If you are a homeschooling family like we are, chances are you know the stress that comes with making the decision to homeschool. I worried about not being smart enough to teach my kids, social awkwardness (for me and them), and especially money. Money always seems to be an issue no matter what leaps you want to take in life. However, it shouldn’t be something that holds you back from schooling your children from home. Our family has been homeschooling for 2 years and have managed not only to continue to make money homeschooling but to also make enough to pay off all our debt. I want to spread the word and share with other families how it’s possible to make money while you homeschool. No one way fits all, of course, so I’ll do my best to cover all the bases!

*This post contains affiliate links. I may make a commission on anything I recommend but please know all opinions are my own. 

Consider your homeschool method

When you are trying to figure out what schedule and what methods are going to work for you to make money homeschooling you must first take your homeschooling method into consideration. Things like:

• Do you want a structured, scheduled homeschool?
• Will this be a child-lead, Montessori type homeschool?
• Who will be teaching? One parent? Both? Child-lead? (For older kids).
• What is your financial situation? (We freed up $40,000 per year before we started homeschooling)
• How much funding will you be needing to maintain the home and school life?
• Do you plan on traveling? (Read about our minivan travels)

All of these things will play a factor in the time, money, and overall management of your school/work life.

So let’s talk options. What different jobs are available to you? What are the perks of each?

Making money outside the house

When it comes to making money outside the home for both parents, this can be a challenge, especially if you have younger children at home. It might be difficult but many families do it every day. Even working full time!

Parents who choose this method often work different shifts in order to make sure someone is home with their children at all times.

This may be the method that most often incorporates both parents into the role of “teacher.”

Perks of making money outside the home

• You’re outside the home! (A little stay at home mom humor for you!)
• Potential benefits. (Health care, 401K)
• Potential steadier income (as compared to a self-employed work from home.)

Downsides of making money outside the home

• May struggle with parenting/marriage (since schedules often flip flop.)
• Life stays on a schedule — might not be able to take odd holidays like many homeschool families.

For our first year of homeschooling, Tom maintained his full-time job and I worked a part-time job as a preschool teacher. This often meant he was dropping our kids off at my work while he took off for his. While it was only 2 days a week, it was a struggle trying to maintain communication and for me to juggle home and work life.

Make money from home

Making money from home is what many parents turn to whether it is one parent or both. They do this in order to maintain a flexible schedule and help with a steady homeschool routine.

When Tom’s work schedule continuously changed, I knew to make money from home was probably my best bet. I had to quit my preschool job, then took a part-time evening job teaching dance and wound up having to quit that one as well.

I knew this was the push I needed to jump into blogging full time and I am so thankful for all the problems that pushed me in the right direction.

For me personally, working from home has allowed me to make more money and maintain a more peaceful homeschool experience.

More posts on blogging:

• How I Paid Off Debt by Blogging About Paying Off Debt
• How to Know When Laptop Life is Calling You
• How I Created a Money-Making Blog While Homeschooling

Be your own boss from home:

Here is a list of ways you can make money homeschooling and still be your own boss while working from home.

Start a blog

While making money from a blog takes time, it definitely gives you freedom to work when you can and you get to be completely in charge!

After working out some tweaks I was able to take my blog from $0 to over $1,000 in one month! This has lead to consistent (and increasing) passive income month after month from the blog! If you’ve ever been interested in blogging, you can take my free training: How to Make Your First $1,000 Online.

Start your own online business

If you already have a degree or skills that you know can benefit people like:

• Accounting
• Graphic design
• Photography
• Marketing
• Design
• Video editing

You could easily be taking your skills to the world wide web and be getting paid for it! No clue how to start? Take my free training!

Virtual assistant

If you have basic skills like typing, answering emails, Pinterest, Google, Excel…you could be helping an online business owner run their business and get paid to do it from home on your own schedule!

Not sure how to get started? Take my free training, How to Turn Your Skills Into a Virtual Money Maker.

Sell on Amazon

Did you know you can take advantage of the biggest online market, Amazon? The best part is, through AmazonFBA you are able to automate your sales so Amazon does most of the work!

People start selling on Amazon by simply paying attention to and taking advantage of in-store sales or thrift shopping! If you are someone who naturally gravitates toward bargain shopping, this might be a job for you! Get the ultimate guide for selling on Amazon!

Dog sit or dog walk

There is an app called Rover that allows you to watch, walk, or even just drop in and let dogs out to go potty! With Rover, You choose when you work, what you earn, and what dogs you work with!

This is another side-hustle I took on while homeschooling. Rover works to connect you with local families in need help with their pups so it was a very hands-off income for me. Plus, it taught my kids more responsibility! Get signed up with Rover.

