How to Get Money as a Single Mom
There’s no doubt about it – being a single mom can be exhausting and overwhelming. You constantly juggle responsibilities on your own. There’s limited time for self-care. The money is often tight. The last challenge is especially difficult because financial stress impacts every aspect of your life. It can make it harder to provide for your children, plan for the future, and even enjoy the little moments.
But the good news is that there are numerous ways to improve your financial situation. You just need to be proactive and resourceful. And that’s precisely what this guide on how to get money as a single mom will help you with.
How to Get Money as a Single Mom: Top 10 Ways
The life of every single mom is uniquely challenging. Some single moms have young children, which pretty much keeps them tied to their homes. Others may have older children who need less direct supervision, allowing them to look for ways to make money that don’t involve staying at home.
Some single moms have degrees, while others boast some valuable, hard-earned skills. Some have access to the internet and helpful platforms like BlurBay, while others might rely on more traditional methods. So many different scenarios!
Taking this kaleidoscope of circumstances into account, this guide on how to get money as a single mom features flexible strategies to suit various needs and situations.
#1 – Take Surveys Online
Are you looking for a low-effort way to make money as a single mom that doesn’t require any skills or experience? If so, we’ve got just the “job” for you. Taking surveys online.
Using websites like Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and Vindale Research, you can earn money by sharing your opinions on various topics. It’s as simple as it comes!
Depending on the platform—and the specific task—you’ll receive rewards like cash or gift cards. While cash is probably your No. 1 goal, gift cards can also be rather helpful, especially for purchasing essentials or treating yourself.
The best part? This method is entirely flexible. You can take surveys whenever you have some spare time. So, take full advantage of time blocks when your children are sleeping, at school, or on a play date. Play your favorite tunes, get comfy, and start earning!
#2 – Earn Cashback
Let’s not sugarcoat it – there’s virtually no end to the expenses that come with raising children. They need clothing. Food. School supplies. Activities. Medical care. And the list can go on and on!
Since you’re already spending money on your children, why not make the most of it by earning cash back on your purchases?
Though this isn’t a way to make money as a single mom per se, it is a valuable strategy to lower some of those expenses in the long run. As such, it will undoubtedly help you stretch your budget a bit further, providing some financial relief.
So, how can you start earning cashback? It’s simple, really. Just download cashback apps like Ibotta and start shopping through them (or use them to scan your receipt). For every purchase you make, a percentage of your spending will be returned to you.
#3 – Shop for Groceries
Sure, you can earn money back while shopping for groceries. However, you can also directly earn money while doing the same activity. How? By working for a grocery-delivery app like Instacart. These apps allow you to earn money by picking and delivering groceries to customers.
This option is ideal for single moms who have a reliable car, sufficient spare time, and a proclivity for running errands. It’s also great for individuals looking for a flexible job that can fit around their schedule.
#4 – Drive for Rideshare Services
If you like the idea of earning money by driving around but dislike the shopping part, we’ve got good news. You can still earn money by driving for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. This is another flexible option that allows you to work on your own schedule.
Let’s say your children are already attending school. You can drive them to school in the morning and then simply clock in as a rideshare driver afterward. If no tasks are waiting for you at home, you can even take rides until it’s time to pick your children up for school. This way, you get to have the best of both worlds – earn money and spend quality time with your children at home.
#5 – Start an Online Business
Let’s say leaving the house too much isn’t really an option for you. Your child(ren) might be young or require constant supervision. You might have a limited support system. Or you simply prefer working from home. Whatever the reason, you can earn money without ever leaving your home. That’s the beauty of the internet!
One of the best tips to earn money as a single mum online includes starting your own business. Why? Because this option can be far more profitable and flexible than most other online activities, including those this guide has already covered. This option also allows you to leverage your skills or passions and become your own boss. No schedules, middlemen (or apps!), or rigid requirements.
Of course, it isn’t all rainbow and butterflies, either.
You still need to invest quite a lot of time and effort for this endeavor to work. You’ll also need a wide range of skills, including marketing, customer service, and financial management. That’s what makes this opportunity to make money as a single mom best for women who’ve left similar jobs to take care of their child(ren). They already have all the skills. They just need to apply them to a new context and find a way to balance their new business with their parenting responsibilities.
#6 – Transcribe Audio
Is starting an online business too big of a commitment or not quite what you’re looking for? No problem, it’s back to simpler online options that don’t require as much of your time and effort! Enter transcribing audio online.
This job is precisely what it sounds like. You listen to recorded audio and type out what you hear. In other words, you don’t need any specialized skills or extensive training to perform this job. Just decent listening skills, a computer, and a quiet workspace.
Of course, the last part can be problematic for a single mom with a busy household or young children. But the good news is that they can still make it work. The trick is setting up a dedicated workspace and only working during times when the house is quiet(er), such as early mornings or late evenings.
#7 – Tutoring
Do you have a specific skill that you can no longer pursue due to a lack of time? No problem. You can always teach it to others!
Tutoring might be the most versatile of all the ways to make money as a single mom, as it allows you to share virtually any skill while working around your schedule.
Now, you might wonder – how will I possibly have enough time to tutor students one-on-one? The answer is simple. We’re talking about pre-recorded lessons that you can sell individually or as part of a full-on course on platforms like BlurBay. With this approach, you only need to film a lesson once for it to generate income repeatedly. And even if there’s a slow month or two, don’t worry. BlurBay won’t charge you a monthly subscription fee, just a 5% commission on your sales. Talk about a win-win scenario!
#8 – Take Up Freelance Writing
From this point on, this guide will discuss how to get money as a single mom with a specific skill set. First up – writing.
If you have a knack for words, freelance writing could be a fantastic way to earn money from home. This job primarily involves creating content for blogs, websites, and other online publications. Platforms like Upwork give you the opportunity to find these jobs and take them on in your spare time.
But keep one thing in mind. The writing market is quite saturated, so it might not be as easy to get started. However, what you can do to get the ball rolling is create your own personal blog. One, this will allow you to earn some money through display ads. And two, your blog can serve as your online portfolio, attracting new clients.
#9 – Translating
There’s another potentially lucrative job you can do as a single mom that involves words and writing. Translating. If you’re fluent in any other language, you should be able to land some translating gigs on websites like Translate.com. Now, if you speak a popular language like Chinese, Spanish, or French, it might be easier to find opportunities, as there’s a high demand for translations in these languages. However, this doesn’t mean specializing in a less common language is a bad thing. In fact, this can be highly profitable if you manage to position yourself within a niche market desperately searching for your expertise.
#10 – Managing Social Media
Every day, one thing becomes increasingly obvious – we live in a world that thrives on social media. From businesses to influencers, everyone needs a strong online presence to reach their audience. And everyone needs a manager for that online presence. So, if you have experience with the social media world, managing social media accounts can be an amazing way to earn money from home.
Most parts of this lucrative job are highly flexible – responding to DMs, replying to comments, and crafting engaging captions all can be done on your own schedule. This means that you can check off these boxes whenever you have a moment to spare, such as during your child’s nap. Even parts that require more of a time commitment, such as devising the posting schedule for the week, can be done in one sitting, allowing you to plan ahead and manage your time efficiently.
The best part? This job can often be done on the go using only your mobile phone, making it an ideal option for busy single moms who need to fit work into their hectic lives.
How to Get Money as a Single Mom: Mastered
As you can see, you can leverage virtually anything to make money as a single mom. Your free time. Your previous work experience. Your skills and passions. Access to the internet and leading platforms like BlurBay. Just identify what works best for your situation, sprinkle in some creativity, and start earning money.
