4 Easy Ways to Make Extra Money from Home

This post contains referral links.

Hey all!

Most of you probably know that I believe God's calling on my life it to be a stay at home mom.  That meant really getting creative on my end.  I was hoping my blog might become a source of income but it turns out that monetizing a blog is tough work!  And it requires a lot more time than I am able to commit to at this point.  Thankfully, God has provided me with part-time employment outside of the house.  It's just 10 hours a week (a day and a half away from baby girl), sometimes I am able to work from home, my mom and my grandma are the best babysitters around, and I am doing ministry!  It is a huge blessing.  

But before I accepted this position last week, we were surviving on savings and I searched high and low for different ways to make a few extra bucks.  This list includes a few of my favorites:

1. Swap.com

Not only is one of my favorite places to shop for Miss Aelah (and now myself) but it is such an easy way to make some extra cash.  I have sent a couple of boxes of things from around the house and made a decent amount.  But recently, I've started buying  baby clothes at yard sales for the specific purpose of sending them to Swap.  All I have to do is put the items in a box!  They photograph and put the items online for you to price.  I only have to worry about shipping once and I never have to photograph a thing (forget Ebay!).  The site says that on average users make about $50 a box!  Click here to get started or to go shopping! 

2. Grocery / Shopping Apps

There are so many different grocery apps out there, it is hard to know which ones are worth it.  Well, I've tried quite a few and these are the few that I use on a regular basis and have stood the test of time  (in order of how much I like and use them):

• Shopkick
• This is, by far, the easiest way to make some extra money.  Just open the app when you walk into select stores and you get points!  The only catch is that you can only redeem points for gift cards.  While not actually cash, you can get Walmart or Target gift cards for groceries or even gift cards to major Gas Stations like Exxon or Shell.  This helps the budget which means extra cash! Click here to sign up.
• Walmart Savings Catcher
• Just scan your receipt and they price match for you!  Since we usually buy off brand, I don't get a huge return on this but if you buy name brand, the savings add up quickly.  And no matter what, every little bit helps!
• Receipt Hog
• Snap pictures of your receipts for points.  This isn't just for specific stores either!  It takes awhile for points to add up but it is super simple so I don't mind the extra few seconds it takes to snap a picture of my receipt.  If you use my referral code, SPOG8394, you will get 5 free spins on the "Hog Slots"...which might mean extra points!
• Ibotta
• This app has you scan barcodes and receipts to earn points for specific items that you buy.  Some things are name brand, other things are general like '1 dozen eggs' or '1 gallon of milk.'  And it only works at specific stores.  The only place local for us is Walmart.  I don't make a ton extra this way but every little bit helps.  The plus side is that the bigger your team is the more money you are capable of earning.  Your team grows in a couple of ways - direct referrals or any Facebook friends that join (you don't have to invite them, you just have to have your account linked).  You can join my team and we can make money together if you use my referral code: tyjrokq 

3. "Points Per Activity" Sites (Surveys, Videos, etc.)

This is popular way to make a few extra bucks.  But again, there are a ton of different sites out there. I have tried a few and only three have stood the test of time for me.  

• Swagbucks
• They give you a "daily goal" every day which I try to reach so I get the bonus points.  But if nothing else, I do the daily to-do list on the left hand side and I "watch" my allotment of videos on the Swagbucks TV app.  I made Swagbucks my default search engine so I can get points if I need to look anything up online.  I occasionally do other things like surveys or tasks to reach my daily goal.  And, if I'm shopping online, I make sure to do so through Swagbucks so I can earn points that way as well.  Click here to see all the awesome ways you can earn swagbucks.
• Perk.com
• I use Perk in two ways.  I have the Perk TV app on my old iphone that I can "watch" videos on all day.  I have the Perk Scratch app that is basically a lottery ticket game that I play when I'm wasting time (while nursing or watching TV).  The points take longer to add up...but it doesn't require a lot of my time.  Go here to start earning Perk points.
• Superpoints
• Again, another one that takes a bit longer to add up but requires very little effort on my part.  I push the super lucky button as many times as I'm allowed each day, do the "daily click surprise" and open my daily email (receiving the email is a requirement...opening it means you might win points).  SUPER easy.  Click here to try your luck at the super lucky button.

4. Reward Credit Card

We have one credit card, Chase Freedom, in our house that we pay off every month, well, technically multiple times a month, but the point is, we never have a balance on it.  We get 1% cash back on every single purchase and then 5% back on different items each quarter (gas, restaurants, etc.).  With no fees and no balance, they are paying us $15-$30 a month just to use their card!  If you sign up by the 1st of November and spend $500 in the first three months, they will give you $100 cash back!!  Just follow this link and you are on your way!

Bonus... Start an Etsy Shop

I included this as a bonus because it isn't exactly *easy.*  If you can sew or have any kind of creative gene, having an Etsy shop is a fun and creative way to make money from home.  Since I made all of our own natural, chemical-free cleaners and bath & body products, Hubby suggested I start selling them.  We try to attend at least one craft show a month and started an Etsy shop.  Not only is it a fun way to make some extra cash, but we get to spend some extra time together....which is always nice.  

Thinking of starting your own shop?  Use this link and we'll both earn free listings!

You can check out all of the natural products we sell here.  Use code MYBLOG10 at checkout for 10% off.

Wet Bags Galore! (WAHM Review + Giveaway) *CLOSED*

Who doesn't love wet bags?  It seems like we can never have enough.  Especially now that we are using more reusable items.  

