Mom, are you feeling the financial squeeze these days? Chances are you have financial goals that you want to hit this year that may include fitness, relationships, travel, investing, paying an allowance to your children, and the list goes on.
I know that you spent the better part of last year figuring out how to slice and dice your budget, and frankly, there is simply no more trimming left to do. As a financial coach - coaching primarily women and moms - the biggest hurdle to getting control of your finances is to figure out a way to bring more money into your bank account.
Here are some ideas that you may want to consider if you know you need to bring in more income to help you meet your financial goals.
For many women, you are feeling overworked and underpaid. When’s the last time you asked for a raise? If you are waiting for your boss to just give you one, it’s no wonder you have the feelings you do.This is the best first step to increasing what is already coming into your home, so let’s spend some time here.
Here are some simple steps to get paid for the good work you do:
Do Your Research
It is important to know what other people in your role are making in your area. Get online and research your title using websites like salary.com or payscale.com.Perhaps there is a promotion available at your company. Look for opportunities within your company to interview for a new position that will allow you to make more money.
Add Value to the Company
Companies employ people who help make them money, so be sure to showcase how you add value to the company and how your role adds to the bottom line. But be sure you are walking the talk. Doing the bare minimum is probably not going to get you a raise, but if you are really working hard and add value, most companies will reward for high performance.
Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate
Figure out a salary that you would like and go a little higher when requesting from your boss. This way, you will be able to negotiate to your desired salary if the initial response to the higher salary is a “no.”
Women are unlikely to negotiate because of the limiting beliefs we harbor about money and the workplace. It is important to build your confidence before you speak with your boss so that you can negotiate like a pro.
Get Over Your Fear
Like I’ve mentioned, there is natural fear when you plan a meeting with your boss to ask for more money. This is universal and you are not alone in your feelings about this, but don’t let those feelings of doubt disrupt your plan.
You are a survivor and you have already endured hard things. Chances are that your manager will not be surprised that you are asking for more money. Think of it more like a conversation that just needs to be had. The worst-case scenario is that they will say no, but you have them on notice that you are ready for more.
Love spending time with children? Babysitting gigs are not just for teenagers! As a mom, you bring so much safety and security to parents who need to outsource the care of their children so that they can work or have leisure time with a significant other. Babysitters earn anywhere from $10-$20 per hour.
To get started, you will use word of mouth, your social media account, or advertise in a school newsletter or church bulletin.
People love their pets, and if you are an animal lover, there is a market for pet sitting and dog walking. You can walk dogs for people who are working during the day or on weekends and even take care of them while they are on vacation.
Dog Walking can make as much as $10 per dog walk. Overnight care of pets pays anywhere from $20-$50 per night on average.
I recently learned of a single mom who rents out a spare room and it was intriguing to me. Another idea would be to rent out your entire home on the weekends when you travel or could stay with one of your girlfriends. The income potential varies, but it is worth looking into if you have the space.
Did you know that business owners and companies are looking to get help on various projects and are looking online to find individuals to help with tasks and projects that can be done remotely on your own time. If you are organized, detailed oriented, and love helping people work through their to-do list, this could be a perfect fit. Income potential is $10-$50 per hour.
If you’re anything like my single mama, she believes that cleaning is good therapy! Do you like cleaning and keeping areas organized? Perhaps picking up a couple of home or office cleaning jobs is a way to bring in some extra money. Picking up an extra $100 per week will surely help you pay for groceries, extras for the kids, or fund that emergency savings account.
I know some of you love to cook. Busy professionals and families long to have home cooked meals that they can come home and simply heat up in the oven. You may want to consider cooking and selling pre-packaged meals to earn extra money. You can even charge a little extra if you want to deliver the meals to their home once a week. Be sure to figure in the cost of the food when setting your prices, as well as your time. The income varies, but the sky’s the limit!
Do you like doing makeovers and helping other women put outfits together? Personal stylists help with event specific outfit selection, wardrobe overhauls, and even closet organization. If you love fashion and shopping, this might work for you. Personal Stylist usually charge anywhere from $25-$50 and hour.
I love to shop! But do you know what’s better than shopping? Using someone else’s money to shop and run errands. Because so many people have such busy schedules, the simple errands that they need to run and the shopping that needs to happen just doesn’t get done. Many people are starting to outsource these tasks. What’s great about this is that your children can join in with you so that you are able to spend time with them as you side hustle. Income potential on this gig is anywhere from $20-$100 per hour.
I personally work with many small business owners and almost all of them have asked me if I know any good Social Media Managers. Owners are turning to social media to highlight their business, but the idea of posting on social media has them perplexed.
Are you someone who has a knack for social media? Partnering with small businesses to post on their social media accounts is a thing. Social Media managers are in high demand and work from their phones. The income potential for them is $25+, as well as offering monthly contract prices.
HAVE A GOAL IN MIND
For many moms, the idea of picking up a part-time job or a side gig makes them feel like they aren’t doing something right. That’s simply not true.
The way you combat this negative mindset is to create a goal for your side hustle money. This will keep you focused and positive as you are looking to add to your family’s bottom line.
Reach your financial goals with Single Mom University!
MEET THE AUTHOR
Katie Gibbons is a homeschool mom and entrepreneur. By providing financial education and coaching, she helps women manage their money so they can gain clarity and peace of mind. She believes life is best lived by discovering the simple pleasures in the everyday. When she is not running her businesses or loving on her family, she is looking for any excuse to meet up with her girlfriends. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, James and two sons.
She would love to connect with you on Instagramor check out on her website at www.thekatiegibbons.com.
WHO WE ARE
The Life of a Single Mom is a national, faith-based, nonprofit that exists to see that no single mom walks alone. To date, the organization has worked with hundreds of churches to start a single mom’s support group in cities throughout the U.S. and beyond, as well as having served hundreds of thousands of single mothers with a variety of programs. Offering a large array of books, curriculum, training materials, online instructional videos, podcasts, newsletters, life skills education, and more, TLSM is one of the largest single mom organizations in the U.S. The robust selection of single mom programs focus on empowering single moms to grow spiritually, emotionally, financially, and parentally through Single Mom University, Single Moms Across America, the National TLSM Single Moms Conference, boot camps, and a variety of other programs. For more information, visitthelifeofasinglemom.com.
