Money Matters: Let’s be honest. “Stay-at-home mom” is the most underpaid full-time job in America.

But what if you could keep running the home and bring in a reliable stream of cash - without clocking in at Target or asking your cousin to join a pyramid scheme?

This issue is a no-fluff, brass-tacks breakdown of proven side hustles real moms are using to supplement (or replace) a second income.

Think flexible, repeatable, and actually profitable.

You’re about to see how turning your kitchen table into a command center can work wonders for the family bank accounts can help you get there faster, and we are here to tell you which ones are out there!

Survey says: 53% of stay-at-home moms want to start a side hustle, but only 15% actually do.

Moms who freelance from home average $31/hour—more than the national median hourly wage.

61% of mom-led side hustles start with under $100 in startup costs.

Here is what on that portioned plate today:

😎 Our Favorite Resources
👍 4 Side Hustles for Stay At Home Mom’s
👌 How to Get Started with Limited/No Resources
🤷‍♀️ What’s up for next week

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Cool Links

Our favorite resources

🏃Side Hustles

The Mom Project – Remote Jobs & Flexible Freelance Work

Side Hustle Nation – Tactical Guides & Income Reports

Outschool – Become a Teacher

👀ICYMI

Check out our issue on how to save money with skyrocketing energy cost through the summer heat waves: How to Chill Your Energy Bills This Summer

📜Quote

Being a mom is like trying to build your brand in cargo pants. - Michelle Buteau (comedian)

Today’s Main Event

4 Real Hustles With Real Income

You ever have one of those days where your kid’s breakfast ends up on the cat, your inbox is 42 unopened emails from a PTA thread, and yet... you still wonder if you could start a business from your couch? Yeah, me too. Good news: You can. This issue isn’t about perfection—it’s about making $50 in your pajamas and feeling like a boss while you do it.

These aren’t scams. They’re scalable.

These aren’t time sucks. They’re doable in yoga pants during Peppa Pig reruns.

Ready to see what’s really working for moms right now? Let’s dive in.

1. Freelance Services (Writing, Design, Admin)

If you’ve ever written a clear email, organized a family calendar, or made a cute birthday invite in Canva—you already have marketable skills that people will pay for. Freelance platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer connect you with small businesses, bloggers, coaches, and ecommerce owners who are desperate for help they can trust.

Common gigs include:

• Writing blog posts, product descriptions, or email newsletters

• Designing social media graphics or simple logos in Canva

• Managing inboxes, calendars, and client follow-up

• Formatting documents, creating presentations, or data entry

• Social media scheduling and light customer service

You don’t need a degree, resume, or website to start—just a clear profile, a defined service, and a willingness to learn as you go. Many moms begin by offering a few hours a week and gradually build into a consistent, part-time income.

Earning Potential: $20–$100 per hour, depending on skill and niche
Time Commitment: Start with 1–3 hours/day—you control your workload
Tools You’ll Use: Canva, Google Docs, Trello, Grammarly, Zoom

2. Remote Tutoring or Teaching

If you’re the go-to mom for homework help, or you’ve ever explained fractions better than the math book could, you’re already more qualified than you think to make money as a remote tutor or online teacher.

Whether it’s reading, algebra, piano, or science experiments, there are parents all over the world looking to hire patient, friendly instructors to help their kids learn.

With platforms like Outschool, VIPKid, and Wyzant, you can teach from the comfort of your kitchen—no commute, no lesson plan stress, and no classroom full of 25 kids.

You set your own schedule, choose your subjects, and control your hourly rate.

Real Earning Potential: $20–$40/hour
Time Commitment: 1–10 hours/week, fully flexible
Best For: Moms who enjoy teaching, already homeschool, or have a background in education—even informal

3. Reselling (Thrifting + Online Flipping for Fast Cash)

If you’ve got an eye for a good deal and enjoy the thrill of treasure hunting at thrift stores, yard sales, or clearance aisles—reselling might be your most immediate path to profit.

