Making Money at Home

Have you ever heard of the term, snowflaking?

It is a spinoff on Dave Ramsey’s snowball method for getting out of debt.

::It is doing a bunch of little things that will eventually add up to a lot of money::

On this page I am going to share all of my ideas for “snowflaking”  Some of them are my own ideas that I have tried and others I have found online and I will provide links and credit wherever it is due.  Just remember to keep working and keep trying and eventually all of these snowflakes will add up to one heck of a snowball!

.:Ways to Save Money:.

• Sell everything that isn’t nailed down!  Have a yard sale, sell stuff on Ebay or on Craigslist–just sell it!!
• Shut off the cable–try watching your favorite shows online on TV.com and/or HULU
• Stop buying books and movies–go to the public library or use sites like Paperback Swap
• Don’t just shop at Goodwill–only shop there on 50% off day once a month
• Have a swap meet with friends or church–
  • Each person brings 5-10 items that are in excellent used condition
  • Either take turns trading objects or play a game like BINGO where the winner gets first choice
  • Make the “swap meet” themed–ie: kitchen, clothing, baby stuff…etc.
• Buy a freezer
  • When meat goes on sale, buy in bulk
  • Make your own spaghetti sauce, stewed/diced tomatoes, jelly and soups–store them in your freezer
  • Check newspaper or craigslist to buy a used freezer and it will pay for itself in no time!
• Give your own haircuts at home!
  • Tons of resources online like the blog, Almost Frugal where she gives a frame by frame example of how to cut a little boy’s hair!
• Get rid of that car payment!  Pay it off or sell the car.
  • This is the best advice I have heard in a long time–think of having an extra $300-$400 a month!
• Consider removing texting from cell phone plan
  • If this is simply impossible for you (as it would be for me) then lower your plan’s talk minutes as low as you can
• Stop buying all paper products for your kitchen–no more paper plates, paper towels, or paper napkins
  • Head over to SimpleMom for some tips and tricks
• Buy the store brand for EVERYTHING possible
  • Save the splurge for fresh/organic items only
• Stop paying hundreds of dollars for professional studio portraits
  • Check Craigslist for photographers who are looking to build up their portfolios.
  • They will often do it for free and give you the pictures on a CD
  • The best thing of all is that you aren’t going to be stuck in a stuffy studio–you can go to the location of your choice!
  • Use sites like Snapfish or Shutterfly to get copies of the pictures.  They are always offering discounts and first-time buyer deals!   Never pay full price!

.:Ways to Make Money:.

• Use your skills to become a tutor
  • Post ads on Craigslist or in your local newspaper
• Become a Digital Photography Expert
  • Offer to upload, edit, organize, and develop other people’s digital photographs
  • Post ads on Craiglist, newspaper, and church bulletin boards
  • Be sure that you keep a backup of the pictures…just in case of a computer malfunction.
• Become a dog walker
  • You would be amazed at how many people would use this service if it was made readily available–especially those people that are at work all day.
  • Make sure that you have references available
• Make and sell doll clothes
  • If you make them in the size that would fit either American Girl dolls or Build-a-Bear stuffed animals–they WILL sell!
• Hold creative workshops
  • ie: poetry, creative writing, painting, scrapbooking….etc.
  • Charge a fair/flat rate
  • Look around your town for free facilities you could use.  Sometimes fire halls, churches, and community centers don’t charge for a space when you request “off” days like Wednesday evening or almost all mornings.
  • If it is warm out…meet in an open pavilion in the park.
• Start a house cleaning business
  • You can clean during the days and often times your kids can go along
  • Have references available
• Start a business cleaning business
  • Offers a lot of flexibility and you can also take your kids or leave them at home with Daddy, throw on your IPOD and clean the night away
    • Just a side note:  Growing up I had a friend whose mom cleaned businesses in the evening and she would invite her daughter and her daughter’s friends along to help and would pay us $20!  Not only did we enjoy the work, but it taught us at an early age to work hard for our money.  So if you have teenagers…recruit them to help!
• Do you currently sell items on sites like Etsy?  Check around at local stores or salons–some of them may be really interested in buying your goods and selling them in their stores.
• Start a home organization business–put your skills to the test and tackle somebody else’s clutter

<3 Check back often as I will be updating regularly!