We originally had 3 travel size wet bags for our cloth diapers that we used in the diaper bag.  Plus two hanging wet bags for our bathroom and two pail liners.  I was putting my facial rounds and nursing pads in with my diapers but thought it might be nice to have something smaller.

I received free product in exchange for an open & honest review.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions are my own.

  

Kara, after having her bundle of joy, discovered that there wasn't a lot of baby stuff out there to her liking.  So, instead of settling for something sub par, she decided to venture out and start making her own items.  With a love of crafting that she inherited from her great aunt, Kara went to work and made the bedding for her daughter's crib.  After some encouragement from people in her life, Kara decided to start selling the stuff she was making - a perfect opportunity to make some extra income while staying home with her baby girl (Birdie)!

Here is a pic of her and her beautiful family:

Absolutely adorable family aren't they?

This is the package I received from Kara:

I was instantly in love with the colors when I opened the tissue paper!  And overjoyed to see a note - I love those personal touches!

Kara sent me two wet bags and two sets of nursing pads (new to the shop).  We hadn't actually discussed what she was going to send, so when I opened this I was super excited.  I needed small wet bags and at least another set of nursing pads!  She has no idea how perfect this was!  :)

Cute flannel prints!  I absolutely love the monkeys - they are so cute!  (Even if no one will be seeing them....)

And the back is organic bamboo (love!) with a waterproof layer between.

These nursing pads are "light absorbency" and they worked splendidly for me throughout the day.  I could easily go the entire day without having to change them and they are oh-so-soft against my skin...which is a serious plus when it comes to reusable nursing pads!  I did try them overnight a few times.  On a normal night for me, they worked pretty well...I would say medium leakage.  But on a night were Aelah decided to sleep for an extra long stretch, they didn't quite make the cut.  But that's okay - because Kara also has heavier absorbency nursing pads!  I guarantee the heavier pads would work out great for the first few weeks of nursing and for overnight since the light absorbency pads almost did the trick!

The best part??  These nursing pads are wonderfully affordable, especially for the quality!  Each set is just $3!!  Given that she uses organic bamboo and they stay soft and work well...that price is extremely reasonable!!

I love, love, love bright colors so these wet bags are right up my alley!  Each is pictured with a nursing pad in the 2nd pic to give you an idea of size.

These are made with two separate layers (instead of one) so there is less leakage (if any at all...)

The small wet bag is the one intended for use with her nursing pads.  It fits well in any purse or diaper bag.  And is super cute!  I actually use the smaller one for my reusable facial rounds in my bathroom (as seen in the pic below) and I threw the medium size wet bag in my diaper bag for nursing pads, burp cloths, and anything else that I don't want to throw in with dirty diapers.  ;)

It fits so well in my bathroom!

Kara has some other amazingly adorable items in her Etsy shop as well:

Car Seat Covers (photo courtesy of Birdies Bubble)

  

My personal favorite - Toddler Tailgating Chairs!! (photo courtesy of Birdies Bubble)

Here is one in action!  Isn't Birdie adorable??

Kara's customer service was some of the best I have come across.  She has been so sweet from day 1!  She even gave me some great insight on dealing with colic....which has nothing to do with all of this.  hehe.

Be sure to follow Birdies Bubble on Facebook and add her to your favorites on Etsy.

So two awesome things.

1. Kara is offering not one, but TWO awesome discount codes (Expire March 31st):

• One for free shipping: LTB31FS
• If you purchase a Med. wet bag and two sets of nursing pads, use code LTB31 and you will get another two sets of nursing pads FREE! (Talk about a great gift idea....)

2. She has also decided to offer a GIVEAWAY! (Ends March 15)

There is a picture of a small wet bag and a set of nursing pads on the Birdies Bubble Facebook Page.  You must do 3 things to qualify for this giveaway:

• Like Birdies Bubble
• Comment on the picture with the code LTB31
• Come back here leaving a comment telling me you did so

While you are on the Birdies Bubble page, tell Kara thank you for the discounts and giveaway and congratulate her on Baby #2!  She is expecting again!  (This is not required for the giveaway....just a nice gesture)

Let me know in the comments - what would you use these wet bags for?

Save Money on Groceries - No Coupons Needed!

Who likes to save money??  I know I sure do!  And now that we are down to one income I have been on the lookout to save even more than we already do!

During my searches for work-from-home opportunities and ways to make a little extra money here & there, I discovered Ibotta!  And I love it!

I probably won't strike it rich, but I will make some money with little effort.  And who doesn't love that?  You are definitely going to want to check this out.

So how can Ibotta (pronounced I bought a....) save me money on groceries??  Here is how it works:

There are a couple of ways to earn money.  

1. You can shop online through Ibotta and get cash back, much like Ebates.

2. You can submit (scan) a receipt or link your loyalty card and get cash back for certain purchases.

It's actually kind of fun!  I ran to Walmart to grab a few essentials the other day: milk, bread, eggs, etc.  Came home, scanned a few things (may have taken me 5 minutes) and I made $1.25!  It takes me longer than that to clip coupons.

The neat part?  You can work with your team to earn more!  Ibotta can connect to your Facebook to start building team (this is pretty neat) but you can also invite people to join your team.  The bigger your team, the faster you earn.

So I'm asking you all - do you want to start earning money back on your groceries??  Join my team!  You can go here to sign up or you can download the app and use the referral code: tyjrokq.

As a thank you for joining my team, I'm hosting a fun little giveaway.  One reader who joins my Ibotta team will win a surprise gift from me that will arrive at an unknown (surprise) time during 2015.  Don't you just love surprises?!?

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