Work for a stay at home wife

shdybrady · #41 06/09/12, 10:15 PM

So I have noticed. But the baking thing would be pretty cool and she loves to bake. Is there any regulations on that sort of thing or is it pretty straight foward? The knitting and jewelry I think she will just keep as a hobby for now.

shdybrady · #42 06/09/12, 10:16 PM

dang alice you are like the link oracle lol

Alice In TX/MO · #43 06/09/12, 10:18 PM

Google Queen.

Molly Mckee · #44 06/10/12, 12:06 AM

There is a shortage of people to IA cows in some areas, if she's good with animals and wanted to learn to do that. I'm not sure it is legal in all states so you'd have to look into that.

One of the reasons people are saying to think about dropping the daycare is it does not appear necessary. If you don't spend 200.00 you have already earned it is 200.00 saved. If you work for an additional 200.00 you pay all the associated taxes so you have to make more than 200.00 to have 200.00. If that makes sense.

Wendy · #45 06/10/12, 12:31 AM

Quote:

One of the reasons people are saying to think about dropping the daycare is it does not appear necessary. If you don't spend 200.00 you have already earned it is 200.00 saved. If you work for an additional 200.00 you pay all the associated taxes so you have to make more than 200.00 to have 200.00. If that makes sense.

Exactly!

Wendy · #46 06/10/12, 12:36 AM

Again, I don't know the age of your child, but get them involved as soon as you can with all aspects of the farm. My kids had little chores when they were 3. They always followed me around the farm helping me with whatever I was doing.

We raise Cornish Cross chickens every year for extra money. Not their favorite chore, but they all help with butchering. If your wife can butcher there would be another option. People love fresh from the farm meat. I also do rabbits & this year have added turkeys. Of course if she can't do certain things with a kid around, then a lot of these things won't be an option. Having kids around never stopped me from doing whatever I wanted around the place. You have to learn to adjust. Yeah, having them help might take a little longer, but it is time spent with your child & a learning thing for them.

countryfied2011 · #47 06/10/12, 03:19 AM

Tastefully Simple - Home

I know a girl that makes pretty good money doing this as a part time job. Alot of her sales come from selling on the internet and having parties at other people's home. They have good products.

Laura Zone 10 · #48 06/10/12, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shdybrady

I am the only income in my house hold and my wife is a stay at home mom with the baby going to day care twice a week for socialism and give my wife time to relax and get some things done around the house she cant do with my son here. We are able to stay on top of the bills with my income and really dont NEED and extra income. But I am on this path of having my house paid off by the time we are 35. So I am wanting to figure out how to get her to make just a bit more income so we can throw that money into the farm or towards the principle on our loan.

She knows the basics on how to knit and she does make beaded jewelry as a hobby, so we considered an ebay store for such items. But honestly I know the market is flooded with people doing the same thing. So thats not out of the questions but not the first choice. We do plan on selling firewood from some clearing I am doing on the property. It wont be a ton of money but it will help. I am considering doing mushrooms and possibly some spices and herbs just for something a bit more consistent and renewable. She is considering going back to work on the days my son goes to daycare, so she isnt opposed to working. Also she does work as a bartender on the weekends and it brings in some money but its more for her to have some adult time.

So please share with me some of your experiences and ideas. Now note we are not looking for a lazy get rich quick idea. Just something that will bring in some money to help pay down our principle on our home.

Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University.

Click on "find a class near you".

Whisperwindkat · #49 06/10/12, 06:27 AM

To answer your original question here are some things that I do to make some extra money. Take in sewing repairs, Sell 1 CSA share from our garden each year, sell eggs, freelance write articles for magazines, teach a couple homesteading classes each year, sell a few goats each year, and 1 day a week I run errands and do laundry for an older lady down the road who has a hard time doing these things herself. Now, to beat the dead horse. For social time two other mothers and I get our kids together each week for playtime and we are members of a homeschool group with tons of other kids. Neither costs money. Needing a break from 1 child 4 days a week? Makes me think you really need to sit down and talk with your wife about what she really wants. Saving that daycare money is more beneficial than your wife needing another day of breaktime so that she can earn some extra money. I have never farmed my kids out to be able to run the farm and I am the one who runs this farm full time due to my husbands work schedule. This is my job. Blessings, Kat

shdybrady · #50 06/10/12, 08:01 AM

This is going to be the last time I mention something about day care. Everybody benefits from him going to daycare 2 times a week. We are supporting the local economy he gets his social time and my wife gets time to do what she needs to do with the farm and errands. I understand we would save 200 bucks a month. But we are doing just fine with him in day care. If this was a matter of trying to make mortgage or not then I would take him out of it immediately. Yes this might be the your advise (which this thread wasnt asking for financial advise) and you say I might not like it but oh well. Well in this situation its my decision to keep my son in day care so get over it. Its not money out of your pocket so dont worry about it

