As a busy, working mom it can often feel that you’re just treading water financially. Pay day always seems a week too far away and you aren’t able to start that savings account for the kids that you always intended on. With wages staying flat and the cost of living creeping up, it’s no wonder that sometimes, you find yourself needing more budgeting tips. Another strategy is to boost the family income. This approach is great because it makes you feel more empowered and in control of your financial future. With more income, that dream vacation or rainy day fund could become a reality.
Find A Telecommuting Job
An often overlooked way of saving time and expense is to move to a job where remote working is a possibility, at least for part of the week. Not only will you save on the costs of your journey to work but it can add a lot flexibility to your time and allow you to be there when your children need you. Taking calls, becoming a virtual PA, doing admin or accountancy, email based consultancy work or social media management are all jobs which lend themselves to being able to work from home.
Become Better Qualified
The more qualified you are, the better job opportunities you can go for and the higher your earning potential. But you don’t have to attend college to do it. Distance learning now means you could take a first degree, or even a masters remotely, fitting it around your family and other commitments. Consider something which is relevant to your current line of work. For example, if you want to push up into higher management positions then that bs organizational leadership may well come in handy! Any course you want to do will be available for online study.
Consider Freelance Work
Depending on what you do, some freelance work may be a great route to top up your income. Creative disciplines such as graphic design, copywriting, video editing and such all lend themselves really well to some extra work. It’s all about looking at your skill set and seeing how you can offer something to business. If you have an artistic or crafting talent you could also use that to accept commissions. Build your contacts slowly over time and do a good professional job and you could soon be making decent money.
Make Money Online
Many people have found that setting up some kind of online trade is a great way to balance their budget and bring in extra cash. It’s easy to set up a shop via platforms like Etsy or eBay. Start up costs are extremely minimal too – even successful businesses can start this way. Entrepreneur Sophia Amoruso of NastyGal started out selling second hand clothes on eBay and built a online brand out of it! If you can build a following using social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter or running a blog this can become very profitable. It’s all about finding a niche and understanding what your audience wants. If you handle it right, this could even grow into a full time occupation!
