We’re all short of money in these cash-strapped times, but we at The Goss have come up with a series of money-making ideas for stay-at-home mums.
If writing is your thing, how about penning a romantic novel? Mills and Boon writers can make anything from £2000 to £30,000 per book. The novels are shorter than average at around 50,000 words. They also follow a fairly specific formula. Aspiring writers need to familiarise themselves with what’s needed for each series before they put finger to keyboard though. If you need more information, Mills & Boon runs writing workshops across the UK, many of which are either free or fairly cheap.
If you’re on the computer a lot and you like answering easy questions, online surveys can be a good way of making a bit of pocket money – or getting some fun prizes here and there. Don’t think you will make a fortune though. The most you are likely to get from a survey is about £5 a go, and many of them don’t actually pay – they just give you points through which you can redeem prizes.
Alternatively you could try your hand at some mystery shopping. If you love to shop, why not get paid for it? It’s flexible, undemanding and fun. The average pay-out is around £20 per assignment, and some can be done over the telephone.
If you don’t use your garage or driveway, why not rent it out for money, especially if you live near a station where parking costs are high. Register with Parkatmyhouse.com (it’s free), put your postcode in and wait for desperate would-be parkers to contact you.
Alternatively, you could get paid to iron. By doing other people’s washing and ironing you can make cash when it suits you, whilst your child is sleeping or at nursery. Bring in customers by putting an advert in the local paper, handing out leaflets in your local area or, for more professional advice, check out ironingservice.net.
Finally, if you’re good in the kitchen and have some tasty recipes under your belt, then how about baking cakes, jams and confectionary and selling them? Find out where your local craft fairs and car boot sales are and set up a stall. There are many outlets you can try, including, carbootjunction.co.uk; and country-markets.co.uk