But on a lighter note. So far we have decided to do the chickens, between hatching eggs and possibly getting in with a restaurant. Im also going to call around to a few local meat markets. Amanda said she really wouldnt mind doing an herb garden as well. She would like to get a few things going for the two farmers markets around here. One is on a saturday and the other is on a tuesday. Both days my son is at day care or with his grand parents so that would work out.

shdybrady · #51 06/10/12, 08:07 AM

I just saw the my wife needing a break 4 days a week. That's nothing of the sort. My son goes to my parents house friday night. She works friday night, saturday day, and saturday night. On tuesday and thursday he goes to day care and that is her chance to do run any errands to town, clean the house, deal with the animals with whatever they need. All while I am in canada 70% of the year. So she is really doing all the chores of a single parent.

upnorthlady · #52 06/10/12, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shdybrady

So please share with me some of your experiences and ideas. Now note we are not looking for a lazy get rich quick idea. Just something that will bring in some money to help pay down our principle on our home.

Does your wife have any music skills? When I was a stay at home Mom, I used my music talents to make money. I played organ and piano for weddings or funerals or accordion for community events. I had my name on a list of "substitutes" for all the area churches, and during the summer I would often get called to play at a service somewhere. I also had my name on a list at all the area funeral homes to provide music if the family had no one to play or the regular church musicians were unavailable. I also gave a few music lessons.

Right now we make extra cash by selling honey and maple syrup. There are always ways to make money - they used to call it "egg money". Nothing to get rich on, but it helps with the cash flow.

shdybrady · #53 06/10/12, 08:56 AM

Awesome suggestion upnorthlady. But she is not gifted with the talent of music....or dancing lol. But I want to do maple syrup and always have but I have to do some more research on the process. I would love to do bees. And might one day. But she is highly allergic to bees so thats out of the question for her. But I can put a colony far enough from the house where I could work them

rkgjl · #54 06/10/12, 09:45 AM

Have you checked out the "work at home business forum" a little lower on the front page?

salmonslayer · #55 06/10/12, 10:14 AM

I fully understand your wanting to keep the daycare; we raised 5 and did the same thing a couple days a week.

The baking thing is a lot of work but can be pretty lucrative. We have a friend who is a SAHM who got a couple things going with a local quick stop and a restaurant to provide cookies, rolls, cakes, etc and she ended up with way more work than she actually wanted...at least here it wasnt hard to get a food permit. We also live in an area where there are lots of elderly and there is a constant demand for people to come into their homes and help clean or run them on errands.

Depending on where you are chickens my be a loser; eggs go for $1.00 - $1.25 a dozen around here and there are hatcheries all over.

Dont know what you situation is as far as your homestead but some high end restaurants will contract with you to provide fresh herbs, banana leaves, veggies etc and if you can find a niche' you could really make out. We know of a farm around here that grows crocus' for saffron and are contracted to a specialty spice company...they claim to be doing very well.

Jakk · #56 06/10/12, 11:53 AM

I have a friend that has one child and THANK GOD for daycare. She loves her child dearly, but really has no maternal instincts. Their home life is better because the child is in daycare. I'm guessing this might be the case in your home too. She honestly cannot understand how I have four kids, homeschool and WHY I would ever own chickens. If she had to spend 24/7 with her son they would both go crazy. So I can see the need for daycare when it's not related to needing to work.

That said, you did post it to a homesteading forum where a lot of members have multiple children, homeschool their kids and also run a farm. So I hope you can see why you are getting the answers you are getting. If you posted this question on a different type of forum, you would get a different type of answer.

Maybe what your wife needs is a hobby that is all her own. No money involved, just something enjoyable. Volunteering in a food pantry is very rewarding, or in a nursing home. What are her interests?

Pony · #57 06/10/12, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stef

Can she bake cookies? I'm telling you, people never get tired of cookies. Especially around the Christmas holiday, many working women want home-made cookies but just don't have the time to bake. They don't mind paying a premium for cookies that are better quality than store bought ones.

[IMG]

Work for a stay at home wife - Homesteading Questions

[/IMG]

Oh, man! Now I want home baked cookies!

Dutchie · #58 06/10/12, 12:40 PM

You can't teach that child socialism at home?

Debbie in Wa · #59 06/10/12, 01:12 PM

I have read all the comments made and have not seen this one. Since you live on a farm, do you start any of your plants at home or do you buy them. Here in my neck of the woods there is a big demand for someone to have a nursery. The farmers market is loaded with people selling starter plants and vegetables. It doesn't cost much to put in a hoop house and will pay for itself in no time. Right now a lot of people are getting back to gardening but don't have a clue on how to start anything from seed.

Pony · #60 06/10/12, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutchie

You can't teach that child socialism at home?

LOL! Yeah, I saw that too.