I make homemade powder laundry detergent, it smells amazing, has only a few ingredients and costs like 33 cents to make enought to put in a 2 liter bottle. Sell that for $2 or $3 and you have a huge profit margin, also get ideas for candles, soap bars ect.

Flowers: do you grow roses or carnations? A lady in my old town would grow them and then take them out to the local bars late on Fridays and Saturday nights where young kids frequented. I always thought it was funny but never underestimate drunk young men trying to impress a lady, she always sold out. Prices were $3 although I'm not sure anyone ever noticed how much money they handed over by then.

Hope this gives you or anyone else who finds this thread some ideas.

 

[promiseacres]

great ideas! crazy thing is out the blue I sold $200 of my MK product, how crazy is that? Am still going to go the interview plus keep pursing other things. I do like to sew. and garden and make things.

 

[elevan]

I make jelly, baked goods and jewelry to sell at local stores. May 3rd I'll have products in my third store! Opportunities are definitely out there, you just have to ask.