Over on the Cheapskates Club YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago, Cath spoke about side hustles you can do to boost the family budget. Many of these side hustles Cath has done herself when money was tight. Even today I know she has many little income steams that helps keep her budget on track.
Over the years Darren and I have faced many financial hardships due to insufficient work hours, low pay rates and our choice to be a single income family while I stayed home to raise our girls.
Having a few little side hustles meant we could save for holidays, have enough money for groceries, buy gifts, replace our ' make do ' furniture for quality items and purchase cars with cash.
Here are some of the side hustles I've personally used to bring in a little extra cash. Some of these hustles I still do to this day.
* I polished silverware for a friend who was hosting Christmas at her place. The silverware was family heirlooms that she wanted to use and display for the occasion.
* Some of my cleaning clients needed their ironing done. This was additional work on top of my cleaning hours so I treated the extra money as a bonus. Some of these clients enjoyed my ironing so much that it became a regular part of my cleaning visit.
* Speaking of cleaning, my cleaning work first started because we were living below the poverty line. We desperately needed extra money to make ends meet but I didn't want to put our daughter in day care so I could work. Somehow I managed to fit in a couple of regular clients when Darren had a day off and my work has snowballed from there. When our girls were school aged, I would clean during school hours. When the school holidays came around, the girls would come to the cleaning jobs with me.
* I make jam from the fruit we grow. Most of the jam is put away for our personal use. I sell a few jars here and there which more than covers the cost of the sugar and gas used in the cooking. I also give some as presents which frees up some of the gift budget. This money is then put into other areas of our budget.
* During the long lockdowns of 2020, I made and sold many, many face masks. This was an unexpected side hustle that kept money coming into our home when I wasn't allowed to work.
* Making my own greeting cards started out as a money saver for our budget. The price of greeting cards had gone up from 4 for $2 to a minimum of $1 each in the discount shops. With the basic supplies I had on hand, I started making very simple cards to put with presents. Then I helped form a card making group and it turned into a hobby that earns me a little bit of money when I sell them on Facebook.
* I sell unwanted items on Marketplace. Darren and I have always been wise with our purchases so we've never really had much to sell. Still, I've managed to sell DVD cases, spare yoghurt makers, pet items, a snow suit from my teens, small electrical appliances, Tupperware and pieces of furniture.
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| Jam has been a good seller |
Some of the cards I've sold over the years -
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