Start a subscription box company

There is an awesome site called CrateJoy that helps you set up a website and selling platform so you can make and sell your own subscription boxes!

While this can require a lot of hands-on work, CrateJoy does a lot of the marketing for you and your kids might even enjoy helping you assemble your boxes! Learn more about CrateJoy.

Instacart Shopper

Instacart is one of the many ways people are taking advantage of NOT going ot the grocery store!

What Instacart allows you to do is head to the store in your free time and help other busy families scoop up their groceries.

The best part is, you choose how much you work and how involved you want to be. Learn more about Instacart.

Create your own course

Did you know you can create your own course? This could be an especially awesome gig if for making money while homeschooling!

While you are putting together teachings for your kids, you could easily transfer the information to a course creation website called Teachable and begin selling your course(s) to other homeschool families! There are many digital course platforms, however, with Teachable, you can get started for free!

Flexible part-time jobs:

There are other super flexible ways to make money while homeschooling. Some of the following you can do from home and others may require you to work outside the home.

CourseHero Tutoring

You’re already teaching your kids, why not help other kids too? If you have an area of expertise you could work online as a CourseHero tutor. Log on when you can and help expand your horizons while helping students from around the world.

QKids

QKids is an online platform that connects you with kids from around the globe to teach English. This is one of the few online English programs that doesn’t require you to have a degree! You may be able to work with experience or if you are currently working on a degree. See if you qualify!

SayABC

SayABC is another online platform that allows you to teach English online. You set your own schedule and can earn $21 per hour! Apply for SayABC.

Uber Driver

Honestly, Uber might be one of the most flexible part-time jobs to make money while homeschooling! You can literally start working whenever you want.

With Uber, there is no set schedule. You choose what riders you pick up and can get paid up to 5 times per day with Uber! It’s crazy how many Uber drivers I have met who have turned this into a full-time income!

Uber EATS

If you like the idea of Uber, but you’re not into driving people around. I get it! That’s why Uber created UberEATS — you deliver food instead of people! With UberEATS, there is just as much flexibility as Uber but with a lot less customer service! See if UberEATS is near you.

VIPKid

If you have a bachelors degree you could be earning between $17 and $22 per hour and setting your own hours by teaching English online with VIPKid.

In fact, for the year 2020, VIPKid was voted one of the top 10 best places to work! Apply now.

Perks of making money from home

• Create your own schedule.
• Flexibility with travel.

Downsides of making money from home

• Figuring out a scheduling system.
• Self-employment may not offer the same benefits or pay as working outside the home.

Related posts

• Save Over $10,000 a Year By Making These 7 Simple Changes
• Start a Home Gym For Less Than the Cost of a One Month Gym Membership
• 26 Jobs You Can Do In Your Pajamas

Time management tips

No matter what, homeschooling is going to require some trial and error when it comes to time management. Whether you work from home or work outside the home, figuring out a schedule that works for you will present its challenges.

Here are some of my best tips after 2 years of trying to figure out how to manage work from home and work outside the home homeschool schedules.

• Keep everyone’s sleep schedule in mind. –If you have late risers, getting work done in the morning may be a good option.
• Organize your curriculum to be quickly and easily accessible.
• Keep schoolwork digital. See how.
• Prepare school work the night before.
• Find some online classes (this will take the pressure off of you as a parent.)
• Find local homeschool classes. My kids did a homeschool gym class that allowed me 2 hours of solo work time!)
• Set goals.
• Create a loose schedule at first. -Tweak it where and when you need to.
• Make a chart
  • What will craft be each day?
  • What is one work goal you have?

If you are a person who thrives on organization, I highly suggest this life planner from Abby Lawson. It will help you keep everything together from work to home!

Extra money makers

Maybe you can’t fathom the idea of working and homeschooling. I get it. It can be a lot.

Maybe you need a little extra spending money and don’t have time to fit in another job into your schedule. Here are some easy ways that I make money while grocery shopping or in my spare time.

• Rebate apps: Get my top recommendations.
• Survey sites: Survey sites vary in how they pay, but most usually just ask you for your opinion and then pay you when you complete a survey! Doing this a few hours a day is a good way to create an addition $100 or so per month.
  • iSay
  • Springboard America
  • Maru Voice (Canada)
  • iSay (Canada)
  • Angus Reid (Canada)
• Pay off debt: I can’t stress enough how much money you could save/make if you can get right with your finances! See how my family and I paid off $6,000 in 6 months!

Find your groove.

It may not be easy at first, but making money while homeschooling is totally possible. Sometimes you just have to get creative and have patience! More than likely there will be some trial and error before you figure out what works for you and your family!

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