Ten Great Jobs for Stay at Home Moms

You want to stay home and be there for your kids-- that's great! Ãâà It is true-- if you got paid for all the hours you work and the time you spent, you'd deserve six figures for all that effort. However, just because you're not in a traditional nine-to-five kind of office situation, that doesn't mean you can't find some perfectly interesting and well-paying things to do during naptime or while the kids are at school. Ãâà Part time work is not only good for your family's budget-- it's good for your brain!

Here is a list of things you can absolutely do in between your main and (of course) most important job-- stay at home mom.   I am just here to give you some viable ways to supplement your income while you're doing that!

1. Graphic designer/ virtual assistant/ PowerPoint maker/ a variety of other jobs. If you had an administrative-type job in an office or you're one of those super-organized types, a VA job could be a great fit for you. There are still business owners who don't want to outsource assistant jobs overseas. Basically you register with Elance, then you get the chance to look at proposals from business owners who need everything from writers to V.A.'s to social media managers to part-time accountants and everything in between.  

2. Freelance Writer

If you have any talent at all for writing, definitely sign up to be a content provider at Suite101 and FreelanceWritingJobs.com. You will have to "claim" jobs on each network, but depending on your area of expertise), this can not only be a great source of income, but a chance to use your brain for something other than endless conversations with three year olds and analyzing the deeper meaning behind the Yo Gabba Gabba song "I Love Flowers." This just in: she loves flowers.

Here are some places you can sign up:

3. Affiliate marketer (also known as "Internet Marketer). Internet marketing is a useful skill no matter what you use it for, and once you're familiar with the concepts of doing keyword research and setting up Wordpress sites, it's fun to continue learning new things as you promote people's products (which can certainly earn you a full time income). So that you don't become overwhelmed with the concepts, I would recommend taking a course-of the affordable ones I have tried, I would recommend Chris Farrell's courses. Chris is smart and funny, his courses are packed with information, he has an inexpensive trial, and you can leave anytime. Remember, once you build your internet marketing skills, you can certainly put those to use for businesses in your area, for your own business, for your husband's business, or really, for anything you want. The internet is constantly changing, and having the skill to build and market websites is simply invaluable. The Website Course is where I would start if I were coming to internet marketing brand new.

4. Mystery Shopper (also known as "Secret Shopper"). Secret shopper is actually a job that stores need, because it gives them valuable feedback on how their employees/ stores are doing and alerts them to things they need to change. This is a job that myself and several of my friends do, because it can make errands pay for themselves and because it's fun and interesting. Basically, you sign up over at this site, get alerted to jobs in your area, accept them, and go! Â You'll need strong writing and organizational skills (and probably a camera), but it's interesting work and you'll never have the same day twice. Â Try it! Personally, I once reviewed a grocery store, a bank, and a fancy watch store all in the same day, just because I was in the area.

5. Public Sector Jobs With recent economic stimulus packages going into effect, the public sector (government) is opening up as a viable option for part-time work, some of which may be done at home. If you had a job like this before you made the move to stay at home mom, definitely check out this site. You might be able to transition back to part time work with benefits!

6. Photographer. With the hundreds of photos you've taken of your kids, you've actually learned a little bit about photography and gotten good at it, right? Honestly, digital photography is a real skill that people need-from real estate agents to other moms who want family portraits done to pet photographers to people who need nice photos of their cars for their CraigsList listing. Here is a site where you can find a guide to starting a home-based photography business, since you are probably already doing this for your child, his or her friends, and their soccer team.

7. Medical transportation. This is especially appropriate for you if you are already caring for an elderly relative, taking them back and forth to appointments. Did you know that with one vehicle, you can start a small business doing "medical transportation" for elderly people, and the government will reimburse you for this? It's true. Obviously if you have a small car (or no car at all) or are busy at home all day this might not be for you, but if you have a big car, your kids are in school during the day, and you know your way around town, this is definitely something you should look into.

8. Designer. Enter (and hopefully win!) web design "contests". CrowdSpring.com is a site where anyone can participate in design "contests." The good news: everyone is different, so no matter what kind of designer you are, you will probably be able to find a customer who is receptive to this, plus once you win the contest, chances are that person will not only stay your client, but refer you to their friends. Visit CrowdSpring.com or 99Designs.com to sign up and get started. Creative Market is also a great place to sell your designs/ photographs.

9. Facebook Expert/ Consultant. Beyond a "Social Media Manager," a Facebook expert/ consultant specializes in this one platform, setting up fan pages for businesses, designing applications, and architecting a business strategy that includes this important , ever-growing, and ever-changing tool. Did you know that Facebook has more members than there are people in the United States of America?

So-- once the kids are in school, what can you do? Many moms say they need a part time job to fill this time, but they a) have been out of the workforce, or b) need flexible hours.

I have had several friends solve this dilemma by getting a part-time job in a retail or office setting. This can be especially lucrative during the holidays, plus you get out of the house, PLUS (and this is a big advantage) you get the store's discount even when you're not working, which can lower your entire monthly spend.

If there is a Kohl's, Bed, Bath & Beyond, or Macy's in your area (for instance), this is definitely something to consider. At least start a search! Need an hourly job? Search over 250,000 part-time and full-time hourly positions on Snagajob.