I’ll start this post by saying that I’m not a money expert. I’m no Martin Lewis. However, I’ve tried out many side hustles before and during my parenting journey and thought I’d share them.
For some people, the parenting journey comes with huge sacrifices. In addition to saying goodbye to lie-ins and peace and quiet, some parents may have to deal with changes to their career, especially when the kids are young.
You gain more time to work once the kids start school, but it can be tricky to find a job that fits around school hours. Then there are the days when the kids are ill, half-terms and summer holidays.
And then there’s the cost of everything. Summer holidays mean more activities and trips out. Those trips out can be expensive (especially if your kids are like mine and seek out the ice-cream van everywhere they go).
Even the price of a 99 flake ice-cream here in the UK is now extortionate!
And so, here are a few ways for parents to earn extra money:
Become a content writer
If, like me, you love to write, then content writing is a great way to earn some extra income. There are companies that will pay writers to produce lots of content for their clients. These are known as content mills. I dabbled in some of these when my daughter was a baby and really enjoyed it.
There are downsides though. Content mills are not only low pay but you often don’t get any credit for your work. I was never credited for any of the content I produced and the pay could have been a lot better.
Flexibility can also be an issue. If you’re looking for a side hustle that enables you to work around the kids’ school hours, then content writing may be tricky. Content mills often have deadlines and if these deadlines aren’t met, it will lead to clients being dissatisfied.
However, some companies allow you to choose what topics you want to work on. If there is an opportunity to produce content on a topic that you are passionate about, you may be able to easily meet the deadline. Despite the pay not being great, it’s still one of the best ways for parents to earn extra money. Every little helps!
Content writing is also worth it simply for having the chance to boost your writing skills. Once you’ve dabbled in it for a little while, you may be able to find higher-paid writing roles that give you the credit that you deserve for your hard work.
Organise a car boot sale/garden sale
Here in the UK, car boot sales are extremely popular. What better way to make a bit of extra money than to gather up all of the stuff you no longer need (in my case, there’s A LOT of stuff!) and sell it?
When you become a parent, the number of people in your house isn’t the only thing that increases. There’s SO much stuff! Kids grow fast and before you know it, the clothes you bought them last year no longer fit.
The toys you got them a couple of birthdays ago are now lying abandoned in the corner of their bedrooms.
Or under the bed like poor Jessie in Toy Story.
Garden sales (like yard/garage sales in the US) are also becoming more popular here in the UK, with many people now offering toys, books, games and clothes for a small price.
Ok, so it’s not a job as such, but it’s a great way for parents to earn extra money and you can organise one whenever suits you!
Open an online shop
If car boots and garden sales aren’t your thing, then you could consider selling your stuff on eBay, Etsy or Vinted. All of these are perfect for selling second-hand clothing and accessories.
It’s a great way of getting rid of old baby clothes (or even your own clothes if you’re anything like me and have a wardrobe full of outfits that haven’t been used for a while!), while also making a little bit of money from home!
Become a blogger
The greatest thing about being a blogger is that you can set your own hours. Websites such as WordPress offer a wide range of plugins that you can add to your blog, so you can easily make it look professional. You can blog about anything you’re interested in, from parenting and travelling to baking and fashion or even a topic that you have expertise in, such as teaching or fitness.
It can take some time to build up an audience but once you have regular visitors, you can start to think about monetising your blog. Some blogging websites offer e-commerce tools for those wanting to sell products on their blog and once you’ve gained a larger audience, there are other money-making options such as affiliate marketing or Google Adsense.
The downside of adverts is that they can affect the overall look of your blog and make it look a little bit less professional but if you don’t mind this then go for it!
Earn money from your hobbies
Being a parent means that we don’t get quite as much time to indulge in our hobbies as we’d like. If you love baking, art, photography or other similar activities then there’s no harm in getting creative in the spare time you do have though and selling some of your items.
One of the plus sides of being a parent is that there is no shortage of events. From school events to summer fairs and festivals, there’s always something to attend! This gives you the perfect opportunity to consider opening your own stall at any of these events and sell your creations in your spare time.
It’s one of the most enjoyable and fun ways for parents to earn extra money and if people enjoy your cakes, crafts, photography, painting or other creations, you can take it a step further and consider promoting your services on Facebook or Instagram.
Play games on your phone
Who doesn’t like a sneaky gaming session on their phone?! Most of us have done it – a quick game of Candy Crush or other addictive game when we get a few spare minutes.
The good thing is, you can now earn a bit of money when you indulge in a gaming sesh. Much like filling out surveys (which I’ll talk a bit more about below), you can earn rewards for playing games.
One of the most popular companies for rewarding gamers is Mistplay. Mistplay offers vouchers for playing a variety of different mobile games.
One of the downsides of mobile games is the in-app purchases. It can be tempting to make a purchase in order to make progress in a game (I’m guilty of this!) but try to resist it if you can! You can easily get achievements and rewards without having to spend any money.
I dabbled in money-making from mobile games a while back and would definitely try it again!
Become a Youtuber
Yes, really. YouTube is a great way to showcase your talents or hobbies while also making a bit of extra money. I recently started a gaming channel (despite recently hitting my 40s) and I love it!
It takes time to gain subscribers and currently, you need to hit 1,000 in order for your content to be considered for monetisation. It’s worth trying out though!
And if, like me, you hate being in videos, you could just film your hands. Many YouTubers have had success in areas such as baking, art and even just unboxing items without showing their face.
You can enjoy your hobby and share your skills without worrying about the fact that you probably look like you haven’t had a full night’s sleep in years (which, let’s be honest, if you’re a parent of small children, you probably haven’t).
Win-win!
Online surveys
This is one of my favourite side hustles! I’ve been doing online surveys for years and can honestly say that I’ve had some great experiences. I’ve received shopping vouchers, tested products and even discovered some great music from doing surveys.
And becoming a parent helped me to gain access to even more survey opportunities. Many survey sites are looking for parents to share their experiences of toy brands, children’s streaming services, baby products and much more.
Income isn’t guaranteed as there is always the risk of being screened out of a survey, but if you choose the right survey sites, it really is rewarding.
And, you don’t have to pay anything to sign up! You can join as many survey sites as you like to increase your chances of getting rewards.
Lifepoints and Valued Opinions are among the best survey sites that I’ve tried out. Valued Opinions currently only offers shopping vouchers instead of PayPal payments, but that’s a great reward for sharing your opinions in your spare time!
Do some matched betting
You’re probably looking at this last side hustle recommendation and thinking “Betting…as in…gambling?!! She’s actually recommending gambling?!!”
The first thing you need to know (if you don’t already) is that matched betting is NOT gambling. I stumbled across this recommendation on a Mumsnet thread, decided to try it out and I’ve never looked back.
It’s actually been one of my main sources of income over the past few years.
And the best thing about it…it’s so easy to do!
Matched betting does, of course, involve placing bets. But rather than just placing the bet, you also lay off your bets, which means that you don’t lose money. You may make a small qualifying loss when placing these bets to unlock free bets and other rewards, but the profit makes it worth it.
I’ve been matched betting for a few years now and have made a decent amount of money from it. It’s definitely one of the best ways for parents to earn extra money.
You can try out matched betting by yourself and find a wide range of guides and advice online. However, it may be worth signing up to a matched betting website. I currently use Outplayed. These websites have membership fees, but there are membership options to suit everyone. It’s definitely worth it if you want to get the most out of matched betting!
And so…
Hopefully these side hustles will help you to boost your income and start planning some family holidays!