It’s one of the easiest hustles to start because you don’t need a website, special skills, or startup money—you just need a smartphone and a few items to flip.

You find undervalued items locally and resell them for a higher price on platforms like eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, or Facebook Marketplace. Think of it as the modern version of a yard sale—only you’re selling to the entire internet.

Real Earning Potential: $300–$2,000/month (some full-timers earn more)
Time Commitment: Flexible—1–2 hours on weekends or during nap time
Best For: Deal hunters, closet organizers, and moms who love the thrill of the find

4. Virtual Assistant (VA)

If you're the one who color-codes the family calendar, knows where every permission slip is, and can juggle 14 to-dos in your head before coffee—you already have the makings of a great Virtual Assistant (VA).

VAs are the behind-the-scenes powerhouses that keep solo entrepreneurs, small businesses, coaches, and online shops running smoothly.

You don’t need a degree, fancy resume, or corporate background.

You need reliability, clear communication, and the ability to take small but important tasks off someone else’s plate -from home, on your schedule, with your kids in the next room.

Common VA Tasks:

• Managing email inboxes and calendars

• Booking appointments or travel

• Creating social media graphics in Canva

• Scheduling content with tools like Buffer or Later

• Light bookkeeping using Wave or QuickBooks

• Customer support via email or chat

• Research and data entry

• Formatting newsletters or blog posts

Real Earning Potential: $25–$50/hour (higher with experience or niche skills)
Time Commitment: 5–20 hours/week, scalable and flexible
Best For: Moms who are detail-oriented, self-directed, and love helping others succeed behind the scenes

How to Start Smart—Even If You Have Zero Time or Money

If you're juggling diapers, dishes, and doubts—and feel like there's no way you could start something right now—pause for a second. You can. You don’t need a business loan, a brand board, or a 10-hour workweek. You need one tiny success to build momentum.

Here is your simple, real-world plan to start seeing results—read to the end, and you’ll walk away with step-by-step blueprints for each hustle, designed to get you earning fast and growing smart.

1. Pick One Thing You Genuinely Enjoy (or Don’t Hate)

Don’t chase trends. Ignore the TikTok gurus yelling about passive income. Choose something you:

• Already know how to do reasonably well

• Wouldn’t mind doing repeatedly (even when the baby skips their nap)

• Could explain to a friend without Googling

Examples:

• “I’m good at organizing stuff — maybe virtual assistant work”

• “I write clean emails and love editing — maybe freelance writing”

• “I enjoy drawing on my iPad — maybe print-on-demand”

Rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t do it for free, don’t try to turn it into money.

2. Get One Client or Sale Before You Touch a Logo

This is where most people stall—they build a “business” before testing if anyone will pay them. Instead, focus 100% on finding your first paying customer or sale. That’s your green light.

Skip for now:

• Logos

• Websites

• Business cards

• Social media pages

• Legal filings

Do this instead:

• Message 5 people you know: “I’m offering _____ to a few people this month—interested?”

• Post in 1–2 Facebook groups with a clear offer

• Ask a local business if they need help for 5 hours this week

Once you’ve made one sale or landed one client, you’ll feel ten times more confident moving forward.

3. Use This Free Tool Stack to Launch Without Spending a Dime

Your Step-by-Step Start-Up Guides

• The Real Mom's Guide to Freelance Services

• The Real Mom's Guide to Remote Tutoring & Teaching

• The Real Mom's Guide to Online Reselling

• The Real Mom's Guide to Becoming a Virtual Assistant

Until Next Time

What’s Up Next Week

If your goal is to contribute financially, stay flexible for your family, and build something real—you don’t need to start big. You just need to start real. One offer. One client. One hour a day. That’s how serious side hustles begin.

Heads-up: Next week Nico gets us ready to go back to school in style without breaking the bank.

Thanks for soaring with MoneyHoot today! Spare us 30 seconds for the lightning survey below—your feedback powers the next issue.

You’ve got the skills, the drive, and now the blueprint - go build your hustle, one nap time at a time.

MoneyHoot out!

— Jim & the HootSquad

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.