There are many reasons why people need a "Cash Machine" from home for extra income which is usually (but not always) a secondary source of income to fund an account for some reason such as paying down debt, funding an IRA, saving for a child's education, traveling, etc. The question is, we all know we would like to have one, but how do we find the time to start one AND run one?

There were a few reasons that I started my cash machines for extra income from home. One, was that I lost my job in 2000 after working for start-up companies for ten years. I found myself home with my then 2-year old son and I felt a bit lost. Working for start-up companies, the pace was fast and exciting. I went from traveling to New York and Chicago on a weekly basis to meet with advertising agencies and investment bankers, to changing diapers and watching Teletubbies. In retrospect, it was the best thing that ever happened to me because I got to spend more time with my son, and I got to use my creativity to start some businesses of my own.

The other reason was because now that I was a stay-at-home mother, I wasn't contributing to a company 401K anymore. That scared me. When you contribute to your company's retirement plan AND the company's matching contributions, the money can begin to add up very quickly. And with compounded interest over the years, well, I would be missing out on a lot of money my husband and I would surely rely on in our Golden Years.

In addition (according to Suze Orman), it's very wise for a woman to have her own account (this account does not need to be hidden from your spouse) separate from the family account in case she needs the money for a "rainy day" which can be for any number of things such as waking up and finding that you no longer have a spouse due to death or divorce. It's bad enough to be without your spouse (or in some cases--a good thing), but to also find yourself with no money, would be detrimental.

I also thought it was a good idea to keep up with my business skills if I was to enter the workforce again once my children were older and in school all day. I didn't want to be out of the business world for twelve years and then find myself with no real job opportunities due to my rusty business skills. In addition, a lot can happen in terms of technology in twelve years and I wanted to make sure I was on top of the latest and greatest gadgets and software. There's nothing like starting your own business to educate yourself on understanding all aspects of a business. In fact, I think I know more now then I did when I lost my job in 2000!

Some possible cash machine for extra income from home ideas that you can start from home on a part-time basis include:

• Gift Baskets
• Crafts
• Coach
• Network Marketing (I personally use this as one of my "cash machines." Visit my website to learn more).
• Dance Instructor
• Writer
• Graphic Designer
• Babysitting
• Tutoring
• Pet Sitting
• Advertising/Marketing Agency
• Personal Assistant
• Personal Trainer
• Direct Sales
• Event Planner
• Dog Walker
• Ezine Publishing

And there are so many more! A master list of home-based business ideas can be found here. All of the business ideas are alphabetized and you definitely will be able to find something that fits your skill set and talents.

All of the books I'm recommending to the right are ones I have personally read and learned a lot from. They are books I continue to go back to for the valuable information I got from them.

At the top of my list is Loral Langemeier's books. She has quite a few of them and I have read them all! Loral was born and raised on a farm in Nebraska, and did not start out in life with money or connections. Loral, a master coach and financial strategist, built her first business in high school, and by the time she was 34, she'd established a multi-million-dollar portfolio of properties, businesses, gas/oil and notes.

I also recommend Robert Kiyosaki's books. Like Loral, he has written a lot of books and has co-authored books with some of his closest experts. I have read most of his books as well, and can recommend them all.

Robert's background is very interesting, and if you haven't read the first book in the Rich Dad series, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," I highly recommend it! Robert and his wife Kim, who has written her own books, own millions of dollars worth of real estate.

Below are additional books I highly recommend. I particular liked "The One Minute Millionaire." This book is setup as both a nonfiction book, and a fiction book. On the left-hand side of the pages is the nonfiction part-business skills and information, and the right-hand side of the book is a fictional story that puts all the business skills to practice. I read the book in two days. Like a lot of people, I learn better with stories because they are easier to recall (I would consider myself a visual learner--perhaps a subject for another hub). Anyway, I think you will really enjoy this book.

Robert G. Allen who co-authored "The One Minute Millionaire," is one of the founders of "BookWise"-considered the most "intelligent" home-based business. This is a great work from home opportunity for those that are passionate about books (I joined for the simple fact that one of my cash machines is selling used books online--www.noblestarbooks.com--and I wanted to add new books to my inventory. I sell under the userid "noblestarbooks" on Amazon.com.) If you are interested in learning more about the BookWise opportunity, and/or for finding out how you can purchase books at a discount through a Preferred Customer program, visit my BookWise bookstore.

Here's to your success and happy Cash Machine hunting!