Earning Money As a Keeper at Home

Over the past several years, God has impressed my heart with Titus 2:4-5:

"That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."
My conviction is that I ought to remain within the realm of home, if I desire to supplement our family income. Thankfully, there are a plethora of ways to earn money at home, especially with the help of the internet.

The following are a few ways that I have earned some money from home:

1. E- book writer- I wrote an e-book called Super Saving Strategies. Lulu will host your e-book for free, but takes a small fee for each book sold. The terrific thing about writing e-books is that there is no up-front cost for you. The only commodity that you give is your time. You do not have to be a professional to write an e-book. Think of a topic of something that interests you, or that you are passionate about, and start out with a small book on the subject. Perhaps you can show others how to do something, such as how to knit a scarf (in words and pictures) or how to decorate wedding cakes.

2. Affiliate Programs- Being an affiliate is an easy way to make money through your blog. I am an affiliate with Vision Forum, Nurtured Family, and The Old Schoolhouse. If someone purchases a product from a company that you are an affiliate with, you get a percentage of the sale. (Generally anywhere from 5%-8%).

3. Wedding Planner/ Consultant- I am an organizing aficionado. When it came time for the Christmas gift exchange with my husband's family, I was the nerd person who was making a spreadsheet of gift suggestions for everyone. So when my sister-in-law announced her engagement, I promptly whipped up a tabbed binder for her, with organizational sheets. She asked me to be her wedding consultant and very generously gives me some money, each month as I help her and her fiancee to sift through wedding planning details. (I would have gladly done it for free.)

4.Consignment Sales- This year was the first time that I participated in consignment sales. Consignment sales are a terrific way to earn money on extra stuff that you just don't need, and to get your children what they do need.

5. Surveys- A survey company contacted me this year, to record my household's radio listening habits for a week. It took about a total of 20 minutes to fill everything out, and I made a little over $30 for that. So far, that has been the most lucrative survey that I have done, but I do try to do other surveys, such as Surveyspot.

6. Yard Sales- Yard Saling in my neighborhood isn't very effective, but I did make a little money. We had a huge community yard sale, but we still didn't attract too much of a crowd, since we are out in the country, a bit. I really feel like location is so critical for successful yard sales.

Things I am interested in Pursuing from Home in the Future:

1. Teaching Childbirth classes- Birthing is my passion and I would love to encourage other women as they prepare to birth.

2. Selling baked goods to coffee shops/businesses.

3. Writing articles for select publications and/or websites.

4. Finding great deals at yard sales and Craigslist, to sell at Consignment sales.

5. Becoming a Notary Public- By taking a simple class at my local community college (for two evenings), I could become a certified notary public. (It does require one to pass a state test.) Once certified, I could place a sign up in my front yard, and if anyone needed anything notarized, they could just drop in. I had something notarized, yesterday, and it cost $5 for 2 minutes of the lady's time. It would be terrific to make money here and there, just for witnessing someone signing a document.

6. Medical Transcription-When I was expecting my firstborn, I took a few classes at the local community college to become a Medical Transcriptionist, in case we needed the extra income. Being a mother of three (soon to be four) little ones, I don't think I have the 2-3 hours a day, at this time, to devote to medical transcription. Perhaps, further down the road, it might not be a bad prospect for me. There are quite a few companies that allow you to do this job completely from home, while earning a nice income. (One lady I knew, was a transcriptionist for 2-3 hours a day, and earned $40,000 a year. She would transcribe while her granddaughter took her afternoon nap.)

Earning money from home can be challenging, at times, but can be successfully done, when you combine your passion with creativity. Find a niche and fill it!

I would love to hear some ways that you have found, to make money at home. Many blessings!